> > I think there's a fundamental difference between migrating for a "lack of freedom" and migrating due to an "oppressive government that will kill you if you look funny at something." Still, 100,000 Afghans all trying to immigrate at once does indeed present an interesting dilemma.

> I realize that the Chinese are our "friends" these days, but I would not be so quick to say that they merely have an "oppressive government." Might I remind you that they have a bit of a history of doing things like using tanks to run people over that speak out against the government. A bit of a tangent, but I find it interesting how quickly the US is to overlook the many crimes committed by the People's Republic (I *love* that title) simply because the country is of particular economic interests to us these days. Tell me again why we have a total embargo against Cuba, but not China?

I normally wouldn't make such strong statements about what goes on overseas, but this is an exception. I spent 8 months living in the PR of China in 1999. To say China has an "opressive government" is like saying the Pacific Ocean has "a little water in it." I could recount the stories of plenty of people who had family members killed, or sent for "reeducation" in on farms, ect. These aren't just statistics, or newspaper stories. These are real people that I know. Freedom of religion is just one of the freedoms people there lack. Of the people I met, a majority would move to the West if they could (and some of them already have). Step back and think about that. *A majority*. I'm not exaggerating.

Really, the big distinction between a basically despotic country like China and a basically free country like the USA is that here in the US, not only can you have certain freedoms, but **you are assured that the government can't take these freedoms away.** I know not only that I can worship in the way I choose, but that I'll always be able to do so. At any given moment, maybe Christians can be open in China. (Though policy waries from place to place.) But next week the gov't may decide to crack down on Christians; then even your past affiliations will be used against you.

As I see it, China ia ALREADY our enemy. Morally, I feel democratic nations are obliged to combat despotism however they can. I'm not sure about the unilateral use of force, though... who decides when and where to intervene? (Which is also not to say that we should *never* intervene... just that exteme caution is advised.)

Zeit"So who's going to be judging the judges?"geist