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(Second in a series. Read the first: “Is it more fun to be evil than good?“)
As I’ve repeatedly noted, China is now the most powerful nation in the world. If the US was to go to war with China, it would be crushed. After the first two to three weeks it wouldn’t even be close. China has magnitudes more ability to manufacture weapons, and there’s reason to believe that their missiles, drones and fighters are superior to Western ones.
It’s over. China won, and the US lost.
Why?
Well, one reason, bear with me, is that the people who ran China from Deng onwards were a lot less evil than those running America. Or if you prefer, more good.
One of the things you notice if you read Chinese documents about successes of government policy is that they almost never express success in currency. No “the new industry made ten billion Yuan.” It’s always “2 million apartments were built” or “12 nuclear plants are now operational” or “we have reduced the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere by X many thousands of tons” or “we now produce 50,000 tons more of wheat” or “we’ve built 5,000 of the 10,000 parks we promised and will finish the rest in four years.”
There’s no question that China had a lot of corruption till Xi’s crackdowns, and still has a fair bit, but China’s policy makers are focused on improving the lot of ordinary people. You can get rich helping do so, but you have to deliver. The CPC increased how long Chinese lived, gave them more education, gave them better homes, made access to health care cheap, and turned China into the world’s technological leader and primary industrial power.
This is because they were trying to make Chinese better off. It’s almost a side effect. If you make people healthier and better educated and give them good jobs, well, that’s good for the economy. China’s leaders weren’t primarily focused on making a small group rich, they were focused on making all Chinese richer, and on making China strong. You got rich by helping, not by hindering.
To give a recent example, after Chinese complained that they couldn’t afford homes or rent, Xi said “homes are for living, not for speculation.” The government deliberately crashed the real-estate market, reducing the prices of both homes and rent.
Rent as proportion in income
It is literally inconceivable that the American government would do this. Developers went bankrupt, major landlords lost billions. Rich people were hurt! Instead, despite having far more homes than homeless people, the US has a homeless crisis and the response to it isn’t China’s (they cleaned this up recently by giving homeless people jobs and a place to live) it’s to put spikes anywhere people might sleep and when they form a tent camp to have cops kick everyone out violently and destroy their possessions. Some homeless people were even honored by having California’s government, Gavin Newsom, personally help kick them out and destroy their possessions. American values.
Next notice the lack of war-making in the last four and a half decades. Even in the recent clashes with India, weapons were forbidden. How many countries has the US invaded or bombed since 1979? All that “not making war” has allowed China’s efforts to concentrate on China and Chinese. They focused on butter, not guns. Even today, the entire military is 2 million strong, in the world’s strongest economy (yes, it is) out of a population of 1.4 billion people.
There’s a trope that evil always wins. It doesn’t. I make no claim the CPC is full of Saints or always does good, but among major countries I can’t think of any where the leaders are as focused on the broad good of their people more than China right now. And polling all shows that Chinese agree—they’re far happier with their leaders than any Western population is. Turns out it’s not so much “democracy” that matters (not that we have that, as the EU is going out of its way to demonstrate) as whether your leaders are evil or not, and if the only choices you are allowed to make is “chocolate evil or vanilla evil”, the choice means nothing.
Good is very often stronger than evil. Evil consumes itself, as our elites have consumed their own countries power and real wealth in order to enrich themselves.
Good is bounty, it makes all those under its sway stronger and better.
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Mark Level
Yes, of course. As bad as Mao could be, taking back power for the locals who had suffered a “Century of Humiliation”, there was naturally a desire spread across the population and shared by leadership generally to improve the miserable circumstances most people, apart from the Landlord and Bureaucrat classes suffered from. Landlords were punished, they had to work in the fields for little for years or decades, the “shoe was on the other foot”, some may have learned that they took their evil too far. Xi Jianping’s father was in this class by the 70s, and he grew up in poverty working outdoors, built character.
Ian’s point that “the people who ran China from Deng onwards were a lot less evil than those running America. Or if you prefer, more good” is clear, simple and correct. Sadly, Americans are so stupid and propagandized that those endless, failed (see Andrew Bacevich, among many others) wars that we start across the world can all be “justified” (sic) with lies about Human Rights, freedumb, and that we are Exceptional & “Better.” I don’t now and have never blithely accepted that Putin, say, hasn’t done many evil things for instrumental purposes (e.g. I continue to believe that during the first Chechen War that the US stuck Russia with, those “terrorist” apartment bombings in Moscow were done by the government, they clearly took a page from the Bush 2 Admin’s 9/11 Playbook to whip up patriotic sentiment), overall he and the majority of the Russian leadership have the good of their populace in mind, to a far greater extent than the US Ruling Class has since the New Deal and the rise of predatory Neoliberalism as the ruling ideology of the Ruling Class. Now, Putin et al are seemingly Neoliberal too, but having 5 million Russians die early (avg. lifespan lowered by 7 years after 1991) in the ’90’s thanks to the “Chicago Boys” meant that they had the same incentive to materially improve residents’ (see, I’m not even bothering with “citizens”) lives.
