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?
Charlie Rose speaks with Bashar Al-Assad
For those of you who live in the West, you might have noticed the lack of news covering the Syrian perspective. Well, Charlie Rose deserves credit for bucking the trend, daring to interview Bashar Al-Assad and bringing Syria's perspective to his America audience. … [Read more...] about Charlie Rose speaks with Bashar Al-Assad
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?
Putting BBC’s propaganda against Vietnam to the test
Is it possible to stop people from discussing news or current affairs on the Internet? The answer is easy: obviously not. I can't see how that is possible without shutting the Internet down completely. And, what does it mean to be an "enemy of the internet" anyway? To qualify for that, wouldn't a nation state be engaging in destroying Internet infrastructure globally or … [Read more...] about Putting BBC’s propaganda against Vietnam to the test
Are The American and Chinese Dreams That Different – You Can’t Tell From Obama’s March on Washington Speech Yesterday
Yesterday, the U.S. marked the 50th anniversary of the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." It was in that event 50 years ago that King gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech. By most accounts, Obama's speech is well-delivered and well-received - albeit "not as good." It could not be, Obama would explain, “[b]ecause when you are talking about Dr. King’s speech at the … [Read more...] about Are The American and Chinese Dreams That Different – You Can’t Tell From Obama’s March on Washington Speech Yesterday