China Demands Apology From CNN

Commentator Jack Cafferty Called Leaders "Goons And Thugs"

(AP)  China demanded an apology from CNN on Tuesday after network commentator Jack Cafferty called the country's leaders a "bunch of goons and thugs" and said its products were "junk."

It was the latest flare-up after Beijing accused Western media of bias in its reporting following violent protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa last month. U.S.-based CNN has been singled out by Chinese who say overseas news outlets are smearing China.

The comments reflect Cafferty's "ignorance and ... hostility" toward China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

"We are shocked and strongly condemn the vicious remarks by Cafferty," ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. "We solemnly request CNN and Cafferty himself take back the malicious remarks and apologize to the Chinese people."

The famously curmudgeonly Cafferty made the remarks during an appearance on "The Situation Room" that aired April 9, according to a transcript posted on the CNN Web site.

He was speaking about the U.S. trade deficit with China when he said, according to the transcript, "We continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food and export, you know, jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff that we're buying from Wal-Mart."

"So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed," he continued. "I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years."

Network spokeswoman Edie Emery at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, responded to a request for comment by pointing out a clarification Cafferty made Monday on "The Situation Room."

On his comment about the goons and thugs, "I was referring to the Chinese government, and not to Chinese people or to Chinese-Americans," he said on the program.

A CNN spokesman in Hong Kong said in an e-mail he did not have immediate comment on the Foreign Ministry's demand for an apology.

Chinese at home and abroad have denounced Western media for what it said was slanted reports about the unrest in Tibet. They say the news outlets have unjustly criticized Beijing in its crackdown, ignoring the region's history of feudalism under the Dalai Lama and its economic development under communist rule.

Numerous Web postings, YouTube videos and Facebook groups have criticized the Tibet news coverage, including a Web site called anti-cnn.com, which was set up especially to point out alleged media bias.

[sophists]

wake up americans..you and your government have displayed nothing but ignorance and hypocrisy..where do you think your CIA agents are busy working these days? They are engaged in instigating and sustaining the Tibetain riots through bribes and threats as they did in Iran in the fifties, Panama when they wanted to establish the canal zone, Guatemala when they overthrew Arbenz...you think your government really gives a *** about the plight of poor Tibetans? where were they before the Olympics? Did Pelosi even know who the Dalai Lama is until a few months ago? Everything the American government does is driven by ulterior motives, it is threatened by the surging of the Chinese economy and perceives it as the new "Cold War" enemy...Don''t talk about human rights and freedom and liberty when Guantanamo Bay remains, when colored people still strive for the same rights in the "country of freedom", when Iraqis are kept in the heist of war so that their oil among other natural resources can be usurped by the greedy american corporatocracy..

[jjyyww]

Why don''''t you just tell me what FACTS you have that the Dalai Lama has harmed anything? I''''m not buying ANY PROPAGANDA you are selling. You TELL me, What has he done wrong? So far, nothing but Communist propaganda.

Posted by leftyintexas at 03:36 PM : Apr 17, 2008

Why everything you said are true, everything you disagreed are propaganda? You act liking a real communist.

[jjyyww]

Communism is dying. Its days are numbered.

Posted by Keithle1 at 04:45 AM : Ap

Communism has deaded. China is a capitalism, Even the the Communist Party Leaders do not talk about communism anymore. Everybody talks about money and the social welfare system is even worse than USA''s. The number of times I heard the name "Communism" one day in US media are more than one month in Chinese media.

[leftyintexas]

I am sorry to shake your illusion again. Watch the 3 part video clip "Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden" on youtube, and you will know why people say "His smiles charm and his actions harm".

Posted by MoonFace6 at 05:40 PM : Apr 16, 2008

Why don''t you just tell me what FACTS you have that the Dalai Lama has harmed anything? I''m not buying ANY PROPAGANDA you are selling. You TELL me, What has he done wrong? So far, nothing but Communist propaganda.

[keithle1]

If they''re not "goons and thugs" then anyone who wants to protest will be allowed to do so during the Olympics. Chinese people are free to say anything to anyone? Police won''t care? No one will get beaten up or locked up in the basement somewhere?

No one is moving to China to live. USA has to put up huge fences to stop people getting in. We must be doing something right.

Communism is dying. Its days are numbered. There is no future in Communism. No one with a brain takes it seriously.

[fjinnw]

You country in a stupid mess and you blame China for it.

[mybfw]

To MoonFace6,

"Don''''t give groundless ***. Give facts!!!"

