49 Comments
User's avatar
Don Firineach's avatar

The hegemon is incapable of taking the perspective of the Other.

'The kind of person who always insists

on his way of seeing things

can never learn anything from anyone.

Those who always want to be seen

will never help others to be.

The showman is never

secretly respected by anyone.

People like these, say the Wise Ones

are as useless as the left-over food at a feast:

No true follower can relate to them.'

[Tao Te Ching, #24 (Man-Ho Kwok et al. Ed.1994, Element)]

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

Thanks for that citation, Don!

Expand full comment
Don Firineach's avatar

This version also provides an excellent and informative 33 page Introduction on its history of emergence .... with insights on Lau Tzu, Confucius, the I-Ching, and the early years since the first shamen 9,000 yrs ago in Siberia.

Lots of ancient Chinese wisdom ... still around and its collective focus is clearly superior in terms of organisation and societal well-being to the radical individualism propagated over the past 50 yrs by the dominant US. Objective facts, as the Global Times puts it.

Expand full comment
Mediocrates's avatar

Excellent essay - should be compulsory reading for every politician in the so-called "Western World".

Expand full comment
uncle tungsten's avatar

Can I suggest one BIG reason that the usa cannot adjust its mindset is because zionist thought has many enemies and China is one of them. The zion vampire squid is not permitted to operate in that economy. Nor is it permitted to operate in Cuban economy or any socialist or communist economy because the State owns and controls the primary treasury and banking sector. This is a conflict of ideologies and the zionist ideology abhors financial controls that are not within their entire monopoly.

So China is anathema as is Iran and every nation that is an autarchy.

Trump of course is at the helm:

https://geopolitiq.substack.com/p/trump-is-aipac-the-rest-is-smoke

It is the very nature of colonialism and it cannot tolerate opposition.

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

I was the dogs-bollocks in Math every year at high school. Upon entering college I found out that the Iranians and Chinese were much better than I, despite them playing pinball and pool all afternoon and night while I played catch-up.

Suffice to say I cut my losses midway through year 2, took up a BA in 17th Century lesbian poetry and never looked back.

There's something out there for everyone you just have to find your niche.

Expand full comment
dacoelec's avatar

ROFLMAO!!

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

We are bestest cuz we say "cat's-ass", not some wankin' "dog's-bollocks". Got it, Sid Vicious?!?

Expand full comment
RalfB's avatar

The article you quote convinces me that the Chinese understand the US and its patterns of thinking better than Americans understand themselves.

“If you know the opponent and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the opponent, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the opponent nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ― Sun Tzu

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

The quiet, peaceful Sholin Monk provided an insight as did Bruce Lee’s films. My circle of friends were all into Karate so I joined and became very good but also learned the other aspects it taught. Excellent life lessons that are still applied.

Expand full comment
Don Midwest's avatar

"Ideological Fundamentalism in International Politics"

Professor Glenn Diesen

Glenn Diesen Apr 12, 2025

https://glenndiesen.substack.com/p/ideological-fundamentalism-in-international

..."Citizens of democracies also think of their countries as being more peaceful because they are democratic. Because it is believed that democracies are more peaceful and less likely to start wars, it has laid the foundation for “democratic wars” as invading non-democracies to make them democratic is believed to make the world more peaceful. Western democracies have subsequently committed themselves to perpetual war with the promise of delivering Kant’s perpetual peace.

Ideological fundamentalism is to some extent embedded in human nature as human beings are social animals that have organised in groups for tens of thousands of years for security and meaning. Human beings instinctively organise into the in-group (us) versus the diametrically opposite out-groups (them). The out-group as our opposite reaffirms our own identity – we can only identify as white if there is black, only west if there is east, only civilised if there are barbaric, only democratic if there are authoritarians, and only good if there is evil.

The in-group of “us” is mobilised, and solidarity is ensured by organising around narratives that us versus them are defined by good versus evil. During times of peace, the individual is permitted to stray from the group, and it is more likely that we also humanise our adversaries.

However, in times of conflict, we instinctively retreat into the group for security, and the barriers between the in-group and out-group are strengthened. ....."

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

Yes, a hard nut to crack that IMO can only be done via culture. China’s seeking of Harmony is the way—pun intended.

Expand full comment
Truth Seeking Missile's avatar

There are no out-groups, no them, neither in-groups nor us. That is ego-centric psychosis.

