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See the original image at news.bbc.co.uk

'Free Tibet' flags made in China - The Irony

news.bbc.co.uk — Workers said they thought they were just making colorful flags and did not realize their meaning. But then some of them saw TV images of protesters holding the emblem and they alerted the authorities, according to Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper. (Shows how well things are kept under wraps over there)

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  • freakofwar, on 04/29/2008, -15/+93The irony...
    • groverblue, on 04/29/2008, -1/+11indeed
      • ShrimpCrackers, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Irony? Actually its where we got the Taiwan Independence and Taiwan is a Democracy, China is not posters and bands made. We ordered from a US company only to get them back with "Made in China" on it. Apparently as long as money is involved, factories in China don't care what their government says.
    • Locke23, on 04/29/2008, -2/+49At least the word was used right for a change.
      • jumico, on 04/29/2008, -4/+3Like rain on my wedding day
        • Evdog, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2Or a free ride when you've already paid.
        • sk11, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2It's ironic that a someone who doesn't know what irony means, writes a song to explain incorrectly what irony means.
      • xtraa, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3Like

        - fighting for peace
        - using biodiesel to save the environment
        - installing a homeland security for freedom
        ...
        = f*cking for virginity.

        The world has become a paradox.
    • Karna101, on 04/29/2008, -25/+16***** TIBET!

      ***** a theocratic nation that is run by a supreme ruler who considers himself to be a man-god that is the reincarnation of a prophet figure and is worshipped by his supporters.
      http://youtube.com/watch?v=jexrkriu934

      and ***** China too.
      now digg me down.
      • TobiasParker, on 04/29/2008, -1/+15I refuse to bow to your wishes. Dugg for spite.
        • YoshoKatana, on 04/29/2008, -5/+2Ahh, trolls. Can't live with them, can't live-
          wait, yes we can. ***** them.
    • toastjam, on 04/29/2008, -3/+3Are there words for amusing coincidences and improbable misfortunes (rain on a wedding day after a month of sun), etc, that are often mislabeled as ironic?

      The problem with the common misuse seems to be that there are no good simple alternatives (that I have heard of).
      • Sabazou, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1"That's a shame."
      • infinitiesedge, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Of course... And tomorrow I'll make a knife with two blades and call it a spoon.
      • Frost9999, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2I think the word that covers all of Alanis's situations is "unlucky".
      • Goombellaofgoom, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Sometimes people use the word "ironic" when they should really say "sarcastic".
    • boonesfarm, on 04/29/2008, -0/+10Reminds me of the Che Guevara T-shirts made in Asian sweatshops
    • daizaru, on 04/29/2008, -4/+2What's "ironic(in the improper use)" is a bunch of people (mostly Americans) blaming an entire people for the actions of their government, clearly when the makers of said product were doing so against their governments wishes. Opposing the war in Iraq and then complaining about gas prices isn't "ironic" either... nothing questionable ever happens within the confines of the United States... birthplace of the corporation.

      By the way, the word you're looking for is Hypocrisy...
      • sk11, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2What is ironic is that the Chinese get very emotional about past Japanese oppression, and yet get very angry about any criticism of their own oppressiveness against Tibet.
    • NecroDigg, on 04/29/2008, -3/+0Who are the Tibet and why do they need freeing? Is it something I should care about? ***** China?
    • godplaysdnd, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0So much for the boycott aye?
  • wefarrell, on 04/29/2008, -1/+43This isn't even surprising. Looking at all those Tibet flags in protests you knew some of them had to be made in china.
    • chillypacman, on 04/29/2008, -0/+9I thought they were ALL made in China, who else makes cheap flags? :P
  • vault, on 04/29/2008, -8/+145Good thing this in Apple.
  • str3ama, on 04/29/2008, -15/+54lol well they could be made in Tibet, but labelled as made in China because China considers Tibet part of China..
    • manitoba98xp, on 04/29/2008, -0/+18Nope. Guangdong is not in Tibet.
    • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -4/+14ste3ama, have you read the link? The flags are made in the Guangdong province, which is far from Tibet.
      By the way, yes, China considers Tibet as one of its provinces. The same way the U.S. considers Texas as one of its states.
      • atdigg, on 04/29/2008, -4/+15Only that Texans are not killed if they disagree....
        • Kanidia, on 04/29/2008, -9/+5And texans don't crash people's shops when they do disagree.
          • Namco, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1And Tibetans don't wear 10-gallon cowboy hats.
        • dirigibleduck, on 04/29/2008, -5/+7Maybe you haven't heard of the American Civil War...
          • miles32, on 04/30/2008, -1/+1That is perhaps one of the stupidest comments I have read this week.
        • iHippie, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1You must not be from Texas.
      • RAEP, on 04/29/2008, -2/+2The same way the US considers the entirety of the US as about 50 of its states.
      • smurfsahoy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5Epic fail. The majority of Texans wanted to join the union. The US was the one that didn't agree to it for a long time, and didn't accept Texas (slave state).

