For some time, I have been on a hiatus from the blog. That does not mean that I was tuned off from what's going on in the world. Despite my temporary leave of absence, I till end up devoting non-trivial amounts of time to corresponding over emails with friends ... and editors on this blog about current events. I was just about to send another email when I realized that … [Read more...] about Ideology and Facts
politics
The Mystery of Stupidity
STUPIDITY, a formidable globalised trend, is gaining momentum. Living in Hong Kong, I can feel its pressure wave on my face each morning I wake up. This 21st century bliss seems a Darwinian mystery at first. Idiot genes don’t serve any obvious evolutionary purpose, yet are present in prodigious abundance. How did that happen, I wonder? Perhaps people supported imbeciles … [Read more...] about The Mystery of Stupidity
A proper perspective on Sino-Russian relations
In light of President Xi's latest visit to Russia, it would be appropriate to provide a nuanced perspective to the current state of Sino-Russian relations. It is understandably difficult for the western media to deliver this kind of nuance; this difficulty stems not only from western biases against both Russia and China that obstructs objective analysis, but also the … [Read more...] about A proper perspective on Sino-Russian relations
Losing The Last Accountability in the “Do-Over” Democracies, The Buck Doesn’t Stop.
By now, the Cyprus government is still haggling with EU (and its banks) over how to save Cyprus economy, without anyone paying for it. But just a few days ago, they almost managed to get away with a "deal" to pay for it by "taxing" 10% of all bank accounts in Cyprus. This didn't have much of a shock value in the West, except for perhaps in Cyprus, where the populous … [Read more...] about Losing The Last Accountability in the “Do-Over” Democracies, The Buck Doesn’t Stop.
Ann Lee vs Peter Navarro and CNBC on China Real-estate ‘Bubble’
Allen and I had a chance to chat with Professor Ann Lee a little over a year ago, and we continue to see her moderating the warped perspectives in the Anglophone press. In this short CNBC video, she debunks Professor Peter Navarro of UC Irvine. Actually, she's mostly debunking CNBC's narrative. China's urbanization rate is still only about 52%. When China's … [Read more...] about Ann Lee vs Peter Navarro and CNBC on China Real-estate ‘Bubble’