Many analytical items are being published and discussions occurring in the wake of the BRICS Summit. The focus here fell on Russia’s efforts since most of the primary sources it produces are in Russian and are seldom commented upon outside Russia despite its great importance as a geopolitical and geoeconomic player. China is wise to recognize that it must provide translations of its leaders major speeches and events and has created an excellent base of media to accomplish that task.
I just came across this and will add it as a comment:
A Lavrov quip:
Question: Do you remember when BRICS was called an association that does not affect anything? Today we see that dozens of countries are ready to join. What does it say?
Sergey Lavrov: This shows that they are working with their tongues, and we are working with our heads and concrete deeds.
Here, Washington's Grand Scheme to take down the Russian State - gone past due.
Narrative Collapse – – –
Only when the last American artillery shell has been fired in The Ukraine, only when the last Ukrainian soldier has been killed in The Ukraine and only when the last of Ukrainian state territory has been irretrievably lost from The Ukraine will The West finally realize that God Favours Russia . . .
Thanks. I'd like to read more comments too, but I realize that's difficult to do after reading long tracts as time is needed to digest the info. And we must remember that much of China's policy isn't reaching the Western audience despite China's media making is easy. And that's one reason for my substack--to educate.
Thanks for the chance to read this article. I think 'the west' provided much of the script for some Xi's best bits when he pitched the equitable option/alternative to what's been on offer. I liked the general use of terms like human development and humanity among the delegates. I think Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson's latest Geopolitical Hour also deals with 'how we got here and where we could/will go' and relates directly with your article. Finally thanks for 'Monopsonistic'!
Aug 28, 2023·edited Aug 28, 2023Liked by Karl Sanchez
Great piece, thank you very much.
1. Lack of ideology. That's a slightly thorny issue since in most cases ideology is to be avoided because it relies too much on concept-based formulaics which rarely hold up in reality and yet adherents, like religious fundamentalists, refuse to acknowledge shortcomings or mistakes and thus tend to get into heavy-duty censorship and control modes. As good as everything Xi says is, modern China does have a record in this regard, certainly not as generally depicted in biased, propaganda-driven Western media, but there nevertheless. Anyone familiar with Tibetan Buddhist or traditional Qigong masters who have left China because they were not able to share their wisdom openly even in recent years knows that there are still issues there. My suspicion is that this is a hangover from early communist days - which were decidedly driven by overly rigid ideology which feared any sort of faith-based rival - and that although they know better than most what it takes to maintain stability in such huge populations, nevertheless they need to soften their approach on this front otherwise too many people like myself will find it hard to believe their rhetoric. In any case, I think what is needed is Values rather than Ideology and you are right in pointing out that Xi peppers all his talks with them and indeed one can argue that his entire approach is values-driven.
2. Thank you for the links to other publications. I will now try to find and read is GCI - Global Civilization Initiative which I think might be here, albeit not sure if that is the Initiative itself or a later commentary on it (by Xi): http://en.qstheory.cn/2023-07/11/c_900689.htm
3. It occurred to me as I got to the end of your piece whilst reflecting yet again on my reluctance to jump on board enthusiastically, that what is missing is the Fourth Branch principle, namely high quality critique. I only see Xi's version of China and Chinese political philosophy. It is extremely one-sided. I never read informed criticism. I don't know if this is because it is discouraged in China or because I simply don't know where to look, but so it is. All individuals and nations have a dark side. We may wish to present only the virtuous aspects of our character to others but we all, without exception, have dark sides within. The wise have come to terms with them, not by denial or suppression, but by holding to deeper wisdom which includes, but does not indulge, such tendencies and perspectives. China has a dark side, XI Jinping Thought has a dark side. He is not going to reveal what it is, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. That is the job of a Fourth Estate which I am not sure will exist in our new Multipolar World Order. I am not saying things should be the same as the West, but along with some truly terrible elements, the Western way is still the fundamental model of development being followed in many regards because it is not all bad. (Chinese police uniforms, for example, look the same as pretty much all others world wide. Modern dress in China comes from the Western style of last century - pants, shirts, suits, ties etc., not mandarin-style robes which are far more elegant and comfortable.) China has taken the Western ball and is running with it, arguably doing a better job (we could never run countries with over a billion people in them!!), but that doesn't mean that they are getting everything right. The lack of critique is, I think, a shortcoming. It allows problems to be seen and dealt with rather than being hidden or festering for long period before emerging as Stage Four illnesses bringing down the entire State.
