January 25, 2021 - 2:28pm
The last time China’s Xi Jinping addressed the World Economic Forum at Davos, Donald Trump was days away from becoming President, and a lockdown was defined as ‘the confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day’ — not a public health policy invented in China.
In the four years since, Trump has come and gone, legal freedoms have been restricted in Hong Kong, countries have begun to label China’s persecution of its Uyghur minority as a genocide, and a pandemic born in Wuhan has changed the meaning of the word lockdown for good.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Xi’s keynote speech did not mention Hong Kong, or the Uyghurs; there was no mention of the role China’s secretive and clumsy response in Wuhan played in allowing Covid-19 to become a global disaster.
Instead, Xi delivered a paean to multilateralism, the benefits of globalisation, and the dangers of ‘ideological prejudice’. He called for a strengthening of the UN, the WHO, and other organs of global governance.
That national borders are strengthening by the day and the globalist utopia looks more distant than ever wasn’t deemed worth mentioning. China’s president, much like his Davos audience, seemed to be inhabiting a parallel universe.
“Guided by science, reason and humanitarian spirit, the world has achieved initial progress in fighting Covid-19,” President Xi said.
Much of the speech — which will have thrilled Xi’s hosts at the WEF — was devoted to repudiating a caricature of Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach. To start a new Cold War, to reject or threaten others, to wilfully impose supply disruption or sanctions, to create isolation, will only push the world into “division” and “confrontation”, Xi said.
His characterisation of China’s influence in world affairs might have been said of a Scandinavian social democracy or a Barack Obama post-Presidency workshop. Now that is has developed into a “modern socialist country,” China will work with other countries to build “an open, inclusive, peaceful and beautiful world” of “lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.”
This year’s Davos motto is: ‘A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust’. After a year in which WEF founder, Klaus Schwab became the object of a vast online conspiracy based on his book, ‘The Great Reset’, rebuilding trust is an understandable goal. But it is hard to conclude that the best way to assuage fears that Western elites are cosying up to China and imposing new ways of life on their populations was to invite the Chinese President to deliver the keynote address, and bookend it with fawning praise from Mr Schwab himself.
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Subscribelegal freedoms have been restricted in Hong Kong,
I suppose that’s one way to put it.
To start a new Cold War, to reject or threaten others, to wilfully impose supply disruption or sanctions, to create isolation, will only push the world into “division” and “confrontation”, Xi said.
Presumably, this excludes any threatening of Hong Kong or Taiwan.
Strange that few would complain about getting closer to the USA with its history of virtual genocide in South America, its journey to Grenada, the ‘war’ against Cuba, Viet Nam……..
Suddenly China is a big enemy because of what it is doing in China and Taiwan – which they have always seen as part of China.
if our policy was virtual genocide, we’ve done a poor job of it, especially in South America. And Grenada? That’s an example of something?
You’re carrying water for a nation with a history of killing tens of millions of its own people. Taiwan does not seem a part of China to the Taiwanese. It’s managed quite well as an independent nation.
What, in the same way as Ireland was seen as part of the UK?
Taiwan was recognised as a colony of Japan in the late 19th century, after a couple of centuries of Qing rule, following on from the Portuguese and Dutch. Taiwan was never part of the PRC. China is a big enemy because, suddenly, it’s rich and powerful enough again to think it can expand where it wants. Ask the Tibetans, the Indians, the Vietnamese and in fact just about any country with a coast in the South China sea.
