Absurdity, Allegory and China

I just read the latest posting by Jeremiah at the Jottings from the Granite Studio and two quotes came to mind as I read. One is from King Lear as Lear, unhappy with the words of the youngest and most beloved of his three daughters, Cordelia, says, “Nothing comes of nothing. Speak again!” That nothing more substantive is said (or understood by Lear) sets wheels in motion that bring about death and destruction, and ultimately, the loss of everything most precious, including the lives of both Lear and Cordelia. The problems rose from an inability to hear.

The second quote is from John King Fairbank from The Great Chinese Revolution: 1800-1985. “History is in our minds. It’s what we think happened.”

Nothing will come of any of this Tibetan mess until China is willing to actually sit down and listen, something they have been reluctant to do for the last six decades. It seems apparent to most of the world that substantive dialogue needs to be opened, which would, in actuality, not be interpreted as a loss of face, but rather as a sign of diplomatic maturity on the part of a nation that has yet to establish any real credibility on that stage.

Listening is the clue here for both sides. What are deeply embedded notions of truth and history are keeping solutions at bay. Despite how any of us personally feel about this matter, the fact remains that nothing of substance will happen until the leaders, not their representatives, sit down face-to-face. The consequences for maintaining the status quo are becoming clearer as the problem continues to be inadequately addressed. Expelling the international press from the Tibetan region once again demonstrates China’s inability to understand what it means to be a real player on the international stage. Nothing is no longer acceptable, and all that history which is so deeply imbedded in everyone’s minds must be addressed with the goal being a mutually agreeable solution to a problem that will not go away. Until that happens China will continue to muddle, and their much touted “One World, One Dream” will continue to look like a pig in a tutu.

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