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

Hong Kong is no what Thoreau had in mind when he advocated Civil Disobedience. A good protest is a terrible thing to waste.  What started out in my mind and probably in others as a well intentioned, typical protest by Youth from another country(er, part of another country), has spun out of control yet again. The Hong Kong Youth I have discussed before, in another post from not too long ago.  They are nothing if not both intelligent and hopeless.  America would do well to take them in, the better to utilize the engineering and math talent so wantonly going to waste 8000 miles from where I write this.  Nevermind the Ambition and Passion for a cause, that every Society needs in order to nurture and replenish its own Spirit. When I went to Hong Kong, it was via bullet train from Guangzhou.  I took the taxi, as it was too early to take the subway, and PAID the price, a ghastly 200 RMB.  What was I to do?   Coming back, the subway only cost $1. ...

Sorry for my long absence, it has been about 6 weeks.  I've been back about a week.  I stubbornly refuse to write or even look at my blog while in Asia.  Much less even think about it, I'm afraid.  Like a good marriage, distance is a good thing. I've had this blog since at least 2012.  But when away for long absences readership does of course take a hit.   Fortunately, I like to write.  It clears my mind, thus one will never see me on Youtube.  When on video does not one lose all anonymity? While away I was able to visit Vietnam as well.  I had a productive trip, going from North China down to Hong Kong, with Hanoi in between.  I have about 4 or 5 posts ready to write, and will try and quickly make up for lost time.  My posts will of course continue to be shorter than the 2000 diatribes I've traditionally written about. All the same, I'm glad to be home.  To the land of 4 seasons and mildly cold weather.  A fe...

  (All, I'll be taking another leave from this blog.  I'll be back in China for a month on business and not able to post until the latter part of October.  Yeah, there are some editing issues with this post, but I'm too tired to fix them, or figure out how.   Pls keep your comments coming, I'll be sure to reply to them all!) People like to talk about the Thucydides Trap. The war made famous by the Greek historian, describing the rivalry between the then dominant Sparta and the fledgling  Athens. This took place in the 4th century BC.  It of course mirrors the so called situation today between America and China.  However, while we all consider America Sparta and China Athens, was not China the Sparta of its day? For probably a millennium China was The Big Dog on this Tiny Blue Ball of ours.  Indeed, during the time of the Peloponnesian War, China though deep in a Civil War, the Warring States Period, probably could have eas...

I swear I've written about this topic before! So certain am I that the post could not be found......I searched high and low, alas it was nowhere to be seen. 350 posts will do that to you. This is a topic with clear implications for both sides.  I've seen it closeup multiple times. One day I noticed a loud noise.  Loud voices coming from the neighbor next door.  Eventually, I walked outside into the hallway and sure enough, there was an argument between the mother of my beautiful Chinese neighbor and her Hong Kong husband.  And the mother in law had left the door open for all to hear.   There was nothing we could do.  I wasn't the only one stuck with the noise.  Even when I stepped out for a part of the day and came back, it was still going strong.  You see he was a cop, and though he lived in China, he worked in Hong Kong everyday.  It turns out one day when he was supposedly going to work, he instead took a simpl...

I have finished watching the above documentary.  American Factory.  As usual, I had to break it up into two separate evenings.   But I'm glad I did watch it.  I did not know what I was in for, but having viewed it I have alot to say.   Lots of spoilers below.   It is on Netflix, and no, it is highly unlikely this will ever be released in its present form in China. First of all, most of my viewers recently have been from outside America, so perhaps I should explain;  American Factory can be your town too, in your country as well.  It can be Germany, Australia, anywhere.  Because what takes place in America regarding China is nothing but a hint regarding what happens in Latin America or wherever the Chinese have a large government presence. Having finished watching this documentary, my belief that the Chinese think Americans are dumb and lazy is stronger than ever.   And my belief that way too many Americans are ent...

People talk about the slow extinction of The White Male in America. As the Indians, the Chinese, all very smart and well educated etc, come to this country, they squeeze out those among us unable to compete.  Simple as that.  I literally know no dumb Indians or Chinese here.  Their English may not be that great.  Their unwillingness to assimilate common.  Their children in turn destined to marry within their own culture. But still, America is a head above the rest because our government allows these uber skilled folks to follow their ambitions and "try to make it" here. The White Man a generation from now will work in an Amazon warehouse.  Maybe be a cop, or in the military.   Maybe a buyer for a company.  But he won't have a future like his grandfather did.  Housing will continue to increase in price, which is ok, because all that fancy new housing won't be built for him anyway.  See above. Can he blame the Americ...

Well, it finally happened.  Just as it happened to my mom and dad.   My youngest saw her mom and dad having sex.   I thought I had locked the door.  I did.  But then I must push the door until it clicks shut.  I did not push it far enough.    I remember when I was in 6th grade.  My parents door didn't have a lock.  I walked in and the lights were out and I saw nothing.  But I heard a gasp and was told to close the door.  I remember my dad coming out in his red robe, hair wildly askew, looking real pissed off, and ready to hit someone. He lit a cigarette.   A moment later my mom came out with one of her small robes and said with a matter of fact look, Your daddy was touching me", or something like that.   My mom, perhaps because she was from the South, was simply more open to this type of thing. She simply told me again not to open the door when it was closed.  I rem...