It’s probably even worse…I think it’s closer to this..”Intervention’s caused war, destruction & death;- “¨49 Greece”¨50 Korean War”¨52 Cuba”¨53 Iran”¨53 British Guyana”¨54 Guatemala”¨55 South Vietnam”¨57 Haiti”¨58 Laos”¨60 South Korea”¨60 Laos”¨60 Ecuador”¨63 Dominican Republic”¨63 South Vietnam”¨63 Honduras”¨63 Guatemala”¨63 Ecuador”¨64 Brazil”¨64 Bolivia”¨65 Zaire”¨66 Ghana”¨67 Greece”¨70 Cambodia”¨70 Bolivia”¨72 El Salvador”¨73 Chile”¨79 South Korea”¨80 Liberia”¨82 Chad”¨83 Grenada”¨87 Fiji”¨89 Panama”¨91 Irak&Yugoslavia”¨93 Somalia”¨99 Yugoslavia (Serbia&MN)”¨01 Afghanistan”¨02 Venezuela”¨03 Iraq”¨04 Haiti”¨07 Somalia”¨09 Honduras”¨11 Libya”¨11 Tunisia”¨13 Egypt”¨14 Ukraine”¨ – …MORE since”¦”¦”¦”¦.
‘Virtual genocide’ is an absurdly emotive description of US intervention in Latin America. You can’t just use the word ‘genocide’ and add a descriptor for emotional punch – it has a specific meaning that was not in any way applicable to Latin America.
The US was opposing communist expansion, in doing so sometimes too brutally allying with military and authoritarian governments. But in the big picture, it is rather a good thing for the world that yet another continent did not go down the road of Bolshevism which without any doubt killed many millions in Asia both directly and by causing man made famines. They brutally restricted freedom in a far more thoroughgoing way than any military dictator. I wouldn’t even call their killings ‘genocide’ as the Communists didn’t seem to be trying to wipe out particular peoples, but ‘only’ presumed class enemies, traitors, etc… Just a few tens of millions anyway.
As for Vietnam, that war was started by North Vietnamese Communist aggression. After winning independence from the French both North and South were by then independent states. The US was militarily winning that war, for example defeating the Tet offensive, but lost the political will mainly because of opposition at home. Here is a counter factual – the South was eventually protected from invasion and evolved to be a prosperous and eventually democratic nation instead of an authoritarian Communist dictatorship. No, that could never have happened could it…..? Oh, it actually did, in Korea!
Sadly China is now the Sovereign nation of Hong Kong… the division game will only create problems for all…but it’s profitable & gives Big Bro more control over the plebs on both sides…Mad…we are stupid to buy this BS!
legal freedoms have been restricted here..thats a far bigger problem
Where to begin?! That is the simple truth of the matter.
We look back with curious amusement/shock at the archaic notion of aristocratic monopolies and their disgusting excess and lavish expenditure. However the media lauds the new elites for their wealth and industrious nature because they publicly conform to the neo-liberalisms of the prevalent *ideology*. This was much the same as displayed by the aristocratic elites to the church and wherein were lauded as ‘defenders of the *faith*’ and anointed by God.
Modern capitalism often expounds the works of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher / proto economist; Adam Smith for their guiding principles. However were one to actually read the Wealth of Nations it is quite clear that this apocryphal tale warns of the potentials for greed / corruption if the free market is allowed to run without clear regulatory and moral oversight.
The alignment of the *powerful* with *ideology / faith* is as old as civilisation itself. It invariably masks the wanton greed and hegemony of the few over the many. In many ways it is the very essence of the darker side of human nature. Invariably the need to cloak this in a more pious and pure motivation is endemic. Terms such as faithful, enlightened, progressive and woke being a few examples.
One of the more pervasive methods in these control mechanisms is the needs to mobilise malcontents and angry individuals who you can manipulate to achieve your goals of hegemony. Hence the long history of pogroms, inquisitions and persecution of those who do not align or present an alternative viewpoint. It is the great irony of our times that the adherents of the new politically correct ideology eschew and decry the oppression of the 20th Century; Stalinist, Nazi, Maoist thought police while indulging in the very same behaviours.
Throughout time the alignment of Academia / Religion / Media / Elites have sought to bend the will of the people for their own nefarious goals. It is simply the way of humanity. Simply transpose the above for Church / Ideology / Bible / Aristocracy and the correlation is clear. Even pre-history is replete with similar patterns of shamans, holy men, druids etc. Propaganda and Power walk hand in hand. Ideology is their path.
