Disgraceful, Craven, and Cowardly

Streetwise Professor

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is now pleading for asylum in the United States, literally hours after he left the US embassy in Beijing, under the terms of a stitched together deal which supposedly guaranteed his safety and the safety of his family. His presence in the embassy was a huge embarrassment, especially in view of the impending visit of Hillary Clinton and Timmy! for talks with the Chinese leadership. Reports strongly suggest that the US pressured Chen to leave, and at the very least, did nothing to push back on Chinese threats (delivered to Chen) to beat his wife to death.

So the United States government did something exactly analogous to turning over a fugitive slave, to avoid a conflict with the slaveowner, or in response to the slaveowner’s threat to whip the slave’s wife to death.

This is disgraceful, craven, and cowardly

Obama claims that human rights are raised at every meeting with the Chinese. I can imagine the conversation now: Obama: “You need to respect human rights.” Chinese official: “Mind your own business.” Obama: “Now we have that out of the way . . . ”

Deeds speak far louder than words. The immediate and panicked capitulation shows clearly that Obama has no real interest in human rights, and is unwilling to risk the slightest displeasure from the Chinese. Not that he has succeeded in the latter: the Chinese are shrilly demanding an apology for us letting Chen step onto embassy grounds.

This is all a piece with Obama’s overall policy. He is fighting the Magnitsky Act tooth and nail. Doesn’t want to upset the Reset, dontcha know. He has thrown human rights under the bus everywhere, from China to Russia to Iran to the Middle East, and has exactly nothing to show for it in return.

With respect to Chen in particular, what did the US gain for its unseemly capitulation? What is to be gained from such a craven abandonment of principle? What great achievements were expected from Hillary’s visit to China? What important agreements were being negotiated? Will China agree to do anything regarding North Korea, or South Sudan, or Syria, or Iran?

Yeah, right.

Even if deals were on the table, the Chinese behavior tells you what deals with them are worth. Within hours-hours-of the Chinese assurances that he would be treated well, Chen was obviously in fear for his life, and the lives of his family and friends. A deal is a deal until it is not convenient for them. Then it is as if it never happened.

One more thing. When dealing with brutal authoritarian regimes, caving only invites future tests. Expect a confrontation of some sort soon, perhaps in the South China Sea.

The United States government-and this administration in particular-abandoned a brave man and his family to the decidedly not tender mercies of a police state, and for nothing. It revealed itself to be unprincipled, weak and panicky. And for this it-we-will reap what it has sown.

Shameful. unshaven girls hairy girls https://zp-pdl.com/emergency-payday-loans.php https://www.zp-pdl.com hairy girl