Barack Hussein Obama will not meet Dalai Lama

October 8, 2009 7:49 AM

For the first time since 1991 the President will not meet with the Dalai Lama during his U.S. visit. In an attempt to gain favor with China, the United States pressured Tibetan representatives to postpone a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Obama until after Obama's summit with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, scheduled for next month. Instead, Senate and House welcome the Tibetan leader. What a shame.
posted by Incense Man (19 comments total)

Add this to the increasingly long list of disappointing actions by a great orator.
posted by kozad at 7:52 AM on October 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

Context:

China passed Japan to become the U.S. government's largest foreign creditor in September [2008]... China, in fact, may be the government's largest creditor, period. The Treasury does not keep records on domestic bond holders. But analysts said China's holdings are so vast that the existence of a larger stakeholder in the United States now seems unlikely.
posted by Joe Beese at 7:56 AM on October 8, 2009

An interesting and apparently unfortunate strategy, as my (albeit limited) understanding of the Chinese is that the last thing they respect is weakness in the form of capitulation.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 7:57 AM on October 8, 2009

I like this bit from Utah Philips on the fascination some Americans have with the D.L.:

We got NARPS, you got NARPS around here? New-age rural professionals? Out cruising the backroads in their old green carryalls with their car stereos, blaring meditation music out into the wilderness. It's a conscience. Whole place lightning-struck by the peripatetic ruminations of the Tibetan ruling class in exile. Lot of Buddhists around there.

Meanwhile this very minute, old Jesse McVay the welldigger - no one knows how old he is, lived in that county all of his life - is sitting at the bar of the National Hotel this very minute, looking at the freaks out in the street, and muttering under his breath: "No matter how new-age you get, old age gonna kick your ass."

posted by baltimoretim at 7:59 AM on October 8, 2009

Gibbs did a particularly bad job explaining/spinning this for the president, but it really is just rescheduling a meeting by a month. Everything else is just part of the old guard diplomats' "board game" approach international relations.
posted by aswego at 8:02 AM on October 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

If I understand correctly China will pull out of Tibet about the same time we pull out of Hawaii. That being the case I can't see this meeting as more than a photo op for selling more "free tibet" bumper stickers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented the award to the Dalai Lama and warned: "Unless we speak out for human rights in China and Tibet, we lose moral authority to speak out for human rights anywhere else in the world."

So how are those torture investigations coming along there, Nancy?
posted by anti social order at 8:04 AM on October 8, 2009 [13 favorites]

At this point, I'm starting to see everything Obama does that isn't related to policy in a state of zen "meh." Knowing that everything he will do will cause people to complain is oddly comforting, in that I know exactly what will happen.

If he met with the Dalai Lama, Fox would complain that Obama was pushing "new age religion" and trying to destroy the "Christian institution that makes our country so great."

I'm half-expecting to see Glenn Beck get mad at Obama for showing kids telescopes on the White House lawn. His complaint will probably be something along the lines of, "Why is he taking the smart kids out of school to look at dead rocks in space? IS HE TRYING TO SHOW THEM SPUTNIK? DOES HE WANT THEM TO SEE HIS HOME PLANET?"
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:07 AM on October 8, 2009

So now Republicans are going to take up the cause of a Marxist to spite the socialist, communist, fascist President.
posted by stavrogin at 8:08 AM on October 8, 2009 [4 favorites]

One of my relatives is a professional photographer, and was extended an invitation to cover the Dalai Lama's trip to New York along with a few others. I just got her husband's account of the trip that's being forwarded around the web and thought I'd share part of it here:

We have just had a very interesting weekend which I will tell you about before my old age kicks in and I forget half of it. Tina was one of four photographers invited to come to New York and photograph the Dalai Lama who was here to provide a special teaching session on Buddhist principals. The event was sponsored by a Vietnamese family and one of Tina's Leica friends (Phong) was basically in charge of everything. We flew up early Saturday morning (left the house at 4:00 AM) and after a lot of confusion finally got settled into a hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria provided by the conference sponsors. They put us up in a suite - same hotel where the Dalai Lama was staying although he did not arrive until Sunday.