Another basic tenant of ideology is the suppression of obvious truths which are deemed contrary to the needs and wants of the power hungry. To have a ‘bad man’ do bad things takes opportunity, to have a ‘good man’ do bad things takes ideology / religion. The vilification and dehumanisation of the non-conformist is step one. The expedient of re-education is step two usually swiftly followed by the persecution of same. For those who find these actions unsettling the great refrain of “for the better good of all” is the usual soothing panacea for those of conscience who may be tempted to ‘break ranks’.
For those readers who are confused and are wondering regards my own particular standpoint; the simple truth is I am neither left nor right, I am a humanist and centrist. I watch with weary acceptance the repetition of the same patterns which have governed our past and will no doubt be repeated in the future.
However as such I note a word of caution: All of these constucted regimes end the same way; division breeds polarisation and ever increasing levels of alienation which in turn ends in violent revolution from the silent majority (who invariably then; over time become the new elites). Just ask the Chinese capitalist / communists / WEF / WTO / Davos etc..etc…
To behold the leader of a one party Communist state laud the virtues of Liberal Capitalism borders on the farcical. To see those same guardians of free trade applaud and venerate this should create a great sense of unease in all of us.
The vast majority of modern media indulges this division for clicks and views *Bread & Circuses*. Many of these outlets are controlled by Corporates or Ideologies (or both; a marriage of convenience) It is simply a distraction from the inequities of society by and for the ones who have and control the wealth, left or right , Marxist or Capatalist the motivation and methodology is the same.
*Bread and Circuses* (or bread and games; from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metonymic phrase referring to superficial appeasement. and is used commonly in cultural, particularly political, contexts.
Let the games begin! are you enjoying your bread? 🙂
I think the credit crisis in 2008 was one big step in undermining the 1945 global settlement centred on the US. COVID is step 2. China’s rise is one aspect of this, because by 2030, China will indisputably be larger than the US economically., and will be even more of a geopolitical force than now. The other aspect is Inequality. The emergence of a small elite of super-rich who pay no tax and live in an exclusive bubble of privilege to which only fawning politicians and corporate CEO’s are admitted to pay homage (as at DAVOS). Our world is very resilient, but I’m beginning to wonder: is there a huge explosion on the way ?
China’s Xi Jinping would be persona non grata in my book. I hold the China party partly accountable for ruining the western economies. But then again, I hold a grudge, lol.
If we allow the status Quo in free trade WE are to blame for the destruction of our Industries & Jobs,,,Govt’s trick is allow tax free imports & tax the crap out of us….a handful profit but they are shafting 9/10th’s of its…in the short run & the long run ..Balance all trade accounts each year is the solution…& stop the bloody mad destructive counterproductive & CORRUPTING wars & propaganda…
The cheap goods was the ‘Bread’ I was alluding to in my submission Billy. Ireland’s entire taxation system in built on the foundation of what you are referring to. They act as a haven for large Multi-Nationals with little or no real corporate taxation (the double Irish). In turn they have very high personal taxes and levies on the workforce that this brings.
Why would he do anything else when he has the likes of Merkel queueing up to do trade deals with him?
Xi is a very clever politician with a long term plan to influence and to some degree, control, many aspects of global affairs. This was a political speech designed to say what others wanted to hear.
Remember, pretty much everything in Poundland comes from China. So if the price is too cheap to seem real, it probobly is too cheap, but thats just Chinese serfs, peasants, and other forced labour ethnic groups working to give China international prestige, power and influence….. We lap it up, while it undermines all home grown production and labour standards.
Boris should chose his business partners more carefully…. Oops i mean ethically! … or is it just business as usual with Despots, Authoritarians and Gangsters
China merely facilitates what the elites of this world want. It is the basis of unrestricted free market capitalism. Couple this with a complicit and self-serving western politico class and that’s what you get!