Expand full comment
Anna's avatar

money lenders' deadly grip on humanity?

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

Chinese leaders are much smarter than these DC false leaders. I also think the Russians are smarter.

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

If the waterways were all shutdown tomorrow America along with a dozen or so countries could heat and feed themselves so they should quit moaning, get their hands dirty and turn their domestic economy around like the Chinese did over 3 decades or so.

That's hard graft though and the easy extortion & bribe (casino markets, exotic financial instruments and such ) money is no longer accessible to keep the 1% in the manner they've become accustomed too.

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

Somewhere someone sometime ago coined the term “Eat the Rich.”

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

China stole all our stuff, our factories bolt by bolt, our technologies, our ideas and inventions and we want it all back. Those high speed trains should be operating across the US and not China, no we've got the NY/NJ transit which smells like a boxers jockstrap . . . and what about the collections of sculptures and plaques that decorated the Royal Palace of Benin, yes the Benin Bronzes and the collection of sculptures and artefacts from the Parthenon, yes the Elgin Marbles, stolen from Nigeria and Greece respectively and held hostage by China in the British Museum.

It's obvious Trump is desperate to turn around the fortunes of a decaying America Empire, unfortunately though at any other Sovereigns' expense and China is by far King Kong, who in Don's twisted mind owes America.

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

The capitalists gave the jobs to China. China did not steal them.

In a just world, we'd be cooperating. We'd be sharing, not killing. Our "rulers" are degenerates. This IS the tragedy.

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

I'm with you J C. My comment paradoxical.

Karl refers to the Outlaw US Empire, for me they're Murder Inc.

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

We agree. I thought later that you were being ironic. 😊

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

Yes I thought '. . . . . being held hostage by China in the British Museum' and me a Brit an' all sealed the deal.

Watching these humourless, small-minded cretins, our so-called representative flail around under the weight of their own incompetence is highly embarrassing.

Anyway I've sent my Special Envoy sealed message in hand to King Charles demanding he remove the Great in front of Britain.

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

Good idea. 💡

Expand full comment
Loam's avatar

The train's engine is China. I don't think anyone can question this reality. If the luxurious and well-stocked first-class carriage wants to be that engine, let it become it (if it can).

Expand full comment
james's avatar

excellent overview that needs to be heard more widely.. thanks karl.. i especially liked this very short and succinct comment in the article - "to cloak power in the guise of values"... that is so on point, it requires repeating to let it sink in - "to cloak power in the guise of values" the west has done this constantly with regard to the ukraine conflict...we discussed this in a previous post of yours yesterday..

if you didn't watch the glenn diesen video with the journalist from ukraine - i highly recommend it for all it says.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fKpgFaoPD4

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

I’ll watch if I find time. Will be traveling over the next 48 hours beginning Tuesday morning.

Expand full comment
james's avatar

you can watch it later!

Expand full comment
dornoch altbinhax's avatar

In the late seventies I had the good fortune to be a student of Professor Colin Mackerras whose lectures on China were fascinating and challenging. Over the years it's been interesting to see how the journey of modernisation affected China and Japan. The model of western empire is failing and it's China that is filling the vacuum as its development model has proven itself where Japan has failed. The question is can the US recede or will it become cataclysmic in scale. China detractors are at a dead end and will wind up as a salutory lesson of hubris and arrogance.

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

It's true.

Expand full comment
Random Ruminations's avatar

The hegemon has got to go but as long as the Zionist tale wags the Wall St / DC dog, that won't be ending any time soon. They need that big stick.

Meanwhile, the world order that the latter pushed, including facilitating China's rise with investment, know-how and open markets, has become unworkable, not just because of 'US' hegemony but the hollowing out of Western manufacturing - both industrial and artisan - for the sake of quarterly profits. America does not make her own steel or aspirin - similar in Europe though not quite has bad. So America has to revive making stuff again which China regards as a 'denial of our rights to develop'.

Both sides have a beef. It doesn't matter whose fault it was or is; something's gotta give and neither side is ready to do so. Therefore, this is going to get worse before it gets better.

My suspicion is that the most important precursor of a good outcome are the talks between Russia - China's symbiotic ally - and the US. Russia had reportedly offered Trump access to any and all resources he might need way beyond what's in Ukraine. (Which is moot, since the US Federal Govt is sitting on hundreds of trillions of locked away resources according to some). In any case, a realignment with US and Russia could be the game changer which allows America to accept being a regional, versus international, hegemon.