        Tibetans do NOT as a whole want to be a part of China. They are compelled to be a part of it by force.

        The two situations are basically complete opposites of one another.
        • ShrimpCrackers, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4I used to love the Quebec analogy that the Chinese always tossed at my Canadian friends. Of course my Canadian friends would then reply that Quebec voted on it twice, and Quebec voted to stay both times. How many times has the actual Tibetans been allowed to vote on this?
        • ancccdxh, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0In fact Tibetans have voted since they supported the Chinese government. All of us don't know what the Tibetans really need. Nobles desire to back to power as government took it away and free their 'slaves' in 1950s. Their influence remains so they can decide what u will know on this issue. Luckily I've been to Tibet. If u go to Tibet u will see most farmers & crafters' living standard improved due to the revolution. they no longer are slaves. they work for their own. they have rights to do right things. so sometimes i doubted what kind of freedom in Tibet western people expect. Dalai or the slavery society before the revolution?
  • Mahluc, on 04/29/2008, -17/+13I bet most of the items the protesters are using/wearing, while the protest are made and China because they are to ignorant to see the contradiction of buying things from a nation that they consider inherently bad, or are to lazy to look around for more ethically acceptable products.
    • Tenoq, on 04/29/2008, -1/+9Are you really that much of a moron? You seem to under the delusion that Tibet would actually have a choice in where their products are coming from. :p
      • goldfishey, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4 I suspect he was referring to non Tibetan protesters, since the order for the flags came from outside China.
        • ShrimpCrackers, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1They probably didn't know they were ordering from a company that was going to outsource. A lot of companies in the USA and so forth out-source to China but won't put that on their websites. For instance, CafePress may have their items made in the USA, but the actual printing and customization may be done in China.
    • Mahluc, on 04/29/2008, -0/+6I'm referring to the western protesters not Tibetans. Whats the point of these anit-China free Tibet protests if the majority of the people there vote with there wallets by buying products that are made in China. The only way to get them to change is to hurt their economy. This is near impossible for the simple reason that almost everything you need to maintain a western lifestyle is either made in China or contains components made in China, including these so called green re-usable grocery bags that are all the rage now. In the end it comes down to this, if we want China to change we have to be willing to live less lavish lifestyles so that we are less dependent on China.

      These protests aren't going to do a thing. there are probably a billion Chinese that disagree with the protesters.
  • dib2, on 04/29/2008, -24/+18Free Tibet!
    • dvsbastard, on 04/29/2008, -0/+24"I'll take it!"

      "Hello, China? I have something you may want. But it's gonna cost ya. That's right... All the tea..."
    • insinuate, on 04/29/2008, -10/+2***** the RIAA1!! I mean...***** metallica!!....er, ***** Tibet!!
    • TypeEE, on 04/29/2008, -3/+6Free tibet won't do tibetian any good. They are economically screwed.
      • ShrimpCrackers, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Economically screwed why? Are you saying that 60 years of Chinese rule didn't help Tibet become anything more than the poorest province in all of China?
        • fiskehaps, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Why? Because many countries would be to afraid of trading with the new state. Since it could do so China would get angry, and stop trading with them.

