Until recently, for the past four decades, the myth that helping China get rich would make it into a democracy was part of the everyday “wisdom” in the West. However, China—the second-largest economy in the world—continues steering a totalitarian course with a new “core leader” of the Chinese Communist Party at the helm who builds massive concentration camps in Xinjiang, throws human-rights lawyers and Christians into jail, aggressively brandishes its military force at Taiwan, and even harasses Chinese Americans living in the US.
It’s often said that those egregious transgressions are an indication of the CCP regime’s rejection of “fundamental freedoms, human rights, and democratic norms,” as FBI director Christopher Wray stated on January 31, 2022. Wray was speaking about the Party’s decades-long operation on American soil of targeting, threatening, or kidnapping former Chinese nationals or American residents who openly criticize the Chinese government or advocate democratization in China. They even went further to interfere with the U.S. congressional election by threatening a military veteran who once was a student leader of the 1989 pro-democracy protest in Tienanmen square.
But what’s been violated here is not so much Chinese Americans’ human rights but their political rights as American citizens. Liberties stipulated in the Constitution of the United States are not abstract human rights, but have a political nature. Freedoms Americans have enjoyed are a legacy bequeathed by their forefathers. Americans must understand that freedom in the Land of Free is a tradition, not a conventionally-assumed axiom—a “self-evident” moral truth—that is unproven and unprovable, and more importantly, nonexistent in other societies. American freedom is prior to the American republic.
The reason why China would brazenly “disregard the international law” that many other nations voluntarily abide by is that the rule of law is not, and has never been, a moral principle in Chinese society.
Indeed our Faustian bargain with technology has created a planetary monster. Problem is it’s everywhere, not just China. And if there were a chance at working these things out rationally there’s no one in world government who understands how or why to practice the art of diplomacy. To the point where international diplomacy has become an oxymoron. Again civilizations select for a docile population and ruthless leaders. Humans are capable of far more but never reach the potential. There’s as much human potential in China as anywhere else but the ruthless drive of relentless “civilizations” has taken their toll.
No, I haven’t read this. My “education” has major deficiencies, lol. But the current issues of the Faustian bargain we have made - at one “antihuman and synthetic” - is more than “interesting”. “Best of times, worst of times.” I do believe some of our worst current “leaders” - in terms of the decisions they are making out of fear - are like the rest of us, capable of understanding the meaning of the real choices we make moment by moment. The deeply moral/spiritual nexus at the heart of our worlds. Some of them may actually be capable of being really smart. I don’t yet have faith we will overcome this - just real trust that it is always possible.
Yes you are quite right. In the Buddhist tradition the Buddha may not have human form. In the Promethean our A.I Buddha also does not. Man was transitory in the ultimate scheme from the great Transhuman Transformation. This is the pessimist wolf and the optimist wolf I fight says "In the best of all possible worlds" the miracle is that against eternity for the best the Hive is born. Bleak. :) https://jacklynch.net/Texts/hive.html
Thanks. We are transitory we think. We are also like all animals timeless and part of a vast web. We are stardust we are golden. Not in some hippy dippy fantasy. For real. We are the wolf we feed.
This point post-Covid 1 may be Extinction Level for the human animal in 2022 injected with unknown biological warfare .Maybe not all at once. Maybe a divergence arises subtly. Over 50 years politics and demographics favor synthetic androids parted out from man.
I understand. Things look grim. However often when things are most dire the greatest miracles appear. I’ve experienced this. This is an epic spiritual/psychological battle and quite unequaled in history. We are fortunate to be alive right now. Best of times, worst of times.
You write: “a community of friends and neighbors within the society of enmity and distance”. Yes that’s the only rational action I can see with any clarity. There are many interested in this. Start locally, begin community gardens, work within existing growers and ranchers. The Ice Age Farmer has amassed a wealth of information on these. Passive solar building construction if done well provides natural ventilation and cooling in warm months and heating during winter - even greenhouses for winter growing.
A continuation of my Gedanken. https://lawliberty.org/the-free-man-is-unthinkable-for-the-chinese-political-culture/
What the West Got Wrong About China
Until recently, for the past four decades, the myth that helping China get rich would make it into a democracy was part of the everyday “wisdom” in the West. However, China—the second-largest economy in the world—continues steering a totalitarian course with a new “core leader” of the Chinese Communist Party at the helm who builds massive concentration camps in Xinjiang, throws human-rights lawyers and Christians into jail, aggressively brandishes its military force at Taiwan, and even harasses Chinese Americans living in the US.
