Symphony – Page 3 – Pacific Daily Times Editorials

The press is attacking Biden over COVID more than they did Trump. It’s so funny, how much they lauded the savior who honored mask and social distancing rules, but now they toss him under the bus. Even funnier is how CDC big wigs survived two attacked presidencies while they were the supposed professionals actually making the decisions.

Trump supporters will easily blame Fauci since he was the man in charge all this time. Trump fans do that, especially since The Apprentice and Trump’s famous line, “You’re fired.” Trump supporters know who and how to fire. At least, they think they do.

Anti-Trumpists, however, now have an inescapable contradiction to face. Biden was the savior because he followed the mask rules, and the media heads even said so—until he wasn’t and they didn’t. Anti-Trump sentiment was based largely on the notion that COVID proved who was right and wrong as a president. That idea can’t hold water anymore, for either purpose or any other purpose.

Whether right or wrong, Trumpists can maintain their story; Anti-Trumpists can’t because to oppose Biden is to support Trump. Trumpists who prophesied Trump’s continued presidency in the name of God already faced that contradiction. Now it’s time for Anti-Trumpists. Sometimes we need our own contradictions to get bad enough before we see the light. But, that’s going for all, regardless of which political candidate they support.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 20, 2021

SymphonyDecember 20, 2021

The US is hitting China hard over treatment of Uyghurs. Nearly all imports from Xinjiang will be banned. At the same time, the US bolsters the call to bolster Taiwan’s military defense. However, Taiwan has the seeds of the same tyranny; it just doesn’t materialize into anything alarming because Taiwan remains small. The most obvious problem is that Taiwan refuses to allow Taiwan citizens to renounce citizenship, but demands Americans renounce their citizenship to become Taiwanese. Taiwanese can become dual-citizen Americans, but Americans can never become dual-citizen Taiwanese. That’s what some people call a “clue”.

Any double standard, no matter how small, will grow exponentially as a nation or organization grows. Taiwan’s double standard must be stopped before bolstering Taiwan’s military. Expunging double standards to escape fake democracy is the most effective way to help Taiwan right now.

China has been lecturing Taiwan about democracy. And, Taiwan has rightly and appropriately responded with harsh words. “It is ridiculous that China, which is not democratic at all, dares to tell Taiwan what democracy means,” said Spokesman Lo, from the Executive branch. That’s true. But, in terms of equal treatment to all people, Taiwan has its own deficiencies—which is fine because we all have deficiencies; but Taiwan’s deficiencies are being utterly ignored. We must ask why.

Is Washington so focused on China’s threat that leaders can’t foresee the next problem they will fear? Are lobbyists blind to the next problem, just as they were blind to the problem of making China so wealthy with exported American jobs over the last three decades? Is it greed? Is it a carefully crafted “next crisis”? Or, is it pure unawareness or apathy? We don’t know, but we need to be asking why America is running to help a country that treats Americans as “lessers”. Failure to do so actually makes China’s nonsense look less legitimate.

Don’t rush to automatically take sides in conflicts that have lasted centuries. The scariest part is that China’s government ignores the problem as much as the Taiwanese and American governments. That is what some call a “larger clue”.

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, December 20, 2021

SymphonyDecember 20, 2021

America is clearly divided. Democrats get vaccinated, Republicans don’t want to. Now, vaccine demands are rising for a virus clinically proven to cause no harm 40% of the time. Two in five people with the Omicron variant of COVID won’t have symptoms. When Democrats hear that, they fear the virus more because lack of symptoms makes it more sneaky. When Republicans hear that, they fear the virus less because lack of symptoms is lack of real threat. The same virus invokes opposite reactions.

Republican states argue to block vaccine mandates over technicalities. Democratic-controlled governments argue “science”—when “40% asymptomatic” means 40% zero risk of harm. Neither side presents the strongest case in their own favor. Republican states should argue lack of symptoms and Democrats should argue that workforce hubs do matter.

