Symphony – Page 11 – Pacific Daily Times Editorials

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, July 5, 2021

SymphonyJuly 5, 2021

Everyone gets more serious about Taiwan. The US wants a special free trade agreement. China wants reunification, again. While China stockpiles nukes, the US shakes the finger, then China shakes its fist.

But, Chinese on the inside are tired of it. CCP has burned-out much of its talent and it looks like the Chinese solution is to burn-out more. It’s a very common indication of a very bad leadership—that the solution to a problem is more of the cause.

Taiwan makes a swift recovery from its own COVID lockdown, though Taiwan still has a long way to go. Charging significantly higher fees for the vaccination to resident foreigners, including Americans, isn’t exactly the best way to court support from America. Then again, too often the proposed solution to a problem is more of the cause. Taiwan has developed a fear of foreign invasion—a fear reinforced by recent Chinese rhetoric—yet Taiwanese xenophobia fails to distinguish between foreign friend and foreign foe. That’s the greatest cause of Taiwan’s security threats.

In Tempo

Encore of Revival: America, July 5, 2021

SymphonyJuly 5, 2021

Tucker Carlson makes claims and claims are made about Tucker Carlson. We haven’t seen this much media attention-gathering brilliance since Trump. Did Tucker gossip with journalists on the other side? Can anyone prove FBI involvement in the January 6 revolt? Did the NSA really spy on Tucker? More than evidence, history has the public convinced it’s all plausible.

The NSA’s denial that Tucker was a target would be more believable with two circumstances: 1. if it came from the White House which would have something to lose if the denial was proven false and 2. if the feds hadn’t given credence to Snowden by martyring him. But, lacking these, many find it all too believable.

Just as believable is the notion of Tucker being in a gossip circle. Scandals are everywhere, after all.

But, the bigger problem with Tucker isn’t a theory, it’s a result. He is divisive. He points out problems in the other side, but without any path to restoration or friendship. Listening to him stirs hatred and fear—for whichever opinion is different from that of the listener. Democratic and Republican voters could tend to hate and fear each other more after listening to Tucker. That’s Tucker’s type.

Bickering and unrest are stirring up all over the country. Some is warranted, much is not, but all of it is what we asked for when we decided to win arguments and fights instead of supporters and friends.

Grimly yet hopefully, I wish you a Happy Independence Day.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 28, 2021

SymphonyJune 28, 2021

Spite for China is turning toward panic. Australian university campuses feel the pressure of CCP censorship, including death threats against students and pressure on family members back in China. If the CCP wanted to demonstrate its purported benevolence to the world, every week betrays a bigger fail.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth marches through Russian-concerned waters on its rout to Hong Kong. Moscow knows that the Brits have no interest in quibbling over Crimea. The bombs dropped in the aircraft carrier’s path were meant to deter the British from arriving at the Southeast Asian shipping lanes that Russia so conveniently controls through the world’s biggest puppet-in-denial: China.

Taiwan magnificently navigates its own mini COVID crisis, which doesn’t help build kind thoughts among Taiwanese toward the CCP. The American “not Embassy” director is on his way out and was honored by Taiwan’s president with a big, pretty, purple ribbon. Nothing makes the CCP angry like a purple ribbon.

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, June 28, 2021

SymphonyJune 28, 2021

Justin Bieber is not being smeared in the news because he wore Nike shoes in his visit to French President Macron. He is being smeared for being a Christian. The purported claim that he was “labelled ‘disrespectful'” by fans is not from any scientific poll, it’s from anecdotal comments that fit with the narrative. Such comments could come from news writers themselves and the reporting wouldn’t clarify otherwise. Headlines would have us believe that the majority of the people who love him and his music—that is his fans—object to his shoes. But, that is not a reasonable claim. Objections probably come from non-fans and haters. The biggest haters are those in the news industry who hate all Christians, Bieber included. We already know that haters rarely disclose their affiliations and biases, including those in the news industry.

But, why does society keep placing the same expectations on both politicians and entertainment stars? Bieber is a singer, we should expect him to dress somewhat like one. You won’t see the same newspapers reporting objection when Bono wears his trademark sunglasses in photos with heads of state. We know they are different—but do we really? Why do Hollywood and the Chinese government care what John Cena says about China?

Perhaps people can’t tell a difference between Bieber’s and Macron’s professions because both are seen as simply “on TV”. It’s no wonder democracies are collapsing around the world—the voters view politics as entertainment and make entertainment political. An article reporting on fans that expect a pop entertainer to dress or act like a politician should focus on a society that can’t tell the difference between the two. Fortunately, at least one news article does address the deeper issue.

In Tempo

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 21, 2021

SymphonyJune 20, 2021

China is facing massive resentment against its own Communist Party from inside its own borders. Members of ordinary society stab Communist Party members and are regarded heroes. The party of self-importance on the world stage isn’t only hated by the rest of the world, but also by the people it oppresses at home. CCP does not have the support it claims. That’s just another lie.

Taiwan is having to pull staff from its Hong Kong office. The Hong Kong government wouldn’t give work visas to the Taiwan government without them agreeing to the “One China” policy—which apparently was not part of an agreement from 2011. Hong Kong didn’t agree with Taiwan before adding the new requirement. Not having work visas on this account, Hong Kong told the Taiwan office workers to leave for not having work visas. The puppets in Hong Kong’s government never had the gonads to say that they kicked out Taiwan for not agreeing to CCP’s desire to redraw the world map against the will of the world. Those Taiwanese are heroes.

Taiwan’s pandemic is calming down. After Pfizer’s fling with the mildly popular CCP became the excuse to deny Taiwan its vaccines—and after 49 people died after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine, the US boosted its donation of Moderna vaccines from 700k to 2.5M. Rest assured, the CCP will show the world more of its loving attitude in response.