To get to do this Tina provided personal information and passport photos for a Secret Service background check on both of us. I was set up as a photo assistant and also got photographer credentials. Saturday evening Phong took all of the photographers on an orientation tour of the Dalai Lama's suite since some photographs would be taken there. Also a tour of the auditorium where the teaching would take place (The Manhattan Center). All very interesting - hotel was full of monks and nuns all with shaved heads and in saffron robes and sandals. The Dalai Lama is really revered by many and is considered to be both the head of state of Tibet and the leader of the Buddhist religion.

In addition to interesting, everything was also very hectic. On Sunday morning after we got a cup of coffee and juice but before we got to order anything to eat Tina got a call that she had been selected to go to the airport to meet the Dalai Lama who was flying into a small airport (Teterboro) in a private jet. She had to run to the room and grab equipment and run to the garage. This was typical of how the whole weekend went. Because of the security concerns very little information was given out in advance so you could not plan anything - you just had to react when someone said go. Tina was the only photographer that went to the airport to meet him. It was her, three monks, twenty secret service agents, drivers, handlers, etc. all in an eleven car motorcade. Three police cars in the front and three in the back. With my photographer credentials I got to stand by the entrance to the hotel when the motorcade arrived and he came in - I actually took quite a few photos. People were prostrating themselves and kissing the sidewalk as he got out and greeted people. As he came by me he nodded and patted me a couple of times on the shoulder.

He went to his suite to rest before the teaching and Tina and I went looking for food since it was after 12:00 and we still had not eaten. Across from the hotel was a street vendor selling halal food - which is food prepared in accordance with Islamic law. We did not miss this irony - hanging out with the Dalai Lama and eating Islamic food. Tina had a falafel sandwich and I had lamb. Tina sat on an empty plastic milk carton on the sidewalk and I stood up to eat. Very good food. We then went to the teaching which was attended by 2,000 +/- people. Tina had an aisle seat on the front row and I had an aisle seat in the third row but most of the time she spent wandering around looking for photos. She was even allowed to go on-stage to take photos. It lasted a long time. About half of the teaching was presented by the Dalai Lama in English and half in Chinese - he speaks excellent English. We had an English translation of the text he was teaching from - a dissertation by an Indian Buddhist from about the 12th century. If you really worked at it you could begin to get an understanding of what he was trying to teach - but it was not easy. There were many many monks and nuns on stage with him and in the audience. Very colorful crowd. Also rumors of celebrities - Richard Gere and Bill Murray - who are Buddhists. I didn't see any but also wasn't looking for them.

After the teaching, the Vietnamese families sponsoring the event had a dinner in the hall basement with food brought in by all of the families. It was all vegetarian and really good. I had some of the best tofu I have ever eaten. Tina was on standby the rest of the evening because there might be photos to be taken in the Dalai Lama's suite. After about 9:00 PM - everybody relaxed a bit since the Dalai Lama is rumored to go to bed very early. The Secret Service guys said they loved to do security for him because he was so easy. He goes to bed early and there are never prostitutes sneaking in and out of his room.

He projects the image of being the most humble and down to earth person you would ever meet. He doesn't seem to have an ego - laughs at himself. Makes jokes. Does not seem to be interested in formalities. Very interesting and different kind of person to be in that position.

Monday morning - again before we could get breakfast - Tina gets a call to go to the Dalai Lama's suite. The night before she had been told that she would not be doing this. Again, I think all of this misdirection is in the interest of security. She spent a couple of hours with two other photographers mostly waiting in the hall but finally getting in and photographing the Dalai Lama and the people who had a private audience with him. He shook hands with her and thanked her for her work.

Then it was another procession to exit the hotel with the photographers trying to get additional shots. About noon, for us, it was finally over. We checked out of the hotel leaving our luggage with the bell captain and went for a walk. We walked down to the United Nations center and took photos of all the flags - mostly we were just trying to air out our brains.