          The most in Tibet is Chinese owned/controlled. And if Tibet get independence, are there a big chance that the Chinese will leave with all the equipment and money, or stay and keep the old control (the US can if possible save Tibet and give them money, just as they did to a lot of European countries after WW2)

          But was Tibet rich 60 years ago?
    • blagoaw, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Free Tibet flags? No, they'll probably incinerate them.
    • stabbingkittens, on 04/29/2008, -2/+1Free Mahi Mahi!
  • Beatmiser, on 04/29/2008, -4/+198Digging simply because this is one of the rare times when the word 'Irony' is used correctly.
    • cquilliam, on 04/29/2008, -4/+20Yes, like rain on your wedding day
      • Jashobeam5, on 04/29/2008, -6/+3That's not ironic, that's what happened.
        • Blueshrike, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3And irony is make believe?
        • jumico, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0Only if make believe is real.
        • smurfsahoy, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Irony is just something unexpected... Not fantasy.
      • marko718, on 04/29/2008, -2/+5Alanis Morissette reference... nice
        • cquilliam, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I tried to digg down my own comment due to the shame.
      • wardawg31, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Only if you job is a weather person...
    • NecroDigg, on 04/29/2008, -7/+1I still don't see the Irony. Tibet are chinese folk right? The only people who give a ***** about them are chinese. So where are the flags going to be made? America?
      • smurfsahoy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5The flags are anti-China. Thus, the last place you would expect them to be made is in China. Irony is unexpected things happening.
        • Goombellaofgoom, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Sort of. It's more like things happening that are directly contradicting what is expected.
          • smurfsahoy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1You just rephrased exactly what I said... The only difference between what you and I said would be if humans didn't by default always expect something. But they do. So unexpected always implies contradiction of expectation, they're one and the same.
      • bosssmiley, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5"Tibet are chinese folk right?" - NecroDigg
        Wrong. Native Tibetans aren't Han Chinese in ethnic origin. They're almost as different as Canadians and Mexicans.
    • kellyalex, on 04/29/2008, -3/+1your mother was ***** by a dog,then you were born
  • fxu1989, on 04/29/2008, -3/+25They just couldn't reject their prices!!!

    It was so cheap compared to Thailand.
  • killbert24, on 04/29/2008, -7/+20The USA needs jobs. Why couldn't they buy their 'free tibet' flag from US, dammit!
    • EndlessRain, on 04/29/2008, -6/+3Um, in case you don't know even American flags are made in China. Besides, the free tibet groups done hired enough part time demonstrators in San Francisco already, so be grateful for those employment opportunities already.
      • killbert24, on 04/29/2008, -5/+7Except it is illegal in Minnesota now to buy flags from other countries besides the USA. Hopefully other states follow this example.
        • stabbingkittens, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5What?! This Australian thinks you're joking.
        • sexypeon, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Nope he's not. I live in Minnesota and it is illegal to buy flags made from other countries.
        • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Well I guess there aren't any flags in Minnesota then..
        • stabbingkittens, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Let me get this straight; if you want a North Korean flag, it has to be manufactured in America?
      • santaliqueur, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3You make it sound like that's where they have always been made. By the way, importing American flags made overseas is illegal in many states.
      • kylere, on 04/29/2008, -0/+6Not all American Flags are, only those sold in Walmart. http://www.annin.com/ still makes and sells them for over 150 years. There is even a trade organization that regulates the "Made in USA" stickers/marks for flags. http://www.fmaa-usa.com/
      • stabbingkittens, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3Why would anyone pass a law like that? What makes a flag so special? It's a piece of ***** fabric. Nationalism, patriotism etc lives in the citizenry, not in nylon. Do your leaders always pass ***** laws like this? I heard there was a proposal in a US state to bag trouser lines that are too low. Your politicians waste more time than I do on Digg. Rise diggers, and stop this nonsense.
        • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2We appreciate your conviction, but nobody's going to follow someone named "stabbingkittens"
          • stabbingkittens, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Hahaha, I agree. Its Darren, BTW. And yes I have a dislike for cats.
    • Vhaeos, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2Because of minimum wage laws. China doesn't have them, so china does have low paying jobs making Free Tibet flags.
      • andy314159pi, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1It's the exchange rate that makes China labor more competitive; there is no free exchange of Chinese currency.
        • bloosteak, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1not at all according to theeconomist.com
          exchange rate is just one of those things that politicians like to talk about instead of looking at the negative savings rate of americans
      • Makaveli604, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2no, its the lower cost of living.

