Politics Smolitics

I've been hearing a lot of topics regarding politics being raised in recent conversations. Firstly, the whole Dalai Lama issue, about how he was refused entry into South Africa due to China's provocation and secondly of Jacob Zuma's charges being dropped.

With regards to the Dalai Lama, I don't find China's policy surprising at all and honestly being of Taiwanese descent I can relate to it. But honestly I don't understand why the huge pharoar, at least why this time? Taiwan has been subjected to the same manipulative tactics for decades, with China vetoing Taiwan from the United Nations and in particular denying them the right to be seen as an independent state.

The Chinese still view Taiwan as a rogue province and have convinced the rest of the west of the same thing, yet Taiwan has been self governed and has had its own political system for over 50 years. China does this because they want Taiwan. China wants Taiwan even though Taiwan is only a tiny island; because, although perhaps less so than a decade ago (remember when everything was made in Taiwan), Taiwan are still considered an economic powerhouse.

China really has no ownership of Taiwan, so it makes threats and bullies other countries into relinquishing trade with Taiwan in hopes that Taiwan will surrender and become part of China. China convinced South Africa to sever ties with Taiwan in the early 21st century, even though Taiwan was amongst South Africa's biggest trade partners in the 90s. What I don't understand is, why I didn't see nearly as much protest when that happened as I do now with the refusal of the Dalai Lama to enter our country. Is one man really more important than an entire nation? So as you can see China's tactics are not new, and South Africa have again fallen as a pawn to the big red rising star of the East, only this time with more press.

At least the United States support Taiwan and have unequivocally stated that they would go to war with China should they ever try to take Taiwan by force... The situation on that side of the world is as volatile as anywhere else, including the Middle East; but I love how ignorant the average South African is about happenings on that side of the world. I sat listening to a painful conversation between two apparent experts of the topic in the gym, yammering on, with authority mind you, with one gentleman giving a very distorted version of what I've described above and painstakingly mistaking Taiwan for Thailand...

With Zuma, I've realized for a while now that his ascent to presidency is inevitable. The ANC want this to happen and so as it has been written; so shall it be done and again just like China's tactics, his charges being dropped comes as no surprise.

It does however surprise me, how surprised most other people are. I'm not a massive Zuma fan, but I have a feeling that a lot of people are blowing his incompetency out of proportion, my view with regards to Zuma is at least he can't be worse than Bush...and who knows perhaps he'll surprise a folk or two.