It gets a big boost to its own economy as it promotes Africa's ability to purchase Chinese products. And the same goes for Russia's economy. Both are following the same general policy path regarding aiding Africa's development. More will be written about that soon.
Speaking of Values, here is a paragraph from Xi's keynote speech in March about his Global Civilization Initiative:
"Shared human values are the basis of inter-civilization exchanges and development
Human civilizations have different development trajectories, but they have the same core values, which are the spiritual bonds that connect civilizations, countries, and nations, as well as the underlying force behind the progress of humankind. President Xi called for the promotion of shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom in 2015. They are the consensus of various civilizations and reflect universally recognized values, and they provide the impetus for building a global community of shared future.
While championing these common values, we also need to appreciate their connotations for other civilizations and respect the approaches that other countries and peoples adopt to realize them. With this in mind, we should seek common ground while putting aside differences, oppose uniting only with like-minded people while alienating those with different views, and refrain from imposing our own values and models on others and from ideological aggression. These points embody the meaning and the fundamental requirements of our shared human values. Only by upholding openness, inclusiveness, and mutual respect can these values be truly upheld and an even closer global community of shared future be built."
I personally this is key. Values are more important in this context than any sort of ideology. And although perhaps trying to spell them out or codify them would be to turn them into a corpse in a casket of Concept, nevertheless there must be shared values across the multipolar spectrum otherwise it most certainly cannot hold together for lone.
Interesting times...
PS After writing this I felt inspired to compose a longer Article about this Values business.
I just came across this and will add it as a comment:
A Lavrov quip:
Question: Do you remember when BRICS was called an association that does not affect anything? Today we see that dozens of countries are ready to join. What does it say?
Sergey Lavrov: This shows that they are working with their tongues, and we are working with our heads and concrete deeds.
https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1901698/
You deserve more reader comments.
__________
BRICS and much more in store.
Here, Washington's Grand Scheme to take down the Russian State - gone past due.
Narrative Collapse – – –
Only when the last American artillery shell has been fired in The Ukraine, only when the last Ukrainian soldier has been killed in The Ukraine and only when the last of Ukrainian state territory has been irretrievably lost from The Ukraine will The West finally realize that God Favours Russia . . .
https://les7eb.substack.com/p/washingtons-ukraina-grandioznaya
Thanks. I'd like to read more comments too, but I realize that's difficult to do after reading long tracts as time is needed to digest the info. And we must remember that much of China's policy isn't reaching the Western audience despite China's media making is easy. And that's one reason for my substack--to educate.
Thanks for the chance to read this article. I think 'the west' provided much of the script for some Xi's best bits when he pitched the equitable option/alternative to what's been on offer. I liked the general use of terms like human development and humanity among the delegates. I think Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson's latest Geopolitical Hour also deals with 'how we got here and where we could/will go' and relates directly with your article. Finally thanks for 'Monopsonistic'!
You're welcome. You'll find this useful when thinking about Chinese thinking, https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/pengchun-changs-contributions-to-the-drafting-of-the-udhr-2169-0170-1000209.php?aid=80575
Thanks Karl, I'll use your reply as a bookmark.
Great piece, thank you very much.
1. Lack of ideology. That's a slightly thorny issue since in most cases ideology is to be avoided because it relies too much on concept-based formulaics which rarely hold up in reality and yet adherents, like religious fundamentalists, refuse to acknowledge shortcomings or mistakes and thus tend to get into heavy-duty censorship and control modes. As good as everything Xi says is, modern China does have a record in this regard, certainly not as generally depicted in biased, propaganda-driven Western media, but there nevertheless. Anyone familiar with Tibetan Buddhist or traditional Qigong masters who have left China because they were not able to share their wisdom openly even in recent years knows that there are still issues there. My suspicion is that this is a hangover from early communist days - which were decidedly driven by overly rigid ideology which feared any sort of faith-based rival - and that although they know better than most what it takes to maintain stability in such huge populations, nevertheless they need to soften their approach on this front otherwise too many people like myself will find it hard to believe their rhetoric. In any case, I think what is needed is Values rather than Ideology and you are right in pointing out that Xi peppers all his talks with them and indeed one can argue that his entire approach is values-driven.
