The American Left hates China, the Right hates China, and Chen Guangcheng is stuck in the middle of two very passionate groups gunning to be the thought leader of America’s democracy battles and the war on China’s soul (or lack of):
– Last week, Chen Guangcheng accused NYU of kicking him out due to pressure from the Chinese government over NYU’s Shanghai campus plan.
– NYU has denied the charge and said Chen’s fellowship has always been limited to one year.
– A tenured professor, Jerome Cohen, who is by no means a communist sympathizer, stated that Chen Guangcheng is being “manipulated”. On further disclosure, Prof. Cohen had pointed finger at Bob Fu and China Aid, alleging the iPhone and iPad Fu’s wife gave Chen have hidden wiretapping and remote GPS tracking software:
– While some observed there’s little evidence to back up Chen’s allegation, the media has lambasted NYU for kowtowing to China at the expense of academic freedom, and reiterated the always-available Yellow Peril narrative.
– Rep. Chris Smith, a hardcore congressional blue team, staunch supporter of China Aid and Bob Fu’s puppet master, has threatened to haul NYU to congressional hearing.
– I wonder if Chen Guangcheng realizes being a traitor to his country, he’s kind of screwed either way:
– Leaving the mainstream and embracing right wing ideology would lead him to obscurity. China Aid has a huge credibility problem. Bob Fu once claimed The Three Grades of Servants is a “persecuted house church“, when the facts on the ground is Three Grades and Eastern Lightning, two cult of Christianity, were killing each other over church membership.
– On the other hand, measured sentiment never got Prof. Cohen much accolade, or NED grant money.
– From political asylum green card scheme, to Chen Suibian fattening up Wang Dan, Wuer Kaixi and others, to Falun Gong muscling in on the Democracy Dollar, this is yet another testament to the state of overseas Chinese democracy movement in America. The truth is succinctly expressed in a commentary I read:
While the Chinese government has nothing to worry about, anyone who cares about democracy in China, does.
Mister Unknown says
If THESE people represent the face of Chinese “democracy”, I’ll keep my authoritarian government any day.
Black Pheonix says
Jerome Cohen should be more worried about himself getting mixed up with that bunch of BS artists.
He put his own reputation on the line to help CGC and Bob Fu, only to realize the kind of games those people are playing at.
Now all he can do is to make allegations, to defend the reputation of his own school.
Bet now he wishes he didn’t have to find out what it feels like when people don’t want to hear what you really believe in.
(Bet NYU people are feeling the same now). No good deed goes unpunished.
Democracy means, “LALALALALA…. I can’t hear you.”
Black Pheonix says
And let’s just get it clear: NYU can’t kick CGC out of the country. They don’t have that kind of power.
What does CGC want? Keep freeloading on NYU for the apartment, the translator, and allowance?
Well, aren’t we still dreaming that US is paved with bricks of Gold?!
I don’t feel sorry for CGC.
This kind of BS game might have worked back in China to get you some publicity among some of the uneducated villagers, but it’s not going to work in a giant city like NY.
For one, NYU has better lawyers.
CGC, this is not your turf and this is not your game. You are just a pawn in other people’s game.
Black Pheonix says
Bob Fu now claims that he has reported this claim of spyware to the FBI.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10135643/FBI-to-investigate-whether-Chen-Guangcheng-was-being-spied-on.html
OK, if FBI doesn’t hear about it, then what?
pug_ster says
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/china_law_prof_blog/2013/06/more-materials-on-the-chen-guangchengnyu-affair.html
Like I said last year was and always both blind and dumb. He didn’t realized that he was being used like a tool last year when Bob Fu’s minions got him out as some kind of publicity stunt against the Chinese government and now being backstabbed by his so called friends. Of course this next publicity stunt don’t Western propaganda pounding the ‘Red China’ narrative that somehow Chinese government pressured NYU to get CGC out.
N.M.Cheung says
Most democracy advocates in China have unrealistic expectation of the realities of life in the West. CGC was no exception being naive and now reality is biting back. China was happy to let CGC go and I think they should also let Liu, the Nobel Peace Prize winner go.
jxie says
The best line of Chen is, [the Chinese government wanted] “to make me so busy trying to earn a living that I don’t have time for human rights advocacy.”
If America isn’t careful, all the whack jobs with a strong sense of entitlement in the world will be on its payrolls.
Black Pheonix says
@jxie
Well, if you look at the history of the “dissidents”, most of them are just freeloading or panhandling for living. (and I don’t think “Human rights activism” is a real job. It’s just panhandling masqueraded by lobbying BS with some custom designed PR, producing no actual results, and begging money from guilt-ridden corporate or Wall Street leeches).
And of course, they all blame China for their conditions.
Allen says
@jxie
“[the Chinese government wanted] “to make me so busy trying to earn a living that I don’t have time for human rights advocacy.”
Perhaps that’s the U.S. government’s take also. That’s why they go around the world funding democracy movements. People outside the country are just all too busy fighting for human rights.
Which makes sense until you run into data such as this (https://hiddenharmonies.org/2013/03/a-powerful-infographic-of-americas-inequality-perception-gap/).
