Category: Xi Jinping

A Reply to “Walter Lohman on Taiwan: A free-market approach to US-China trade troubles”

Walter Lohman has always been supportive of Taiwan. I’ve usually enjoyed that. Consequently, his article in the Taipei Times on Monday, July 23, 2018 entitled Walter Lohman on Taiwan: A free-market approach to US-China trade troubles was shockingly apologetic for Communist China (almost appalling). Here are my comments on the article.

“There is another way to approach China” – anytime you see this it means this: kowtow, kowtow, kowtow to get China to throw some scraps. First, China=the Chinese Communist Party, which has absolute power conferred on the Emperor Xi. Secondly, I don’t care how many technical geopolitical economic arguments you make, it boils down to “don’t antagonize China”. Well. My response to that is kowtow this, China. Make my day. Really.

“Its first rule is “economics is economics and politics are something else.” In the relationship with China, the US has to keep these separate. It cannot be naive. ” What the hell? Everything involving Communist China is political, everything, including whether US airlines say “Taiwan, China” or “Taiwan”. Political correctness is hopefully out the window now that feckless Obama is history. To say that economics and politics must be kept separate when dealing with China is naive, not the other way around, principally because every single thing China does is political, especially economics. See, e.g., One Belt One Road (One Noose One Way) a Chinese Communist Party Trojan horse to control as many nations along the way as possible, for political-economic reasons. Money is China’s bait. Everything is political.

“Still, these differences need not interfere with the way the US conducts its economic relationship with China”. Awww…poor little China, upset by US pressure. Now, who is being naive? “Need not interfere” – I believe just the opposite, it is absolutely necessary, nothing could be more important than to bring total and complete pressure to bear until China begs for relief.

“No, the Chinese state-led capitalism does not lend itself to a similar firewall. But the US need not become more like China in order to secure its interests.” What?!! Are you kidding? It’s okay for China to mix politics and economics, but not the US? Really? We should be nice and polite to China? [head shaking, laughing, eye rolling]. What a joke. It is because China plays this game 24/7 that the US must be vigilant, and relentless.

“The second rule is “it is better to open markets than to close them.” If the US has a problem with market access in China, it should put them on the table, and use the leverage of its market to address them, not close its market with unilateral tariffs”. Ha ha ha. Right. Put them on the table….for how many years? Ten, twenty, thirty? Screw that. Full speed ahead, maximum pressure, make China feel the pain. Let them know how no matter how proud they are, they need the US so much more than the US needs them. Previous administrations tip-toed. Now it is time to employ the heavy boot.

And Lohman says this in response to what I just said – “Critics will say this has been tried and failed, and there is some truth to this. The Chinese repeat many of the same promises and never deliver. However, there has been incremental progress, in financial services, for example. Is it sufficient? No. But if the US is not seriously talking to them, it is difficult to shape outcomes.” Are you freaking kidding me? Not serious? Oh, yeah, it’s the fault of the US. What planet are you from? You admit China is playing games, but we should not respond forcefully? Yeah, let’s keep doing the same stupid things over and over and over. Yeah. Like Beijing was ever afraid of Obama for one second. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Okay, halfway through the article, the theme is this: “Please, please, please, please don’t affect business between the US and China. Please, please, please.” This is why people like Mr. Lohman and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce cannot make policy, especially on bended knee.

“The third rule is “when bilateral talks fail, go multilateral.”” Ha ha ha ha ha. Okay, hard to breathe after ten minutes of hysterical laughter. Are you kidding me? Depend on the WTO? Depend on the EU? Really? After we pulled the plug on Iran, who was the first guy on a plane to Teheran from Paris to make sure the business deals were still in place? There is no help, there is no cavalry, there are no joint efforts, there is nothing but American resolve. That’s it.

“First, we have to acknowledge one uncomfortable fact. Not all the American companies who have given their technology to the Chinese are innocent victims. Joint ventures are more than Chinese schemes to bilk foreign companies. For some American companies sharing technology with their partners was part of their business plans.” OMG. That statement is totally la di sai (B.S.) Totally. China is one of the few countries in the world that makes divulging trade secrets a cost of doing business in China. It is heinous, and there is a high price of doing business in China. It is despicable and nothing about China is an “open market”. It is a honey pot.

“Second, we have to put China’s abuses in some context. The US Chamber of Commerce’s International IP Index ranks China 25th out of 50 countries in terms of IP protection and enforcement. Granted, what China does on these issues is more consequential than some of the countries, like Russia and Thailand, that it outperforms. But its middling ranking is a good indication that the problem is not as dramatic as it is portrayed, and therefore subject to resolution.” Again. OMG. How do you spell A-P-O-L-O-G-I-S-T? 25th out of 50 countries? American Chamber of Commerce a/k/a “Do Business Anywhere No Matter How Evil, Let’s Make a Deal”? That Chamber of Commerce? Give me a break. Does Lohman actually believe these are rational excuses for evil?

“It is worth taking another look at this judgement. The EU has also filed a case, yet its case is broader, and it managed to pursue it without resort to unilateral sanctions.” Geez. I hope you are not suggesting the US should be more like the EU, where fecklessness is a Unionwide policy. Don’t offer the EU as an example of what the US should do. Ever. We are not them. We had 8 years of Obamunism and Oppeasement, we don’t need any more of that crap.

“Fourth, when it comes to cyber-espionage the US is well within its right to retaliate against the Chinese companies that perpetrate the theft and/or benefit from it. It should single out these entities and impose appropriate penalties on them.” I’m sorry, are you actually suggesting that all of that is not at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party? Really? Who is being naive now?

