I Know You Are, But What Am I?

My father used to opine about how judgemental people are. "People are so judgemental," he used to opine. When he did this within my earshot, I pointed out to him what an amusing irony he was setting up. Not on a par with Marty McFly having to take his mother to prom in order to ensure his continued existence, but it still got a pretty good reading on the paradoxometer. I pointed out, on several occasions, that what he was saying was a judgement itself, thereby proving his initial assertion. This also tended to end those conversations, much to our mutual chagrin. Imagine how interesting it would have been if my father would have lived long enough to see China telling the United States to quit telling them about human rights violations: "The United States ignores its own severe human rights problems, ardently promoting its so-called 'human rights diplomacy', treating human rights as a political tool to vilify other countries and to advance its own strategic interests." At least that's what China had to say in their annual report on U.S. human rights abuses. I was especially fond of the inclusion of a very Pee-Wee Hermanesque "so-called" in their official comments.The report does come out just about the same time that Beijing police detained dozens of worshippers from an unapproved Christian church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship. It's just the latest move in a clampdown on religious and political dissidents. That didn't keep the Chinese from continuing their rant: "The United States is the world's worst country for violent crimes. Citizens' lives, property and personal safety do not receive the protection they should." Touché, Beijing, but just remember: We are rubber, and you are glue. So there.