“To Hell with the scriptures: they are full of dog farts”
Xi Jinping’s Gambit: Not So Inscrutable
Quadrant on line
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/china...
The message of the quote is that the work of the great philosophers is bad. The message is an insult not a destination. All books, monuments and art is likewise bad and to be destroyed.
This article is highly recommended.
On first sight it gives an explanation for the current bellicosity of the current government of China. Seems right to me. But with dictatorships, aggressive posturing and action need little explanation. It has happened before in China under Mao, the result was utter disaster, not just for China.
From the article in italics-
this bellicose shift reflects .. the growing re-emergence of a long-standing intrinsic weakness in the Chinese regime.. a personal dictatorship ..
ensuring endemic power struggles within the CCP that can easily and quickly engulf the regime. Indeed, this may already be happening.
already led to the greatest disaster in modern Chinese history- China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (GPCR).
mass demonstrations, hysteria, paranoia, vicious torture, and mindless violence .. betrayals and false accusations ..
destroyed much of the cultural heritage of one of the oldest and grandest civilizations in all human history; killed some [18 to 40] million people; wrecked the economy
5000 out of some 7000 locations designated as places of historical interest were trashed
The cannon-fodder - the young people of China. recruited as shock troops . . to demolish the structures of Chinese society.
the CCP exhibits the worst characteristics of totalitarianism and represents the very antithesis of any form of civilization. Despite appearances, nothing much has changed in its system of governance since Mao, as Xi’s grip on power shows.
My comment:
The article is correct as history, and as a lesson and not just for China. Maybe Japan, South Korea .. can resist. Maybe Russia and the EU have different decay features. But across the Anglosphere, the same inanities that occurred in China's Great Leap forward are growing.
It is said by some on the right, libertarians, etc that we are faced with destructive collectivism, I say- wrong. Close to home it is selfish thinking, indulgence, gratification, childishness. This is not Objectivist self interest, long term with values, it is mindless and thoughtless with no idea of tomorrow. -You are anything you want to be- Neither creation nor destruction have importance as there is no future. It leads only to the surrender of self with violent fast talkers taking over, dictatorship is inevitable.
Surely, old school socialists, conservatives, monarchists, liberals, capitalists, industrialists, academics and anyone who thinks works plans learns teaches.. would be standing up to say stop this nihilist destruction? But many are joining in!
Churchill once spoke of the deep darkness that would engulf the world if the totalitarianism of his day was triumphant in its diabolical schemes. We face a similar challenge and must display the same resolve.
Quadrant on line
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/china...
The message of the quote is that the work of the great philosophers is bad. The message is an insult not a destination. All books, monuments and art is likewise bad and to be destroyed.
This article is highly recommended.
On first sight it gives an explanation for the current bellicosity of the current government of China. Seems right to me. But with dictatorships, aggressive posturing and action need little explanation. It has happened before in China under Mao, the result was utter disaster, not just for China.
From the article in italics-
this bellicose shift reflects .. the growing re-emergence of a long-standing intrinsic weakness in the Chinese regime.. a personal dictatorship ..
ensuring endemic power struggles within the CCP that can easily and quickly engulf the regime. Indeed, this may already be happening.
already led to the greatest disaster in modern Chinese history- China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (GPCR).
mass demonstrations, hysteria, paranoia, vicious torture, and mindless violence .. betrayals and false accusations ..
destroyed much of the cultural heritage of one of the oldest and grandest civilizations in all human history; killed some [18 to 40] million people; wrecked the economy
5000 out of some 7000 locations designated as places of historical interest were trashed
The cannon-fodder - the young people of China. recruited as shock troops . . to demolish the structures of Chinese society.
the CCP exhibits the worst characteristics of totalitarianism and represents the very antithesis of any form of civilization. Despite appearances, nothing much has changed in its system of governance since Mao, as Xi’s grip on power shows.
My comment:
The article is correct as history, and as a lesson and not just for China. Maybe Japan, South Korea .. can resist. Maybe Russia and the EU have different decay features. But across the Anglosphere, the same inanities that occurred in China's Great Leap forward are growing.
It is said by some on the right, libertarians, etc that we are faced with destructive collectivism, I say- wrong. Close to home it is selfish thinking, indulgence, gratification, childishness. This is not Objectivist self interest, long term with values, it is mindless and thoughtless with no idea of tomorrow. -You are anything you want to be- Neither creation nor destruction have importance as there is no future. It leads only to the surrender of self with violent fast talkers taking over, dictatorship is inevitable.
Surely, old school socialists, conservatives, monarchists, liberals, capitalists, industrialists, academics and anyone who thinks works plans learns teaches.. would be standing up to say stop this nihilist destruction? But many are joining in!
Churchill once spoke of the deep darkness that would engulf the world if the totalitarianism of his day was triumphant in its diabolical schemes. We face a similar challenge and must display the same resolve.
"...In the provinces, the reign of terror was particularly intense: a governor in Manchuria had his hair torn out for daring to wear it in a manner that resembled Mao’s. Churches and Buddhist temples were ransacked and the monks forced to hold up banners declaring: “To Hell with the scriptures: they are full of dog farts”..."
It is dramatic, and offensive. Not because of the word 'scriptures', I'd find it offensive even it it were 'koran'. The offense is contained in the rudeness which intends to offend so says nothing about the topic but tells us about the speakers. It is not loss of temper, it is cold and calculating. No argument or case or discussion is given, just bad language. The parallel with our current wokists is clear.
I'm reminded about stories from about the 60s, there were disputes along the China/Soviet border with Chinese behaving with rudeness shouting obscenities, the Soviet guards were models of army discipline and composure. (comparatively). Now again there are border incidents, this time with India, the article gives some new explanation and perspective.