frandroid

A few entries this week...

Revolutionary Left Radio -
Modern China pt. 4: The Deng Reform Period to Today w/ Ken Hammond. This was a 4-episode Modern China history series by RevLeft Radio. An absolutely banger of a series, with an American guest, Ken Hammond, who spent years working in China and studying China. I particularly enjoyed the last instalment of the series, because it starts at the market shift initiated by Deng Xiaoping, demolishes the Tienanmen Square mythology (did you know that dissidents had killed hundreds of soldiers before the regime finally cracked down??), comes to the present, and then peers into the future. The "present" part discussed what happened in the 2008 economic crisis and the 2020 COVID crisis, and the contrast with the United States is very stark, highlighting why socialism works in China. Then looking at the looming population decrease in China, which here would create an economic crisis (or at least economic stagnation, as seen in Japan in the last 30 years), Hammond, without uttering the words, nearly summarizes China's plan as "fully automated communism". My heart swelled.


The Great Battlefield - Progressive Messaging with Anat Shenker-Osorio of ASO and Words to Win By. Earlier in this tag I recommended episodes of the Words to Win By podcast. If you don't want to load up on the whole thing, this interview with her is a great summary of her way of thinking and how progressives must shape their messaging to win their campaigns, particularly focusing on the current American election. It's quite delightful to listen to sharp thinking. She's a clear descendent of Saul Alinsky in how she's able to look at issues from a different angle to be laser focused on what's going to move the needle. Jagmeet could use some of her insights... She'd be wasted on the Liberals.

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An anti-recommendation of sorts here:
Everyday Anarchism - Q&A: Who Counts as an Anarchist?. I've mentioned this podcast before for its early Christian and LOTR episodes... Then I came to this episode where the host admits that even though he got a PhD in late 19th and and early 20th century social and political movements, he never studied anarchism??? And then it took him 20 years to organically synthesize anarchism on his own, until a student pointed him to... Oscar Wilde?? "But no one told me [about anarchism]!". Like, dude. Dude. Duuuude. I mean kudos to him for catching up since then, with 100+ episodes of his podcast, but holy cow.

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#PodcastFriday is a tag where people recommend a particularly good episode from a podcast. The point of this tag is NOT to recommend entire podcasts--there are too many podcasts out there, and our queues are already too long, so don't do that. Let's just recommend the cream of the crop, the episodes that made you *brainsplode* or laugh like crazy.

"The Himalayan glaciers, source for almost all the major rivers of India and China, are shrinking, putting the future water resources of billions of people in doubt."

(mentioned in a John Kerry op-ed you don't need to read)

I'm a day early, but whatever. Maybe it'll be the 4th by the time you read this.

Burmese military arrests more dissidents [from CBC]

I posted a note on my Facebook, linking to various articles providing background on the big international players in this struggle (or rather, against this struggle).

avaaz.org has a petition. Schmetition, I say, but I signed it anyway.

It's interesting that it's aimed at China (at least, it's aimed at Hu Jintao in particular, not "the Chinese"). Ahh, China, the easily found source of all our troubles. Why not India (partnership on Nagaland insurgency)? Thailand (largest source of external income for Burma)? even Russia? Russia has vetoed the UNSC motion of Burma along with China. Also, there already are rumours that China is weighing behind the scenes on the Burmese generals, whereas Russia is probably doing jack all. Anyway. Don't fall in the easy [China = Evil] trap. It's not paradise, but it's not hell either. One must take into account that China's relationship with Burma has largely to do with the threat that the U.S. creates for China around the Strait of Malacca, its only sea passage for oil and goods. It is because of this choking threat that China has sought a safe passage though Burma for oil and goods.

Once again, I'll be working during the next Toronto protest (Oct. 6, 6pm, Chinese consulate, 240 St. George St.), so I won't be going. Maybe you will? Please post pictures.

"What is remarkable in the case of China is that the civilization created several millenia ago continued into the early twentieth century, while the other great civilizations experienced radical discontinuities."

Holy shit. China really fucked the dog around the world between 1949/75.