Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 12, 2018

Xi Jinping announced yet another new policy for China: Blaming other countries is wrong, each country must deal with its own economic and environmental issues without the problem being someone else’s fault. While this 180° new direction should be welcoming to foreign companies whose intellectual property was taken by China, along with the neighboring lands that China has no presence in, yet threatened to invade, such as Taiwan, Xi gave no particular details as to how he planned to adjust China’s current action plan. In fact, Xi’s announcement came as if it was not any change at all, but a continuation of the current policy, that taking unoccupied territory and accumulating foreign technology without payment was necessary for China’s economic and environmental well being within its borders. Perhaps his intention was to further confuse the West about China’s international policy or perhaps he has made himself even more understandable than he ever has before. We’ll have to wait and see what actions follow to interpret Xi’s meaning.

China is growing its ties with Israel, for the time being. An infrastructure deal is said to be the kind that will irritate US President Trump. China, however, should be more concerned. Israel has some of the best counter-intel gathering in the world. If China does use the building contracts as an opportunity to spy, after Israel has a chance to respond, it might be the Chinese who break contract. Israel is one nation that China won’t be able to bully. As stubborn as ancient Asian worldviews can still be today, Israeli culture can be more stubborn. It’s not about race, it’s about two cultures about to collide. ‘Tis folly to double-cross a nation whose name means “wrestles with God”; and the name is not a reference to wrestling with China.

This week, Taiwan and Hong Kong did what they do best more than they have done before. When a Financial Times writer is banned from Hong Kong because he intends to interview an author—and that author’s speaking engagements are shut down after Chinese requests—the wisdom of Roger Branigin returns to the western readership: “I never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” China wasn’t satisfied to argue with an author who is more famous for it, but now wants to argue with more in the ink business. But, that wasn’t the most significant development of the week. Taiwan is labeled as the “island of hope” for Asia at an international forum for Human Rights hosted in Taipei.

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 26, 2016

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 26, 2016

Beijing continues rattling prototype sabers over Trump’s talk and his walk. The Trump cabinet will be packed with savvy Secretaries who are wise to bad deals. People who want good deals will be supportive. People who want bad deals will object. Everyone has made his own position clear. Now, it’s time to see whose ideas will work and whose will produce change, not mere talk of change.

At the close of WWII, General Eisenhower ordered that as many pictures be taken of the Jewish Holocaust as possible because, so he explained, “some bastard will say this never happened.” Soon, Trump’s opponents, both in America and around the world, will try to claim that they “always supported” him. But, they are already on record.

The WWII Jewish Holocaust came up in Taiwan, however. Probably innocence fueled by ignorance and driven by anti-Simetic propaganda led teachers to approve a Nazi-style parade in a Taiwanese school courtyard at an assembly. The students didn’t know how bad it was. The teachers at the private school probably didn’t know either—even though it was their job as teachers to know history. It is worth mention that private schools in Taiwan usually are a “lower quality” than private schools in the West, which are considered for the “elite”. Taiwan is very misunderstood, but now Taiwan has misunderstood Israel. Outrage sparked across the nation.

Taiwan’s president is taking heavy action, demanding apologies to Israel and cutting whatever funding the private school received. But, therein lies the new dilemma. Since Beijing objects to Taiwan’s president giving a common courtesy call to America’s new president, will Beijing object to Taiwan apologizing directly to Israel for selectively portraying events in WWII? That would paint Beijing as anti-Simetic. If Beijing does not object, then their own objection to the Tsai-Trump phone call would be self-invalidated by mere precedent. If Beijing says nothing, it will surely face more opposition from anti-Semitic groups.

But, then we have Israel’s position. Israel does not recognize Taiwan as a state. Israel has its own dissident states that refuse to recognize Israel. So, the golden rule, “love your neighbor as yourself” raises interesting questions about whether Israel has a double standard. Taiwan has suffered its own holocaust—though on a much smaller scale—from the Chinese Nationalists who seized Taiwan assets and slaughtered Taiwanese. Remember, “Nazi” means “National-Socialist” and German National-Socialist seizure of Jewish property paid for 30% of Germany’s action in WWII, according to studies. There are many other striking similarities between Taiwan and Israel, though the two are nowhere new identical.

Now, with Taiwan’s honest-innocent mistake facing fierce self-correction, Taiwanese support for Israel is seen loudly throughout the globe. We are now at a point where Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan is a catch-22 and it is now in Israel’s self-interest to formally recognize the island that bears such relevant likeness to itself. No matter what the decision is, the people will know, and public support will swing more toward both Israel and Taiwan.

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Encore of Revival: America, March 7, 2016

Encore of Revival: America, March 7, 2016

Wait… Did a former GOP nominee urge voters to not vote for someone who was asked to sign a pledge of party loyalty? If ears and eyes dost not deceive, then the GOP thinks loyalty is a one-way street.

Bernie supporters think that he has a chance. They have a “be positive, we can” attitude. They don’t seem to understand the mafia-style, backroom deal, secret money exchanges that affect elections. They really think that elections are about the best ideas and honest effort.

Trump continues to be misunderstood by journalists and establishment bosses. With Kansas and Maine taking the turn they did, with Ohio leaning for Kasich a strong 2nd, and with Michigan polls still settling, GOP primaries are far from over. With Trump not having Texas, and probably not Ohio, July will likely be a brokered convention. The best power choice would be to keep Cruz in the Senate with a Trump-Kasich ticket. The strong-vote choice would be a Trump-Cruz ticket, seating the failed 2012 VP behind Trump at the 2017 State of the Union next to the man who put him there. The establishment-game, if left unchanged, would deny both Trump and Cruz the ticket, leading to a likely four or five candidate election—if Trump goes third party, Cruz would probably also have been dejected, and Bernie would have another chance. America will get a front-row view of the wheeling and dealing of party politics, just as the party bosses get a balcony ticket to the response of the masses who won’t have it anymore.

It’s already time to grab a popcorn, a cup of coffee, and start thinking about 2024.

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November 12, 2015

Five 4th GOP debate takeaways (POLITICO)

Pentagon inside baseball: Russia & China (Bloomberg View)

‘C-lie-mate gate’, normal solar minimums, cooling sun & 2030 (The Nation)

Foreign $$ = ‘spy’… Russian crackdown (Yahoo)

Hollywood ‘player’, HIV epidemic? (The Sun) [discretion advised]

Jeb is toast: Dole endorsed him, of course (Huff Post)

Israel Holocaust ALERT: Europe has taken one more small step towards making Israel a pariah state  · · · →

November 10, 2015

Israel remembers, Germany, 1938; viz modern Antisemitism (JP)

Obamnesty ‘could’ be heard by SCOTUS, possibly implemented summer 2016 (POLITICO)

2nd LA missile muscle flex: Did US Navy plan social reaction? (WP) (LA Times)

U. of Missouri prez resigns, slow response to racism, “stop yelling at each other and start listening…” (AP)

Music censored: China may have just made it harder for its citizens to ever get Spotify or Apple Music (QZ)

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