One thing not mentioned by Ian that I’d like to add: he correctly states “Evil consumes itself”, but a corollary would be that Evil (and arrogance, entitlement) stupifies itself over time too. Bush Jr. was mentioned in the first thread, they install moronic, Elite garbage like him because that’s what they see as “Good.” Good for their profits and everyone else’s exploitation and immiseration. Look at US “leaders” for examples of overt, fanatical hatred and brutality proudly declaimed from a stage.
Sorry to repeat myself, but let’s not forget that during the last Presidential race, the nominally (only) “left” candidate, Harris, was FIRST to promise when she is in power US will have “the most lethal military” ever seen in human history!! Wowsers, to say something like this nearly 2 years into an open genocide. Donald repeated her later, of course, their ideology is uniform. Now, I’m sure most ‘Muricans are too mentally lazy to think that statement through, but it’s clear enough. We will be able to kill (exterminate perhaps a better word) more “enemies” than the Turks did to the Armenians, than the 3rd Reich did to Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, gays, etc. If “we” wish, we can bring back Yahweh’s demand in the Torah to kill not just all the fighting men, but the women, the children, the cattle, the pets, (dogs and cats, etc.). Well, I’m almost speechless at the grandiosity of evil. Back to the Donald– he rebuked Bush Jr. for plenty but he thought the torture was great, “we need to torture more”. As under Bush, even the European vassals stepped away from Master during part of Donald’s reign, something that seems unthinkable now.
Back to Putin. American pols speak in dumb, emotion-laden talking points. “Read my lips, no new taxes!” “I don’t care about the facts, I will never apologize for the United States.” Both Bush Sr., the 1st a lie, the 2nd one attempting to justify shooting an Iranian civilian plane out of the air killing hundreds, while siding with & arming Saddam Hussein against the Iranians. “Israel has a RIGHT to defend itself!” (by genociding the indigenous people). Interesting that I’ve never seen a single Zionist shill even be asked on stage, “Do Palestinians have the right to defend themselves?” (I do know how they would answer.) Do the homeless have the right to defend themselves? “Illegal” immigrants? I guess not, we all know that Evil says the poorest and most unfortunate must suffer MORE. US voters feel better about their own misery seeing those below them be destroyed.
After a recent speech, Putin took questions and gave long, detailed answers for 3 hours. No American pol in several decades (starting once pols were on TV) could or would do this. (Okay, I’ll grant you that Mayo Pete Buttigieg could probably inspire a book club with a couple hours on the glories of reading Norweigan literature not in translation. But that’s quite irrelevant.)
I didn’t know about Gavin himself being part of the armed dispossession and rousting of the homeless, but can’t say I was surprised in the least. His dad was a powerful California judge and he was basically adopted into the neighboring Getty family by peers his own age once mom divorced dad. He had a sympathetic narrative about being “disabled”, dyslexia, handsome and with great hair. He sided with gay people in the early 2000s when S.F. mayor, I have no idea what his personal views were on gay marriage but there was a huge gay voting bloc in SF at that time, even more reactionary leaders like DiFi were great friends to the “respectable”, donor class “gay community.” His Ex-wife is a Fox News Host, Kimberly Guilfoyle, aka Kimberly Gargoyle. Hired by Roger Ailes for having great legs.
The leadership class deliberately destroyed the US’s Industrial base to export jobs and lower Americans’ wages, a bipartisan effort sealed with Bill Clinton’s NAFTA after he promised to oppose it. Barry Obama glibly promised “Hope” & “Change”, openly killed the prospect of either, leading to 2 Trump terms.
Evil consumes itself, after first consuming its victims. Will Stephen Miller get the Race War he wants? (Which Charlie Manson once wanted.) I don’t know. I know no one will “win” that, however. Will we blow up the entire globe with Nuclear Weapons in the hope of defeating the (Evil, via projection) Asiatic Russians? Possibly. Michael Hudson is a very intelligent commentator, he is not a psychologist so I don’t know if his assertion recently that Trump is so narcissistic he’d be willing to be remembered forever by future humanity (if any survived) for doing so . . .
I am a major fan of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films, but have never been able to make myself watch Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom, just too much, I know it would likely damage me beyond what I’ve experienced watching the live-streamed genocide since Sept. 8, 2023. Pasolini was prescient, we USians (& many of our vassals) now live in the Republic of Salo.
Bill H.
