https://archive.md/JexAN
"In early September of 2020, Joe Biden, then the Democratic nominee for
president, promised to put values—values held in contempt, he argued, by the
man he would go on to defeat—at the center of American foreign policy. To act
on his promise, he said, he would do something Donald Trump had neglected to
do. “I’ll meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” Biden said.
For American presidents, meeting the 14th Dalai Lama can bring tension and
discord, because Communist Party leaders in Beijing consider Tibet to be a part
of China. They consider any recognition of the Dalai Lama—a Mandela-level icon,
a symbol of Tibet’s will to survive, and also (by the way) a living Buddha, a
bodhisattva, to his millions of followers—a terrible insult to Chinese
sensitivities. (To be fair, Chinese leaders are omnidirectionally offended, by
supporters of Taiwanese independence and Hong Kong democracy; by Christians and
Uyghurs and Mongols; and by anyone else who threatens their middle-kingdom
sense of imperial entitlement.)
More than three years into his term, Biden has not made good on his promise,
though he has a plausible excuse: The Dalai Lama is 88 years old, in declining
health, and seldom leaves his home in exile in the Himalayan foothills of
India. But the Dalai Lama’s age is now providing a path for Biden to keep his
promise: The bodhisattva has bad knees, and he has decided, after much
procrastination, to come to New York this summer to investigate the possibility
of replacement.
A visit by Biden to the Dalai Lama’s hospital—or an after-surgery invitation to
the White House—would signal continuing American concern over the oppression of
Tibet and Tibetans, as well as support for one of the most heroic and pacific
humanitarian leaders of our age. Such a visit would also have the benefit of
signaling to the Chinese government that a U.S. president makes decisions
independent of Chinese Communist feelings. (American CEOs are particularly
feeble at signaling such independence.) A call on the Dalai Lama couldn’t
possibly hurt Biden’s standing among voters, especially considering the Dalai
Lama’s previous lack of interest in meeting with Trump when he was president.
Five years ago, when I visited the Dalai Lama at his monastery in Manali, he
told me that he did not look favorably on Trump’s jingoistic “America First”
rhetoric. “Everyone first,” he said, laughing. “A much better idea.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
