Pacman And The PRC

One measure of leadership is choosing to do the right thing amidst temptations to do otherwise. The astonishingly hamhanded persecution of Tibetans by the Peoples Republic of China continues with an official American response that can only be called muted.

On the one hand, President Bush and Secretary of State Rice are unwilling to hold China's feet to the fire. It is undoubtedly the case that they do not want to anger one of our largest import partners and creditors. China understands this well and takes advantage of our reliance on them. On the other hand and at the other extreme, House Speaker Pelosi races full-throttle to Dharamsala, India for a photo-opportunity with his Holiness the Dalai Lama to protest China's actions. It is undoubtedly the case that she sees the political advantages, fundraising appeal and publicity value in such a move, albeit at the expense of raising false hopes that the U.S. will do anything of value to actually help the Tibetans.

These are very complex issues. It seems that the right thing to do here is to work behind the scenes to encourage the Chinese to account for their actions. Furthermore, while threatening or actually undertaking a boycott of the Beijing Olympics would be counterproductive, it seems that President Bush could hold open the possibility that he would not attend the Games and place the still-valued imprimatur of the U.S. Presidency on them until and unless the Chinese allow inspectors and journalists into Tibet to account for what has happened and why.

Temptation can make doing the right thing difficult. One can only imagine how tempting is any photo opportunity with His Holiness. Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, many New England football fans would like to see Adam "Pacman" Jones in a Patriots' uniform this season, even while holding their noses. However, this thug need not apply and one clings to the hope that the wonderful Kraft family - true leaders, themselves - will not succumb to this temptation. Let Jones play for Dallas or Detroit instead. Yes, the Patriots are desperate for cornerbacks and Jones is among the best in the game. Yet how much of one's soul is lost in not adhering to one's values and falling prey to such temptation? Randy Moss was a sullen prima donna, but he was no criminal nor was he a sociopath. The right franchises can take risks on guys like that and both parties benefit. This is not a risk; it would simply be wrong.

Working past the empty rhetoric and staying true to one's values means finding the right middle ground working with the Middle Kingdom. It may mean President Bush saying no to his participation in the Beijing Olympics. It also means saying no to Adam "Pacman" Jones, which the Kraft Family will likely do. Therein lies the distinction between pretenders and true leaders.