“Finally, the administration has to be clear and consistent that addressing Chinese IP abuses is its aim, not paring back Chinese industrial policy — which is unrealistic in any regard — or negotiating transactional arrangements designed to reduce the trade deficit — which is also unrealistic. If talks have any prospect of succeeding, they must narrow in on the matter at hand and set specific, detailed expectations.” What? What!? Focus on only IP? This is apples and oranges, this is watering down this dispute to how crispy is the crust…The dispute is all about stopping China’s animus of taking over the world and remaking it into a world with Chinese Characteristics. But it sounds like that would be okay with Lohman. If not, please get another writer at the Heritage Foundation, or get articles vetted by someone who isn’t on their knees, because this sure sounds like a huge apology for the Chinese Communist Party’s decades of bad acts and evil designs, and appeasement for its end-game.

Finally, Lohman offers this: “one that has at its heart less state-led design and more economic freedom.” What? China is all about and only about “State-led design”. The Chinese Communist Party and the Emperor Xi need to be stopped cold. If you cannot sign onto that, just go sell it elsewhere where such nonsense can get past people who don’t know the truth. [More head shaking, laughing, eye rolling].

What a joke. This apology for China disappoints me in so many ways.

Will Hutton of the Observer – Complaining about how Strong the US President is…really!

Pardon the enormous amount of sarcasm and utter loathing below concerning Will Hutton’s article entitled “The world struggles to deal with Trump’s erratic and capricious ways” republished in the Taipei Times on 5/29/18 on page 9.

Will, Will, Will – you’ve been a fool for at least the past 16 years, as long as I’ve been writing in the Taipei Times. Of course you despise Trump, he is a blunt tool to Obama’s feckless, weak and impossibly hesitant administration. “Both see yet more opportunities spinning out of Trump’s incredible stupidity in deliberately destabilizing the very system from which the US benefits” – uh, excuse me. It was Obama who threw every ally under the bus, and embraced our enemies as brothers – which had the effect of allowing China and Russia to soar to new heights, empowered Iran, Syria, the Palestinians, especially Hamas, and North Korea built bombs and missiles, and Europe waffled and waffled and waffled – France was suddenly important because the US withdrew from its position under Obama. Will, Will, Will…are you kidding me?

“Has a bigger fool ever occupied the White House?” Of course – Obama, preceded by Jimmy Carter, both enshrined in the Idiot Weak Presidents Hall of Fame. Do you not understand that Obama came in on a campaign of “Change”, only the change he had in mind was de-fanging and castrating the US, and allowing its enemies a golden period of growth and hegemony? Red lines followed by terminal hesitation. Obama left the planet in FLAMES and CHAOS. Flames and chaos. Has there ever been a worse president? (I used to think Carter was the worst, but geez, it is a close race between Obama and Carter as to who is the bigger fool). Of course you like this American weakness better than a strong, unpredictable blunt tool – you hated Reagan too, but he helped bring down the Soviet Union. Europe has more clout when the US is weak. Will, Will, Will…

“Give no quarter, look for the other side’s weakness and brutally cut the deal to walk away taller and prouder yourself.” Are you kidding me? You actually reject this strategy for winning against the likes of Russia, Communist China, North Korea, Iran, and so on and so on? Are you joking? Of course you’re not joking. All we need to do is open the European Manual for Negotiation and see that the chapter on tough negotiating is 3 pages long, and the chapters on Appeasement, and Compromise are each 57 pages long, including the 7 page footnote on the greatness of the Chamberlain School of Diplomacy. Sigh. Will, Will, Will, when will you ever learn?

“NATO is tolerated because members are increasing defense spending as demanded. ” Are you suggesting the US owes it to the EU to defend it, protect it, go to war for it without the EU lifting a finger? Is there a single conflict in the Universe that the world would feel safe having the EU military defend against? Any? How could it? The non-US NATO guidebook on military conflict has a chapter on The Art of War which is 2 pages long, and there is a 77 page chapter entitled “Run Away!!” Will, Will, Will….what are you thinking?

“North Korea must overtly bend to US will if there is to be a summit.” Will, Will, Will…are you out of your mind? Is there anything wrong with bringing North Korea to heel? Are you kidding me? Are you actually in favor of appeasing it, giving N.Korea leeway, giving Kim a ….well you know? Are you insane? You think it is bad that the US President can be tough with N. Korea in a very real way, and bring about peace? It is yahoos like you and the rest of the EU that encourage evil to be brave and intransigent, because they know the EU will blink, blink, blink. Sigh. Will, Will, Will…what the hell are you thinking? Just stand back and let us do our work. Watch and learn. Or else, if you can’t look, like perhaps you watch scary movies through your fingers or from behind your popcorn, just close your eyes, and mumble to yourself. “Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada….is it over yet?”

“Foreign policy has become a series of zero-sum games: The US has to win each one.” DUH!! Is there something tragically wrong with you? Do you actually think we should LOSE a conflict? You think we need to be fair with evil such as Russia or China or Iran or North Korea? God, how can you be so stupid?? The hits just keep coming and coming. Now I understand fully why the situation in Israel has never been solved, because Europe is so feckless, so appeasing, so worried, so weak, so pathetic, we have to do it ourselves…God, you are so pathetic. So you understand that in twenty years Europe will be the Middle East? So vacuous. Will, Will, Will….what will you be writing twenty years hence, and in what language?

“Furthermore, it fragments the entire alliance network — and legitimizes Russia and China. Thus Russia and the Europeans are acting in concert to sustain the Iranian denuclearization deal.” We legitimize Russia and China??? We? By opposing a ridiculous deal that allows Iran to hide its program at military sites, and develop weapons and missiles in a mere ten years?!! You idiots. YOU are legitimizing these evil regimes by deviating from your already meager senses, and scrambling according to Macron to save the deal so the EU can keep its business deals with Iran…and WE are wrong??? The EU crawled into bed with the Mullahs, the Russian Tzar Putin and the Emperor Xi to oppose the U.S….YOU GUYS DID THAT. Idiots! Will, Will, Will…what the hell is wrong with you?

