I did not see another diary on this subject in the rec'd or recent diary lists and thought it was important enough to call attention to. I apologize if it has been previously diaried. The purpose of this diary is to call attention to Stephen Braun's article in The Los Angeles Times and perhaps spark a discussion of this topic.
I was disappointed to see that just a week after former President Bill Clinton was revealed to have ties to a group supporting the Colombia free trade agreement, it has now been revealed that he has ties to a company that assisted the government of China in its crackdown on Tibetan dissidents.
Unfortunately, much of the Clintons' dealings with this company remain shrouded.
Follow me over the jump, if you please.
While the subject of Tibet is, in itself a very sensitive subject, I think the more important question is to what extent Bill Clinton has conflicts of interests that would be inconsistent with a Hillary Clinton presidency. Is it acceptable for Bill Clinton to accept money and favors in exchange for making positive speeches and using his personal influence to support governments and policies that his wife claims to oppose as she pursues the presidency? Or is it unfair to her to hold her responsible for Bill's actions?
I urge you to read Stephen Braun's article from the LA Times, but here are a few short quotes.
Here's the crux of the issue:
As Chinese authorities have clamped down on unrest in Tibet and jailed dissidents in advance of the 2008 Olympics, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has taken a strong public stance, calling for restraint in Tibet and urging President Bush to boycott the Olympics opening ceremonies in Beijing.
But her recent stern comments on China's internal crackdown collide with former President Bill Clinton's fundraising relationship with a Chinese Internet company accused of collaborating with the mainland government's censorship of the Web. Last month, the firm, Alibaba Inc., carried a government-issued "most wanted" posting on its Yahoo China homepage, urging viewers to provide information on Tibetan activists suspected of stirring recent riots.
Is this something Bill Clinton should be tied to?:
Human rights activists said clear evidence of Alibaba's collaboration with China's state security apparatus surfaced last month with the appearance of a "most wanted" posting for Tibetan rioters on the firm's Yahoo China homepage.
Does the good that Clinton does outweigh any harm that may result from his accepting money from companies like this? That seems to be the Clinton position:
The Clinton foundation spokeswoman would not address Alibaba's role in aiding the crackdown in Tibet. Instead, she emphasized the former president's efforts to push AIDS relief in China. "He has both pushed and helped the government of China to acknowledge and tackle the growing HIV-AIDs crisis facing their country," she said.
Once again, I urge you to read Stephen Braun's article from the LA Times and begin a discussion of these issues.