I remember when the housing industry was crashing in China. Pundits in the US were prophesying doom and gloom for China. I wondered, because at the time China was also building housing at a rapid pace. The new housing was empty, whole villages of it, and China was mocked for building housing that they didn’t need. I had a feeling that something was going on in China that we didn’t understand. Right. They were taking care of their people. We don’t understand that.
Feral Finster
On the one hand, in any system, power inevitably ends up in the hands of sociopaths, because, unlike normies, sociopaths are the humans who will do whatever it takes to get power. The history of the medieval Catholic Church is most instructive here, and this an institution that traces its founding to Jesus Christ Himself.
At the same time, sociopaths find it hard to build lasting coalitions. Persons who see everything as a zero-sum no holds barred winner take all game have a hard time with loyalty to anything other than themselves, and will sell out anyone or anything, the moment a more personally advantageous offer comes along.
Feral Finster
@Mark Level:
You wrote: “e.g. I continue to believe that during the first Chechen War that the US stuck Russia with, those “terrorist” apartment bombings in Moscow were done by the government, they clearly took a page from the Bush 2 Admin’s 9/11 Playbook to whip up patriotic sentiment….”
The Moscow bombings took place in 1999.
Bush took office and 9/11 took place in 2001. Without expressing any opinion one way or the other concerning Russian government/FSB involvement in the bombings, I don’t think Putin is able to time travel, no matter what the russiagate conspiracy theorists may claim.
Feral Finster
Another comment @MarkLevel:
It’s not that evil makes humans stupid, it’s power that does that. With enough power, rulers don’t need to be smart any more, they can just smash stuff up or throw money at the problem.
bruce wilder
Mark Level makes some good points about the bizarro-world emotive but otherwise brain-dead language U.S. commenters, journalists, politicians and people generally use to describe and denote political and economic problems and challenges. Aside from the common reliance on highly abbreviated narrative tropes, the American political discourse is fragmented and incoherent — a shattered landscape, really, of fake outrage and synthetic snark that rarely touches ground.
I have written before of “the information vacuum” and its deleterious effects. The vacuum is the product of decades of lies and deceptions and manipulative pretense at the highest levels of authority. I do not read Chinese unfortunately and have no firm idea really of what the Chinese information environment is like for a native. I have known a handful of recent immigrants from China — they all know and believe — within confident limits of a well-founded and skepticism — a common and proudly patriotic narrative of China’s ambition and accomplishment. I have travelled in China and not witnessed much in the way of political fear or self-deception. The Chinese, individually, are quite capable of defending their rights and feeling scandalized by elite betrayals.
Though I am not confident that I know China and its political culture at all well, I do know American political culture and the contrasts are striking. Americans live in information silos where what they “know” is peculiar to their chosen silo. The information vacuum draws bubbles of imaginary, conspiratorial narratives into existence inside each silo. People seem barely aware that other people might have different points of view on a common reality, because there is no common reality underlying the expression of opinion. The detritus of discredited narratives is all we have in common, really, and no one seems to know what to do with any of that. Russiagate, October 7, January 6, WMD, Charlottesville “some very fine people on both sides”, . . . it is a very long list without even getting into the hot buttons of trans, race, Christian Nationalism, “fascism”, immigration, Vaccines and COVID, etc.
I do not think most Americans have even a clue about how to speak or write in ways that invoke and acknowledge a common “objective” shared reality without synthesizing rage. Most, to their credit, prefer to ignore politics as useless and not think about politics at all or engage in conversation, despite pervasive feelings of precarity in a country that doesn’t work in some basic ways.
Nat Wilson Turner
Evil is seen as strong and good as weak by many Americans.
mago
Mark Level is a tough act to follow, so I won’t try. I will comment on his mention of the propaganda machine. It’s effective not just on the domestic audience — the educated and rubes alike — but it’s doing a number on foreigners as well. Many Vietnamese and Indians are willing to risk all to reach these hallowed shores. Ah, Hollywood and babes by the pool, big cars and easy money.
Yup. All that and more. Toxic ideologies, a hubristic hateful out of touch ruling class infested with fundamentalist Christian right wingers and Silicon Valley rich kids with dark adolescent fantasies. . . That’s just a little off the top of the head list. There’s more, lots more that’s not playing on your favorite Tic Tock channel.
I’ve gotta go clean my kitchen . . . Do something useful. . .
Mark Level
Oops, typo in the comment, I don’t know how I missed that yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of Oct. 7, not September obviously. Makes sense that it happened when Sun was in Libra, sign of justice. But the West does not believe in justice, leaders believe in “Just Us.” They believe they’re in the Lifeboat and are ecstatic at all the victims drowning around them. A real Ship of Fools.