“The best response is to show no weakness and stand up to him”. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Will, Will, Will…do you even realize how stupid you sound?? You are advocating standing up to Trump to punish him for standing up to the world’s worst regimes… How stupid is that? Idiots. Sure, throw your ally under the bus, that is the European way, isn’t it? With friends like you, who needs enemies, right? Will, Will, Will….What the hell is wrong with you?!

“However, Macron and Merkel have the power of the EU behind them, itself now the world’s best and most powerful custodian of a rules-based international system. *** Britain is a weakened onlooker — a flyblown lion unable to muster more than a whimper. Our capacity is reduced by Brexit, just as we — and the world — need so much more.” Oh God. Will, Will, Will…you think that is going to bring evil to heel? You really think “the power of the EU” is scary to anyone except some poor EU worker who earns a Euro and has to contemplate paying 80% of it to the EU government for taxes? Power of the EU??? In what universe are you dreaming, Will? You think Xi, Putin, Kim, the Ayatollah, Assad all go to sleep at night thinking, thinking, thinking how to deal with the big bad EU? Or so you think they think of the EU, see dollar signs, smile in their sleep, and dream of visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads? God, you are so dumb. How is it even possible? Will, Will, Will….and you wrote this and published it…in the Observer…for all to see? That should give you nightmares. What the hell were you thinking??!!!

President Tsai’s Passive Demeanor Betrays Her Passion for Democracy, Justice and Freedom for Taiwan in the Shadow of Communist China’s Mortal Fear of Such Things

In Taiwan recently, much has been written on the second anniversary of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文)  inauguration as President, about the criticism of her policies and her apparently “low” ratings.

I wrote often of these things. President Tsai has to contend with undoing all the damage done to Taiwan by her predecessor, Ma Ing-jieou for 8 years, and by all those Chinese Nationalist Party’s (Guomindang or KMT) leaders before him, and doing so in 2 years has been impossible. She has been facing issues in Taiwan which are generational or historic in nature, and she is faced with criticism both for being too quick and too slow at the same time. I agree that there seems to be excessive dithering by her administration, but it is like choosing the frying pan or the fire, and there is danger in either direction.

Reform is change, and change is often unpopular, particularly in Taiwan. This explains why “maintaining the status quo” is often the most popular choice of the majority of the people, a matter of accepting the way things are, the way people can bear, the way to survive (even thrive, if possible). Most people are unwilling to accept risk, and there is risk on every possible side of every possible choice. Most critics though, on both sides, do not really offer much help (for instance, having yet another government body make some decisions on transitional justice, while the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee makes other decisions is definitely not a way to expedite justice – the results will never be popular for any KMT member, and there are enough KMT members in Taiwan to make a loud noise – many of us feel the Committee has been too ponderous, taking too long to effect transitional justice without the government prosecuting the people responsible for money laundering and fraud and other defalcations related to the KMT’s generations of theft from Taiwan), and simply do what is most common these days, which is just criticize.

President Tsai’s tasks are difficult. At some point she needs to be decisive, pursue the policies she believes in, be resolute and strong. Her tendency to be less emotional than some regarding her beliefs leaves many underwhelmed with her leadership. However, her stability can be reassuring if she can find a way to better communicate her passion to improve Taiwan’s and its people’s stature and health, and inspire Taiwanese to embrace a new path, finally resolve and throw off its 60 years of Party-state handcuffs, and step out into the world away from China and its persistent insult and injury, and get on with improving Taiwan’s already impressive accomplishments and stature, move out from under the shadow of Communist China, and establish new and enduring relations with the rest of the world.

But Taiwanese must realize this, and realize it well – electing KMT members will only result in reversing the great steps taken forward, bring Taiwan back into the death-embrace of Communist China, and kill Taiwan’s democratic freedoms and justice. The KMT will do this for a seat at the Communist Party table, having essentially mouthed the words of its dead leader Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) for decades while betraying every fiber of his hatred for communism by kneeling before the Emperor Xi as Taiwan previous President Ma Ing-jieou did before he left office, and sucking up to every single aspect of China’s evil plans for the world – all for $$ and KMT pride. Taiwanese must beware. There is a Lien Chan lurking in every corner of the KMT’s apparatus cackling and salivating at the chance to shake the hand of a Communist leader and get a pat on the head. “Good boy! Sit!”

Project Syndicate Adores China (and seems to Despise Israel) – Read Project Syndicate with Great Care, it is NOT Our Friend

I am writing with regard to the article published by Project Syndicate, and republished in the Taipei Times on May 1, 2018 on p. 8 entitled China Should Follow WTO Rules written by Martin Feldstein.

While not bashing Israel, Project Syndicate seems to make great efforts to glorify Communist China and the new Emperor Xi. This is another Project Syndicate “hail China” article. Is it any surprise? What is wrong with these people? George Soros continues to seek a revolution with totalitarian flavor in the world (a “World with Chinese Characteristics” – he would really love that, it seems). Truthfully, this article and Martin Feldstein, disgusted me from the very first line: “I am a great admirer of China and its ability to adjust its economic policies to maintain rapid growth, but now that it has risen to the top of the global economy…” WHAT ABOUT ITS TOTALITARIAN DICTATORSHIP AND CRUSHING OPPRESSION OF ITS PEOPLE? Not one word. Not one.