Wait, perhaps the U.S. government ought to fund domestic U.S. groups (its citizens) more to make sure its citizens – most of them poor and thus have to work hard – aren’t too busy to demand justice within the borders of the U.S.? If so – where to start? Lower taxes? Cut expenditures? Both? The military seems a good place to cut expenditures.
Military takes up a huge slice of the U.S. budget.
And the U.S. outspends the rest of the world in military (if you add up the expenditure of all nations allied with U.S., NATO, Japan, S. Korea, etc. – it becomes even more lopsided).
Here is a map of U.S. military budgets compared to rest of the world. https://hiddenharmonies.org/2011/04/2009-world-military-budgets/
See also this:
Black Pheonix says
“[the Chinese government wanted] “to make me so busy trying to earn a living that I don’t have time for human rights advocacy.”
What? So busy trying to earn a living? In US? NO WAY! Surely that only happens in China!
I mean, what kind of “human rights” Democracy paradise do you live in, if China can force you to make a living from the other side of the planet?
Charles Liu says
Some fact checking:
http://outcastjournalist.com/index_files/no_evidence_to_support_chen_guangcheng_beating_claims.htm
@Black Pheonix , dude I would not worry too much about Prof. Cohen. He probably went into this with eyes wide open. See above, he’s worked as a State Dept operative and an old hand at this.
Why did he scan the brand new iPhone for hidden software? He probably knew something about Bob Fu and the fact Rep. Chris Smith, a hard core “Blue Team” member, is involved.
James says
For an idea about how Chen Guangcheng might be swayed by Bob Fu’s evangelicalism, it’s worth looking back at Chai Ling. As the “Supreme Leader” of the Tiananmen students, she said “we actually are hoping for bloodshed, the moment… when the square is awash with blood… the people of China will open their eyes”. Her evil words were caught on film, and when she emigrated to the US, she sued the living daylights out of the filmmakers to suppress the documentary evidence.
Her uterus obsession is very similar, and the Republicans also loved her for it. She even married Robert Maginn, the Massachusetts Republican Party chairman, and set up a bunch of anti-“One Child Policy” organizations in the United States. And forced her employees to engage in “weekly corporate worship” to Jesus Christ. And her China aid organizations only give help to Christians.
Democracy? Or Theocracy…
N.M.Cheung says
Speaking of human rights and democracy I think the Chinese edition of New York Time has an interview that is very interesting on the trend in China today. I suggest those from both right and left should read and debate about it. The English translation is not available yet.
李凡（上）：为什么现在的意识形态变得比较左
纽约时报中文网执行主编 曹海丽 07:08
pug_ster says
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/2013/06/24/activist-says-human-rights-will-grow-china/UIIhCfy19rp1BYykfNefQJ/story.html
It seems Mr Drama Queen CGC has landed himself in Taiwan giving speeches about ‘big bad China.’ He has ducked questions about his outing from NYU or his malware laden iphone. He demanded a meeting with Ma Ying-jeou and CGC said “This is exactly an example of how a dictatorship threatens a free society.”
One more thing, what the heck is “Taiwan Association for China Human Rights?” Is it another organization run by FLG people?
Black Pheonix says
the Details of this tussle over CGC is far worse than initially revealed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/world/asia/after-epic-escape-from-china-exile-is-mired-in-partisan-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
“The controversy kicked up by Mr. Chen’s accusations against N.Y.U. has dismayed some of his supporters so much that a wealthy donor who had pledged to finance a three-year visiting scholar position for him at Fordham University recently withdrew the offer. That means Mr. Chen, who declined to be interviewed for this article and who returns to New York from a visit to Taiwan on Thursday, has to line up another source of financing. If that does not pan out, he will be left with a single job offer: from the Witherspoon Institute, a conservative research organization in New Jersey that is perhaps best known for its opposition to same-sex marriage and stem cell research.”
Is it me or US just turned CGC into some kind of political porn star? (i.e. directing him or encouraging him to take up various rather bizarre positions, in desperate need for money)?
What do you know. I just realized the long line of US made “political porn stars”: DL, LXB, etc., even having them moaning “democracy” and “freedom” out loud. (but you know they were just faking it for money).
pug_ster says
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2361324/NYU-tops-list-expensive-undergraduate-programs-country-nearly-62-000-year.html
NYU turns out to be the most expensive University in the US. Guess they got too many freeloaders like CGC out there that offsets costs to the paying students.
It looks like that CGC is going to Fordham University next year. Guess which university is the #12 most expensive one?
Zack says
so who the hell is paying for CGC’s undoubtedly much needed legal education?
the US taxpayer?
Black Pheonix says
@Zack
Democracy means “you have to pay for free rides for Celebrities’ favorable people”.
I mean, really, Why doesn’t Richard Gere or Christian Bale (or Bob Fu) just pay for these people themselves?? Instead of making tax payers like me pay for them?
*Sigh* Isn’t it just befitting of stereotypical West (by their own actions), that celebrities’ “pets” get treated better than homeless human beings?!