CCTV FOLLIES 1.09 Anatomy of a meeting
-Xi speaks, CCP listens
-Shots of static meetings take up more half of the news
-Covid problems get short shrift
-CCTV takes Russia's side in Ukraine, as usual
-And ID's the US as the ultimate culprit, as usual
-US unfair to immigrants
Xi stresses the need for ceaseless efforts to promote full and rigorous Party self-governance at the second plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)
A pin-drop silence followed by a resounding, thunderous applause from the party faithful as the Paramount Leader enters the room.
Xi tells the CCDI that strong political oversight is necessary to ensure the decisions and plans made at the 20th CPC National Congress are effectively implemented.
the spirit of the 20th lives...
To add the reverential mood, everyone makes a show of taking notes, even with the readout in front of them, blanket video coverage and reports in all the papers.
China's most powerful power brokers obediently wear face masks so the leader can unmask alone among men.
Even Wang Huning, a diabolically clever intellectual, and one of Xi's primary ghost writers, plays along by taking notes, pretending to be entranced by the rote, dumb-downed words that are served up with a deadpan delivery by his curmudgeonly boss.
But the Beijing meeting is more than it appears to be. Notice the television monitor?
Xi's weighty words enjoy a simulcast to the provinces. Local party officials dress up, gather in grandiose halls and assiduously take notes in front of the remote camera as Xi Jinping speaks.
A jealous demi-god, Xi demands obedience, humility and adherence to cultish protocol
In Tibet, the Xi craze reaches new heights as delegates gather under his portrait. It's a not-so-subtle way of saying Tibetans should stop collecting photos of the Dalai Lama and join the Xi cult instead.
Xinjiang tunes in to the Xi-Zoom session with double the enthusiasm. There are two meetings: one for the province, and one for the "bingtuan" also known as The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
Xi gesticulates pointedly, gently reminding the note-taking scribes who constitute the upper echelons of the party, that there's only one top-dog.
In other news, we are treated to yet more meetings, a Xi Zoom call and this spine-tingling tribute:
"We firmly believe in party central with the strong leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping at the core."
In other news, not that there's much time for other news after half the news has already been devoted to Xi, CCTV takes a moment to remind viewers of their good fortune
Bumper harvest, orderly holiday travel, and good health care through effective deployment of medical personnel
CCTV then blows its own horn, advertising "Forever Blow Your Horn" a gripping in-house documentary series airing at 8 PM about how the CCP has sounded the call to root out corruption.
Some highlights below:
Flags, flags, flags and surveillance cameras.
More highlights, including stealthily photographed wine glasses in a capitalist lair, a powerful symbol of corruption in high places.
Pledging loyalty to the party, followed by more flags blowing in the wind.
Spoiler Alert:
The CCP wins every battle with its win-win policy.
Yet another satellite launch. China's impressive space program proceeds apace.
A slogan fit for rocket science:
"Nothing less than complete success"
Russia reports on a prisoner swap and flexes its attack helicopter shots, but none of the usual fire-filled missile launches at Ukraine.
Russia Defense Ministry supplied scenes of battle.
CCTV supplied the detailed map of Ukraine.
Damage from the fighting in Kramatorsk...
(Supposedly Russia-controlled but Ukraine is making advances)
But the real source of the damage is the US, shown here for the umpteenth time, unloading weapons for Ukraine using recycled file footage.
"Ukraine troops utilize US supplied weapons."
In other news, CCTV had a reporter on the scene as the congress buildings in Brasilia were beset by supporters of former President.
"They will be punished," says Lula Da Silva.
"American people on US-Mexico border protest the US government's policy on immigrants."
No time left for the usual lengthy harangues against the US, other than to critique its immigration policy.
(In contrast to China which won't take them at all)
So that's all folks, it's over and out.
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