Recently, I heard an exchange on a Canadian radio show. An interviewee criticized a new Canadian government effort to pass an anti-Muslim law. The radio host let slip a "standard" excuse /justification: "The Canadian legislators are legitimate representatives duly elected by the people." The interviewee replied interestingly, "That doesn't mean their actions are … [Read more...] about What is Legitimacy?
Lee Kuan Yew’s Passing is a Loss for the World
Lee Kuan Yew passed away yesterday (March 23, 2015). It is a sad day for Singapore, for Chinese everywhere, as well as for the world. Under Lee's leadership, Singapore became not only an economic and technological Mecca, but has also developed a unique multicultural melting pot that help it escape the many racial and religious violence that have gripped its earlier history … [Read more...] about Lee Kuan Yew’s Passing is a Loss for the World
The Tussle over AIIB – So Much ado about Influence?
The news about China the last few days is about how it is scoring a diplomatic coup d'état against the U.S. vis-a-vis Europe. On March 12, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced that the U.K. had applied to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a founding member. If accepted, Britain would have been the first major Western country to become a … [Read more...] about The Tussle over AIIB – So Much ado about Influence?
Tis a Puzzlement
I was driving last night and tuned onto WNYC of "On Point" program about "Xi Jinping and his Anticorruption Campaign". The introduction was about the Wall Street Journal article by David Shambaugh about the coming crackup of China. The usual format with 3 professors or China experts exponding on the topic. The 3 experts and the listener callers generally agree with David … [Read more...] about Tis a Puzzlement
“Under the Dome” by Chai Jing
"Under the Dome" originally was a novel by Stephen King about a community in Maine enclosed by an alien force field and the how the people reacted under the stress. CBS adopted it later for a TV drama series. Chai Jing was a reporter for CCTV. She resigned after she got married and became pregnant. Recently she made a documentary about smog and pollution, using her own money, … [Read more...] about “Under the Dome” by Chai Jing