With the USA devolving into polarized paranoia and China still navel gazing and refusing to be a transparent, open society, it makes one hope that India can keep growing their economy to emerge as a 3rd, possibly less extreme global force. The wingnuts in China's politburo would have been wise to stay silent as democracy activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Like earlier democracy advocates such as Liang Qichao (February 23, 1873–January 19, 1929) and Liang Shuming (October 18, 1893—June 23, 1988) and other reformers through the decades, a forward-thinker like Liu Xiaobo can face tremendous persecution at home.
Liu Xiaobo arose as a strike leader during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in 1989. He was sentenced to 11 years' jail in December 2009, for writing a manifesto calling for free speech and multi-party elections.
The Nobel Committee praised him for his "long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights" and reiterated its belief in a "close connection between human rights and peace".
China, which had warned against giving the prize to Liu, summoned Norway's ambassador to protest.
"This is an obscenity against the peace prize," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement.
"(Liu's) actions are diametrically opposed to the aims of the Nobel prize. Nobel's behest was that the Nobel Peace Prize be awarded to somebody who promoted peace between peoples, promoted international friendship and disarmament."
They really don't get it, yet...
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Critics,...
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