The Useless Tree

Current Affairs

  • Zero Dark Sunzi

    I saw "Zero Dark Thirty" last night, a bracing film.  I am also reading Sunzi with my students here; so, it seems quite natural for me to bring these two texts together. As a movie, "Zero Dark Thirty" is quite… Continue reading

  • Confucian Constitutionalism in defense of Freedom of Expression

    The Southern Weekend censorship row (good reports can be found here, here, here, here and here) has cast light on the limits of political reform in China.  I am one of those who sees this, initially at least, not as… Continue reading

  • Daoist Thoughts on Newtown

    When confronted with horrible, senseless crimes like the massacre of innocent children in Connecticut last week, I find myself turning back to the Daoist classics for reflection. It is not that I find answers in the Daodejing and Zhuangzi.  There… Continue reading

  • Has Wen Jiabao Failed the Confucius Test?

    Everyone's talking about the big NYT piece on the vast wealth of the family of China's Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao. At one level this is utterly unsurprising.  This is how the PRC's political economy works. Those people who stand at… Continue reading

  • Actually, America Must “Lead from Behind” in East Asia

    Aaron Friedberg has a piece in The Diplomat today: "America Cannot 'Lead From Behind' in East Asia."  It is a critique of what he takes to be a shift in US policy toward China, a softening of the US "pivot"… Continue reading

  • Gu Kailai Proffers a Confucian Defense

     The scandalous story of Gu Kailai, wife of disgraced Chongqing boss Bo Xilai, is back in the news, with the formal announcement of charges being filed against her for intentional murder a British man.  I don't want to get swept… Continue reading

  • Busyness: It Doesn’t Work

    People are talking about the article that ran in Sunday's NYT: "The Busy Trap," by Tim Kreider.  It's a fun piece, but Kreider misses an opportunity here: the obvious link to Daoism.  Obvious, at least, for those of us who… Continue reading

  • Chinese Intellectuals Need Freedom: Zhuangzi Anticipated This…

    Louisa Lim has a report on NPR this morning that reminds us that Chinese intellectuals and artists continue to press for freedom of expression, speech, and thought.  She presents the work of artist Yang Weidong: A deceptively simple question has… Continue reading

  • Confucius for thee but not for me

    Thanks to CDT for posting this cartoon by Dashixiong:  The children say: "Grandpa Confucius, we want to study, we want to eat a healthy lunch. We beg you to come back home and teach us…” This is an element of the critique… Continue reading

  • Some Confucian Compassion for Bei Bei Shuai, Please!

    I just caught wind of this story, a sad tragedy:  On 23 December 2010 [Bei Bei] Shuai became so depressed after she had been abandoned by her boyfriend – a married Chinese man who broke his promise to set up… Continue reading