It’s hard to understand how the Dalai Lama was willing to partake in the political machinations of US politicians, and the greatest warmonger on the planet, that have been ongoing over the last few days. His Holiness, a man of peace for whom respect runs deep among many who otherwise spurn religious leaders, may well have performed his duties more effectively by denouncing the policies of his host and refusing to accept the Congressional Gold Medal foisted on him today.
George W Bush presented the medal, describing the Dalai Lama as “a universal symbol of peace and tolerance”.
Later, the American president went on to discuss his latest venture – World War III – as a possibility if Iran failed to toe the US line over nuclear power.
The use of this phrase is something George W Bush appears to enjoy bandying. Immediately following 9/11 he declared his ‘war on terror’, World War III.
As Professor Brian Leiter wrote in his blog, “Leiter Reports”, back in early 2005:
“For his inauguration, George W. Bush essentially declared war on much of the world. He did so, of course, without using that word; today’s sociopathic heads of state are well-tutored in the art of rhetoric…….”
Read the rest of it and understand more precisely what he meant.
Indeed, so imbued has this presidency and administration been with warfare and saber-rattling, it is difficult not to consider George W Bush obsessed with the idea of controlling the world through military power.
But then, probably he is.
All the more reason for His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, to have given this warmonger and his hangers-on a very wide berth.
Filed under: Good and bad
It surprised and saddened me too – to see him there, that is.
TOB – I don’t think we were alone, though there seems little protestation in the media.
I could be wrong but repudiation and spurning of gifts would be against the DL’s principles? And there is the China thing too. I think more complex than we realize.
(Great blog, found it by way of Richard at TOB, BTW)
Wisewebwoman – thank you for the compliment. I’m a great fan of Richard and TOB. I believe an opportunity to, as we Brits say, raise two fingers to China was the sole purpose of this exercise with the Dalai Lama. Also, an attempt to sharpen the focus of the ‘peace and democracy’ theme that permeated early Bush speeches when Iraq was still a ‘mission accomplished’. We don’t hear so much of that from him of late, but many Republicans would have been heartened by it. All in all, a public double-whammy for George, though in private he probably made excuses to Hu Jintao.