Surely, you're not suggesting that Trump's detractors - the unhinged kind crying "fascist" all the time - would understand what you alludes to in this post?
The Empress Dowager has no clothes. China has a much longer memory and history than we do. The CCP is getting revenge for the Opium War by flooding America with fentanyl and TikTok (digital opium): https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/ccp-opium-war-tiktok-fentanyl
My basic question is why so many resisted reform, just like today. As an aside, I read The Good Earth in high school and would otherwise have no idea what foot binding was, Chris. Gosh I’m glad I read good literature.
When your status and rice bowl are guaranteed by the existing system, you’re not very likely to support radical reform. Even if the alternative is collapse of said system.
But then Deng, Jiang and Hu would not have succeeded without Mao’s violent wiping the cultural slate clean. Mao was not constructive, but in a Yin/Yang way the destruction had to make way for the later developments.
I’m not a scholar of Chinese History at all. But I am fairly well-read in western civilization and general knowledge but this idea of why Maoism was popular amongst radicals in the 60’s never occurred to me before.
Mao certainly did clear the table, culturally. But I reject the idea that this was the only way to set up Deng, et alia. I don’t even think it was a good way among many. It was a terrible path forward that took a very long time to undo. Ref A: Taiwan (who did not slaughter their own people with bad ideas at scale).
If Kamala Harris takes over sometime in the next four years, you will not hear me screaming from the rooftops that the Emperor Has No Clothes! - that's a nightmare I do not wish for, even on my worst enemies. I'll just call her stupid, and continue on with my day moving rocks in the re-education camp.
My grandfather, when he graduated from high school 105 years ago, hopped on a merchant ship in Savannah, GA, and travelled the world for two years. He spent most of one year in China. Among many insights, he learned that the Chinese hated the British and admired America. He was convinced that China would be the biggest economic competitor to the U.S. before the end of the 20th century and if the U.S. played its cards right, China could be an ally.
Those that don’t understand, or even know, history are doomed to repeat it. Your post is yet another reminder of the truth of that adage. Or, as Solomon said, there’s nothing new under the sun. We can certainly see the parallels in our current circumstances. The Uniparty and their useful idiots = the Empress and her syncophants. Whether we will repeat that bit of Chinese history is still uncertain.
See also Turgot. He saw what was going to happen in France and tried a last-ditch turnaround. After 18 months he was deposed in 1776 and the ancien regime went full throttle to its doom.
Or, hear me out: In the modern version, the noble institutions representing hundreds of years of tradition and prestige that is the envy of the world ally themselves to outlast the fascist takeover.
Thus keeping the republic safe for DEI struggle sessions and screaming at wrongthinkers as they cross the campus square. For academic freedom.
We certainly know what will happen to our reformers if the Empress Dowager Party ever returns to power. It'll make this footnote seem like a garden party.
I guess we wait for Nancy Pelosi to return as Dowager of Congress and impeach Orangeman Bad. Then in a sleight of hand Coup d’etat will remove all of the Trump officials including the VP and cabinet, the new Empress AOC will be installed and all will be right with the left. Until….we the People have a say. People think it impossible that civil discord can lead to civil war. Yet, history is replete with example after example of exactly that happening. They hope for a dialectic and a “change” to save democracy, but they will get someone and something far worse and no dialectic once started is ever complete, they can’t be, until the gravity of the mass of the whole thing forces like a black hole, collapse inward. Those that hate the United States, hate the 50% that voted for change, (in a way they are using Trump as their Strawman for change) and will simply rebel. The Greek’s like Socrates, Plato and especially Aristotle understood this and warned of the dangers. Madison wrote in Federalist No.10 warning of the “factious minority or majority” which can lead to the destruction of the republic. He took his view from the ancient writings of the Greek philosophers. Now since no one can read or write down there in Foggy Bottom, it is unlikely they will take heed and work collectively to fix the problems before it explodes. Thus Clint Eastwood’s admonition to Gene Hackman in “Unforgiven” rings true. “You just shot an unarmed man!” “Well he shoulda armed himself…”
Surely, you're not suggesting that Trump's detractors - the unhinged kind crying "fascist" all the time - would understand what you alludes to in this post?
This is well beyond their cognitive facilities.
The Empress Dowager has no clothes. China has a much longer memory and history than we do. The CCP is getting revenge for the Opium War by flooding America with fentanyl and TikTok (digital opium): https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/ccp-opium-war-tiktok-fentanyl
My basic question is why so many resisted reform, just like today. As an aside, I read The Good Earth in high school and would otherwise have no idea what foot binding was, Chris. Gosh I’m glad I read good literature.
When your status and rice bowl are guaranteed by the existing system, you’re not very likely to support radical reform. Even if the alternative is collapse of said system.
Their short-sightedness is maddening. The Elite are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
So… this was why Mao had to obliterate the culture. I guess I never quite put it together.
Sometimes the fix is worse than the problem. Mao did not set up China for success. Deng, Jiang and Hu are responsible for China’s economic ascent.
But then Deng, Jiang and Hu would not have succeeded without Mao’s violent wiping the cultural slate clean. Mao was not constructive, but in a Yin/Yang way the destruction had to make way for the later developments.
