A (in fact, THE ONLY) reply about my previous post from "."
Ware on this one, bro. Whilst I'm certainly on the same page as you with regards to this argument, a word of caution about aligning oneself too fully to the "China cause" - just cause you're Chinese and possibly feel some empathy with the Chinese folk, doesn't necessarily mean that the feeling is mutual. Your standing, amongst the Chinese, is probably in this order: PRC > Hongkonger > Ang Moh > Taiwanese > ... > you. Yeah, that's about how much they care about you.
That aside however, I do believe that the American government or media does have a bone to pick with China. China is the proverbial scapegoat for all of their problems - budget deficits, unemployment, defence spending... It's just such hubris to always look to external sources for the causes of internal decay. No retrospection. No self-examination. As the Chinese say, "反省". I guess it's easy for the government to redirect attention and blame towards China all the time, I just can't believe that the thinking American public would swallow it hook, line and sinker.
The fact of the matter is, it isn't about human rights. It isn't about corruption, or the rights of the Taiwanese, or freedom of speech. It's about the US being scared. Scared that it's position as the only dipshit-who-can-kick-everyone's-asses economically or militarily might one day be undermined by another nation, another people. China will never out-tech America militarily.
Come on, even though China does spend signifant amounts on its defence budget, America's spending far outweighs China's. So unless future US presidents insist on obsessing over Star Wars-ish missile defence shields and other inordinately expensive projects with meagre returns, China will never be on equal footing with America militarily. And besides, who is the US to question China's right to build up a respectable defence force? After all, the US wasn't the nation that was invaded, defeated and forced to unfair treaty terms in the Opium Wars. My knowledge of US history is sketchy at best (so I would gladly bow to superior knowledge in this area), but the only notable war I can recall being fought on US soil would be the Civil War. What gives them the right to critise another nation's defence spending? "Since no nation threatens China, one wonders: Why this growing investment?", I quote the ever quotable Donald Rumsfield. Oh really? And which nation threatens the US? Whatever antagonism the US has garnered from the rest of the world is fully deserved. You would have thought they would have learnt their lesson about sticking their noses in other people's businesses by now.
Economically, sure, there may be a real threat there (I gather this from reading newspapers articles and not from self-professed knowledge, given that I know da shits about Econs 101). But once again, America has no one to blame but itself. The US has grown overly comfortable in its role as sole economic superpower, causing it to overspend dramatically. Like seriously, how can the world's richest nation also have the largest debt? And a current accounts deficit AND a budget deficit? Like... wow. The US should be thankful,in fact, that China keeps gobbling up its Treasury Bonds, since its economy would suffer a bad shock should China suddenly decide stocking up on US Treasury Bonds isn't such a great idea. And the thing about China stealing jobs? That's just plain bullshit. It's blatant protectionism and politics. Period. Every damn report has indicated that shifting low cost production to China is beneficial to the US economy in general. But hey, I guess some folk hear and don't listen.
Ok, enough about economics. One more point to quibble before I sign off. "China does have a lousy human rights track record, is still quite corrupt and is basically an aristocracy..." Yeah? How about Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib? At least China isn't hypocritical and calls a spade a spade. What about the political protesters who were chased off the streets when George Bush came to town to campaign (I read this in an article somewhere, but if you challenge me on it, I'll just concede seeing as I can't remember where)? Like hello, 1st amendment, anyone? Corruption? Don't tell me it doesn't occur in the States. Private campaign donations? Enron & WorldCom? I can't remember if Xerox was mired in scandal as well... And the US, being a bipartisan nation, will not necessarily do better than an aristocracy - after all, both parties have their support groups so mired in their own stances that it is nigh impossible for either party to change their party rhetoric and hope to get elected. So, for better or for worse, they'll be plodding, more or less, along the same old paths.
And last, you didn't mention this point, but I simply have to, since it bugs the hell out of me that the States has such obvious double standards. 'The world has to abide by the decisions of the UN. Well, except myself of course, since I KNOW for a fact that that bastard Saddam is hiding WOMD in his half-assed desert, and hence I can ignore the UN and fight a unilateral, PREEMPTIVE war. Ya see, it's not enough I fight other peoples' wars, now I gotta start 'em too!' And of course 'We demand that China abides by its new responisbilities as a respectable member of the WTO. Open up your damn markets, and unpeg your currency, dammit! Of course, even though the WTO has official abolished all import quotas and restrictions as of January 2005, I don't give a booyah! And Europe is forced to follow my lead in reimposing import quotas as a result. Oh yeah, I'm the fairest nation around.' And don't even get me started on the Bryd Amendment. So please... who is the US to pass judgement on anyone?
Haha, reading through all this, I realised I kinda went off tangent (perhaps even way off) with regards to the interesting article posted (which is simply about US public opinion on China, nothing to do with US fiscal policies and stuff), but what the hell, I typed it all out, no way I'm gonna delete it and just leave. So, for better or worse, here are the comments.
