White House press secretary Mike McCurry recently said Tiananmen Square is the White House equivalent of the South Lawn as the formal location for welcoming foreign leaders. The difference between the South Lawn and Tiananmen Square, Mr. McCurry, is that no students have been butchered on the grounds of the White House. Bill Clinton's relationship with China is a special one, with his actions having led to instability in the entire Asiatic region. As he walks over the very ground which saw the blood of those students spilled less than a decade ago and just a few weeks after the anniversary, I hope Clinton recognizes the true effect of his Bismarkian realpolitik approach to China. Perhaps he must visit China as the leader of the most powerful nation on the planet, but as the leader of the freest nation he should inject some morality into his visit and refuse to place one foot in Tiananmen Square.
Some nations respect the rights of their citizens.
China does not. I hope Bill Clinton remembers that. I think, however, that he will not. There is an old Serbian proverb that says vinegar in freedom tastes better than honey in slavery. Stage Right considers to be positive.