Obama "disses" the Dalai Lama

This week the Dalai Lama will visit Washington DC and for the first time since 1991 he will not be greeted by the president of the United States. Obama will purposely not hold any meetings with the Spiritual Leader of Tibet in an act of seemingly twisted diplomacy.

The United States now more than ever relies on China for economic support. Add that to the recent increased nuclear threats from Iran, the Obama administration has been forced to forge stronger ties with China, as an ally against Iran's enrichment program and a large holder of American debt.

China, which has had military control of Tibet beginning in 1950, has long violated human rights in the area infamously targeting Tibetan monks in violent attacks.

The President will not meet with the Dalai Lama until after his first official trip to Beijing in January.

It seems more than a little backwards for the President of the United States to be turning away a nobel peace prize recipient and iconic visionary out of fear for what China may do in response. The people of Tibet are repressed and denied basic freedoms every day by the communist government of China and Obama cannot even meet with their exiled leader who only preaches peace and universal understanding.

Recently China cancelled talks with a group of European nations after French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the Dalai Lama, South Africa also recently denied him entrance into the country.

It seems to me that our place in international politics must really be at a weak point if such a blatant act of disrespect must be made towards one of the Holiest men in the world, just so our most recent "ally", a country who repeatedly ignores human rights laws within and outside of its borders, doesn't look down upon us in this time of need.