The furor around the Olympics is interesting - people seem very passionate about Tibet and China.

I've never really understood why.

I mean sure, China invaded Tibet and overthrew the government there. The Dalai Lama (who won a Nobel Peace Prize and must therefore be beyond reproach) is in exile. The Chinese government does Bad Things. So... Chinese who defend their government may mean well, but surely they've just been brainwashed, right?

Today I came across an article which implies that it may be just a little bit more complicated than that.

I suppose this shouldn't come as a surprise, but it kind of did. This quote kinda sums it up for me:

Like many erstwhile rulers, the Dalai Lama sounds much better out of power than in power. Keep in mind that it took a Chinese occupation and almost forty years of exile for him to propose democracy for Tibet and to criticize the oppressive feudal autocracy of which he himself was the apotheosis. But his criticism of the old order comes far too late for ordinary Tibetans. Many of them want him back in their country, but it appears that relatively few want a return to the social order he represented.

Interesting stuff.

Now go read the article to learn about the CIA's role, slavery and "Shangri-La"...