Forced ‘One World’ Globalisation backed with PC ideology to silence any opposition as Xenophobia or racism. This three headed Cerberus protects itself, attack one head and the others will defend! Academia + Media + Business = Ideology & conformity.
Stand up and be counted from a moderate perspecitve then risk ostracisation and the lesser attack dogs of both the SJW / Facist zealots. Two sides of the same extremist coin!
As it was, so shall it ever be 🙂
H W Bush extolled the New World Order. Ross Perot decried the sucking sound of jobs going to Mexico. He missed it by the miles of the Pacific Ocean. The jobs went to CHINA. Now we have desperate Latinos crossing our southern border legally and illegally. Trump didn’t have the answers, especially with a DC establishment hindering every move, but he did understand the problem.
Where to begin?! That is the simple truth of the matter.
We look back with curious amusement/shock at the archaic notion of aristocratic monopolies and their disgusting excess and lavish expenditure. However the media lauds the new elites for their wealth and industrious nature because they publicly conform to the neo-liberalisms of the prevalent *ideology*. This was much the same as displayed by the aristocratic elites to the church and wherein were lauded as ‘defenders of the *faith*’ and anointed by God.
Modern capitalism often expounds the works of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher / proto economist; Adam Smith for their guiding principles. However were one to actually read the Wealth of Nations it is quite clear that this apocryphal tale warns of the potentials for greed / corruption if the free market is allowed to run without clear regulatory and moral oversight.
The alignment of the *powerful* with *ideology / faith* is as old as civilisation itself. It invariably masks the wanton greed and hegemony of the few over the many. In many ways it is the very essence of the darker side of human nature. Invariably the need to cloak this in a more pious and pure motivation is endemic. Terms such as faithful, enlightened, progressive and woke being a few examples.
One of the more pervasive methods in these control mechanisms is the needs to mobilise malcontents and angry individuals who you can manipulate to achieve your goals of hegemony. Hence the long history of pogroms, inquisitions and persecution of those who do not align or present an alternative viewpoint. It is the great irony of our times that the adherents of the new politically correct ideology eschew and decry the oppression of the 20th Century; Stalinist, Nazi, Maoist thought police while indulging in the very same behaviours.
Throughout time the alignment of Academia / Ideology / Media / Elites have sought to bend the will of the people for their own nefarious goals. It is simply the way of humanity. Simply transpose the above for Church / Religion / Bible / Aristocracy and the correlation is clear. Even pre-history is replete with similar patterns of shamans, holy men, druids etc. Propaganda and Power walk hand in hand. Ideology is their path.
Another basic tenant of ideology is the suppression of obvious truths which are deemed contrary to the needs and wants of elites. To have a ‘bad man’ do bad things takes opportunity, to have a ‘good man’ do bad things takes ideology / religion.
The vilification and dehumanisation of the non-conformist is step one. The expedient of re-education is step two usually swiftly followed by the persecution of same. For those who find these actions unsettling the great refrain of “for the better good of all” is the usual soothing panacea for those of conscience who may be tempted to ‘break ranks’.
However as such I note a word of caution: All of these regimes end the same way, division breeds polarisation and ever increasing levels of alienation which in turn ends in violent revolution from the silent majority (who invariably then; over time become the new elites). Just ask the Chinese capitalist / communists.
To behold the leader of a one party Communist state laud the virtues of Liberal Capitalism borders on the farcical. To see those same guardians of free trade applaud and venerate this should create a great sense of unease in all of us.
Of course the contemporary media who are either owned by those self-same corporations or Ideologies (or both in a marriage of convenience) are utterly complicit in these distractions. *Bread and Circuses*.
Are you enjoying the Circus? yes, and the bread is lovely I bought it online! 🙂
N.B: For those readers who are confused and are wondering my own particular standpoint; the simple truth is I am neither left nor right, I am a humanist and centrist. I watch with weary acceptance the repetition of the same patterns which have governed our past and will no doubt be repeated in the future.