-- Give up man. They do not need it at all.
-- Here is why (take it as a joke):

Human right fighters are just like some well designed but incomplete colons of other good human beings (droids). Their program is not complete (it never meant be) and they only react to the magic phrase, human rights. They are only programmed to one function, i.e., to hate "human right offenders" without the need to understand the complete meaning of "human rights". When their operator (the media specifically) tells them somebody is the worst human right offender (no solid prove needed), they react as what they are programmed for. The first step would be bashing and smearing. The second step, when their operator tells them it is time, would be really going in and help at all costs (at the others of course). The good example is Iraq where they helped 500,000 civilians (a lot of them children) to gain freedom by sending them to the heaven with bombs. Of course, they do not mind being rewarded modestly with the whole Iraqi oil reserve as a compansation to their heroic "sacrifices". As for Tibet, time is not now yet though the cost of 14 people''s lives is already spent.

No offence, Americans. If you are offended, it certainly was not my intention hurt you. By the way, I learnt this from CNN.

[thomas22ee]

To the IOC: How much was the kick-back for awarding the olympic games to China? Is anyone in the Free world really interested in the venue? Will the chinese win any medals?

[mybfw]

To cultusdeus:

"Your government kills people who believe in something different than they do. And you and your government wonder why people around the world are upset and dislike you? Please, honestly is murdering people who think differently the best way to win friends?"

--- I was not preparing to post but I have to say I can not refrain myself from doing so after seeing your comments. I lived in China for the first 30 years and lived in Canada for 12 years. I did see the Chinese government opressing people (myself and my family a victim too). But I have yet to see a single instance when it committed the kind of killing you said, except when the 1950 violent uprising of course. I guess your exile Tibetan friends told you many cases. But I have yet to see a single picture or video compared to the 4 young girls who were burnt to death publicly. And I have yet to see you even show some sympathy to them. So this is a good way to make friends?

[mybfw]

"Everything the america did, was for themselves. They did for their own good, and they will tell the world they are saving the world. They go to war for what, money, oil, others countries land. China has been here for how many thousand year, you think " there would be no China today." that easy?"
--- It might got you by surprise. We actually did thank the Americans for their support in WWII even though you are not the biggest supporter (I will give this to the Soviet Union). If you go to China and asking people like my age, 35+, almost everybody knows General "Chan Nade" (unfortunately, I do not know his Enlish name) of the US airforce and General Stevey. We are all actually gratefull for their help. As the part, there would be no China, I simply can not agree with you. I may say that without China holding off 1 million Janpanese Army, the outcome of the war might not be what it is today. I may also say that without the Soviet Union, there is probably no Europe and maybe not even a USA. The American''s problem is that they only remembers two things: 1. They did somebody a favor, they remember it all the time and they think they have the right to demand the helped be permanently gratfull to them no matter what the the USA do to them. 2. Somebody (like Al Quada) hurt them, they then play as the most innocent victims and demand the whole world to side with them. Anything they do to hurt others they just easily forget about it. Sadly.

[lululene]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GAAP9bbggo

chinologo,sorry I forgot the link.

[lululene]

chinologo

Look at what those Chinese has done!!!

[iamauto]

Maybe we don''t know the truth.
Otherwise why so many chinese guys are angry about this.

[peacefully1]

to cultusdeus -- Again, regardless to chinese government, How about the government of USA? Thousands of Troops were sent to Iraq for the purpose of "fighting terrorism", and what do you see today? Many people died including both americans and iraqis. How about the terrorism? did it die too? We do not even know yet. So why fight? For the energy, for the oil, in defiance of the human life... And I think that is how you guys playing "human rights" on your mouth everyday without even looking at your own face...

[peacefully1]

To cultusdeus - The topic here is about what is going on in the news and the consequences. If you are trying to use words such as "rape", "laid off" to describe historical events during WWII of China or any imaginations you have in your mind, I can only feel bad for you. Why don''t you go to China and say whatever you just typed to the Chairman there, his name is HuJin Tao, or premier WenJia Bao? They are the leader of chinese government today and they are the new leader of something you referred as "could barely lift a finger". By asking this I assumed you typed whatever you just typed only to the chinese government only... If you were saying all those and trying to make all the chinese people look bad or try to make yourself gain some sort of satisfaction by abusing them, I can only feel how pathetic you are. If you would like to act like a man here againest all the chinese people, I recommend you again go to China and repeat those to them face to face, show your rage to them, let them know how small they were and how "weak" you think they are. That works out way better than you typing things here.

