Latest Posts
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Rumsfeld is not a Gentleman
Confucius tells us that leaders bear personal responsibility for the public policy effects of their actions. When things are going well, a gentleman, jun zi, can humbly accept some portion of the praise. But when things are going… Continue reading
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“Pointing at the Mulberry to Revile the Ash”
The title of this post refers to a Chinese saying – that I do not know in Chinese. If anyone has the Chinese for it, please send it along. Pointing to the Mulberry to revile the… Continue reading
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Oh Mr. Lee, Your Legalism is Showing…
Tin hat dictator Lee Hsien Loong, fronting for his unable-to-let-go-of-power dad, Lee Kuan Yew, is doing his Legalist dance again. They’ve gone and banned the Far Eastern Economic Review for the unacceptable crime of reporting truthfully about opposition… Continue reading
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On Confucius’ Birthday: Modernizing his Thought
Today is the birthday of Confucius – or at least it is recognized as such in Taiwan and celebrated as "Teacher’s Day." A ceremony was held in Qufu, China, his birthplace. Happy 2557th! Interesting how the modern performance:… Continue reading
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Cracking Down on Corruption – not really
A lot of attention has been paid in the last couple of day to high profile Chinese politicians being arrested for corruption. Most prominently, Chen Liangyu, Shanghai Party boss, has been detained. Leaders in charge of Party discipline… Continue reading
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Taoist Cosmology
I have written about string theory before. But I am drawn back to it today after having read Jim Holt’s review of two books on the subject in this weeks New Yorker. (I have gotten into… Continue reading
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Profiting from the Anti-Profit Sage
The China Confucius Foundation is, I think (I don’t know much about them), the organization that runs the temple at Qufu, Shandong province, the birth place of the ancient sage himself. They have taken it upon themselves to… Continue reading
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Sun Tzu on Intelligence and the Failure in Iraq
This story ran on the front pages of both the NYT and the WaPo this morning: The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around… Continue reading
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Still looking for enlightened rulers
This story, about China’s nouveaux riches, has been getting some attention around the internet today: A generation ago, when people still dressed in monochromes and acquiring great wealth, never mind flaunting it, was generally illegal, the route to… Continue reading
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So…Is he a Taoist?
Seems like he is to me: Wandering artist finds his own way to liveBy Xu Jitao (China Daily) Updated: 2006-09-20 09:00 For 11 days beginning September 3, Ye Fu stayed in a cage in a community in Shanghai’s Pudong.… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 