The Dalai Lama and Moral Relativism- Iraq, Viet Nam, Afghanistan

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Apparently the Dalai Lama is not an absolutist on the issue of non-violence and thinks some wars are justified. I agree, but he also says that the US fought the Vietnam War for "good reasons".

Let us remember this is a guy who represents the oppressive feudal order of old Tibetan society.

But he seems to mostly appeal to the middle and upper middle class liberal quasi-left spiritual people, without presenting a serious critique of our decadent and evil economic and social order.

To say he is "reactionary" is probably going too far but he's not comparable to religious leaders like Oscar Romero or Martin Luther King Jr., who seriously and consistently fought for the liberation of oppressed people and were willing to sharply criticize and effectively oppose the overall systems that supported them.

"Any human order to kill must be subordinate to the law of God, which says, 'Thou shalt not kill'. No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God. No one has to obey an immoral law." - Óscar Romero

The Dalai Lama definitely does not belong in the category of Romero or MLK.

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Spiritual figure, political leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama is a beloved personality to millions of people in his native Tibet, in South Asia, and the world over. The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta talks to His Holiness on NDTV 24x7's Walk the Talk programme, over the course of two hours. This is the first part of their long conversation:

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So you think it's a mistake for the US to be in Iraq, the way they are?

I usually have the view that violent action is in principle wrong, it's a mistake. However, in the 20th century, with the Second World War, for instance, or the Korean War, there was immense violence, suffering, destruction. But eventually something positive came out of it. But, then, the Vietnam War had the same motivation, the same goal, and it failed totally. With the Afghan crisis and the Iraq war, I usually tell people—and I believe it is so—that it is too early to say whether some good will come of it. Only history will tell.

Would you advise Bush to find a way of leaving Iraq to the Iraqis?

Actually, after that unbelievable event happened, September 11, I wrote a letter the very next day to President Bush. While I expressed my sadness and condolences, I also wrote about the counter measures for such a terrible tragedy—I believe non-violence is the most effective countermeasure and that's what I wrote about.

It's tough to teach non-violence to Bush, even for the Dalai Lama.

Of course, he and the White House take full responsibility. I am an outsider and an outsider may not fully understand the reality he faces. Just like the Tibetan problem, which I know, but an outsider may sometimes not understand. So you can't blame everything on President Bush, poor Bush!

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http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?c=5&t=1&id=11057&article=\'I+am+probably+going+to+meet+Bush+in+November%2C+I+may+use+that+with+him—Buddhism+and+Bushism\'">Link To Interview

Dalai Lama says Afghanistan war 'mature'

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has said that the United States bombing campaign against Afghanistan represents a more mature approach than taken during previous wars.

In an interview with the BBC, the Dalai Lama said the selective nature of the bombing, the precautions taken to prevent civilian casualties and the dropping of food packages were signs of change.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1617475.stm