2. Thank you for the links to other publications. I will now try to find and read is GCI - Global Civilization Initiative which I think might be here, albeit not sure if that is the Initiative itself or a later commentary on it (by Xi): http://en.qstheory.cn/2023-07/11/c_900689.htm
3. It occurred to me as I got to the end of your piece whilst reflecting yet again on my reluctance to jump on board enthusiastically, that what is missing is the Fourth Branch principle, namely high quality critique. I only see Xi's version of China and Chinese political philosophy. It is extremely one-sided. I never read informed criticism. I don't know if this is because it is discouraged in China or because I simply don't know where to look, but so it is. All individuals and nations have a dark side. We may wish to present only the virtuous aspects of our character to others but we all, without exception, have dark sides within. The wise have come to terms with them, not by denial or suppression, but by holding to deeper wisdom which includes, but does not indulge, such tendencies and perspectives. China has a dark side, XI Jinping Thought has a dark side. He is not going to reveal what it is, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. That is the job of a Fourth Estate which I am not sure will exist in our new Multipolar World Order. I am not saying things should be the same as the West, but along with some truly terrible elements, the Western way is still the fundamental model of development being followed in many regards because it is not all bad. (Chinese police uniforms, for example, look the same as pretty much all others world wide. Modern dress in China comes from the Western style of last century - pants, shirts, suits, ties etc., not mandarin-style robes which are far more elegant and comfortable.) China has taken the Western ball and is running with it, arguably doing a better job (we could never run countries with over a billion people in them!!), but that doesn't mean that they are getting everything right. The lack of critique is, I think, a shortcoming. It allows problems to be seen and dealt with rather than being hidden or festering for long period before emerging as Stage Four illnesses bringing down the entire State.
Time for me to introduce some Chinese language media and some scholars from Fudan University.
"Many analysts look at China and think it will want to do what the West has done and become King of the World . . . "
What is China getting in return for the investment capital it plans to loan to lesser countries (e.g., Africa)?
It gets a big boost to its own economy as it promotes Africa's ability to purchase Chinese products. And the same goes for Russia's economy. Both are following the same general policy path regarding aiding Africa's development. More will be written about that soon.
Speaking of Values, here is a paragraph from Xi's keynote speech in March about his Global Civilization Initiative:
"Shared human values are the basis of inter-civilization exchanges and development
Human civilizations have different development trajectories, but they have the same core values, which are the spiritual bonds that connect civilizations, countries, and nations, as well as the underlying force behind the progress of humankind. President Xi called for the promotion of shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom in 2015. They are the consensus of various civilizations and reflect universally recognized values, and they provide the impetus for building a global community of shared future.
While championing these common values, we also need to appreciate their connotations for other civilizations and respect the approaches that other countries and peoples adopt to realize them. With this in mind, we should seek common ground while putting aside differences, oppose uniting only with like-minded people while alienating those with different views, and refrain from imposing our own values and models on others and from ideological aggression. These points embody the meaning and the fundamental requirements of our shared human values. Only by upholding openness, inclusiveness, and mutual respect can these values be truly upheld and an even closer global community of shared future be built."
http://en.qstheory.cn/2023-07/11/c_900689.htm
I personally this is key. Values are more important in this context than any sort of ideology. And although perhaps trying to spell them out or codify them would be to turn them into a corpse in a casket of Concept, nevertheless there must be shared values across the multipolar spectrum otherwise it most certainly cannot hold together for lone.
Interesting times...
PS After writing this I felt inspired to compose a longer Article about this Values business.
https://ashleyschowes.substack.com/p/article-72-new-world-values-over