The Useless Tree

Mencius

  • Mencius Says: Donald Trump is Inhumane and Should Not Be President

    When faced with challenging circumstances I turn to ancient Chinese philosophy in search of answers. And when the issue is a matter of political leadership I often find myself thinking: what would Mencius say? And so, here are some thoughts… Continue reading

  • The US Supreme Court does the Mencian thing

    As everyone knows by now, the US Supreme Court voted today to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), thus allowing to stand President Obama's signature legislative action on health insurance.  In doing so, the Court also, unintentionally I suspect, ratified… Continue reading

  • The Mencian Critique of the Terracotta Warriors

    Word comes of a new excavation of even more terracotta warriors and figures at the massive burial site of the first Qin Emperor.  But whenever I think of Qin and his subterranean army, Mencius comes to mind.  And Mencius gives… Continue reading

  • Stand with Chen Guangcheng

    Chen Guangcheng, the courageous human rights lawyer in China, who has been subjected to brutal "house arrest" for years, has escaped his captors and is apparently in hiding, perhaps in the US embassy, in Beijing.  Here's what I blogged five… Continue reading

  • When “Confucianism” isn’t really Confucianism

    Alistair J. Nicholas, an expatriate pr exec in Beijing, pens a piece in the China Daily that reflects upon cultural differences between China and the West, especially in corporate workplaces.  There are some useful insights into how to get things… Continue reading

  • The Pursuit of Happiness

    An op-ed in the English edition of the Global Times today asks: Are Chinese people truly miserable? It opens: "Misery" is a regular word today. From emotions reflected in the media and online, the Chinese sense of misery is increasing… Continue reading

  • Mencius in Libya

    The rather gruesome public death of Muammar el-Qaddafi, dictator of Libya, has caused some upset in more comfortable political quarters.  And this was the topic of a historically well-informed op-ed in today's NYT by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  He draws comparisons,… Continue reading

  • Thinking of Yueyue and obligations to strangers

    The sad story of Wang Yue, widely known as Yueyue – a two-year old girl in Foshan run over by a van, and even run over a second time by another vehicle, and then left to die while uncaring passersby… Continue reading

  • Mencius: Now more than ever

    Rising socio-economic inequality is a heated topic of discussion in China.  China Digital Times links to several pieces about growing resentment toward the increasingly base and brazen nouveaux riches. This is not a new story.  Economic growth in China has… Continue reading

  • The Irrepublicans

    The debates about raising the debt ceiling are heating up.  For someone of my age and background the whole thing is rather extraordinary.   It used to be that the Republicans were reliably the party of finance capital, making sure… Continue reading