While still in the UN area, we started looking for a place to eat and stopped in front of a Thai restaurant to look at the menu. Suddenly black limos pull up - secret service agents bail out and scout the area - then an Asian gentlemen is quickly escorted into the restaurant. I asked one of the secret service agents if the food was any good (first priority) and who was the guy getting all the protection. He didn't want to tell me anything. So we decided we would eat at this place. We had an excellent lunch and felt very safe. The table behind us was occupied by eight Secret Service agents. The gentlemen being protected ate in a private dining room. After they left, I asked the restaurant owner who was this guy and he told me it was the Vietnamese Prime Minister. It turns out the chef for the Thai restaurant was Vietnamese so maybe the PM could get home cooking there.

We walked back and caught a bus at Grand Central Station back out to the airport. Got into Charlotte about 11:00 PM last night and went to Rock Hill long enough to pick up a few things and headed for the farm getting here about 1:00 AM this morning. It was really hectic weekend but very worthwhile.

posted by Rhaomi at 8:21 AM on October 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

The president did what any smart person would do. China is very very important. You don't insult a guest from a very important nation by inviting a guy (Dalai) who is a sore spot for the Chinese visitor. Believe more important to stand tall for Dalai? Then tell China not to bother coming! Now that would be smart, right? Merely rescheduling is NOT ignoring.

Congress? I am sure that will really get Dalai all excited.
posted by Postroad at 8:24 AM on October 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

Considering that the entire world sat around and did precisely nothing when Tibet was invaded to begin with, are we really supposed to get upset about this? Is there really any doubt about who the entire world wants to keep happy and who it doesn't care about?
posted by 1adam12 at 8:26 AM on October 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have siblings and friends. They had a huge part in teaching me what is right , holding me sometimes by the tiniest imperceptably thin, stretched thread of conciousness.
We get so engrossed, tussling over who has bigger piece of pie or who is the prettiest that the muck and mud seems breathable. We anger at a single sentence, but yet -with friends we can we laugh at a single smile or wink.
Real friends and family and the Lama, can stand a little slight.
posted by unklspot at 8:37 AM on October 8, 2009

As the Daily Show pointed out, there's also the issue of us owning China trillions of freaking dollars.

Man, I sure wish Obama would do something about something. Anything, at this point. But not this kind of thing.
posted by xmutex at 8:38 AM on October 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

"What a shame."

Why don't you tell me how you feel about it next time?

I think the Dalai Lama himself would recognize this as an appropriate use of skillful (or expedient) means.

Ticking China off too much right now could indirectly lead to the loss of more American jobs (unfortunately, they've kind of got us by the short hairs right now).

Postponing the meeting might hurt the Dalai Lama's feelings a little but that's about it, and even that assumes the Dalai Lama suffers from the same prideful attachments as the rest of us (an assumption the Dalai Lama himself would likely reject).

So as judged in terms of the Buddhist ultimate goal of minimizing the suffering of all sentient beings (and at the same time, to steal a line from Wilford Brimley), it's just the right thing to do.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:59 AM on October 8, 2009

What a shame.

GYOB.
posted by The Michael The at 9:02 AM on October 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

Hm. New user. Exactly five more-or-less innocuous comments. One highly-editorialized political FPP in which both the subject's first and middle names are misspelled. Incense Man, indeed.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:09 AM on October 8, 2009

I'm with The Michael The. You sort of lost me there.

GYOFB.
posted by geekyguy at 9:09 AM on October 8, 2009

Postroad
The president did what any smart person would do.

I would correct that to: The President did what any politician would do....
It is more calculated than smart - although maybe those words are interchangeable?

While it is true, the fact that China would be insulted if the President met with the Dalai Lama before he met with them is [admit it] pretty odd. But more troubling [in the short term] is for the President to essentially give in to their wishes - or their perceived wishes. This shows how much power China has over us.

I recall [if correct] Obama gave his first interview as President with Al-Jazeera. That to me seemed, potentially, much more controversial.

I guess it shows the interesting political climate we live in when the President can meet with an Arab news organization before he meets with [say] an Israeli one but he can't meet the Dalai Lama before he meets representatives of China without ruffling feathers.
posted by Rashomon at 9:15 AM on October 8, 2009

What a shame.

I know, right? I mean, everyone knows prime Dalai Lama meeting season is October. I guess you can postpone it, but you'll miss the beautiful plumage.
posted by katillathehun at 9:33 AM on October 8, 2009