There are no permanent friends or enemies, but permanent interests in international relations.Originally Posted by Backwards Observer
There are no permanent friends or enemies, but permanent interests in international relations.
Last edited by Ray; 03-13-2013 at 09:25 AM.
Speaking of interests.
Every nationalist is haunted by the belief that the past can be altered. He spends part of his time in a fantasy world in which things happen as they should — in which, for example, the Spanish Armada was a success or the Russian Revolution was crushed in 1918 — and he will transfer fragments of this world to the history books whenever possible. Much of the propagandist writing of our time amounts to plain forgery. Material facts are suppressed, dates altered, quotations removed from their context and doctored so as to change their meaning. Events which it is felt ought not to have happened are left unmentioned and ultimately denied. In 1927 Chiang Kai Shek boiled hundreds of Communists alive, and yet within ten years he had become one of the heroes of the Left. The re-alignment of world politics had brought him into the anti-Fascist camp, and so it was felt that the boiling of the Communists ‘didn't count’, or perhaps had not happened. The primary aim of propaganda is, of course, to influence contemporary opinion, but those who rewrite history do probably believe with part of their minds that they are actually thrusting facts into the past. When one considers the elaborate forgeries that have been committed in order to show that Trotsky did not play a valuable part in the Russian civil war, it is difficult to feel that the people responsible are merely lying. More probably they feel that their own version was what happened in the sight of God, and that one is justified in rearranging the records accordingly.
Indifference to objective truth is encouraged by the sealing-off of one part of the world from another, which makes it harder and harder to discover what is actually happening. There can often be a genuine doubt about the most enormous events. For example, it is impossible to calculate within millions, perhaps even tens of millions, the number of deaths caused by the present war. The calamities that are constantly being reported — battles, massacres, famines, revolutions — tend to inspire in the average person a feeling of unreality. One has no way of verifying the facts, one is not even fully certain that they have happened, and one is always presented with totally different interpretations from different sources. What were the rights and wrongs of the Warsaw rising of August 1944? Is it true about the German gas ovens in Poland? Who was really to blame for the Bengal famine? Probably the truth is discoverable, but the facts will be so dishonestly set forth in almost any newspaper that the ordinary reader can be forgiven either for swallowing lies or failing to form an opinion. The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unmistakable fact can be impudently denied. Moreover, although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world. What he wants is to feel that his own unit is getting the better of some other unit, and he can more easily do this by scoring off an adversary than by examining the facts to see whether they support him. All nationalist controversy is at the debating-society level. It is always entirely inconclusive, since each contestant invariably believes himself to have won the victory. Some nationalists are not far from schizophrenia, living quite happily amid dreams of power and conquest which have no connection with the physical world. (from Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell, May 1945)
Notes On Nationalism by George Orwell
A vision of the future... (fiction)
A vision of the future... (non-fiction)
Last edited by davidbfpo; 03-18-2013 at 12:12 AM. Reason: Text moved, some editing and author aware.
Backwards Observer, the truth in this partial quote extends well beyond nationalists. In the U.S. it applies equally to Democrats and Republicans, in religious circles it applies to many religions, and in fact it seems any identity group (environmentalists for example) must have some degree of irrational belief to exist. While important, in the end it appears to be same as it ever was.The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unmistakable fact can be impudently denied. Moreover, although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world. What he wants is to feel that his own unit is getting the better of some other unit, and he can more easily do this by scoring off an adversary than by examining the facts to see whether they support him. All nationalist controversy is at the debating-society level. It is always entirely inconclusive, since each contestant invariably believes himself to have won the victory. Some nationalists are not far from schizophrenia, living quite happily amid dreams of power and conquest which have no connection with the physical world. (from Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell, May 1945)
all the noose that's fit to print
Well then, enjoy.
fishers of men
Japan could tender a significant diplomatic coup in the restive region by gifting the Diaoyutai/Senkaku islands to Taiwan, pending a pledge by the PRC to (solemnly) recognise sole Taiwanese administration of said islands. Given the currents of human history, a peaceful gesture of this magnitude by all three parties would probably immediately lead to war. Such is life.
The East China Sea Peace Initiative - Taiwan TodayA major territorial dispute is brewing in the East China Sea.
As one of the founders of the United Nations, the Republic of China (Taiwan) believes it has the responsibility to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner under the principles of the U.N. Charter. We are committed to the peaceful resolution because at the heart of the dispute are islands that belong to Taiwan.
These islands are known as the Diaoyutai Islands, which means “fishing platform” in Chinese. We see the islands as more than a platform for fishing, we also see them as a platform for peacemaking. (from The East China Sea Peace Initiative)
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(Image Source - Dwight Hwang Calligraphy)
When China Rules the World
http://www.ted.com/playlists/73/the_...wer_shift.htmlAn interesting presentation on TED by the man who wrote, "When China Rules the World."
It is the third talk on global power shifts. A couple of key points I don't think many will refute.
Westerners tend to look at the world through western eyes, and incorrectly believe that when China modernizes will become like the West. The fact is the State of China is seen as more legitimate than any government in the West. The people view the State as the representative and protector of China's great culture.
The West hasn't had to learn about the rest of the world due to its power, if it didn't get its way it could always employ force, while most countries in the world couldn't do this. When China and East Asia surpasss the West as the geopolitical center of world power Europe will be lost, they're walking blind into the future now and have no idea how much the world is changing around them.
The first presentation by Paddy Ashdown was equally interesting. It is now projected that China will surpass the U.S. as the world's largest economy by 2020. Seems our rebalance strategy is a step in the right direction to me if we want to maintain secure access to the world's largest market.
Bill,
I wouldn't call it refuting the points but I will bring up some concerns. First one is wanting to rule the world is a pretty Western idea to begin with??? and assuming that China wants to do that may not be such a wise perspective to start with. As far as I can see China is pursuing a make China as great as possible policy, and if any body gets in the way then smack them down, if not don't worry about them.
IMO what makes China scary is they don't believe in any of that "Invisible Hand" Bullsheet that is spewed from American business schools. China has a planned program for success.......we give tax breaks to rich people as our policy for success......we may be doomed
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