[notamonk]

To cultusdeus: okay, maybe Hawaii and Alaska is not so illustrative of my point. What about New Mexico? here is the link to wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_mexico
I guess US give them an offer they can''t refuse. I still haven''t looked up the other 47 states. But i am sure i will find something. To say United States start fighting the *** because it intended to help China is not completely ludicrous, but distorting the facts in the least. It is a known fact and taught in schools in US that America got into the World War II because Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. It might have indirectly helped China. What you are saying is almost as if the wolf attacked the coyotes to protect the lamb. In addition, US lost all credits if any when they supported the Korean War where once again it has no business being there in the first place, just like Vietnam and Iraq. All the scenarios you mentioned that Chinese territory would have fallen to ***''s hand is hypothetical and there is no way for anyone to know. All i can say is that the Chinese civilization has been in existence for over 5000 years, and there is a reason for that. Unlike other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea where US still maintain military bases, China has always been able to fend off the invaders.

[cultusdeus]

Continued: To notamonk--China indirectly owes its modern existence to the US and UK. There would still be Chinese people and language to be sure, but not like today. Give thanks where thanks is due. Mao was a coward and ran away from the Japanese army as fast as he could. All of China and Korea and Mongolia would be "Manchukou" today if the US and UK left the Japanese there. During WWII the Chinese just laid down and let the Japanese rape them as much as they wanted to and could barely lift a finger. Your country even remembers this today. If we didn''t finish them off, they would still be there. That''s why every year people in China and Korea get upset about the sitting Japanese Prime Minister visiting the Yakusune Shrine to pay respect to their dead.

[cultusdeus]

To notamonk: no one in the US thinks are black, except maybe you; you''re the one who brought the subject up. Blacks can run for any office they want to anywhere. The fact that they don''t is their problem. If they choose not to, I can only assume that they don''t want to. As for Tibet and what they would do if they were free and how they would handle a government, that''s their problem;let them worry about it. The point is they are free to do it, which is probably what they would say. The people of Alaska and Hawaii voted to become part of the US; we didn''t force them. They willingly joined. We didn''t use guns; your government did. Your government invaded and annexed a people that only loosely realized a claim of China on them, certainly not to the extent that it is today and could do things they wanted mostly. And why have none of the Commie Mainlanders said "Thank You!" to the USA and the UK for fighting the Japanese for them during World War II when they were too weak to do anything to protect themselve. If the US just free the Philippines and kept Australia safe and left the Japanese alone in China and Korea, both of those countries would be a joke today. You would probably be schooled in Japanese and be required to worship the Japanese Emperor.

[notamonk]

Continued - People say because Tibetans are suppressed by the CCP. I do think China should improve on its human rights record. However, talking about suppression, what about America? Are there no suppression here? There are only 5 African American Senators (including Obama) in the entire history of the United States of America. The population of African Americans is close to 40 millions right now. Unless you are an absolute fool I think you would agree that does seem a little odd. Are blacks genetically handicapped when it comes to being a senator? I''ll let you draw the conclusions from here on. In addition, there are plenty of people in the world are being suppressed, why is America Not doing anything to help. Example, What about Darfur? I say Free Darfur! By now, we have all recognized there is a problem even the usual self denial GWB and there is still not much concrete steps being taken by the government to address this issue. I am just wondering how long would it take before anyone does anything when our government hasn''t even taking an official stance on the issue of Tibet - Nancy Pelosilly only urged china to talk to Dalai but she did not call for outright independence of Tibet. I commend her for not being extremely asinine.

[notamonk]

Continued - So what if CCP invaded Tibet. I guess they just marched right in since there is no one to stop them, just like the British marched into New Amsterdam in the face of the Dutch before renaming it New York. When I see the slogan - "Free China", I always think, free it from the Chinese government to what??? And what are the monks going to do; I personally do not know anyone is in a hurry to convert to Buddhism, so the possibility of Tibet to become the next Vatican is ruled out. So if Tibet were to become an independent state, what is going to happen there? What about its economy, education, transportation, jobs, taxes, entertainment, just life in general? I don''t see the life and living standard of the people in Tibet will be any better than right now. And it will probably still be doing lots of trade with China since it is the closest major economy in the region. But, after the way the relationship is severed between the two, not to say it''s impossible, it could be a battle uphill. I think the question we ought to ask is Why people want Tibet to be freed?