        stop feeling sorry for them, jesus, if they wanted to work on farms they would be.
        they choose to go to the factories because it's more profitable.
    • surfacewound, on 04/29/2008, -2/+10Because it would've been 600% more expensive.
    • EpicSelekta, on 04/29/2008, -2/+7because the Native Americans got canned the same way the Tibetans did... it would be just as ironic and cost more!
    • faithfreedom, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1They could make in Mexico.
  • krusader3z, on 04/29/2008, -20/+2Keep lighting yourselves on fire, Tibetan prostestors, see how far that strategy gets ya.
    • stabbingkittens, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3Good one krusaderz. ***** twit.
      • krusader3z, on 04/29/2008, -4/+1This coming from digg member "stabbingkittens" ?
  • BoneStamp, on 04/29/2008, -11/+3I can't wait to see how many comments bitch about the definition of irony.
    • CrackyJSquirrel, on 04/29/2008, -1/+6Well being this is the exact definition of irony, I see nothing for anyone to bitch about.. :)
  • mal1964, on 04/29/2008, -1/+5I was going to type, "How do they know they're free". after reading the story. I'm glad i looked at the headline again and saw the quote-marks.
  • influenceuh, on 04/29/2008, -3/+79You know what? EVERYTHING is made in China. Even babies.
    • killbert24, on 04/29/2008, -3/+32A little TOO many babies, actually.
      • toppgun, on 04/29/2008, -8/+3A *few* too many babies...
        //pet peeve
      • nbyn, on 04/29/2008, -0/+15more babies == more flag makers
        • mithrasinvictus, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2too many flagmakers == poverty
      • aeck, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Not that many, more than two and they'll rip out your uterus
    • santaliqueur, on 04/29/2008, -0/+16Male babies, maybe.
    • Otnehs, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3So that's where they come from...
    • rawheadrex, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1OK, that's an exaggeration. Not all babies are made in China. I think the real market share for Chinese babies was something like 20%.


      You know.


      One in five babies born today is Chinese.
    • 1timeuser, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Wrong! My baby was made in Mexico.
  • TheBSG, on 04/29/2008, -3/+4This would be ironic if there were cheap labor alternatives.
  • AutumnWindz, on 04/29/2008, -3/+28So much for 'BOYCOTTING CHINA!!!1' when the things you use to protest are made in China
    • toppgun, on 04/29/2008, -3/+20I think its an even bigger slap in the face of China that they have been manufacturing the flags of the protesters.
    • EndlessRain, on 04/29/2008, -9/+3usa made plenty of kkk gowns and black panther flags did anyone call it ironic? when the government let you do something freely you call it irony and slap in the face, when the government crack down after riots u call it genocide. wtf do u want really.
  • dafragsta, on 04/29/2008, -0/+8You see. This is the kind of irony that is a much greater risk than the Large Hadron Colider to rip a hole in the universe. This is the kind of irony that ought to be regulated.
  • ASSASSYN360, on 04/29/2008, -0/+10I looked high and low in my apartment for something not made in china. Then it hit me...it was me!
    • ORBAT, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1Actually, since about 1/6 of the people on the planet are Chinese there's about a 17% chance you're Chinese too.
  • someone173406, on 04/29/2008, -2/+45I find it funny that the factory was as ignorant of the issue as the protesters themselves.
    • uriman, on 04/29/2008, -1/+7profits over ideology
      • SierraAlpha, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3No, more like great censorship in China!
    • blagoaw, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1While watching Empire of the Sun with some Chinese (in China), I was surprised to find that they didn't recognize the pre-communist flag of China when it made an appearance -- Perhaps because it not coincidentally bears a striking resemblance to the Taiwanese flag..
      • someone173406, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Let's have a quick history lesson. Before 1949, it was the republic of China. After 1949 though, the Chinese civil war that had been going for 20 years (Repub vs communists) ended, with the republic losing. The remaining of the republican government went to live on an island. This island is called Taiwan. That's why the taiwanese flag is similar to the old chinese flag- because it is. Unfortunately, there never was a formal end to the war, making both sides technically at war, even if they aren't, like Korea.
    • blagoaw, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0I should add that my explanation was followed by the priceless, "Taiwan has a flag?". I guess it depends who you talk to though.
      • bloosteak, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0wha? the taiwanese flag is everywhere strangely enough. whenever you see a group of flags, one of them is usually the taiwanese one. at least from what I've seen.
    • crocodilexp, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Knowing the Chinese, I don't believe the owner for one second that he didn't know the meaning of the flags. Profits first.
  • Hetman, on 04/29/2008, -4/+3Irony, what exactly does that word mean? I know it is a song but do I know the meaning?
  • finnmaccool, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6dugg for correct use of irony.
    I think...
    • NecroDigg, on 04/29/2008, -2/+0It is definately the wrong use. Irony is when you'd usually expect something but the opposite happens.
      You would expect a Free Tibet flag to be made in China, because Tibet live in China, and the people Protesting are in China.
      • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1No, you expect that the materials you are using to protest China are made somewhere besides China. Hence, it is ironic. Just like if the Germany made the planes used by the Allies in World War 2. I know this concept is hard to grasp, but please, at least try a little here people.
  • Spikeli27, on 04/29/2008, -14/+8the tibetans were made in china
  • TommyTikal, on 04/29/2008, -13/+9This completely invalidates the protests doesn't it guys? Those good for nothing activists don't have a handle on the situation and are not giving Violent Chinese Imperialism the benefit of a doubt.