But for that to happen, America has to become a sovereign nation with a government accountable to her people, no longer an agreement-incapable bankster-run kleptocracy. I want to give Trump 2.0 the benefit of the doubt, but it really doesn't look like they are gunning for that level of reform. If so, no deal with Russia will be forthcoming and China and US will probably continue their pissing contest, unable to resolve either side's interests. If their ability to be the World's #1 manufacturer is threatened, which they regard as their sole achievement (though it wasn't) and their right (historically reasonable) they are not going to back down.

Looks to me like things are going to take a few decades to work out. That probably means another World War.

Expand full comment
norecovery's avatar

The word should be spelled: HEGEMONEY

Expand full comment
Diana van Eyk's avatar

The future, it seems to me, depends on the west unlearning colonialist thinking. Great article, Karl!

Expand full comment
Ed's avatar

I read The China Mission, by Daniel Kurtz-Phelar. George Marshall went to China sent by Truman to make sense of China. Work out disarming and disengaging Japanese units and try to build a government.

The Soviets had similar responsibility in the north coincided with CCP areas.

Long and short, Marshall ferried back and forth, spent as much time with Zhou en-Lai as with Chiang.

His conclusion was “siding with Chiang would “drag the U.S. into the mud”, US would carry the load, Vietnam style debacle in 1948. His conclusion was Chiang was not populist and his coalition was reactionary. His recommendation got US occupation force out once the Japanese army was evacuated.

Marshall ultimately was attacked by McCarthy, and the lost cause U.S. media as part of the reason U.S. lost China. Eisenhower could not help Marshall.

Marshall was correct, we saw it in Vietnam. Where we protected unpopular largely corrupt friends.

The “who lost China mentality continues. As if Taiwan were still run by Chiang..

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

Marshall directly called Chaing and his crew Gangsters. I’ve not read the book you cited. Lots about China in Kolko’s “Politics of War.”

Expand full comment
Ed's avatar

Vinegar Joe Stilwell called him the “peanut”.

FDR sent Harry Hopkins over and sent Stilwell home. Mme Chiang was educated inUS/ Georgia was Christian and had a following in U.S.

Christian missionaries were excessly vocal for the Chiangs and against the CCP.

Expand full comment
Steve O's avatar

China's case isnt special , the US has always been parochial and unaware of the world. The only thing that amazes me is the at it used to me much, much worse.

I first travelled to the US in the 70s. The US=World mentality was stunning.

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

1972 is when the original Kung Fu TV series began which opened many eyes and minds but not nearly enough.

Expand full comment
J C's avatar

I loved that show.

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

How come the "Chinaman" hung himself in an auto-erotic overindulgence if he was so wise & clever, eh?!?

Expand full comment
grr's avatar

Are you retarded? You can't separate the actor, white US citizen David Carradine, from the Chinese character he portrayed in the series?

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

Taking everything literally, without any sense for satire whatsoever, is surely a sign of retardation!

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

I had my suspicions when they called football, soccer.

Expand full comment
Karl Sanchez's avatar

Yes, calling it American Football is just too much effort. American style rugby would be far more accurate.

Expand full comment
WTFUD's avatar

I must admit before I sanctioned America around 12 years ago or so through spending my hard-earned elsewhere on holiday I used to take in one or two American Football games.

Was even fortunate, really fortunate one year to put £2000 on the Giants to win Superbowl (must have been 15 years ago) @16/1 beating 49'rs away in the Championship and then Tom Brady's Patriots, a miracle play in the final few minutes.

From memory I gambled, drank and partied for a month and wasted/blew the rest.

Expand full comment
Don Firineach's avatar

Please! Those pussies without all that body armour would not last a half hour up against a decent rugby team ...

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

HAHAHA! Dream on - rugby is for butch-grrlz & pansy-boyz.

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

CANADIAN football, fella!

Expand full comment
Bendt Obermann's avatar

"The very first modern football games were played in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 14 and 15, 1874 between McGill University (MONTREAL, QC, CANADA) and a squad from Harvard. This “foot-ball” diversion, as Harvard's Magenta newspaper called it, was still in its infancy, and the rules evolved along with the game." - Google AI

Expand full comment