Tuesday, April 11, 2006

"And she doesn't give a fuck what you might say"

It's been brought to my attention, courtesy of a blogger who seems to have a thing for sticking up for the Chinese government under the guise of correcting misconceptions about what goes on there, that my earlier post about the falun gong camp might not be entirely accurate. There's some question as to whether something like that could be going on there at all, in that town, and a lack of corroborating sources makes it hard to take entirely seriously.

The matter is being investigated by various agencies as I type this. When I hear more, I'll either post a full retraction or shout the truth from the rooftops.

In the meanwhile, here's a rare piece of clear vision on the subject from National Review.

3 Comments:

Blogger bobby fletcher said...

J, here's what Nordinger said in his REPRINT of Epoch Times article:

"I cannot say whether this story is true; I can say that one ought to pay attention."

Paying attention is different than demonzing.

If it is being investigated, the Nazi concentration camp allegation Falun Gong made is still unproven.

Common sense suggests "innocent until proven guilty".

I have made a blog entry on this at SujiatunFactOrHoax.blogger.com, feel free to take look at other evidence I've gathered.

10:37 AM  
Blogger bobby fletcher said...

opps, http://SujiatunFactOrHoax.blogspot.com

10:38 AM  
Blogger J. Edward Tremlett said...

If it is being investigated, the Nazi concentration camp allegation Falun Gong made is still unproven.

Agreed. But we don't let murder suspects leave prison scott free until their trial convenes on that same principle, do we?

I think we're entitled, as free agents of liberty and rights, to make some noise and make sure this storyis investigated. And it won't be investigated at all if we keep quiet and dutifully wait for a smoking gun, like you seem to want us to.

As Nordlinger said: No one should bet that Sujiatun will penetrate the world's consciousness. Governments everywhere are keen on smooth relations with the PRC; media, even in free countries, seem to want to help them. The reluctance of major newspapers and TV networks to report on atrocities in China is a sad subject.

And I recall what Robert Conquest, the great analyst of totalitarianism, once told me: The world has seldom wanted to believe witnesses. Ten, 20, or 30 years later, maybe, but rarely sooner.

Testimony out of the early Soviet Union was scoffed at; these were "rumors in Riga." Tales of the Holocaust were Jewish whining. When escapees from Mao spilled into Hong Kong, they were "embittered warlords." When Cubans landed in Florida, they were "Batista stooges." And so on.

...

My main hope, at the moment, is that readers will glance at the reports I have mentioned, especially those in the Epoch Times. Because, sometimes, the unthinkable needs to be thought about, just a bit.


I'm going to help spread the word on this in the hopes that "we in the West" find out the truth, one way or the other, so someone can act accordingly.

If you want to rubbish any and all attempts to get to the bottom of this if they don't fit your own, quixotic agenda, go right ahead. And believe it or not, I actually do hope you're right, and that we're being overly-hasty on this one.

But someone's got to think about the unthinkable, every so often. Otherwise "never again" loses its meaning.

J

2:41 PM  

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