The Useless Tree

Politics

  • Voting and Elections

        Lots of talk around the office this morning about the big Democratic Party wins in the US elections last night.  As a standard-issue, academic left-liberal, I am happy with the outcome (though I worry about a Democratic Congress… Continue reading

  • Good Hu, Bad Hu

         An informative and astute piece of reporting in the NYT today by Joseph Kahn on the political struggles behind the high-profile corruption arrests in China.  He further develops the point, which I blogged on below, that the ultimate… Continue reading

  • “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

  • Bush and Hu: Losing the Mandate of Heaven

         A couple of perceptive comments to my post on the Rui’an affair have raised the question of political legitimacy, especially as expressed through the notion of the "Mandate of Heaven."         Alexus McLeod, who blogs at… Continue reading

  • Nationalism and Culture

         A revealing interview with Wu Jianmin, President of Chinese Foreign Affairs University, in today’s People’s Daily.  The nameless interviewer asks some leading questions: Reporter: Culture is a component of China’s soft power strategy to develop national strength, and… Continue reading

  • Chuang Tzu on the “Eight Honors and Disgraces”

         Back in April I commented on the "Eight Honors and Disgraces" campaign in the PRC press. It is a throwback to old-fashioned socialist, and quasi-Confucian, ethical exhortation: a series of slogans meant to define public and political morality. … Continue reading

  • Why Joe Lieberman Should Not Run As An Independent

        From The Analects (1.16): The Master said: "Don’t grieve when people fail to recognize your ability.  Grieve when you fail to recognize theirs.     Are you listening Joe?  Confucius is telling you to give it up.  It’s… Continue reading

  • Violence and Inhumanity

        There certainly seems to be an increase in violence in the world – or, at least, an increase in visible, reported violence.   Mumbai.  Baghdad.  Israel-Palestine.  North Korea.  Washington DC (a "crime emergency").  It is sickening.       I… Continue reading

  • George Washington, Taoist Sage

         Andrew Sullivan links to a piece by Peter Berkowitz which repeats Gordon Wood’s praise of George Washington’s greatest political virtue: Washington stunned the world a first time after leading the Continental Army to victory. Even as many of… Continue reading

  • Opiate of the Masses

        Francesco Sisci makes an astute observation in the Asia Times: This April 12-15, China hosted an international Buddhist conference in the city of Hangzhou. With that gesture, Hu     acknowledged that he recognized the common people’s need… Continue reading