Mark Level
Okay, Finster caught me out, and obviously I don’t believe in Time Travel, so 2 possibilities would be they new about the Kagan-Nuland family’s PNAC and call for a 9/11 event, OR other such false flags by other world governments. I am less shaky on the 2 Chechen wars and have some concept of how they won the 2nd time over, by converting Chechens who weren’t insane religious fanatics to their side. Kudos to you for having the chronology of events at your fingertips, FF!!
Yes to your point also that TMotU (“The Masters of the Universe”), perhaps a better term at this point than TPTB, do believe that throwing money at “problems” can sweep anything and everything under the carpet. And since at least Rove (if not earlier) that throwing Narratives can achieve wonders. We see the confluence of the 2 in the Ellison family’s (Ellison fil will be running the Op though Larry pere financed it) buying up TikTok (forced to sell by the Trump mob) and installing the hate-filled Zionist Bari Weiss as the new Editor-in-Chief of the newly purchased CBS. Blumenthal and Mate put out an epic Grayzone episode yesterday, it was still up today, and they predicted (as have the DD duo) that younger people & non-Zios will simply stop watching obvious lies and the Ellison Oligarchs’ effort at information warfare will flounder and cost them dearly. (Not that they can’t afford it.) Also returning to the MSM lie-factory, somebody streamed DJT’s meeting with Mark Carney (who helped bail out little Jared’s cursed 666 property alongside the Saudis back in term one) and Trump had those “journalists” (sic) eating out of his hand. They all barked like seals for his attention, then he finally went on a digression about how Carney is kind of “mean” but being mean and tough makes for a “strong” man, and he hasn’t yet agreed with Carney on whatever they were purportedly “negotiating” because “I want to be a strong man too.” They gibbered and hooted like narcotized chimps at his japery.
Bruce W. enhances my take by noting that “the American political discourse is fragmented and incoherent — a shattered landscape, really, of fake outrage and synthetic snark that rarely touches ground.” Indeed! And though only the privileged can afford to swallow lies with no link to reality, sadly they’re not the only ones who do so. Regarding Trump’s mental state, “many people are saying” (a Trump trigger-phrase like “not good”) that a recent Seymour Hersh article quotes the WH insiders reporting a steep physical and cognitive decline at this time. I think Christoforou noted in more detail the overall take, “He cannot read the room” like in term 1. He reverts to sameoldsameolds, especially “Why doesn’t everyone love me for ending 8 wars!! 8 wars!!” The chumps tune out because the “subject” of his presser (or hamburger party or whatever) is unaddressed.
And in closing (glad Finster made me work at corrections), sane minds think alike, (I needn’t say “great”) and Tom Neuberger at Naked Capitalism affirms what I said, that Stephen Miller wants a war– TN calls it a Civil War while I called it a Race War– ASAP. The calculation is supposedly that though the Trump Admin knows they are now unpopular and that their rep will only get worse in a short amount of time, so bring down the coup/ killings now. I’d like to think they can’t really pull it off, especially not when attacks on Venezuela and Iran are in the near-term equation, plus there is no peace in Gaza, Blumenthal pointed out the Zionist Entity murdered an average of 60 Palestinians daily since “the Cease Fire” started despite Trump demanding Benjie stop bombing.
Too many plates spinning atop too many poles, I think, for this group of criminal clowns. Creative Destruction might simply be Pyrrhic “victories” and pure destruction.
someofparts
From Rob Urie’s substack account- https://substack.com/home/post/p-172702992
“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false” – former CIA director William Casey
Urie goes on to show the source and prove that Casey did actually say this at the start of the Reagan administration.
The rest of Urie’s linked post is well worth reading. Glad to know there are still journalists around who dig past the garbage and provide trustworthy information.
Haven’t finished reading everything at the website but expect the rest of the new posts he has up to be worth my time.
When you mention the possibility that Trump’s health is fading I feel like a cautionary note is called for here. The death of Trump will not end the evil. When I test the cognitive waters with my one MAGA relation, it’s clear that these folks are way too far down the rabbit hole of nonsense to change course just because Trump is gone. Sadly this can also be said for the NYT-worshipping, blue-no-matter-who crowd as well. In this misbegotten crime scene masquerading as a nation, the disease of disinformation is at stage four, metastisized into all the vital organs of the body politic.
Finally, turns out that Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films are available for streaming on Youtube, so looks like I will be doing some binge-watching over the next week or two. Thanks for the tip ML
Feral Finster
“Nat Wilson Turner
Evil is seen as strong and good as weak by many Americans.”
This is an unconscious ideation of Finster’s Fourth Law. All games eventually degenerate into sociopath games, because cheating is the only way to beat someone who is willing to cheat to win.
When faced with a sociopath, who will do whatever it takes to get what they want, either you can respond in kind or lose.
different clue
Well . . . here is an example of China being successful.
” Laser technology used to eliminate Mosquitoes safely. ”
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/1o2o1ob/laser_technology_used_to_eliminate_mosquitoes/