Is there anything the U.S. can do for the Uighurs of Xinjiang?

[pecksniff]

At present the PRC is subjecting them to what some called the Uighur genocide -- at least it's genocide in a cultural sense -- these Muslim Turks are being herded into internment camps designed to turn them into copies of the Han Chinese.

I'm sure it's not worth the risk of war -- but would economic sanctions help? And would they be worth the effect on the American economy?

Historically, by the way, China has always tried to control that territory, because it was the first leg on the Silk Road. On many old maps you will see a Chinese Empire that leaves out Tibet, but includes Xinjiang -- connected to China proper by a narrow land corridor. That goes back to the Han Dynasty.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Why should we?

 

[pecksniff]

Why should we?

There is, you know, an awful lot of regret over America's failure to do more for the European Jews in the 1930s and '40s. We could at least have let more of them emigrate here -- in one case, a shipload of them was turned away and ultimately had to return to Europe.

Not that any Uighurs are trying to emigrate to the U.S., that I have heard of.

 

[JohnnySavage]

We aren't the world's police force. Let Canada handle this one.

 

[pecksniff]

We aren't the world's police force. Let Canada handle this one.

No one nation is qualified to be the world's police force, but that is a role the U.S. has been asserting ever since 1945. There is a certain pressure to live up to it.

 

[JohnnySavage]

But the United States is broke. The biggest debtor nation in the history of the world. We can't afford to take care of our own lawn, let alone the one down the street.

 

[pecksniff]

But the United States is broke. The biggest debtor nation in the history of the world. We can't afford to take care of our own lawn, let alone the one down the street.

If I owe you a hundred dollars, I have a problem. If I owe you a million dollars, you have a problem. The U.S., even in debt, remains the most influential superpower in human history -- and the richest market. China needs us more than we need them.

 

[pecksniff]

Historically, by the way, China has always tried to control that territory, because it was the first leg on the Silk Road. On many old maps you will see a Chinese Empire that leaves out Tibet, but includes Xinjiang -- connected to China proper by a narrow land corridor. That goes back to the Han Dynasty.

And that raises another question -- is the PRC now doing anything in Xinjiang, that it did not previously do, and get away with, in Tibet?

 

[Sean Renaud]

But the United States is broke. The biggest debtor nation in the history of the world. We can't afford to take care of our own lawn, let alone the one down the street.

We are also one of, if not the richest country on the planet. Ignoring we could raise taxes tomorrow and the main reason we don't is Conservatives KNOW its not that big an issue. If it were just out of self preservation they would allow tax hikes on the rich.

Its not like all of them can flee, certainly not to locations that would be more hospitable than the US in the long run. Even in Ayn Rand's fever dream they had to destroy everything on the way out to prevent the normal folks from carrying on just fine in their absense.

Whether or not we have a moral obligation to do something is one thing. I think that we do, but I think there is anything we can do that would be worth the price. Whether or not we can afford what it costs would start with finding out what it would cost.

 

[pecksniff]

What about economic sanctions?

That does mean no more cheap Chinese stuff at Wal-mart, of course.

 

[Dribble]

What about economic sanctions?

That does mean no more cheap Chinese stuff at Wal-mart, of course.

Do these ever solve anything?

Far better to stick with political sanctions. Make it impossible their power structure's wealth only stays in
China...their money is worthless in the rest of the World

 

[pecksniff]

Do these ever solve anything?

Sometimes. International sanctions did play some role in the end of Apartheid in South Africa.

 

[Dribble]

Sometimes. International sanctions did play some role in the end of Apartheid in South Africa.

South Africa has exports the US buys?

 

[pecksniff]

South Africa has exports the US buys?

Chromium, I think. That was often mentioned in connection with the "divestment" debates in the 1980s.

Along with Jesse Helms declaring on the floor of the Senate that the end of Apartheid in SA would lead to "Commernist" rule. (In the event, it led to a system in which Communists are part of the governing coalition but never seem to get their way very much.)

 

[rae121452]

There is, you know, an awful lot of regret over America's failure to do more for the European Jews in the 1930s and '40s. We could at least have let more of them emigrate here -- in one case, a shipload of them was turned away and ultimately had to return to Europe.

Not that any Uighurs are trying to emigrate to the U.S., that I have heard of.

and the u s wasn't actively demonizing and killing the jews of that era as terrorists. sure, there was antisemitism but nowhere near the Islamophobia of today. there's nothing we can do that would be effective and, basically, it's none of our business. my mother you to have a saying "don't talk bad about anybody else's house until you sweep the dirt out of your own front door."

 

[Champakian]

What about economic sanctions?

That does mean no more cheap Chinese stuff at Wal-mart, of course.

Y'all went bat guano crazy when Trump tried to punish
them with sanctions and tariffs, so, yea, no!

That would be hypocritical.





Hurt their pride. Boycott the Olympics and sanction the NBA...

 

[bellisarius]

Y'all went bat guano crazy when Trump tried to punish
them with sanctions and tariffs, so, yea, no!

That would be hypocritical.





Hurt their pride. Boycott the Olympics and sanction the NBA...

Give the soy boy a break here, this is one of the first glimmer of awareness I've seen out of the little chap.

 

[Champakian]

I really did control myself on that one.

 

[bellisarius]

He and his friends can loot another Walmart in protest.

 

[colddiesel]

Dunno why Pecksmith worries about other folks minorities. The USA can be pretty busy looking after its own.

If the USA wants to do something in that area it might not be a bad idea to stir up trouble between China and Russia over Kazakhstan, considering that some Uighurs are Kazakhs and many Kazakhs are Uighars. There are 200,000 Uighurs in Kazakhstan already. That's a lot of potential for causing trouble for both Vlad and Xi - without getting directly involved.

 

[bellisarius]

Dunno why Pecksmith worries about other folks minorities. The USA can be pretty busy looking after its own.

If the USA wants to do something in that area it might not be a bad idea to stir up trouble between China and Russia over Kazakhstan, considering that some Uighurs are Kazakhs and many Kazakhs are Uighars. There are 200,000 Uighurs in Kazakhstan already. That's a lot of potential for causing trouble for both Vlad and Xi - without getting directly involved.

Yep, and thousand more daily. God knows they're flooding our border at such a rate we just can't keep up with the oppression. We need to figure out a way to send them to Oz economically.

 

[oggbashan]

The UK government has acted about China's oppression of freedom in Hong Kong by providing British passports for people who want to leave Hong Kong and guaranteeing them asylum in the UK.

That could be many thousands, even tens of thousands. But the Uighurs? The Uighurs are not permitted to leave their region. Getting them out would be very difficult.

 

[pecksniff]

Dunno why Pecksmith worries about other folks minorities. The USA can be pretty busy looking after its own.

We're not genociding our own.

 

[oggbashan]

We're not genociding our own.

Some native American tribes would disagree.

 

[The_Trouvere]

There is, you know, an awful lot of regret over America's failure to do more for the European Jews in the 1930s and '40s. We could at least have let more of them emigrate here -- in one case, a shipload of them was turned away and ultimately had to return to Europe.

Not that any Uighurs are trying to emigrate to the U.S., that I have heard of.

The Jews are people like us. Muslims are not.