Where to begin?! That is the simple truth of the matter.
We look back with curious amusement/shock at the archaic notion of aristocratic monopolies and their disgusting excess and lavish expenditure. However the media lauds the new elites for their wealth and industrious nature because they publicly conform to the neo-liberalisms of the prevalent *ideology*. This was much the same as displayed by the aristocratic elites to the church and wherein were lauded as ‘defenders of the *faith*’ and anointed by God.
Modern capitalism often expounds the works of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher / proto economist; Adam Smith for their guiding principles. However were one to actually read the Wealth of Nations it is quite clear that this apocryphal tale warns of the potentials for greed / corruption if the free market is allowed to run without clear regulatory and moral oversight.
The alignment of the *powerful* with *ideology / faith* is as old as civilisation itself. It invariably masks the wanton greed and hegemony of the few over the many. In many ways it is the very essence of the darker side of human nature. Invariably the need to cloak this in a more pious and pure motivation is endemic. Terms such as faithful, enlightened, progressive and woke being a few examples.
One of the more pervasive methods in these control mechanisms is the needs to mobilise malcontents and angry individuals who you can manipulate to achieve your goals of hegemony. Hence the long history of pogroms, inquisitions and persecution of those who do not align or present an alternative viewpoint. It is the great irony of our times that the adherents of the new politically correct ideology eschew and decry the oppression of the 20th Century; Stalinist, Nazi, Maoist thought police while indulging in the very same behaviours.
Throughout time the alignment of Academia / Ideology / Media / Elites have sought to bend the will of the people for their own nefarious goals. It is simply the way of humanity. Simply transpose the above for Church / Religion / Bible / Aristocracy and the correlation is clear. Even pre-history is replete with similar patterns of shamans, holy men, druids etc. Propaganda and Power walk hand in hand. Ideology is their path.
Another basic tenant of ideology is the suppression of obvious truths which are deemed contrary to the needs and wants of elites. To have a ‘bad man’ do bad things takes opportunity, to have a ‘good man’ do bad things takes ideology / religion. The vilification and dehumanisation of the non-conformist is step one. The expedient of re-education is step two usually swiftly followed by the persecution of same. For those who find these actions unsettling the great refrain of “for the better good of all” is the usual soothing panacea for those of conscience who may be tempted to ‘break ranks’.
However as such I note a word of caution: All of these regimes end the same way, division breeds polarisation and ever increasing levels of alienation which in turn ends in violent revolution from the silent majority (who invariably then; over time become the new elites). Just ask the Chinese capitalist / communists. To behold the leader of a one party Communist state laud the virtues of Liberal Capitalism borders on the farcical. To see those same guardians of free trade applaud and venerate this should create a great sense of unease in all of us.
Of course the contemporary media who are either owned by those self-same corporations or Ideologies (or both in a marriage of convenience) are utterly complicit in these distractions. *Bread and Circuses*.
Are you enjoying the Circus? yes, and the bread is lovely I bought it online!
N.B: For those readers who are confused and are wondering my own particular standpoint; the simple truth is I am neither left nor right, I am a humanist and centrist. I watch with weary acceptance the repetition of the same patterns which have governed our past and will no doubt be repeated in the future.
China has been out of lockdown since April 8th. They don’t consider asymptomatic spread a thing. They only track and trace sick people. It certainly is a parallel universe. Almost makes one want to be Chinese.
Speak for yourself.
You utterly miss the point of my assertation / dissertation. Perhaps somewhat deliberately of I would propose you are you just another Chinese propagandist agent or sophisticated BOT? I work in ICT and have proactively removed all of your security technology from any of my companies. If you were to be a BOT then I would wonder who you stole that tech from? Chinese don’t innovate, they imitate and steal actual innovations from the West!!