Couple of things to note:
1. I'm not too sure about the pecking order you've just written. Probably the Americans are No.1 (with regards to PRCs)and(most likely) Taiwanese No.2 but after that, it's really a push I think. In terms of significance do you think they really care more about HK than Singapore? Even if they do, I'm sure it's something to do with SARS.
2. I agree about the logic about China's defence spending. I forgot the website but I think that the defence budget of the States pwns the next 15-25 most weapon-rich countries. So it is indeed hypocritical of them.
3. I belive that the first word is actually a typo. (S)He probably meant "we are". In fact, there are a few more errors but I'm sure (s)he was not too interested in being very thorough in a 600+ word comment.
In the end, however, whatever flaws the States has, it doesn't mean that we can ignore China's totalitarian regime. And even though China might (and probably will) never see us as a strategic ally, I guess it's just the Chinese bit (okie, whole) in me that wants to see some AZN pride lay the smack down on Dubya. Although this scene is HIGHLY unlikely to occur, considering that China only has 3 more years to make this wish a reality. Maybe it can do so with little Jebbie instead.
Still, I think that the States is still a very alluring place. Even though I might seem to be bashing it now, there are still many many things I like about it. "Whose Line Is It Anyway" for example. Or the NBA. Or having the freedom to actually write about it with relatively little fear of getting sued. Or having the chance to interact with 3214392805 other races and cultures. I just wish that the administration would be less obnoxious and listen less to the neo-cons.
In other news,
1. MJ is innocent!
2. OMG!! How far will evangelists go to convert people? (Evangelists deserve their own separate post.)
3. (To my brother) Dude, I had like the most fscked up dream about u & C. I dreamt that u were faking me about C and then like u brought her back for dinner. I choked on a mushroom when I saw u 2 2gether. O.O haha. Must have ate too much before I slept. But just FYI.
That aside however, I do believe that the American government or media does have a bone to pick with China. China is the proverbial scapegoat for all of their problems - budget deficits, unemployment, defence spending... It's just such hubris to always look to external sources for the causes of internal decay. No retrospection. No self-examination. As the Chinese say, "反省". I guess it's easy for the government to redirect attention and blame towards China all the time, I just can't believe that the thinking American public would swallow it hook, line and sinker.
The fact of the matter is, it isn't about human rights. It isn't about corruption, or the rights of the Taiwanese, or freedom of speech. It's about the US being scared. Scared that it's position as the only dipshit-who-can-kick-everyone's-asses economically or militarily might one day be undermined by another nation, another people. China will never out-tech America militarily.
Come on, even though China does spend signifant amounts on its defence budget, America's spending far outweighs China's. So unless future US presidents insist on obsessing over Star Wars-ish missile defence shields and other inordinately expensive projects with meagre returns, China will never be on equal footing with America militarily. And besides, who is the US to question China's right to build up a respectable defence force? After all, the US wasn't the nation that was invaded, defeated and forced to unfair treaty terms in the Opium Wars. My knowledge of US history is sketchy at best (so I would gladly bow to superior knowledge in this area), but the only notable war I can recall being fought on US soil would be the Civil War. What gives them the right to critise another nation's defence spending? "Since no nation threatens China, one wonders: Why this growing investment?", I quote the ever quotable Donald Rumsfield. Oh really? And which nation threatens the US? Whatever antagonism the US has garnered from the rest of the world is fully deserved. You would have thought they would have learnt their lesson about sticking their noses in other people's businesses by now.
Economically, sure, there may be a real threat there (I gather this from reading newspapers articles and not from self-professed knowledge, given that I know da shits about Econs 101). But once again, America has no one to blame but itself. The US has grown overly comfortable in its role as sole economic superpower, causing it to overspend dramatically. Like seriously, how can the world's richest nation also have the largest debt? And a current accounts deficit AND a budget deficit? Like... wow. The US should be thankful,in fact, that China keeps gobbling up its Treasury Bonds, since its economy would suffer a bad shock should China suddenly decide stocking up on US Treasury Bonds isn't such a great idea. And the thing about China stealing jobs? That's just plain bullshit. It's blatant protectionism and politics. Period. Every damn report has indicated that shifting low cost production to China is beneficial to the US economy in general. But hey, I guess some folk hear and don't listen.
Ok, enough about economics. One more point to quibble before I sign off. "China does have a lousy human rights track record, is still quite corrupt and is basically an aristocracy..." Yeah? How about Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib? At least China isn't hypocritical and calls a spade a spade. What about the political protesters who were chased off the streets when George Bush came to town to campaign (I read this in an article somewhere, but if you challenge me on it, I'll just concede seeing as I can't remember where)? Like hello, 1st amendment, anyone? Corruption? Don't tell me it doesn't occur in the States. Private campaign donations? Enron & WorldCom? I can't remember if Xerox was mired in scandal as well... And the US, being a bipartisan nation, will not necessarily do better than an aristocracy - after all, both parties have their support groups so mired in their own stances that it is nigh impossible for either party to change their party rhetoric and hope to get elected. So, for better or for worse, they'll be plodding, more or less, along the same old paths.