Professor Feldstein recounts how he traveled to China in 1982, and how poor it was, and governed by a communist regime. Even then he makes no reference to the nature of the regime – and that is the point – very little has changed since 1982 aside from having beguiled the world into sending trillions of dollars into building up the world’s biggest threat to freedom. I think as an economist, Martin looks at the Chinese economic experiment and marvels at it, sort of like a biologist might examine anthrax or the plague and marvel at the complexity and efficiency at killing. At least the biologist recognizes the threat to humanity. Here, well….only marveling. This kind of appeasement of China is one of the most dangerous aspects of this platform, filling heads around the world with glowing praise for China, a silent killer adept at its own propaganda and blackmail.

Where does Project Syndicate find these pro-China hacks with stellar resumes? You would think that as a member of the Reagan and Bush administrations, Feldstein might have developed a healthy perspective on China’s menace to the world. Perhaps he was brainwashed and turned sappy when he served in the Obama administration and then the Council on Foreign Relations.

Here is an example of another Harvard economist overwhelmed with admiration by the ease with which a totalitarian government can manipulate its economy to become whatever it wishes on the backs of over a billion peasants. Amazing what killing 80 million of its own people, and oppressing billions, strictly controlling every aspect of society and foreign competition at will, and stealing every single item of technology within its sticky, greedy hands, and elevating industrial espionage to a national duty can do for your economy.

Remarkably, Feldstein focuses only on China’s compliance with WTO requirements to admit China into the world as an international leader, and nothing else. He already puts their economy at the top. However, not one time, not one word, not a whisper is devoted to China’s horrendous treatment of its people, the complete absence of any freedom, rights, justice, free will, license, democracy, free enterprise, its aggression towards the South China Sea, its neighbors and in particular its obsession with destroying Taiwan’s democracy, a threat to China’s malignant one-party dictatorship. How is it possible that Feldstein, a member of three Presidential administrations, a supposedly world class economist cannot even recognize China’s hegemonic intentions (e.g. his glowing view of One Belt One Road, ignoring its threat to the world) and complete domination of its people, or that its economic “success” is done with blood on the Emperor’s hands?

This is why we are in danger. People like this, like Feldstein, with long resumes, appointments at the best universities (Harvard in his case), a large platform and absolutely no brains whatsoever in their empty Project Syndicate heads (empty aside from some economic guidelines, formulae and statistics, devoid of morality apparently). In my opinion, Mr. Feldstein is a brilliant economist and a complete idiot (something I feel he has in common with Joseph Stiglitz).

 

 

 

Taiwan is Not Switzerland

In an article published in the Taipei Times (“Politicians warn against entering China-US spat” March 20, 2018, p. 3) members of the Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies appear to argue that Taiwan must navigate a neutral path between China and the United States to avoid further danger.

What? Uh, no matter how much these meek pundits wish to believe that Taiwan is Switzerland, it is not, and never will be in any universe I can think of (and by the way, Switzerland, while outwardly appearing to remain neutral during the Nazi regime, could not (or would not) resist in every respect, because it was defenseless except for the mountains making invasion difficult, and because financially Switzerland was able to benefit from the Nazi regime, while enacting harsh refugee laws against Jews fleeing the Nazis, essentially yielding to Hitler’s genocidal plans).

The arguments set out in the Foundation’s meeting are fallacious. First, the ideas that Taiwan should “create another path to interact with the two powers to ensure its security” or “Taiwan should not choose sides in the conflict between the US and China, but should instead interact positively with both countries” are insane. The only way to ensure its security is to ally with someone who provides security. Lets see — uh, one giant neighbor who wants nothing but to destroy your leadership, swallow you whole and kill all of your freedoms, and kill any who oppose it – or, a nation of laws and freedom sworn to oppose totalitarian regimes hell bent on world domination and who has promised by its own law to protect you from such aggression. Uh…truthfully I don’t see much of a choice. At all. Unless suicide is the target. (By the way the strategy of “we don’t want to piss off China” is not a viable strategy because it is in fact a noose that tightens each time China want to squeeze. Weakness is not a strategy, it is suicide with a ruthless and brutal regime as the Chinese Communist Party, now led by the Emperor Xi).

Let me reiterate – there is no scenario where getting closer to China protects Taiwan – none. Think Icarus.

Second, the statement that “The US until this year approached its relationship with China as a constructive partnership” is completely wrong – even if someone in the State Department used those exact diplomatic words, Communist China has, since 1949, been considered one of the primary enemies of America’s democratic roots and world peace (notwithstanding President Obama’s meekness and general wussiness, and softness, especially around Hu and Xi). If those pundits at the Foundation meeting don’t know that, everything they said is useless. “[A] strategic competitor,” is a polite way of saying “mortal enemy”. Duh.

Thirdly, this statement, especially by a Democratic Progressive Party member is inane: “Exports to China account for about 40 percent of Taiwan’s total — four times the volume of Taiwanese exports to the US — so it is necessary for Taiwan to interact with China, Hsu said.” Uh…I believe the policy of the current Tsai administration is Go South, which means, less China, more anywhere else. That is the way to deal with the dependence former President Ma spent 8 years constructing to prevent Taiwan from ever becoming independent. The job of the administration is to diminish reliance on China, not grovel. What’s with the grovelling?

“[The ruling party] cannot deny responsibility and the [deadlock] has to be resolved.” Does this sound as stupid to you as it sounds to me? Does Hsu not understand that Taiwan cannot resolve the deadlock as long as the DPP is in power unless it is willing to surrender its platform and principles because China will not accept the DPP and prefers the China-centric KMT party? This administration’s duty and mandate is to help Taiwan survive China’s aggression and hegemony.

