Tough Questions.

I had some students ask me some tough questions in this afternoon's English Corner.  I had to try to finesse my way out of them.

I had a student ask me about some comments made on CNN that irked the Chinese government.  Why did they say this?  she asked me.  I told her it was one man's opinion.  On CNN, I told her you can hear people say bad things (mostly, I know) about George Bush.  But you could also (sometimes, I know) hear some good things said about him on CNN.

The same student asked about what happened in France.  I told her that was a security issue.  If George Bush came to Paris, there would be protestors trying to interrupt his presence as there were trying to interrupt the torch relay.  China has to accept that because it is one of the big boys in the world, like America, that it is going to get criticism.  To show you  are of your own mind and independent of the powerful countries is what many smaller countries do.  That is why they meet with the Dalai Lama.  The protests I told them are a sign of China's importance. 

I should have added to the latter point that China will have to accept the criticism and try to deal with it responsibly and maturely.  So far, its' being insulted and nationalistic in response to the protests has not been the way to deal with it.  It has actually confirmed to many of the protestors what they have been protesting:  that China is a bully.  The Chinese must either learn to accept the criticism or grant some credence to it; and show they care what the world says.  America actually heeds the world  more than it is usually given credit for.  America can never ever expect to see a world where it is universally loved, and it doesn't.