Phil Cunningham Profile picture
金培力 CCTV FOLLIES at https://t.co/Ytx660bYM5 Fulbright, Knight, Nieman Fellow. @jinpeili.bsky.social @jinpeili@ieji.de

Mar 14, 2023, 29 tweets

3.14 The "Two Meetings" formalizing Xi's increased dictatorial control have been declared a success!

Nowhere was the ten-day long televised extravaganza of red-carpeted entrances, talking heads and extensive applause watched more closely watched than in military quarters.

Military men watched the Xi show with rapt attention, hardly taking time to exhale or inhale.

CCTV is proud to "bring the good news" of China's story told well to the fighting forces who defend every last inch of the motherland. Everyone watches it.

Whenever the shy and retiring paramount leader Xi appeared on screen, the hard men of the military broke out into spontaneous and heartfelt applause.

The only notable exception to the Pavlovian autonomic applause response was with those soldiers watching on their phones who desperately wanted to applaud but couldn't do so without dropping their devices.

Overall, the meeting at which Xi was "elected" to the top leadership post (with unambiguous and unanimous support) was watched with intense, unwithering pride wherever men and women dress in uniform.

Perhaps nowhere more so was the good news well-received than in the desert reaches of the Red Army post in Xinjiang.

But the rocket command got a lot of inspiration and juice from listening to Xi's deeply inspirational mumbo-jumbo also.

To put it simply, Xi fires people up.

He wraps himself in the red flag until he is the flag.
He is the party.
He is the nation.
"L'etat, c'est lui"

The father of the country inspires his children to action...

He's the carrier...
He's the sub...
He's the destroyer
He's the heavy-duty jet

He's the reason these men can jump out of planes at high altitude

He's source of courage for the pilot who boards his jet seeking victory in battle...

"Xi's profound concept of the "Two Establishes" helps us to overcome all things difficult and dangerous..."

When it comes to planning risky amphibious landings, it's good to know the Chairman has your back.

"Chairman Xi personally singled us out for praise"

Under Xi's leadership, one must prep for conflict.
Get in formation!....charge!...fight to victory!

And, by the way, Xi's good soldiers aren't all men.
Have you heard of the lady pilots?

They take to the sky just like men.

They can really fly.

Russia is still running its influence operations in Ukraine. As best understood from Moscow's point of view, it's not invasion but justified recovery of territory.

And Russia would have made quick work of it...

But Ukraine keeps stubbornly resisting due to the non-stop flow of Western weapons.

Russia's charming spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, expresses nuanced discontent about that nasty little Nord Stream affair.

Nord Stream sabotage:
"The black hand behind this black action is the US."
"The White House is trying to whitewash it!"

So says the red-faced Chairman of Quebec's communist party.

In diplomatic news, Iran embarks on a gentle diplomatic push. Belarus is happy to be part of it.

So much for the bright side of things. As for the US, it's sinking deeper into despair everyday.

CCTV loves SVB.

Germany, too, suffers from Western ills. A transport strike leaves this woman sitting on her suitcase.
Inflation is the fault of unjust sanctions.
And that's the end of our broadcast...

What? Wait! No flowers blossoming across the motherland?

@threadreaderapp “unroll”

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