China. Islam. Disney
Would Disney make 'Mulan 2' with Uyghur slaves as Muslim invaders slain en masse by China's army? Unlikely, but Disney does what it is told, as is the custom for any other mega corp making money in the Middle Kingdom.
quadrant.org.au/magazine/2021/07-08/k...
This is an interesting article.
I mention it here in relation to an historical event- The Battle of Talas River, year 751 CE.
Talas is a location a bit north and west of the center of Asia.
Two great armies met, clashed and fought. Both great in military force, each 50,000 strong (or maybe 100,000 each) representing global civilizations.
From the west, an alliance with top morale troops after continuous victories. Their leadership was confident, brilliant, and effective across the board. They were the new superpower.
From the east, also an alliance, at the center an ancient powerful disciplined culture with philosophers quoted for wisdom today - especially in war.
The result of the 5-day battle was decisive. One side lost, not on points but by with a clear devastating loss with many slain and captured.
Now, the shock- the victor was Islam. The loser was China, the beginning of the end of the Tang Dynasty.
China then had an odd characteristic, something like the English maybe. Useful work is for the 'workers'. The army was not recommended for sons of the top people, even tho' senior positions could be bought.
Very important exception, the British navy had another very different culture.
China valued the arts and culture. Practical arts were dismissed, certainly as occupations for gentlemen. The best minds of China were not in the military, the commander of the army at Talas was a Korean.
The Muslim commander at Talas did not rush forward on obliterating the enemy, he reconsidered his supply lines, the terrain, the state of his allies, the weather, and what the opponent would now do. He did what we tell strivers to do 'the time to quit is when you are at the top of the game'. A notable example of self-discipline.
Talas was both the westernmost point of China's imperial reach, and,
Talas was the easternmost point of the great Islamic expansion.
Among the captured were artisans in paper-making, a technology that altered world history.
---- ----
quadrant.org.au/magazine/2021/07-08/k...
This is an interesting article.
I mention it here in relation to an historical event- The Battle of Talas River, year 751 CE.
Talas is a location a bit north and west of the center of Asia.
Two great armies met, clashed and fought. Both great in military force, each 50,000 strong (or maybe 100,000 each) representing global civilizations.
From the west, an alliance with top morale troops after continuous victories. Their leadership was confident, brilliant, and effective across the board. They were the new superpower.
From the east, also an alliance, at the center an ancient powerful disciplined culture with philosophers quoted for wisdom today - especially in war.
The result of the 5-day battle was decisive. One side lost, not on points but by with a clear devastating loss with many slain and captured.
Now, the shock- the victor was Islam. The loser was China, the beginning of the end of the Tang Dynasty.
China then had an odd characteristic, something like the English maybe. Useful work is for the 'workers'. The army was not recommended for sons of the top people, even tho' senior positions could be bought.
Very important exception, the British navy had another very different culture.
China valued the arts and culture. Practical arts were dismissed, certainly as occupations for gentlemen. The best minds of China were not in the military, the commander of the army at Talas was a Korean.
The Muslim commander at Talas did not rush forward on obliterating the enemy, he reconsidered his supply lines, the terrain, the state of his allies, the weather, and what the opponent would now do. He did what we tell strivers to do 'the time to quit is when you are at the top of the game'. A notable example of self-discipline.
Talas was both the westernmost point of China's imperial reach, and,
Talas was the easternmost point of the great Islamic expansion.
Among the captured were artisans in paper-making, a technology that altered world history.
---- ----
"We're just here to help (and eventually enslave) you."
They hide that behind the 'don't prejudge us on our strangeness, but on our actions.'
Unfortunately, their actions always lead to dependency and inaction by humans.
Human 'heroes' are never seen in Hollywood productions. Hollywood's 'heroes' are all victims.
I've just read the story-line, it is strong with clear values to be praised and clear enemies to be fought. Big threats, big battles, an epic. The values are, the family, the honor of the ancestors, the Empire.
The enemy here in Mulan is not Islam, that was 751CE, but earlier during the Han dynasty about year 200CE, invaders from the north, the Huns.
Will Disney get it right?
I will probably see it. The story is just what they need to butter-up the CCP and thus get access to that big market.
No complaints about Mulan from me so far. I have no problem with having Chinese as heroes or heroines.
Now, just askin', Disney is an American company, right? They probably, have but when was the last time that they made a movie with such strong themes but was with pro-American, or pro-western, values?