“The US is also experiencing military confusion” – what? Confuse this gentlemen (you get my drift). If these “pundits” (I use the term quite loosely) want to make a strategic military decision based on a collision at sea, go ahead, it just proves their nonsense. The US still maintains the strongest military on Earth.

“In response to China’s growing power and the US’ diminishing influence, Washington has two options to counter China: launching a trade war against China or playing the Taiwan card with the newly legislated Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages visits between Taiwan and the US at all levels, Su said.” This is the dumbest statement of all. The US Congress has always supported Taiwan, not to diss China but to support a democratic ally in need of defense and support against a sworn US enemy. If these idiots believe the US Congress passed the act to goad China, they are more clueless than I thought. The act was unanimously passed by the US Congress to support and protect Taiwan. Geez. What’s wrong with these people?

““While many East Asian countries have adopted hedging strategies and maintained a relationship with the US and China simultaneously, only Taiwan takes a one-sided approach [to build rapport solely with the US],” Su said.” Uh….could it be because China has not threatened for 70 years to invade and kill any of the other East Asian countries? Again, duh. Why do these people even have a platform to speak?

Basically it appears to me there is one truth. The closer Taiwan gets to the United States (something the US has in recent Administrations had some difficulty with), the less likely China will be adventurous. The situation has been backwards for years. Instead of the US hesitating to get involved with Taiwan’s relationship with China (there is no relationship, only revulsion by more than 86% of Taiwanese), China should be wary of getting involved in Taiwan’s superb relationship with the United States. That is the way Taiwan stays protected. Taiwan should be looking for ways to reinforce that relationship, not distance itself or run away. An opportunity has been presented. China will whine and moan. So what? Taiwan should grab the chance and run with it.

The Vatican is Miscalculating if the Pope Believes He Can Resist Beijing’s Control Over the Entire Church, Given the Terms Being Discussed

Rome is miscalculating if the Pope believes he can resist Beijing’s taking control over most of or the entire Church, given the terms being discussed.

It’s not easy to get a clear handle on the ideals of Pope Francis, based on his roots in Argentina. If not sympathy or affinity for socialism, communism, fascism, perhaps at the very least an understanding or tolerance. Does this explain the Pontiff’s willingness to engage Chairman Xi and Communist China? The Church has resisted for quite some time. Latin America is a hundred year history of failed regime after regime, often with the people’s interests and rights subjugated and their future mortgaged for power. Communist China is no different. There may therefore be some affinity .

An avowed atheist regime, one wonders how the Pontiff can accept the Communist Party’s notion of Catholicism in China (an extension of the Communist Party, according to Party dogma, which elevates the Party above all, including and especially above God (and in this case the Trinity)).

The Vatican has tiptoed around Beijing for decades to avoid losing the Church in China, but the Pontiff seems ready to accept the Communist Party having a hand in running the Church inside China. The trouble with this is that the Pope obviously has not read up on the Party’s idea of cooperation with any religion, Tibetan Buddhism being the prime example. In that case, the Party actually kidnapped the number two figure in the religion (the 6-year old Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, in 1995), and replaced him with a fake Chinese Communist Party Panchen Lama (much like the treatment the Vatican’s bishops in China have received, replaced in China by Communist Party bishops). The intrigue here is that the Panchen Lama’s job is to select the next Dalai Lama when the current Dalai Lama dies. In other words, having replaced the Panchen Lama selected by the Dalai Lama, China intends to take over the religion entirely by having the Party’s fake Panchen Lama appoint a Communist Party Dalai Lama as the next Dalai Lama, thereby absorbing Tibetan culture and religion into the Communist Party dogma, a takeover that has taken 60 years.

What could we see about the Catholic Church in 70 years if China were to take it over in China? Since the One Belt One Road plan is basically China’s Trojan Horse to infect every participating country throughout Europe, Africa and Latin America with Communist Party dogma and loyalty, it is likely the Party will attempt to influence all Catholics within its “sphere of influence” to abide by its Catholic dogma with Chinese Characteristics instead of the Vatican’s dogma.

Thus could end Rome’s reign over its own church and the billions of Catholics, replaced by Beijing’s. The Pontiff is seriously miscalculating if he believes he can outlast the Chinese Communist Party. It is a dangerous game he is playing with a regime with no morality. Very dangerous.

 

Grave Danger Posed by China’s Trojan Horse – One Belt One Road

I have written before here about the grave danger posed by China’s One Belt One Road initiative – it is China’s Trojan Horse in Europe, Communist Chinese lucre a smokescreen for the Chinese Communist Party’s power grab, continuing battle with the U.S. for influence, and for the Communist Party’s hegemonic designs.

Greece fell prey to China because it has been the EU’s pauper, and bristled at its treatment at the hands of German/EU austerity in response to Greece’s uncontrolled spending. Hence, China’s offer of billions to Greece was most opportune for the Chinese Communist Party and welcome for Greece – and as usual, any money China “invests” has strings – strings to support its totalitarian system, its political evil, and its continuing assault on Western democracy and any kind of freedom.

In an article published in the Taipei Times on Monday, January 8, 2018 on p. 5 (Europe Wary of ‘One Belt One Road’), the article notes “The former NATO chief said that Greece — a major recipient of Chinese largesse — had in June last year blocked an EU declaration condemning Chinese rights abuses.” Here is the rub – take money from China, kneel to Uncle Xi and his political agenda. The march of the Chinese Communists begins with the infection wrought from within its Trojan Horses. Greece bent over for Uncle Xi. More to come in Europe.