    I don't care how much the Olympics matter to you...because while these people are temporarily inconveniencing a time honored sporting tradition, they're fighting for they're lives and homeland which was brutally taken from them. As for the sympathizers who are jumping in, at least they're doing something. This is a pretty black and white issue and China is clearly at fault. What would you guys prefer the protesters do? Start lobbing grenades around everywhere?

    I'm amazed by the amount of patience shown by these protesters...just the fact that after all that was done to them they're still protesters and not 'unlawful combatants' makes them pretty commendable in my books.



    • scarlet85, on 04/29/2008, -5/+2You didn't just type "fighting for they're lives" did you?
      • TommyTikal, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4I apologize, let me correct that.

        The Tibetans are 'fighting for their lives'. Busy day at the computer store and now my brain is mush.

        Thanks for understanding.
    • chrisbosh123, on 04/29/2008, -3/+9That is possibly the most biased comment I've read on Digg.
      Heres some things to consider:
      1. Use proper grammar. Invalidates the PROTEST (verb-subject agreement). Use their, NOT "they're".
      2. The "monks" DID protest violently
      3. How is china "clearly" at fault when the facts point to both sides at fault?
      4. The Dalai lama has NOT been killed or injured in any way. It's ONLY the monks and young radicals who are protesting right now, they represent LESS THAN 1% of the population of Tibet.
      5. inconveniencing? How is China "inconveniencing a time", they planned this event for nearly 4 years now.
      *gets ready to get dug down into oblivion*
      • TommyTikal, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3This might be the least intelligent comment I've seen on Digg recently.

        1. Sorry, I meant protest...you know what I meant right? I don't hop online to woo the ladies with my accuracy when speed typing...I just type, get over it.
        2. Some of the monks protested violently, I never disputed that. My point is that there isn't an all out Guerilla war being waged by the Tibetans, which would be MORE than understandable in this case.
        3. Both sides are at fault? China invades Tibet, murders peaceful monks in the monasteries, and keeps a tight reign on things ever since. Please tell me what Tibet did to deserve that.
        4. Only 1% of Tibet is protesting? So? Does that somehow undo what the Chinese government has done?
        5. Practice your reading comprehension and try that again.

        If you want to argue about grammar you should brush up on your punctuation.
        • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Ok, so following your logic, we have two events in time:
          1. China invades Tibet and frees its people of slavery.
          2. The U.S. invades Iraq and frees its people of... Saddam?
        • smurfsahoy, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1I stopped caring about anything you said when you admitted you were too lazy to use proper English. An honest mistake is one thing - I don't care a whit about that. Consciously ignoring grammar on purpose, however, is unacceptable. It shows a complete lack of respect for others and the value of their time, and a pompously inflated self importance that undermines everything else you say. I actually agreed with you on a couple of points, and was going to comment to that effect, but I have now changed my mind. Congratulations. Maybe after a few times of 75% of people responding to you complaining about your grammar, you will wise up to such facts.
      • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2I'm digging you up actually. And digging Tommy Tikal's down since his is so biased. What "Violent Chinese Imperialism"?
    • TommyTikal, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2"Heres some things to consider:
      1. Use proper grammar."
      You Loose.
    • blagoaw, on 04/29/2008, -1/+0If you really want peace and understanding in the world, then the question isn't how we got into this situation but how we can best proceed. Respecting the people in Tibet and requesting that they receive better treatment is the responsible thing to do, but making protests for Tibetan independence when there is no force in the world to back it up is putting the people who you supposedly support in a more precarious position (yes, it's sort of like me telling you to stop hitting them while it's the Chinese government that's actually doing the punching, but you are contributing to it nonetheless). The Dalai Lama himself has asked for Tibetans to have more autonomy and rights within China, without independence -- which is something I believe the Chinese government would put on the table if they believed it could be lasting and secure.
    • rkw786, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1"they're fighting for they're lives and homeland which was brutally taken from them"

