"Progressive-Conservatism" I view it more as Communism mixed with Confucianism. As i Just commented to Rob Campbell's latest Substack, based on a quote I ran across yesterday:
The only difference between fascism and democracy is that fascism imposes it's control on the vulgar mob, while democracy manipulates the vulgar mob into accepting it's control.
I'd also point out that not all Chinese believe in the state. Taoism is considered a very early form of anarchism, preceding that in the West by perhaps a thousand years. Chinese anarchists still have a voice in the present day.
See "Taoism and Anarchism' by John A. Rapp, available here:
The previous Wood Dragon year was 1964, so I popped over to Wikipedia and found that it was the year that Taiwan got annoyed with France for 'recognising' The People's Republic of China amongst other events.
"A dragon soars in the sky, but China's development must remain grounded, a truth deeply understood by all Chinese people." An interesting statement considering it's also the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC because 1949 was the year of the Earth Ox - one doesn't get more 'grounded' than the Earth element. That return - to Earth Ox - in 2009 marked the first year of the Outlaw empire's attempts to fix itself after the 2008 crash using its fiat economy to finance the Uyghur protests in Xinjiang among other possible empire mischief-making. There were a couple of pandemics that year as well...
As you can imagine I have a fondness for lantern festivals. ;o)
"According to estimates from the Ministry of Transport, the number of cross-regional trips around the country during this year's Spring Festival will reach a record high of about 9 billion."
That's a massive amount of freedom of movement for people supposedly enslaved to the Communist Wheel.
"a domineering and totalitarian state" As I read your words, I strangely did not think of China, but of the United States of America, and meanwhile the words of a Nobel Peace Prize winning president "We will break the arms of any nation that does not fall in line ! I am not a young man, but I remember very well the foreign policy events of up to fifty years ago, but I have never heard China threaten like this, regardless of whether it is ruled by the communists.
Not sure what you mean WRT to the first and final lines, which were:
First line “While crucial events continue to occur daily, the cycle of the year has again moved full circle.”
Last line “A look at the Big Picture shows nations confronting China declining while those cooperating rising.”
but I did find this on Google,
“In 2003, Peter Lynds argued that all of Zeno's motion paradoxes are resolved by the conclusion that instants in time and instantaneous magnitudes do not physically exist.”
Despite everything, the earth continues to rotate on its axis, the sun rises and sets, crucial events continue to erupt, yet life goes on. Several of the smaller nations have dropped their Taiwan affiliations in favor of One China, and more want in on BRI, which are merely two measures of many showing the Big Picture's changes.
I love the values described represented by the Year of the Dragon.
Best wishes to all for a fortunate year and for the realization of these values all over the world.
"Progressive-Conservatism" I view it more as Communism mixed with Confucianism. As i Just commented to Rob Campbell's latest Substack, based on a quote I ran across yesterday:
The only difference between fascism and democracy is that fascism imposes it's control on the vulgar mob, while democracy manipulates the vulgar mob into accepting it's control.
I'd also point out that not all Chinese believe in the state. Taoism is considered a very early form of anarchism, preceding that in the West by perhaps a thousand years. Chinese anarchists still have a voice in the present day.
See "Taoism and Anarchism' by John A. Rapp, available here:
https://annas-archive.org/search?q=Daoism+and+Anarchism
thanks karl.. happy chinese new year to you and the local patrons here!
Happy New Year of the Wood Dragon.
The previous Wood Dragon year was 1964, so I popped over to Wikipedia and found that it was the year that Taiwan got annoyed with France for 'recognising' The People's Republic of China amongst other events.
"A dragon soars in the sky, but China's development must remain grounded, a truth deeply understood by all Chinese people." An interesting statement considering it's also the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC because 1949 was the year of the Earth Ox - one doesn't get more 'grounded' than the Earth element. That return - to Earth Ox - in 2009 marked the first year of the Outlaw empire's attempts to fix itself after the 2008 crash using its fiat economy to finance the Uyghur protests in Xinjiang among other possible empire mischief-making. There were a couple of pandemics that year as well...
As you can imagine I have a fondness for lantern festivals. ;o)
There were some great photos of lanterns I thought of including, but choosing one was too much work, so I just went with the two pics included.
The downside in China is still personal freedom and liberties in the face of a domineering and totalitarian state.
Improving the standard of living for everyone is still a big accomplishment.
Western ignorance about China cannot be helped and will be with use for a long time.
From the opening paragraph, you'll read this:
"According to estimates from the Ministry of Transport, the number of cross-regional trips around the country during this year's Spring Festival will reach a record high of about 9 billion."
That's a massive amount of freedom of movement for people supposedly enslaved to the Communist Wheel.
"a domineering and totalitarian state" As I read your words, I strangely did not think of China, but of the United States of America, and meanwhile the words of a Nobel Peace Prize winning president "We will break the arms of any nation that does not fall in line ! I am not a young man, but I remember very well the foreign policy events of up to fifty years ago, but I have never heard China threaten like this, regardless of whether it is ruled by the communists.
You write sentences. The last sentence is perfectly borne out by your first sentence, so this is an example of Zeno’s paradox.
I don’t think you’re in any position to determine the universals you use in sentence 1.
“If you tell me the country you’re from, I can tell you what I think its faults are and why I don’t like it. “
Not sure what you mean WRT to the first and final lines, which were:
First line “While crucial events continue to occur daily, the cycle of the year has again moved full circle.”
Last line “A look at the Big Picture shows nations confronting China declining while those cooperating rising.”
but I did find this on Google,
“In 2003, Peter Lynds argued that all of Zeno's motion paradoxes are resolved by the conclusion that instants in time and instantaneous magnitudes do not physically exist.”
Happy New Year anyway.
Despite everything, the earth continues to rotate on its axis, the sun rises and sets, crucial events continue to erupt, yet life goes on. Several of the smaller nations have dropped their Taiwan affiliations in favor of One China, and more want in on BRI, which are merely two measures of many showing the Big Picture's changes.
I wrote a reply to “Acco Hengst”.