My China Kanfa.....China on My Mind

It was dangerous being a Communist in China circa late 20's and early 30's.  No question about it. China's congress actually had to meet and convene in Russia one year!  It was too dangerous to convene in China. China was dominated by warlords.  And CKS was still obsessed with uniting and ruling China.  During this time the Comintern continued to send Russians to China.  First Borodin, then Mif. Borodin died out of favor with Stalin.  Mif was lost in the Great Purge.  Another nameless victim, cursed with being born in Mother Russia at the wrong time in history.  The civil war between the Chinese Communists and Crazy Chiang Kai Shek was in full swing.  Indeed during this time many of Zhou EnLai's most trusted confidants fell victim to the CKS's penchant for torture and murder. One must spend time to reflect if but for a moment. If Zhou had been the leader of the CCP, would the Communists had lost to CKS?   I think so. Rather, Mao won because

Story 1 A few days ago I looked up the DHL number my potential supplier was sending me. I noticed the departure point.  Then not believing what I was seeing I looked again. About a month or so ago I started talking to this potential supplier about samples.  The company is located in Zhengzhou, Henan. A big enough city, with lots of folks moving to Shenzhen to work.  Maybe someday I'll even go there. So finally I get the pricing I want.   I start the process of buying product.  I ask for an FOB price.  I'm given Qingdao and Shanghai.  Then the supplier finally decides on Shanghai.   The price automatically jumps 30% WTF? I map out the distance from Zhengzhou to Shanghai.  587 miles.  Wow. I ask the supplier for her factory address.  I will quote this ex works.  That is I will pick the product up myself and ship it to America.  However, it's just a quote I want for now.  Nothing else. She demurs.   Yep....the sales lady at the factory hems an

Now comes the hard part: How do I explain to readers how Zhou EnLai became allied with Chiang Kai Shek?  They were enemies right?  Eventually yes.  Indeed, the KMT tried to have Zhou killed more than a few times.  And on one occasion it is believed Zhou even knowingly sent some people to their deaths in order to allow CKS to believe he was himself dead.  To be blunt, the direction of  pre Liberation China was neither in the control of Mao, CKS, Zhou or any other Chinese.  Not in the least.  Rather, the direction of China was in the control of a bunch of white men.  Men that had never been to China, much less Asia.  Men that could not speak Chinese.  Men that knew nothing of China's special "condition".     These men knew nothing of China's Qing Dynasty.  They didn't know Kangxi, or Qianlong.  Like my boss of a decade ago who with a straight face pointed to that huge billboard in Shenzhen of Deng Xiaoping and asked out loud, "Who's that&qu