      Kinda like what happened to the Native Americans. Let's earn some moral authority and set an example for the Chinese by giving back all the land we took...we can start with yours. You can replace "China" with "America/American" and your argument would make equal sense.
    • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1HOLY ***** A GRAMMATICAL ERROR! Somebody alert the ***** media.
      Jesus christ, do I hate that nitpicky *****.
  • yujie, on 04/29/2008, -10/+4What's next? Chinese are from China?
  • element444, on 04/29/2008, -6/+0Dugg for Digg add on the left reading "Teen dies in dental tragedy"
  • chrisbosh123, on 04/29/2008, -3/+13Can't really blame them, even I didn't know what the Tibet flag looked like until now and also, it doesn't actually say "free tibet" on the flag because if it did, they still wouldn't have a clue.
    • Emnsta, on 04/29/2008, -12/+3No that just means you're an ignorant *****
      • sovietamerica, on 04/29/2008, -4/+2why digg him down? he's right.
    • chrisbosh123, on 04/29/2008, -2/+12Great, now a hamtaro guy/girl/tranny tells me I'm a ignorant ***** because I don't know what the Tibet flag looked like. Lemme ask you this then, do you know what the Ontario flag looks like?
    • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3Actually only a few people knows what Tibet's flag exactly looks like.
      Forgive me for my ignorance but Tibet's flag has a sun in the middle and when I saw it I immediately think of ... Japan's flag.
      • dirigibleduck, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1I always thought it looked like Arizona's flag.
    • Emnsta, on 04/29/2008, -6/+2Has Ontario been a region of conflict and/or controversy for at least five decades?
      And what if I do know what the Ontario flag looks like?

      Hamtaro understands more current issues in its front sunflower seed-chewing teeth than you, don't diss him about politics, he will school you.
      • Wrangler76, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Yes, Ontario has been one you ignorant, dumb *****. The natives here love protesting their land claims. It's just that everybody gives them the cold shoulder because it's an issue not related to the Red Enemy (China).
  • Brainmodder, on 04/29/2008, -5/+12Trade: bringing down Communist states since 1978.
    • freddc, on 04/29/2008, -2/+5...and Capitalist states as well.
      • miles32, on 04/30/2008, -0/+3if only capitalism wasnt based on free trade
  • spamcrusher, on 04/29/2008, -1/+8Somebody should alert Alanis, this is true irony.
  • dizilbdog, on 04/29/2008, -1/+14Hey Obama how come you aren't wearing that Flag Pin Made in China...
  • bigmuffpi, on 04/29/2008, -1/+18Funny, but.. it's mostly just a Tibet flag, and not a ''free Tibet'' flag.

    ''Free Tibet'' and ''Boycott China'' are two different things imo.
  • mrzack, on 04/29/2008, -8/+2How do you expect China to move toward a more free society if they don't hold the Olympics?
    • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -1/+7What has the Olympics got to do with a more free society?
      • supras, on 04/29/2008, -2/+1Perhaps engaging China in a dignified fashion will result in a more open China. Ergo a more liberalized China. Chinese liberals become expatriates only to become more nationalistic. Think about that.
    • Jashobeam5, on 04/29/2008, -2/+4You read any history? Remember Nazi Germany hosted the Olympics in 1936. It didn't do a thing for freedom in that country.
      • supras, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1You know, boycotting the Olympics in 1980 didn't do a damn thing either.
    • mrzack, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2South Korea had problems too, but they eventually became more democratic and stopped pirating music and movies after the 88 olympics.
  • Karna101, on 04/29/2008, -29/+31***** TIBET!

    ***** a theocratic nation that is run by a supreme ruler who considers himself to be a man-god that is the reincarnation of a prophet figure and is worshipped by his supporters.
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=jexrkriu934

    and ***** China too.
    now digg me down.
    • TommyTikal, on 04/29/2008, -7/+17Yeah,

      I hate that guy, abusing all his power all the time. Leading a nation to war under a false pretense and such....