I for one don’t trust France’s Macron to resist China’s Trojan Horse offerings, trading access to a fake Chinese market (there is no Chinese market except for Chinese companies so long as foreign companies are required to partner with Chinese local partners, themselves Communist Party Trojan Horses) for softness on Communist China’s political demands and violations of human rights and every other fundamental French principle. France has been perennially rushing to China to get better market position and to tell the Emperor Xi his clothes are most lovely. I haven’t trusted President Trump with such issues either, the bright light of China’s phantom market a very juicy mirage hard to resist. Trump also is not so enamored with Democracy as he is with Businessocracy, and evening out the playing field with Communist China is a priority – but even that comes with risks of Trojan Horses. There is also the North Korea chess game that China has been playing with the U.S. for 25 years, and playing it very well against the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, and continuing with the current administration, though Trump’s unpredictability and bullish attitude has China unnerved. The EU’s stance on North Korea and Iran is disappointing – appeasement at its worst.

Europe does not have the backbone to resist Communist China’s hegemony and political moves, because Europe has no stomach for conflict (its foreign policy is basically “appease, appease, appease”) and is so eager to jump on any advantage over the US with Chinese trade when there are conflicts, such as North Korea or the South China Sea. We do not see Europe sending carriers to the region or supporting the US in its opposition to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions (only softness, weakness and more appeasement). The same can be said of Iran, where Europe has lined up with China and Russia in failing to comprehend the value of a strong hand against a rogue enemy like Iran. Europe’s suicidal embrace of the enemies of democracy is both surprising and disgusting, turning my stomach every time I see it (note the loving comments made yesterday by High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini about Cuba and dictator Raul Castro, like the words of a lover). Consequently, I have no faith that Europe can resist Communist China’s quest to plant as many Trojan Horses as possible around Europe. Let’s remember that Europe failed to act to stop the conflagration in Syria, instead following Obama’s Oppeasement policy there, and the result was millions of refugees flooding Europe, something that will change adversely European culture, society and politics for many generations. Already many people are fearful of travel to Europe, caring about where it is safe…

One Belt, One Road will look bright and shiny to the EU’s infrastructure starved members. But the cost of that infrastructure is political suicide and being indebted to Communist China, a tyrant who demands obedience to its “life with Chinese characteristics.”

The Truth Today is Very Popular – How About some Diplomatic Truth? Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel, and Taiwan is not Part of China, and is Independent and Democratic!

For 50 years, the international community, including the impotent United Nations, has pretended the historical connection of 3,000 years between Jerusalem and Israel dating back to King David did not exist. The diplomatic convenience of appeasement, an act of allowing a lie to be treated as the truth, did nothing for peace.

For 50 years, the international community, including the impotent United Nations, has pretended that the historical separation since 1895 between China and Taiwan did not exist, and has been willing to pretend Taiwan is part of China, for “diplomatic purposes” (read this as “greed”). The diplomatic convenience of appeasement, an act allowing a lie to be treated as the truth, did nothing for peace, and has allowed China to grow in belligerence and hegemony, threatening the world with totalitarianism, “socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

Previous international policy on the Palestinians has failed miserably. In 1995, Congress passed the Embassy Act directing the US embassy be moved to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. President Clinton failed to sign the law, and it went into effect without his signature, his having failed to return it to Congress during the permitted time. However, Clinton, Bush and Obama all suspended the law for the past 25 years. Now, President Trump has actually complied with the law, saying out loud what has been true for 3,000 years.

Let the Palestinians and the rest of the world face the truth, the fact that Jerusalem and Israel are inextricably connected as they have been since King David declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel around 1,000 B.C. Appeasement has no chance of success, and hopefully the days of appeasing the Palestinians is over. Threatening violence in the middle-east because of this decision is nonsense. It is already burning in chaos with internecine conflict between Shia and Sunni, and many other peoples and sects clamoring for influence, territory and wealth for greedy leaders. Israel has nothing to do with this never-ending conflagration. All Israel ever did was turn a desert into an oasis, something the Palestinians should take note of, if they could put down their AK-47s, suicide belts and bombs, and Jew-hating long enough.

Let the world start acknowledging the truth that the Emperor Xi is naked, that he has no new clothes, that this is the truth, and that Taiwan is a free, independent, democratic nation of peace.

I hope today is the first day of the rest of our lives accepting the truth in diplomacy instead of decades of diplomatic lies and appeasement of evil. Let’s hope the American President’s fulfillment of his promise to the people of Israel is the beginning of “telling it like it is” and starting to get things done in solving the world’s worst conflicts. After the past 8 years of Obama’s polite appeasement and giving evil a pass in the name of false “peace”, it took less than 11 months and a little New York chutzpah to move America in the right direction. I hope it is just the beginning, and that China is next on the list to get a wake up call to something called “the truth”.

The Pyongyang Shuffle Redux

The Chinese Communist Party’s strategy of playing the White House and the EU for suckers is in full swing with attempts to resume the six-way talks with North Korea once again, only this time after North Korea violated every single other agreement, developed long range missiles and a hydrogen bomb all because Obama and the West did nothing about it, except take away Kim Junior’s allowance. This was Obama’s solution to every single international problem (sanctions, or lifting them) and I can’t think of a single example of it working, and in fact it made each situation worse (Russia with Crimea, Ukraine, or Iran, Cuba, N. Korea, Syria, etc.) because it left the actions with little downside and emboldened each horrible regime to double down on infamy.

We imagine Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is on his way to North Korea, riding the secret train, and right now we are back in the midst of the Pyongyang Shuffle Redux, a dance choreographed by the CCP and Kim Jong-il, and now Kim Jong-un, which has been the number one hit in China and North Korea for the past 20+ years.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the two “leaders” meet (Li has been diminished as Xi has been elevated, and Kim Junior leads by exterminating all perceived enemies, it seems, including family members).

Kim: (to Li, while watching some old Elvis movies): “Congratulations on sixty-eight years of absolute power. It is almost as long as my family’s 69 years of absolute rule.”

