The Useless Tree

Confucius/Confucianism

  • Confucian Family Policy

         This sounds like a good idea (from yesterday’s NYT): In an effort to correct dysfunctional foster care systems, a growing number of child welfare agencies around the country are reaching outside their ranks to involve troubled families and… Continue reading

  • Pavel Who?

         I came across an odd little commentary in People’s Daily this morning, which got me to thinking about the continuing transformation of "Chinese culture," and my own ignorance of Chinese popular culture.     I will be brutally… Continue reading

  • Knowing the Enemy

        George Packer has a good article in this week’s New Yorker (alas not on-line), "Knowing the Enemy."  He considers the "anthropology of insurgency" in Iraq, focusing on an Australian military intellectual, David Kilcullen, currently working for the US… Continue reading

  • Old Confucianism and New Mistresses

         In the China Daily today we learn of a web site set up to claim rights for mistresses of Chinese men: Six months after it began, Zheng Baichun’s website (www.2n88.com), known for defending the rights of er’nai, or… Continue reading

  • Getting Modern Confucian Education Right

         A story in yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor describes a school in Guangdong (it doesn’t tell us what city or town) that integrates Confucian classics and traditional Chinese cultural practices into a modern elementary school curriculum:  "Now the government… Continue reading

  • Iraq Study Group

        Not much to add to the US media outpouring on the Iraq Study Group report that came out yesterday.  Can’t get better commentary than that of my neighbor Abu Aardvark.  It strikes me, in the end, as a… Continue reading

  • Confucianism v. Taoism in Chinese Popular Culture

        Roland, at ESWN, reminds us again of how debates about popular culture in can reveal significant changes in political – or, at least, potentially political – attitudes.   He posts a translation of a Southern Metropolis Daily piece (original… Continue reading

  • Dangerous Euphemisms

        One thing reading Confucius does to a person is make them aware of language and how it is used to evade responsibility or distract attention away from uncomfortable realities.  Rather like George Orwell, really.     This comes… Continue reading

  • Prison

         Here’s a depressing thing: U.S. Prison Population Sets Record Associated Press Friday, December 1, 2006 A record 7 million people — one in every 32 U.S. adults — were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the… Continue reading

  • Speaking of the Confucian Mind….

        I often worry that the tone of this blog is too critical.  I find myself playing the scold, using Confucianism or Taoism to complain about this or that happening in China or the US.  I do not have… Continue reading