Latest Posts
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Crazy Thought of the Day
Not much time to post just now, but here is a thought that has entered my mind these past two days of the conference: Confucianism is not longer Chinese. Or, to be more precise, if China wants to… Continue reading
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The Conference
Here I am, back at the internet cafe. This time, however, I am off in a side room, sipping ice latte and blogging – is this what they mean when they talk about the "superiority of socialism?" … Continue reading
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Blogging from Beijing
So, I found an internet cafe just down the street from where I am staying, and, as you can see, I can access Typepad. Not too long ago people were saying Typepad was blocked in China. But I… Continue reading
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Off to Beijing
Sorry for fewer posts this week. I have been frantically grading and getting myself ready to fly off to Beijing tomorrow. I will be attending a conference, "The International Symposium on Confucianism in the Postmodern Era," at the Beijing… Continue reading
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North Korea: Retaining Heart
Something about this picture (from CDT) struck me: They are a North Korean couple. Apparently urban, fairly well-off: his suit suggests that he is a cadre with some job or link to… Continue reading
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A Loyal Brother
Confucianism pushes against nationalism of any sort because it defines our moral selves in terms of how well we cultivate and preserve our closest loving relationships. If there is a conflict of obligations between family (or most immediate… Continue reading
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How Many Chinas?
A couple of days ago we had a bit of a discussion over at Peking Duck around the question of how many Chinas there are. Dave was wondering how Chinese culture might manifest itself in various locations: PRC… Continue reading
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The Way of Property
As economic reform deepens in the PRC, the tricky question of private property continues to pop up. Last March, a law was ready to be enacted by the National People’s Congress that would have begun a… Continue reading
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Thinking About Tet
Dan Drezner and Kevin Drum both post today on the comparison of the current state of the Iraq war and the Tet offensive during the Vietnam war, which was brought up recently by Thomas Friedman, and President Bush’s… Continue reading
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At Fifteen
Today is Aidan’s fifteenth birthday. I thought about saying "would have been" his fifteenth birthday, but I will keep it in the present tense. He continues to be a presence in my life, even in his absence, and… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 