A Complicated Issue

Frankly, I hate it when comic strips dabble in current events, especially highly charged socio-political issues. I read the comics as an escape from real life, and I get annoyed when they don't come through. The situation in Tibet is complicated by a myriad of issues and centuries of history, with no easy solution. You can call it modernization of a thoroughly isolated area or you can call it cultural genocide; either way, China continues to use soldiers instead of diplomats, and Tibet doesn't have any soldiers. Through both destruction and displacement, Tibet's unique culture is disappearing. Not that it's easy to boss around China; there's plenty to complicate that diplomacy, not least of all its close ties with North Korea.

I don't think a comic strip can really do justice to any issue as delicate as Tibet, but I am sort of cheered by the fact that the names are believable. Dharmasala, India is indeed where the Dali Lama himself took refuge when he fled Tibet, and Lodi Gyatso sounds like a super-Tibetan name.

Considering how prominent this storyline has become, I didn't want to completely brush aside the gravity of this real life situation. But I'm not going to let it stop me from enjoying Apartment 3-G, which is really a ridiculous strip at heart. I can only hope that old man from the monestary comes back with more riddles for Alan.