And last, you didn't mention this point, but I simply have to, since it bugs the hell out of me that the States has such obvious double standards. 'The world has to abide by the decisions of the UN. Well, except myself of course, since I KNOW for a fact that that bastard Saddam is hiding WOMD in his half-assed desert, and hence I can ignore the UN and fight a unilateral, PREEMPTIVE war. Ya see, it's not enough I fight other peoples' wars, now I gotta start 'em too!' And of course 'We demand that China abides by its new responisbilities as a respectable member of the WTO. Open up your damn markets, and unpeg your currency, dammit! Of course, even though the WTO has official abolished all import quotas and restrictions as of January 2005, I don't give a booyah! And Europe is forced to follow my lead in reimposing import quotas as a result. Oh yeah, I'm the fairest nation around.' And don't even get me started on the Bryd Amendment. So please... who is the US to pass judgement on anyone?
Haha, reading through all this, I realised I kinda went off tangent (perhaps even way off) with regards to the interesting article posted (which is simply about US public opinion on China, nothing to do with US fiscal policies and stuff), but what the hell, I typed it all out, no way I'm gonna delete it and just leave. So, for better or worse, here are the comments.
Couple of things to note:
1. I'm not too sure about the pecking order you've just written. Probably the Americans are No.1 (with regards to PRCs)and(most likely) Taiwanese No.2 but after that, it's really a push I think. In terms of significance do you think they really care more about HK than Singapore? Even if they do, I'm sure it's something to do with SARS.
2. I agree about the logic about China's defence spending. I forgot the website but I think that the defence budget of the States pwns the next 15-25 most weapon-rich countries. So it is indeed hypocritical of them.
3. I belive that the first word is actually a typo. (S)He probably meant "we are". In fact, there are a few more errors but I'm sure (s)he was not too interested in being very thorough in a 600+ word comment.
In the end, however, whatever flaws the States has, it doesn't mean that we can ignore China's totalitarian regime. And even though China might (and probably will) never see us as a strategic ally, I guess it's just the Chinese bit (okie, whole) in me that wants to see some AZN pride lay the smack down on Dubya. Although this scene is HIGHLY unlikely to occur, considering that China only has 3 more years to make this wish a reality. Maybe it can do so with little Jebbie instead.
Still, I think that the States is still a very alluring place. Even though I might seem to be bashing it now, there are still many many things I like about it. "Whose Line Is It Anyway" for example. Or the NBA. Or having the freedom to actually write about it with relatively little fear of getting sued. Or having the chance to interact with 3214392805 other races and cultures. I just wish that the administration would be less obnoxious and listen less to the neo-cons.
In other news,
1. MJ is innocent!
2. OMG!! How far will evangelists go to convert people? (Evangelists deserve their own separate post.)
3. (To my brother) Dude, I had like the most fscked up dream about u & C. I dreamt that u were faking me about C and then like u brought her back for dinner. I choked on a mushroom when I saw u 2 2gether. O.O haha. Must have ate too much before I slept. But just FYI.
3 comments:
Well i do think that the us does feel threatened to some extent about china rising in power. They want to be the only ones that can push people around. The way the us is heading from bush, i think there needs to be some changes made. It's not just that, it's that many people here only care about the well being of this country, not the rest of the world. Many people are oblivious to what happens outside of this country probably due to both ignorance and selfishness to some degree.
1. Dude... that's not a 600+ word comment. It's a freaking 1000+ word essay. Copy & paste + MS Word + Word Count states so. 0.o
2. And I, for one, do think that PRC cares more about HK than SG. Like come on, they have to, they're the same nation after all (what was that... "1 country, 2 systems"?)
3. Agree that PRC is still highly restrictive in their media handling etc. Hmmm, was going to add that the way they choose the leadership of the nation is hardly ideal (after all it's like how they selected emperors in Ancient China, as long as you have a good one, everything is fine and dandy, but if you get a weak one, everything goes awry), but like the person who commented said, the American bipartisian democracy is hardly ideal itself.
4. And if you're refering to SG in that strategic ally bit... like come on already! We're the little red dot, remember? We'll never be anybody(worth mentioning)'s strategic ally! =P
5. On the NBA - Miami ain't in, and SA is kicking Detroit's can. Heh.
6. Last... D-U-D-E. 你吃饱饭没事做啊？! What kinda fscked up dream is that?
Why can't u have more pleasant dreams about exotic vacations like I have? Heh. Anyway, beware such dreams, dude, lest you overthrow the bagel as the killer food of choice and replace it with the killer mushroom.
Oh hey, I found one of the many "alluring" things about the States - frivolous lawsuits! Heh. Check out the following website:
http://www.sdcala.org/Newsroom/News039.htm
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