This DoD-commissioned report on "Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism" makes for interesting reading. For example: "The Chinese see multiculturalism as a sickness that has overtaken the United States, and a component of U.S. decline."
Although the report is almost 10 years old, it calls attention to the "anti-racist" CRT-inspired propaganda that was already so pervasive in U.S. entertainment and education. (The author is praising this effort, in contrast to China).
To his credit, the author acknowledges that racism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism are evolved, and adaptive - rather than something dreamed up by wicked colonizers in 1619. But he laments to failure of China to adopt the western "civil rights" perspective.
The report traces historic and cultural influences contributing to Chinese ethnocentrism and the concept of race - from ancient times to the 20th century - including Sun Yat-sen who viewed the Chinese as "a single, pure race" and stated that "the greatest force is common blood."
Under Mao, the communists pushed the now-familiar anti-white view that only westerners could be "racists" and that even the Russian communists were suspect due to their "whiteness." But tensions with Africans undermined calls for non-white solidarity.
In contrast to western countries, China maintains a strong sense or racial identity and pride. Unlike westerners, the Chinese can see themselves as part of an extended family, descended from common ancestors.
The report asserts that racial stereotypes are common in China - including negative views of other Asians - views likely to horrify any western liberal.
While white male Americans are persona-non-grata at home, they may be encouraged to know that Chinese women have a different perspective.
According to the report, other foreign races are viewed less favorably.
The Chinese are perplexed by America's pivot to "multiculturalism" - "the United States is explicitly rejecting the principles that made the country great, and united it."
"... all of this conspires to cause the breakdown of American society and the lack of purpose in life ..."
The report speculated that racism would hurt China's reputation in the Third World (My comment: this does not seem to have had much of an impact). The report notes that "There were major riots by African students at Chinese universities in 1962, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1988, and 1989."
Worldwide, Chinese clannishness and networking is thought to promote their success. But this generates resentment. Shame on you if this brings to mind any parallels.
Reluctantly, the report acknowledges important strategic advantages of Chinese "racism:" The Chinese have a sense of unity, idently, community, and confidence.
The report also looks at ethnic tensions in Xinjiang. In brief, Uighurs feel overwhelmed by Han migration. The Han view the Uighurs as backward, and ungrateful for the economic development. (Comment: Another example of how economic growth does *not* ease demographic strife).
Covering the unrest in Tibet, the report mentions that the Chinese are experts at "using their educational system to indoctrinate the population, even among minority peoples and dissidents." Let's hope that never happens here!
The 2013 report argued that the U.S. had a significant "soft power" advantage in that "it is not a racist state."
Unfortunately, the U.S. ruling class spent most of 2020 - 2021 proclaiming that the U.S. definitely *is* a racist state - so this advantage may have been lost.
Report's recommendation:
> "Hey world - look how racist China is"
Actual U.S. policy:
> "Hey world - look how racist *America* is!"
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Bombing Germany – From Douhet to Dresden: How British and American air forces came to employ a strategy of massacring civilians.
> Instead of engaging enemy forces, peak American technology and some of its best, bravest men were put to work killing women and children.
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"Jus in Bello" traditions had endured for nearly two hundred years in the West. But after WW I, the new theories of air warfare and the new technology of the heavy four-engine bomber set the stage for the indiscriminate destruction of cities and the mass-killing of civilians.
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Pre-WW II air-power theorists like Douhet had argued that terror-bombing of civilians would actually *shorten* a war and save lives. Although bombing of military targets continued throughout the war, proponents of terror bombing were allowed to put their theory into practice.
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In 1974, in the second month of the disastrous court-ordered integration in Boston, violence spread and the crisis escalated, with national implications. President Ford weighed-in, and the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Brag was put on standby alert.
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In September of 1974, the often violent resistance in South Boston had grabbed national attention. Hopes that the turmoil could be contained to one neighborhood were soon shattered. In early October, Blacks rioted in neighborhoods across the city. 2/
On October 8, following news of a beating of a Haitian immigrant in South Boston, turmoil broke out at English High school. Blacks rioted and battled police around Mission Hill. "Some 1,500 black students began walking up Tremont Street "smashing windows and hurling rocks." 3/
> 1960: America seems to be entering an era of hope and prosperity.
> End of the 1960s: Complete break-down of law and order. Half the country afraid to go out at night. A crime wave of "epic proportions."
From 1960 to 1970, rates of violent crime (essentially, murder, rape, robbery, and serious assaults) in the U.S. more than doubled, from 161 per 100,000 to 364. Murder rates rose 55 percent, while robbery rates climbed over 91 percent. And it continued to rise into the 1990s.
There was some evidence of rising crime in other western countries. But crime was *falling* in Japan. And Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore did not see a significant crime increase.
Catholic Irish v. Italian culture clash in 1890s Boston:
"In the old country, regular church attendance was expected only of females; Italian men in Boston
discovered that no Catholic was exempt from this obligation."
"The Irish priest, whose devotions centered around the all-male Holy Trinity, encountered the matriarchal Italian family, which focused on the Madonna and Child."
"No Irishman, for instance, would enter a church wearing a hat and puffing on a cigar; nor would he profess his human frailties prostrating himself before a crucifix or Station of the Cross."
FDR and the "Back Road" to War with Japan:
After WW I, with the Lansing–Ishii Agreement, the U.S. had acknowledged that Japan has legitimate security interests in Manchuria – the Bolsheviks were on the march, the spread of communism threatened China and Korea.
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Lennin had shrewdly granted concessions to U.S. businesses in Manchuria, sowing the seeds for conflict – “In this way we incite American Imperialism against the Japanese bourgeoisie.”
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By the 1930s, Japan had seized control of Manchuria. But it was clear that that the Soviets were hard at work laying the foundation for Communist revolution in the Far East.
3/18
Thread on Pat Buchanan’s “Where the Right Went Wrong.”
> Not one of his best books, but the discussion on Neocons is relevant as President Trump begins staffing his new administration:
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Buchanan had been staunch conservative, and a loyal lieutenant in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations. In his view, the Bush-era ascendency of the Neocons was a dramatic and disastrous break from American conservative tradition. The Neocons had their own agenda.
2/12
Early Neocons like Irving Kristol were ex-Trotskyites. They admired FDR and LBJ. They were liberal internationalists - traditional foes of the America First movement. They later moved to the Republican party, believing it would be a useful tool to accomplish their agenda.
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