      • idslite, on 04/29/2008, -2/+2For some reason that sounds awfully familiar... Oh, wait.
    • wpyh, on 04/29/2008, -7/+5I'm digging you up. Was going to digg you down for the offensive comment, but you have a point there.
    • Dbeneath, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6dude, you obviously don't know what the Lamas all about.
    • Anonchrist, on 04/29/2008, -2/+2I can not support a theocratic nation any more than an oppressive regime, so here is my digg.
    • Beijing08Facade, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1Beijing (as well as sympathetic Western scholars such as Michael Parenti, Tom Grunfeld and Anna Louise Strong) asserts that "pre-liberation" Tibet was a medieval, oppressive society consisting of "landowners, serfs and slaves." Tashi Rabgay, a Tibetan scholar at Harvard, points out that these three alleged social classes are arbitrary and revisionist classifications that have no basis in reality. There were indeed indentured farmers in old Tibet. There were also merchants, nomads, traders, non-indentured farmers, hunters, bandits, monks, nuns, musicians, aristocrats and artists. Tibetan society was a vast, multifaceted affair, as real societies tend to be. To try to reduce it to three base experiences (and non-representative experiences at that) is to engage in the worst kind of revisionism.

      No country is perfect and many Tibetans (including the Dalai Lama) admit that old Tibet had its flaws and inequities (setting aside whether things are better under Chinese occupation). But taking every real or imagined shortcoming that happened in a country over a 600-year period and labeling it the "way it was" is hardly legitimate history. Any society seen through this blurry lens would come up short. And in many ways, such as the elimination of the death penalty, Tibet was perhaps ahead of its time. The young 14th Dalai Lama had begun to promote land reform laws and other improvements, but China's take-over halted these advances. It is instructive to note that today the Tibetan government-in-exile is a democracy while China and Tibet are under communist dictatorship.

      The crucial subtext of Beijing's condemnation of Tibet's "feudal" past is a classic colonialist argument that the target's alleged backwardness serves as a justification for invasion and occupation. These are the politics of the colonist, in which the "native" is dehumanized, robbed of agency, and debased in order to make occupation more palatable or even necessary and "civilizing." China has no more right to occupy a "backward" Tibet than Britain had to carry the "white man's burden" in India or Hong Kong.
  • cloudcity, on 04/29/2008, -0/+7A situation was properly identified as ironic on the Internet, today should be a national holiday.
  • jerbaker, on 04/29/2008, -3/+31Reminds me of Vladimir Lenin's quote, "The capitalists would sell us the rope with which we will hang them."
    • freddc, on 04/29/2008, -4/+5...and proven correct since the time Reagan took office.
    • D0m0kun, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6And the capitalists used the funds to supply an army to obliterate them.
      • Hangly, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2Actually the capitalists are financing both armies. Shh, don't tell.
  • uriman, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3The 10th and 11th Rules of Acquisition apply here.
    * 10. Greed is eternal.

    * 11. Even if it's free, you can always buy it cheaper.
    • Hangly, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I fail to see how they apply, but you get a digg for knowing the Rules of Acquisition by number.
  • linuxinsidev2, on 04/29/2008, -0/+14What has this got to do with apple you moron?
    • donsmith, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Agreed. Great article, but totally dugg in the wrong category.
    • picciano, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Perhaps the flags were "Made on a Mac"?
  • darthmdh, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Gee, and some people like to claim China doesn't care...
    • 1timeuser, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2As long as there is money in it it's all good.
  • MacDevyn, on 04/29/2008, -5/+2Well even if they were made in Tibet, they'd still say China.
  • XStylus, on 04/29/2008, -1/+7Free Tibet -- with purchase of equal or lesser value.
    • Hangly, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Send in 6 proofs of purchase and get a free Mumia, free Leonard or free Tookie* delivered to your door in 6 to 8 weeks.

