So it's very common to see this moronic rhetorical question used against anyone that is criticizing aspects of the US or supporting aspects of China. It's really just the "love it or leave it" trope often used by ignorant bigots. So, once and for all, here's why this fallacy is ridiculous so that any future fool/troll (hence called "haters") that wish to use that as a response … [Read more...] about The idiotic “Why are you still in America?” fallacy
Analysis
India’s Agni-V missile
So I've been reading a lot on the media - and on many Indian blogs - how India's Agni-V missile is going to reposition the balance of power in Asia, how it is designed to target Beijing and Shanghai. Presumptively, India had notified all members on the security counsel - but China - ahead of the test. Because there are so much hot air out there, I'd like to point people out … [Read more...] about India’s Agni-V missile
A few gripes with Tania Branigan’s Bo Xilai corruption piece
(Update 4/20/2012: see update section below with response from Branigan.) There has been a lot of rumor mongering going on in the Western press about Bo Xilai and the alleged murder of British citizen Neil Heywood by his wife Gu Kailai. In an otherwise fairly well researched article by Guardian U.K. reporter, Tania Branigan, there were couple of crucial errors that were … [Read more...] about A few gripes with Tania Branigan’s Bo Xilai corruption piece
Philippines, China, UNCLOS and the South China Seas
Recently, we hear a growing chorus how the China - Philippines dispute in the South China Seas ought to be settled by binding arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We already have dealt with some of the political dimensions of this (see, e.g., our South China Seas tag), and I won't rehash them here. But I do want to bring up a couple of … [Read more...] about Philippines, China, UNCLOS and the South China Seas
Book Review: Shaun Rein, “The End of Cheap China”
If I have to pick three books for Western readers that best explains modern China, I would recommend Shaun Rein's recently released book, "The End of Cheap China: Economic and Cultural Trends That Will Disrupt the World." (Also, see my interview with the author earlier this year.) The book draws heavily on Rein's personal experience working and living in China. During one of … [Read more...] about Book Review: Shaun Rein, “The End of Cheap China”