Castro on China

[Sky]

There are those who suffer from Chino-phobia, a condition shared by many Westerners, accustomed by their education and cultural differences to regard whatever comes from China with contempt.

I was virtually still a child when people started to speak of a "yellow peril." The Chinese revolution seemed impossible back then. The real causes behind anti-Chinese sentiments were racist at root.

Why is imperialism so intent on subjecting China, directly or indirectly, to an international wearing down?

Some time ago; that is to say, 50 years ago, it sought to deny China the prerogatives it had heroically earned for itself as a full member of the Security Council. Later, highlighting the errors that led to the Tiananmen Square protests, it deified the Statue of Liberty, the emblem of an empire which today embodies the negation of all freedoms.

The People’s Republic of China passed legislation which stood out in proclaiming and enforcing respect for the rights and cultures of 55 ethnic minorities.

The People’s Republic of China is, at the same time, highly sensitive with regards to all things related to the integrity of its territory.

The campaign orchestrated against China is like a bugle call aimed at unleashing an attack on the country's well-earned success and against its people, hosts of the next Olympic Games.

The Cuban government issued a statement categorically expressing its support of China in connection with the campaign undertaken against it on the issue of Tibet. This was the right stance to assume. China respects the rights of its citizens to hold religious beliefs or not. In China, there are Muslim, Catholic and non-Catholic Christian and other religious groups, not to mention dozens of ethnic minorities, whose rights are guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.

In our Communist Party, one's religion does not represent an obstacle to becoming a Party member.

I respect the Dalai Lama’s right to believe, but I am not obliged to believe in the Dalai Lama.

I do have many reasons to believe in China's victory.

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/abril/mier2/Reflections-2april.html

[RedStarOverChina]

I do agree with Fidel that much of this is rooted in racism against Chinese. Most Chinese people I know certainly think so.

This very much reminds the Chinese of past foreign aggressions. When Britain launched the Opium Wars, it also enjoyed real grass-root support from the Royal subjects.

Back then, it was about "bring civilization" to China. Now it's about bring "freedom" and "democracy" to China. Things haven't changed much at all, unfortunately.

[AGITprop]

Its all part of the suppression of 'Communism' by use of propaganda. That's why China is looked down upon so much, at least in my opinion.

This is why, even after China has returned to the market, it is still referred to as Communist.

We can't let people know what Communism really is!

[Xiao Banfa]

Yes China isn't socialist. It's a state guided mixed economy with terrible workers rights. Ie no measure of workers democracy so socialist integrity is largely lost.

But I don't think socialism in China is completely lost. And China still plays a somewhat progressive role internationally;

-Bolstering anti-imperialism regimes such as Cuba (I've heard they are basically doing what the soviets did, albeit differently) and Venezuela.

-Opposing imperialist wars like Iraq.

Hu Jintao's election represents a victory for the left, for example.

Also (and I'll try and find some articles about it), there is apparently a significant chorus of left wing intellectuals that apparently have the attentions of some sections of the party.

I don't think China is a typical imperialist country. They would have to behave like one.

Who is that young woman in your avatar, Glick?

[Bluetongue]

I was virtually still a child when people started to speak of a "yellow peril." The Chinese revolution seemed impossible back then. The real causes behind anti-Chinese sentiments were racist at root.

He is fundamentally and utterly wrong in this. I don't speak for the world, but Americans *like* Chinese people and Chinese culture. BECAUSE of our regard for the Chinese, we hate and loathe the PRC, which is an oppressive authoritarian state. The public of the western democracies is angry that our capitalist governments take the PRC's money and let the Chinese people suffer. Much like Saudi Arabia, the west's support for the PRC is a complete betrayal of our beliefs in democracy and human rights. It stinks and it has to change.

[RedStarOverChina]

He is fundamentally and utterly wrong in this. I don't speak for the world, but Americans *like* Chinese people and Chinese culture.

UNLESS they disagree with the US.

Then their opinion is worth shit.

[AGITprop]

Who is that young woman in your avatar, Glick?

Hmm I knew she'd catch the eye of some.
I honestly do not know. I found this picture on 4chan and fell in love :blushing:
She is gorgeous.

[RedStarOverChina]

http://www.aladding.com/images/topstory/080409071605.jpg

It's people like these that give me my confidence in the left. No matter how much the truth gets distorted and no matter how utterly insane people get, you can always rely on the left for a voice of reason.