I’m not a scholar of Chinese History at all. But I am fairly well-read in western civilization and general knowledge but this idea of why Maoism was popular amongst radicals in the 60’s never occurred to me before.
Mao certainly did clear the table, culturally. But I reject the idea that this was the only way to set up Deng, et alia. I don’t even think it was a good way among many. It was a terrible path forward that took a very long time to undo. Ref A: Taiwan (who did not slaughter their own people with bad ideas at scale).
If Kamala Harris takes over sometime in the next four years, you will not hear me screaming from the rooftops that the Emperor Has No Clothes! - that's a nightmare I do not wish for, even on my worst enemies. I'll just call her stupid, and continue on with my day moving rocks in the re-education camp.
I know it would be a tough call for me if I had to choose between giving up my vote or giving up my access to Chinese AI Online Scrabble games.
I don’t doubt this Opium War aspect for a moment.
This is precisely the problem: we are burdened with a ruling class impervious to reform.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." JFK
Wow. It’s suddenly hard to give a thumbs up to a Democrat, but credit where credit is due!
?
JFK was a Dem, and I liked the saying you quoted.
Kennedy was our last good president.
I thought it was Eisenhower who was our last good president.
Like!
If The Wine Dowager Hillary is installed by a coalition of corrupt judges and Congressmen, we'll know history has repeated.
Or any version of the Wine Dowager
Hopefully not the Ghetto Dowager.
We might get the Bartender Dowager
Ay, caramba
I miss Harris's drunk vibe. It was one of the few enjoyable things about the campaign.
lol!😆
My grandfather, when he graduated from high school 105 years ago, hopped on a merchant ship in Savannah, GA, and travelled the world for two years. He spent most of one year in China. Among many insights, he learned that the Chinese hated the British and admired America. He was convinced that China would be the biggest economic competitor to the U.S. before the end of the 20th century and if the U.S. played its cards right, China could be an ally.
So, our left leaning judges that are inserting themselves into the reform are really just dowagers who used to be a good lay - spot on I say.
They are mandarins defending their position and perquisites.
^^This!^^
My guess is they were never good at anything especially sex.
Those that don’t understand, or even know, history are doomed to repeat it. Your post is yet another reminder of the truth of that adage. Or, as Solomon said, there’s nothing new under the sun. We can certainly see the parallels in our current circumstances. The Uniparty and their useful idiots = the Empress and her syncophants. Whether we will repeat that bit of Chinese history is still uncertain.
She was an empowered woman who resisted the patriarchy's constraints on her self-actualized expression of individual autonomy.
Nailed it
See also Turgot. He saw what was going to happen in France and tried a last-ditch turnaround. After 18 months he was deposed in 1776 and the ancien regime went full throttle to its doom.
Or, hear me out: In the modern version, the noble institutions representing hundreds of years of tradition and prestige that is the envy of the world ally themselves to outlast the fascist takeover.
Thus keeping the republic safe for DEI struggle sessions and screaming at wrongthinkers as they cross the campus square. For academic freedom.
https://x.com/iowahawkblog/status/664089892599631872
Poe’s Law?
Man, then I can make twice the friends.
I’m sensing a metaphor.
That danged Chris...he never comes right out and tells us what he's trying to say!
We certainly know what will happen to our reformers if the Empress Dowager Party ever returns to power. It'll make this footnote seem like a garden party.
Here is what the response would be from at least 1/2 of the people (sadly) on my Facebook feed:
SO!?!??!?
MUSK and TRUMP ARE STEALING MY SOCIAL SECURITY!!!!! WHAT DOES EMPRESS DOWAGER HAVE TO DO WITH THAT?!?!?!
YOU MUST BE ONE OF THOSE STUPID MAGA PEOPLE!
ANOTHER 5150 MARCH IN OLYMPIA THIS WEEKEND. ALL DAY (so pack your Depends...)
bsn
So true!
But guys, everything turned out awesome for the Chinese people, right?
Right?
I guess we wait for Nancy Pelosi to return as Dowager of Congress and impeach Orangeman Bad. Then in a sleight of hand Coup d’etat will remove all of the Trump officials including the VP and cabinet, the new Empress AOC will be installed and all will be right with the left. Until….we the People have a say. People think it impossible that civil discord can lead to civil war. Yet, history is replete with example after example of exactly that happening. They hope for a dialectic and a “change” to save democracy, but they will get someone and something far worse and no dialectic once started is ever complete, they can’t be, until the gravity of the mass of the whole thing forces like a black hole, collapse inward. Those that hate the United States, hate the 50% that voted for change, (in a way they are using Trump as their Strawman for change) and will simply rebel. The Greek’s like Socrates, Plato and especially Aristotle understood this and warned of the dangers. Madison wrote in Federalist No.10 warning of the “factious minority or majority” which can lead to the destruction of the republic. He took his view from the ancient writings of the Greek philosophers. Now since no one can read or write down there in Foggy Bottom, it is unlikely they will take heed and work collectively to fix the problems before it explodes. Thus Clint Eastwood’s admonition to Gene Hackman in “Unforgiven” rings true. “You just shot an unarmed man!” “Well he shoulda armed himself…”
Nice historical analogy. I was beaten to the punch by the community on fentanyl imports being at the very least an ironic revenge. Well done!
This post inspired me to learn more about Chinese history. Thanks.