EDITORIAL : CLINTON AND HUMAN RIGHTS.PRESIDENT Clinton played a shoddy shod·dy adj. shod·di·er, shod·di·est 1. Made of or containing inferior material. 2. a. Of poor quality or craft. b. Rundown; shabby. 3. rhetorical rhe·tor·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to rhetoric. 2. Characterized by overelaborate or bombastic rhetoric. 3. Used for persuasive effect: a speech punctuated by rhetorical pauses. trick last week while trying to discredit TO DISCREDIT, practice, evidence. To deprive one of credit or confidence. 2. In general, a party may discredit a witness called by the opposite party, who testifies against him, by proving that his character is such as not to entitle him to credit or critics of his scheduled trip to China starting June 25. ``Seeking to isolate China is clearly unworkable,'' Clinton said. That was an obvious attempt by Clinton to link critics of his trip to the isolationists of the 1930s and even the early '40s who ignored the growth of Nazi power in Europe and Japanese aggression in Asia. But this time it's not the ``isolationists'' who are turning their backs on human-rights abuses. The culprit is the president himself. Clinton said Thursday that he intends to participate in traditional welcoming ceremonies in Beijing's Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square, large public square in Beijing, China, on the southern edge of the Inner or Tatar City. The square, named for its Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen), contains the monument to the heroes of the revolution, the Great Hall of the People, the museum of - the site of the violent suppression of pro-democracy forces in 1989. We don't object to Clinton's visit per se. We agree with the president that it is in this nation's interests to keep the lines of communication "Lines of Communication" is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. Synopsis Franklin and Marcus attempt to persuade the Mars resistance to assist Sheridan in opposing President Clark. and trade with China open. Nevertheless, the president will send the wrong message about the United States' commitment to human rights if he goes to Tiananmen Square. China's leaders will interpret it as another sign of U.S. weakness, more evidence that this administration is ready to turn its back on tyranny Tyranny Big Brother omnipresent leader of a totalitarian nightmare world. [Br. Lit.: 1984] Creon rules Thebes with cruel decrees. [Gk. Lit.: Antigone] Gessler Austrian governor treats Swiss despotically; shot by Tell. if the price is right. There is nothing necessarily wrong with negotiating trade deals and other arrangements with undemocratic governments such as China's. But presidents who engage in such negotiations always must avoid undermining the forces of democracy, the world's best hope for peace and freedom. We fear that is what will happen if Clinton plays the game of diplomacy as usual at Tiananmen Square. |
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