Congressman Issa Is Misinformed On China
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have to realize that just because they say something, does not make it factual.
In this clip, Mr. Issa is trying to use Tiananmen Square as an example of how U.S. denunciation of human rights violations can have a positive and successful impact on movements abroad.
It is not clear from this clip what Mr. Issa is taking credit for with regards to Tiananmen Square, but whatever it is, it is quite undeserving.
For one, he referenes the reasons why the U.S. backed the protestors at Tiananmen square. Like many experts have said about Iran, the fact that these Chinese protesters may have been given a false sense of empowerment from the backing of the United States, may have led them to believe that the international community would come to their aide if violence erupted. Violence did erupt, and the international community was nowhere to be found.
From this perspective, it is quite possible that the countries, like the United States, getting involved like they did, may have actually helped spawn violence.
Issa is also calling for the United States to go to the United Nations. What Mr. Issa leaves out, is the United Nations took the stance of staying out of the internal affairs of China during the Tiananmen massacre.The Tiananmen massacre cannot be used as a precedent for Obama to take such action.
Issa also said:
After Tiananmen Square, they [China] began looking at a new bargain, a new way of doing business in China…China is still a mess, but at least in China there is communication.
Obviously this is a very vague statement, but the statement can really only be looked at one of two ways, socially or economically.
Regardless of whether Issa is referencing a new social or economic structure, he is wrong on both counts.
China had a free trade, capitalist like economy years before the Tiananmen massacre, and very little changed after. This is why, I think, Issa was most likely referencing social progress in China.
Socially, China’s record after Tiananmen Square has been atrocious.
Since the introduction of the internet in 1994, the Chinese government has sought to control its content and to censor information it deems sensitive. With more than 162 million internet users, experts believe China operates the most extensive, technologically sophisticated and broad-reaching system of internet filtering in the world. (Amnesty USA website) So much for communication.
Even the presence of the Beijing Olympics, and the international eyes did not stop China’s repressive government. Because of the Olympics, China’s government became even more repressive.
Individuals who peacefully exercised their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association remained at high risk of harassment, house arrest, arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment. Family members of human rights activists, including children, were increasingly targeted by the authorities, including being subjected to long-term house arrest and harassment by security forces. Lawyers who took on sensitive cases were also at risk; several had their licences suspended, and others lost their jobs. Some lawyers were specifically warned by the authorities not to take on sensitive cases. (Amnesty USA website)
China is one of the world’s worst violaters of human rights, and has been for years. But according to Issa, they are making progress, and it is all because the U.S. backed the protesters in 1989.
Issa can’t truly believe what he is saying, but often times politicians don’t. Americans, for the most part, do not research their own information, and if something is said by a supposed “reputable” person, then Americans take it at face value. Even though Issa is factually incorrect, he was successful in planting the seed that Obama should inject America into Iran’s internal affairs.
If Issa can make one person begin to change their mind about Obama,then his lie was a political success.
