The Test Of Democracy Is Freedom Of Criticism

Simon Elegant, a Time Magazine correspondent based in Beijing, reports "'Simon, you will be hated by 1.3 billion Chinese,' someone wrote in response to my blog post about the chaotic progress of the Olympic torch through London. 'Hope someday someone will spit on your face. Your name will be recorded in Chinese history book forever as one of cold blooded, Hitler-type, murder's assistant.'"

Among some Chinese, nationalism, fueled by resentment of Western coverage of the recent riot in Tibet, is on the rise.

And that's not good for either China or the rest of the globe.

France has been singled out for particularly harsh treatment since a Chinese Olympic torch-bearer in a wheelchair was photographed defending the flame from highly aggressive protesters in Paris. Foreign governments are terrified to have the wrath of the Chinese people directed against them. Too much trade is at stake.

No surprise then that "Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said Friday his country wanted to be the best friend of China in Europe and hoped to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations." as reported in China's official organ, the People's Daily Online.

The protests are not confined to China. The LA Times reports that several thousand Chinese nationals marched this week in Los Angeles to protest perceived biased and anti-Chinese reporting on CNN. "...when more than 1,000 demonstrators including students, business people and engineers from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia rallied in front of CNN's Hollywood headquarters a week ago, it marked a milestone for the local Chinese community."

This can get nasty, unless everyone finds a way to 'save face' and allow for inevitable tensions that results when various factions begin to express their right to self-expression. For so long, the West doubted that the Chinese people had a voice. Now that they are finding it, Westerners resent what they say.

We are brought around to David Ben-Gurion's thought that "the test of democracy is freedom of criticism."