It’s often said that those egregious transgressions are an indication of the CCP regime’s rejection of “fundamental freedoms, human rights, and democratic norms,” as FBI director Christopher Wray stated on January 31, 2022. Wray was speaking about the Party’s decades-long operation on American soil of targeting, threatening, or kidnapping former Chinese nationals or American residents who openly criticize the Chinese government or advocate democratization in China. They even went further to interfere with the U.S. congressional election by threatening a military veteran who once was a student leader of the 1989 pro-democracy protest in Tienanmen square.
But what’s been violated here is not so much Chinese Americans’ human rights but their political rights as American citizens. Liberties stipulated in the Constitution of the United States are not abstract human rights, but have a political nature. Freedoms Americans have enjoyed are a legacy bequeathed by their forefathers. Americans must understand that freedom in the Land of Free is a tradition, not a conventionally-assumed axiom—a “self-evident” moral truth—that is unproven and unprovable, and more importantly, nonexistent in other societies. American freedom is prior to the American republic.
The reason why China would brazenly “disregard the international law” that many other nations voluntarily abide by is that the rule of law is not, and has never been, a moral principle in Chinese society.
Indeed our Faustian bargain with technology has created a planetary monster. Problem is it’s everywhere, not just China. And if there were a chance at working these things out rationally there’s no one in world government who understands how or why to practice the art of diplomacy. To the point where international diplomacy has become an oxymoron. Again civilizations select for a docile population and ruthless leaders. Humans are capable of far more but never reach the potential. There’s as much human potential in China as anywhere else but the ruthless drive of relentless “civilizations” has taken their toll.
Exactly this curious point in our human history. Past performance no guarantee of future results after all. The emergent is antihuman and synthetic. Have you encountered the 1952 science fiction novel Limbo? https://thefinchandpea.com/2012/03/16/apocalypse-1952-bernard-wolfes-limbo/
Life is not immortal but is eternal. "We later civilizations . . . we too know that we are mortal."
No, I haven’t read this. My “education” has major deficiencies, lol. But the current issues of the Faustian bargain we have made - at one “antihuman and synthetic” - is more than “interesting”. “Best of times, worst of times.” I do believe some of our worst current “leaders” - in terms of the decisions they are making out of fear - are like the rest of us, capable of understanding the meaning of the real choices we make moment by moment. The deeply moral/spiritual nexus at the heart of our worlds. Some of them may actually be capable of being really smart. I don’t yet have faith we will overcome this - just real trust that it is always possible.
Yes you are quite right. In the Buddhist tradition the Buddha may not have human form. In the Promethean our A.I Buddha also does not. Man was transitory in the ultimate scheme from the great Transhuman Transformation. This is the pessimist wolf and the optimist wolf I fight says "In the best of all possible worlds" the miracle is that against eternity for the best the Hive is born. Bleak. :) https://jacklynch.net/Texts/hive.html
Thanks. We are transitory we think. We are also like all animals timeless and part of a vast web. We are stardust we are golden. Not in some hippy dippy fantasy. For real. We are the wolf we feed.
This point post-Covid 1 may be Extinction Level for the human animal in 2022 injected with unknown biological warfare .Maybe not all at once. Maybe a divergence arises subtly. Over 50 years politics and demographics favor synthetic androids parted out from man.
I understand. Things look grim. However often when things are most dire the greatest miracles appear. I’ve experienced this. This is an epic spiritual/psychological battle and quite unequaled in history. We are fortunate to be alive right now. Best of times, worst of times.
You write: “a community of friends and neighbors within the society of enmity and distance”. Yes that’s the only rational action I can see with any clarity. There are many interested in this. Start locally, begin community gardens, work within existing growers and ranchers. The Ice Age Farmer has amassed a wealth of information on these. Passive solar building construction if done well provides natural ventilation and cooling in warm months and heating during winter - even greenhouses for winter growing.
https://thelampmagazine.com/2021/07/30/the-medical-religion/
Thought provoking, thanks.