Li: “Thank you. One party rule is definitely the way to go, especially when your family or your best friend runs the party (they both laugh). Now, as for the purpose of my visit, we want you to try to be nice for a change.”

Kim: “I’m always nice.”

Li: “Yes, well, the Americans don’t understand that. We want you to offer them something. A meeting perhaps in exchange for movement on your nukes. Give Tillerson something he can work with.”

Kim: “I’m not giving up the nukes.”

Li: “I know that, you know that, but they don’t know that, and we like it that way. As long as they think you are being genuine, we will have this very useful leverage over them. It’s called ‘six-way talks’, but we know it’s ‘four plus two talks’. As long as they don’t know that, it’s better. If you play along with us, we will take care of you, as always.”

Kim: “Yes, and along those lines, I need some more beluga. And lots more of that Dom Perignon you sent last time, the limited edition – though I hear there’s a nice Perrier-Jouet limited edition for a mere fifty thousand Euros – you can have someone stop off in Epernay next time you’re scamming the Europeans. And duck – fat, juicy duck, and lots of it. You know what I like.”

Li: “Anything for your people?”

Kim: “Oh, them. You can also send along some trainloads of rice and cabbage. The people love rice. You can never have enough rice – or kimchee.”

Li: “Okay. So, this is how it works. Right now, the world is anticipating this trip of mine. I will go out there, and face the cameras, and put on a look of serious contemplation, like this (makes a stern face – Kim laughs). Then I will tell the reporters with a straight face that we have made some progress towards denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, talk about peace in Asia, common goals, blah blah blah. Maybe I will call it a breakthrough, give a little gift to Trump.”

Kim: “But we’ll know better (chuckling).”

Li: “Right. Do you want to stand next to me?”

Kim: “No, not this time. We can find some old footage. I put on a lot of weight with that champagne and caviar diet, and I look fat and a little puffy and weak. I can’t appear to be the powerful juggernaut I am commanding a two million man army if I weigh more than 150 kg and have trouble walking. It’s okay. It’s part of my enigmatic personality if I don’t appear. The people accept my lofty nature.”

Li: “Okay then. So, we offer them some movement, and then let’s plan to string out these latest talks until after Trump’s next State of the Union address in late January, 2018. That’ll give him something to brag about, and soften him up on human rights, democracy, Taiwan and Tibet, and other areas, like trade. We can make some good progress in our plans. Then, say March, you can pull out, or fire some missiles or anything to justify breaking away from the talks, and we will start all over again. Just don’t hit anything with the missiles.”

Kim: “Can I hit something uninhabited? It’s getting boring spending all this money to sink my missiles in the ocean. The boys need something to encourage them.”

Li: “Not at this time. It’s a delicate balance with all those American ships and the aircraft carrier parading around in our sea just off our coast. And don’t get too close to Guam. Ever. This guy in the White House is not the same as Obama, who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Trump is just itching to roll out some nukes. We don’t need that right now.”

Kim: “Okay, okay. I get the point. You know how to make me happy. What will your position be in March?”

Li: “Mock surprise and horror of course. But don’t worry, it’s only for show. I’ll send along some nice dumplings and a few hundred fat ducks on the next train, and see if I can get someone to stop off in Epernay. And maybe some Krug 1995.”

Kim: “There’s one other thing. My son.”

Li: “What about your son?”

Kim: “Well, that’s the thing. I’m not finished making sons yet, so I don’t know. But when I do know, I need your promise you will support him in all that he asks. He will need to consolidate his internal power. I will have taught him to play this little game of ours. At this rate, it can keep going for at least another 30 or 40 years years. By the way…”

Li: “Yes..?”

Kim: “I’ve got a little something going on the side with that nice fellow, the Ayatollah. Quite a little supply thing going on. It’s good cash right now. Any problems?”

Li: “No, not at all. But do understand that at the U.N. we will sound upset. But we won’t vote upset. Don’t worry. And stop using ships that can be tracked.”

Kim: “Okay. That guy is always begging for a nuke. ‘Give us one, even a little one, something nuclear, anything…’ He won’t take no for an answer.”

Li: “Well, you can give him something very small, but make it defective, and you can blame it on the sand or Israel. This nuclear intrigue gives us more leverage over the Americans, but we need to control the Iranians in different ways. They copied this game from you and play it well, and we go along with them on watering down the Americans’ sanctions, but they don’t listen to us like you do – they don’t like champagne and caviar, and they don’t want nukes just to play – they want to actually use them. You at least understand us. The Iranians hate us, and love us at the same time. Actually, they call us ‘infidels’ behind our backs, but they buy our weapons every day, anyway. As long as we can use them to make the Americans sweat without risking nuclear war, we’re happy.”

Kim: “Yes, well, they are all westerners as far as I’m concerned. Maybe they will kill each other off. Here, have some more kimchee, and a Big Mac. Wash it down with this Moet you sent me for my birthday.”

Li: “Don’t mind if I do.”

Stay tuned for more of the Pyongyang Shuffle as the saga continues.

Chairman Xi’s Chinese Dream – Only the Manual Can Discern the Truth

Regarding an article which appeared in the Taipei Times on Tuesday, Oct. 24th on P. 8 entitled “‘Chinese Dream’ will become a nightmare”, and with a nod to Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明), who wrote the article, confusion regarding Xi Jinping’s real motivations and intent can be discerned from reference to the Chinese Communist Party Manual of Commonly Misunderstood Terms (the “Manual”), which is essential when attempting to parse CCP policies, statements and doctrine. Now that Xi has become Chairman Xi, and venerated to the status of Mao, it becomes important to understand Xi’s true intentions.