Our response to the virus is not the problem; our polarity over any response is devastating. The virus hasn’t torn the country apart; our division has. As the saying goes, it’s all in the mind. The strange part is that a billionaire’s daily 40 minutes of meditation is making headlines in a nation that mostly doesn’t see the contradiction of its own thought life. But, some do, enough to make headlines about mind time worthwhile to the ever changing news industry.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 13, 2021

SymphonyDecember 13, 2021

China responds with propaganda. A lot more keeps happening more. It’s too much for China to track. But, when the US pontificates about democracy, China leaps to opine first. The problem is the vibe. It’s not about what we say, but about the vibes created by our actions.

Perhaps both the US and China labeled it wrong. It’s not democracy that won; it’s freedom. Freedom in the market, freedom in speech, freedom in religion, freedom in family—all these are valued by one country and despised by another country. So, the free country gets hate from the opinionated country.

As for other zingers China can’t track, Guatemala, Honduras, and now Germany plan only stronger ties with Taiwan. Nicaragua switched for China this week, making it a three for one to the Confucian Communist team.

You see, that’s the sneaky thing about China’s own problems. Russia is simply Marxist to the core. China always has and always will ever love Confucius more than Marx. Confucius was the greater hater of freedom. That’s why Russia poses a real threat while China just threatens and poses.

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, December 13, 2021

SymphonyDecember 13, 2021

Six states were hit by tornadoes: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. While the nation grapples with disaster, and families look for refuge and loved ones—many lost—Jeff Bezos posts about his latest space flight.

Greed is growing, but not just within American borders. Tensions with China rise, with the now-known Taiwan as the main poster boy. But, Russia looms in the background exploiting China’s self absorption as a distraction to take Ukraine. If Russia hit Ukraine, the US promises to respond. But, that would happen alongside a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The US would have its hands full and the Communists of the East know it—Russia and China.

China wouldn’t be so provocative without backing. Russia is the real threat. Or, is the threat that America’s financial leaders are aloof? Or, is the threat that we got ourselves here?

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 6, 2021

SymphonyDecember 6, 2021

This week, Slovokia cozies up to Taiwan. This is dangerously close to the Czech Republic. Formerly, the two were “Czechoslovakia” until 1993. Pacific Daily Times has some dark information about Taiwan’s poor treatment of a Czech citizen. As calls to different levels of Taiwan’s government have gone unanswered or refused, Taiwan could face major challenges while cozying up to Eastern Europe, but refusing to redress a laundry list of egregious mistreatment of foreign visitors. An exclusive PDT interview is in the works.

Ironically, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said this week, “A stronger Taiwan, a thriving Taiwan, and a Taiwan that guarantees freedom and human rights are also in Japan’s interests. Of course, this is also in the interest of the whole world.” Abe doesn’t know that his statement is an indictment against Taiwan with Czech as witness.

For too long, the Times has sat on the darker side of Taiwan. The world doesn’t know what it is getting into as the West paints Taiwan as the adorable poster boy. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen’s words were correct in 2020, that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy worth saving. But, it is up to the government of Taiwan to make the necessary amends to repair decades of unreported hatred fostered among foreigners who visit Taiwan. And, it is up to the Taiwanese people to become both aware and concerned enough to compel their own democratic government to make such amends.

Meanwhile, Bret Baier asked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for his thoughts on China’s incursion of Taiwan’s airspace. Austin publicly said that they look like “rehearsals” for war. Baier asked directly what the US would do if “China invades Taiwan”.

Chinese invasion of Taiwan is being asked openly and simply. This is a major turn of events, that the Western press believes questions about Taiwan can be asked without needing to re-educate the public about Taiwan’s history with China. Taiwan is on the map, namely as China’s first invasion target. All eyes of the world may soon turn toward Taiwan, like eyes of the universe turned toward Arrakis in the fictional story Dune. But, the bigger news will be how Taiwan decides to change its treatment toward visitors from the world when that happens.