      (*Tookie currently out of stock.)
  • lattin1, on 04/29/2008, -1/+9I bet they're not airing this story in CCTV (China's state run media). I'm surprised I was even able to open this link from China. Hilarious.
    • zuoyue, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4actually they did
      • zhenboy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Yup. They did report this on CCTV. Confirmed.
    • ilgaz, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1If we speak about China and Tibet, there are ex cold war like propaganda all over the place.
  • bgfinkel, on 04/29/2008, -2/+7I was just in china and the television there is incredibly filtered and controlled- everything is either "the dalai lama sucks", "the olympics are going to be awesome who cares about tibet", or finally "CHINA ***** AWESOME WOOPEE!"
    • Wrangler76, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3Sounds like they have their own version of FOX News and CNN. Zing
    • jacintoo, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Are you sure you're not watching screenshots of CCTV?
    • thecoolestguy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Sounds like the overseas Chinese students' section of a western university.
    • jab9990, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Sounds like China has lowered itself to the likes of Fox news.
    • thecoolestguy, on 04/29/2008, -2/+1And the Chinese nationalists whining about western "media bias" never mention that the Chinese media is totally controlled and biased.
      • Wrangler76, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1Um, I've seen lots of Chinese mention that BOTH sides are biased since people seem to turn off the skeptical part of their minds when it comes to Chinese-related issues. Is it wrong to denounce the actions of our media since we do live here now? Is it only wrong if Chinese media is biased? CNN/FOX should be let off with their awfully one-sided reporting? Seriously. I'm not a Chinese "nationalist". I am Canadian and believe in our country and values first. That is exactly why I was so disturbed and frustrated to see how our media's horribly distorted reporting on the situation in Tibet and how easily people in this coutnry ate it all up because of their cold war or yellow peril mentality.
    • uriman, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1I think politically controlled media is a lot worse than corporation controlled media
      • DeathMote, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Is it really? At least there the people know propaganda is being fed to them. There's just the illusion of "free media" here.
    • thecoolestguy, on 04/30/2008, -1/+1I think not being thrown in prison is better than being thrown in prison. See how Chinese nationalists like you rationalize away the restriction on liberty that the Chinese government imposes, and hypocritically point the finger at the West?
  • Sushubh, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/photographer ...
  • louiebaur, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2That's ironic
  • daizaru, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2Seeing how they were doing this secretly and were eventually caught by police I fail to see the irony. If America should be learning anything right now, the peoples of a country are not always responsible for the actions of their government. People in China are just trying to make money like everyone else There are plenty of people who do morally questionable business things to make more money... especially American Corporations.

    The only thing I find Ironic is the hypocrisy of all the people posting here.
    • tomis, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2All governments consist of are the people of that country. Government = people. If the people of a country don't hold their fellow citizens accountable for their actions, they are just as guilty. And in that sense, we are all hypocrites for trying to denounce other nations for their crimes while at home our governments are committing their own crimes against humanity.
      • supras, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I dugg you up. However, people shout more loudly about foreign governments than their own which ***** me off.
    • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Umm...the article says the workers didn't realize what they were making, and when they found out, THEY were the ones who alerted the authorities. Not the other way around. Read the article dude.
  • DaviDTC, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2Im surprised China even cares. I thought rice was rice.
  • RaekwonTheChef, on 04/29/2008, -10/+5***** chinks probably already executed the factory owner like the dude in charge of safety after the lead paint fiasco.
    • fckwhitetsh, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3how could you be raised up so blunt? just idiot. Well, you were just born like trash so no one gave you a ***** about what you think. LMAO.
    • ibic, on 04/29/2008, -3/+4If you don't know about the situation, then shut up. Don't make all the bullsh!it that is completely out of imagination. And you sound really annoying when you insult Chinese people. Tell me, retarded, how do you feel when your mom praises you while you are doing her? Fnck you!

      And, Tibet *is* part of China, always.
      • Hangly, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1It's no less annoying when you insult people.
      • Mashedup14, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1What the hell is a "Fnck"? Did you mean "Thank" with a lisp? As in, "Fank you for dat fwame bait, mister! Dat gives me an opportoomity to vomit hideous gawbige at da masses.! Hooway!"

        Hopefully that didn't go over your head, but I'm not holding my breath.
  • Gemfinder, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Workaround:
    Find a good, high-res image of the Tibetan flag, and replicate it on a bedsheet. If you're not artistic, find a friend who is.
  • windohs, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3I wonder if you can get one from Walmart...
  • AlienMushroom, on 04/29/2008, -5/+4Paid for by CIA... with our tax dollars...
    • s32843, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1not CIA, but NED, a former branch of CIA.
  • phrstbrn, on 04/29/2008, -2/+4Where can I send up for my free Tibetan flag?
  • Torley, on 04/29/2008, -1/+5I remember comics joking about this and knew it had to be true.
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