This past weekend, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court found Bo Xilai guilty bribetaking, embezzlement and abuse of power. The trial has been widely publicized and discussed in China, with netizens on the blogsphere commenting from almost every angle, some in support of Bo, some in disgust of his alleged actions, and others neutral and looking at the bigger picture (see e.g. … [Read more...] about Opinion: On Bo Xilai and Rule of Law
politics
The Chinese Order and Putin’s Comment on American Exceptionalism
As part of the interesting discussion between Black Pheonix, ersim, ho hon and others in this recent thread, Black Phoenix made this insightful comment: Sun Tzu definitely wrote not so much about “just war”, as he admonished rulers against War, using costs of war as arguments. Sun Tzu was not concerned with what would justify war. His solution was to end wars as … [Read more...] about The Chinese Order and Putin’s Comment on American Exceptionalism
Is there a Chinese model of innovation?
One of the main reasons I wanted to contribute to the success of this blog is my desire to dispel ideological myths and dogma that exists in western discourse, and if I'm lucky, reach out to a few people in my age group back in China. One of the myths, against which I voiced skepticism in "Rethinking the Freedom-Innovation Nexus" is the supposed causal link between political … [Read more...] about Is there a Chinese model of innovation?
Case Study on Democratic Self-Governance: NSA Oversight, a Straight Game of Poker?
If there is a religion in the modern world, it is the fanatic belief in democratic self-governance. From a philosophical perspective, the legitimacy of democratic self-government requires the notion of a public forum - a democratic corpus, a public sphere formed by citizens, if you will - to frame, debate and discuss political issues and events, free from "government … [Read more...] about Case Study on Democratic Self-Governance: NSA Oversight, a Straight Game of Poker?
The U.S.S. Midway and the Phantom F-4 jet fighter
During my teenage years, I dreamed of becoming a jet fighter pilot. Believe it or not, I was accepted by the U.S. Air Force Academy, and had I opt for that career, I would certainly have seen my share of war. Anyways, few days ago, my family visited the U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego. The ship and the airplanes on it have been decommissioned for couple of … [Read more...] about The U.S.S. Midway and the Phantom F-4 jet fighter