Lately, we have focused on propaganda in the Western media. Reader cp made (what I think) are very measured and accurate characterizations of what is happening around us. It is short and to the point, and I simply want to highlight it. As many here have argued in the past, these type of issues need to be discussed in the public. Comedians bring awareness to social issues through satire. Mark Twain challenge prevailing racist attitudes through his novel, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Though this blog may sound ‘serious,’ we feel it is critically important for everyone to wake up and recognize the nature of Western capitalistic media. This is not about choosing sides. Rather, it is about not letting ourselves to be further polarized.
by cp
July 19th, 2011 at 22:42You don’t need to look far to see western media propaganda. it’s right under their noses and it’s not only China that is on the receiving end. It is indeed Chinese propaganda that is lacking and China’s softly softly stance with the way they deal in international relations.
see….
http://medialens.org/
http://salon.com/a/sWSwfAA
http://www.slate.com/id/2176398/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networksWhy would China be exempt from the same kind of subversion? I’m not saying the western media have a grand scheme set out to undermine China but the overarching atmosphere is to maintain a continuum of pro-western status quo, us vs them.
There is a power play between the west and china; even the most self-loathing liberal must see that the “rise of the rest” will ultimately mean the end of western pre-eminence. Why should liberals be any less self serving? Afterall, it is because of total dominance of the west that affords liberals the privilege to grandstand to a global audience. The unspoken message is, the west leads, everyone follows.
Certainly this is why the chinese diaspora feel the need to speak up from time to time when often the media conflate cultural, racial, political issues all at once, for china is china – be that cheap toys, oppressive human rights, uncreative education, parochialism, nepotism, over achieving kids, strict parenting and so on….
(I am not saying criticism is unwarranted, but the condescending undertones, morally superior grandstanding gets old after awhile.)
So it does in fact go deeper than politics, it is precisely the reason why the decline of anglo-european power is such an unsettling topic for some westerners because deep down we all have our allegiances, racially, culturally and politically. in the end it’s about power.
raventhorn2000 says
I agree to a point,
Ultimately, however, it does come down to what I called “the instinct to P*ss in someone else’s backyard” in my own article.
All human beings have the same instinct to want to spoil one’s neighbor’s land. It’s only the virtue of good manners that keeps us from doing it to each other in a community. But there tend to be less of same manners exercised toward “outsiders”.
Otto brought up a good phrase, “LOYAL opposition”, That is to say, within a Democracy, a culture, a nation, there is the invisible line that one does not cross in the name of “LOYALTY”.
All humans instinctively KNOW this line within their own community. They don’t have to even say it. Some in the minority choose to violate this rule, (for money for power), and are sometimes ex-communicated.
*What we have today in the West, is the fear of decline, driving the heightened instinct to “p*ss on someone else”.
One can call it jealousy. Sometimes it is merely boredom.
Just Yesterday, in US, there was a police report that a house in some Mid-Western town that got vandalized, with “toilet paper, saran wrap, baby powder” literally tarring the whole place, NO apparent motive and NO suspects.
Yes, just a bunch of bored people “p*ssing on someone else”.
In the old days, there is a crime that describes this, “VAGRANCY”.
You might say, Clinton is now a “State Sponsored Vagrant”, going around the world, P*ssing whereever she wanted to.
colin says
I agree in general, but I do feel China gets significantly more pissed on than others for various reason already posted on other parts of this site.
raventhorn2000 says
I think so as well. It’s the potential threat of a strong China, especially because China doesn’t play the P*ssing game like US.
China now responds to US’s Criticisms, like a p*ssing contest. (For example, China’s response to US’s annual human rights report on EVERYONE, or as I like to called it now, the “Annual US ‘We P*ss on Everyone’ Report”).
But China in its height of power, doesn’t bother to go p*ss around its sphere of influence on smaller weaker nations.
Why? OLD Chinese Confucian Virtue: Don’t P*ss on others over their misfortune or bad turns. (Or more simply, humility).
Confucius would NOT display his own virtues by constantly comparing himself to the weaknesses of others.
Charles Liu says
“maintain a continuum of pro-western status quo, us vs them.”
Agree, in America there does exist an “official narrative” when it comes to China, among other things. Even treasured American values are often seen as fascade of something diabolically opposing underneath.
Like freedom to suvert others for our material needs; narrative of diversity while ‘white prevlidge’ prevails. China lingering on the top of America’s manufactured list of enemy seems to serve no purpose other than satiate our need to perpetuate conflict and maintain a permanent underclass here and abroad.
C. Custer says
Man, you really like that piss metaphor, huh Raven?
raventhorn2000 says
Here is me, P*ssing. It’s a “colorful metaphor” – Star Trek