First, the article refers to a proposal by the Chairman/ President/Leader/Commander/Icon/Top Guy/Numero Uno Xi Jinping called his “Chinese dream”, a slogan which came with the goals (according to the article) of “prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious, free, fair, abide by the rule of law, patriotic, just, honest and friendly”, words which are uncommon normally having anything to do with the Chinese Communist Party run government in Communist China, possibly the world’s worst and most repressive totalitarian regime.

Referring then to the Manual, we can more easiliy understand what Xi meant when he talked about these goals in the context of his “Chinese dream”. Xi has used the word ‘democracy’ before, but clearly he is referring to the definition of “democracy” in the Manual, which is “democracy with Chinese characteristics”. In the Manual, the definition of “democracy with Chinese characteristics is “the right to vote for the Chinese Communist Party slate of candidates in the order provided, a right given to only those members of the Party given permission to attend and vote according to Party directions at the National Congress held every 5 years”. There is another second definition, written in smaller print that says that the definition of democracy in the Manual is “2. No democracy – see Freedom”

Going on then to the definition of ‘freedom’ in the Manual, we find some help in understanding Xi’s animus. “Freedom” is defined in the Manual as “The right and legal obligation to obey each and every order, rule, regulation, law, statute, directive, policy and dictate of the Chinese Communist Party and each and every of its representatives at all times and in all places, failure to follow which is punishable by any means dictated by the Party.” That clears that up, doesn’t it? The Manual offers a secondary definition as follows “Freedom – 2. No freedom”.

Now we are getting a better idea of just what Xi meant by his liberal pronouncement for the future of Communist China.

As to “prosperity”, there can be no question that China has been more prosperous than at any time in the history of the Chinese Communist Party, in large part because it abandoned ‘communism’ and adopted “communism with Chinese characteristics”. In the Manual, ‘communism with Chinese characteristics’ is defined as “not communism per se, but rather allowing free enterprise under strict control by the Party, and all enterprises subject to control by the Party to the greatest extent possible, and otherwise open to free exchange of capital subject to Party rules and regulations, violation of which are punishable by death”. Basically this is capitalism with Chinese characteristics, otherwise known as “prosperity” for Party members, until the Party decides a member is too powerful, and then prosecution for corruption is required.

As for “strong”, the Chinese Communist Party is certainly set to become stronger under “Chairman” Xi, considering the power the Communist Party has accumulated, and Communist China itself has become stronger partly because it has been devoting double digit parts of its GDP to its military, partly because through espionage it keeps stealing technology and advances from others (mostly the US). Also, as liberal democracies in Europe have become weaker and more reliant on Chinese Kommunist Kash, Communist China has become stronger through weakening resistance to China’s temptations, large bucks and its enormous supposedly “open” markets. However, in the Manual, “open markets” has been defined as “segments of the Chinese economy open to foreign entities under strict regulation by the Party, and only when a local Chinese partner participates in at least 50% ownership of the entity, such Chinese partners subject to absolute control by the Party”. Also, though the Manual is silent, it is well-known that the Party philosophy on local partners is they have 3 years from acquiring their interest in the foreign business to steal all available IP, set up backdoor avenues for walking products and technology out the back door, and to acquire complete control of the business, or set up a competing entity which can take over the business that is left when the foreign owner runs away.

As for civilized, I presume Xi is referring to the Party no longer starving its citizens or murdering them in public. However, all that the Party has done is taken these tools inside, where all options are available to the Party to ensure compliance with any of its dictates. Being one of the worst human rights violators in the world, Beijing has a long way to go to reach “civilized”. In the manual “civilized” is defined as “The Party rules require the government to conduct its security processes in a civilized manner, especially during official secret arrests, torture, and blackmail.” It’s not much, but it’s an improvement.

Xi loves using the term “harmonious”, but the true nature of this concept is set out in the Manual, where “harmonious” is defined as “every citizen following the Party’s instructions in every aspect of life in Communist China obediently, and making sure not to criticize the Party or the government under any circumstances.” It is easy to see how wonderful it is for China to be harmonious for Chairman Xi.

As for “fair” and “abide by the law”, we need to jump around a bit to understand this core principle of the Communist Party. First, “justice” in China is defined as “any ruling made by a Court with the approval of the Party shall be considered full justice.” Though you have to dig through the Manual to find it, “justice process” (also called due process in the Manual) is defined as “having the absolute right as a citizen in the People’s Republic of China to be subjected to the Party’s justice through the rulings made by judges in the Party’s courts with the abolute directives of the Party”. It reads a little differently than other common views of due process. There is a footnote under the entry for “due process” as follows: “2. Due Process – no due process”. Actually, as Xi knows, there can be no due process without an independent judiciary, but as the Manual identifies in the definition of “Court”, there is no independent judiciary in China (in the Manual “Court” is defined as “the tribunal dealing with legal matters subject to the directives of the Party to do justice as the Party shall see fit.” Gotta love dictators. They really know how to get results.

As for honest, the Manual defines honest as follows: “Honest: The truth is what the Party says is the truth. Honesty is absolutely keeping to the truth as mandated by the Party in all things, no matter how ridiculous it seems, upon pain of death.”

As for “friendly”, there is a reference in the Manual as follows: “friendly: see Taiwan”. Under the entry for “Taiwan”, for some reason, it says only: “Grrrrrrrrr.” There is a secondary entry under Taiwan that says “Taiwan: 2. Chinese Taipei, Taiwan, China, China, China, China”.

As we can see, Xi’s Chinese Dream is really not much of a dream, unless you define dream to include nightmare. In the Manual, “Chinese dream” is defined as “the Party becoming the most powerful government in the world, adopting the slogan ‘My name is Chairman Xi, Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!'”