[jacobin1949]

This really shows the hypocrisy of revlefters who support Cuba and not China. China is simply Cuba on a large scale. I think Revlefters are addicted to rooting for the "underdog", and thus what is ok in little Cuba is not ok in China.

[RGacky3]

The opposition the US has to China, is'nt racist at all, its ideological, as in all of History, the United States is afraid of anything remotely Socialistic, or anything that threatens the economic system. Thats why the United States (at least publicly) is more tolorant of China now, because China, is more market orientated, and open to economic exploitation (at a controlled level).

Obviously what China is doing to tibet is as a wrong, but the United States critizising it is rediculous, considereing their record.

Socialist and Democratic Change in China is'nt going to come from above or from outsisde, its going to come from below. the CCP is not going to bring about any genuine sort of Socialism.

[RedStarOverChina]

Hmm I knew she'd catch the eye of some.
I honestly do not know. I found this picture on 4chan and fell in love :blushing:
She is gorgeous.
My first thought when I saw this was, "there's no way she's Trotskyist!" :lol:

[RedStarOverChina]

He is fundamentally and utterly wrong in this. I don't speak for the world, but Americans *like* Chinese people and Chinese culture. BECAUSE of our regard for the Chinese, we hate and loathe the PRC, which is an oppressive authoritarian state. The public of the western democracies is angry that our capitalist governments take the PRC's money and let the Chinese people suffer. Much like Saudi Arabia, the west's support for the PRC is a complete betrayal of our beliefs in democracy and human rights. It stinks and it has to change.

Here's an article for you to think about.



Western arrogance
Frans-Paul van der Putten, a researcher into security and conflict at the Clingendael Institute, is concerned about growing Chinese nationalism and attributes some of that growth to western protests against China.
"It has had a contrary effect. China has learned from its own past that Western interference produces internal weakness and division. The state will do everything it can to minimise Western influence and the public supports that. A majority of Chinese people also draw the same lessons from Chinese history. Chinese nationalism is deeply rooted and anti-western sentiment dates back to the opium wars in the 19th century".
According to Mr Van der Putten, it's a shock for the West that the Chinese public supports the government.
"We view things separately - bad government and good people. But now, ordinary Chinese citizens are opposed to Western interference".
The Clingendael researcher says that even if Chinese people were allowed to respond freely, he believes they would respond in exactly the same way.
"The Chinese are proud of what they have achieved in such a short period of time and they're certainly not going to allow the West to tell them what to do. And China is certainly powerful enough not to allow that."

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/asiapacific/080409-olympic-torch-mc


The Chinese people had gotten too familiar with Imperialism and they realize that imperialist interventions are NEVER in their interest---No matter how fancy their rhetoric.

[jake williams]

I do agree with Fidel that much of this is rooted in racism against Chinese.
Yes. I've been pointing this out again and again. It needs to be remembered.

Racist attacks against the Yellow Peril are pretty old school too. It's interesting in Canada because what with the railroad and all the basically built this country, in a lot of ways like Blacks down south aways. And we never ever talk about it.

[Phalanx]

UNLESS they disagree with the US.

Then their opinion is worth shit.

I think Canadians would respond the same. Come to think of it, the average person in many countries would probably respond defensively if their home was insulted.

[Xiao Banfa]

He is fundamentally and utterly wrong in this. I don't speak for the world, but Americans *like* Chinese people and Chinese culture. BECAUSE of our regard for the Chinese, we hate and loathe the PRC, which is an oppressive authoritarian state. The public of the western democracies is angry that our capitalist governments take the PRC's money and let the Chinese people suffer. Much like Saudi Arabia, the west's support for the PRC is a complete betrayal of our beliefs in democracy and human rights. It stinks and it has to change.


Oh boohoo. The evil chinese with their terrible human rights that we nice yanks single out for condemnation because of their geopolitical threat.

Whoops I must have spoke too candidly.:ohmy:

Fuck off you stupid liberal. China will kick your arse.

[Bluetongue]

Frans-Paul van der Putten, a researcher into security and conflict at the Clingendael Institute, is concerned about growing Chinese nationalism and attributes some of that growth to western protests against China.

Nationalism is a DISEASE.

Every nation is accountable for its history, especially it's current history in human rights. The PRC is a monster. Every bit of this protest will be used by the PRC to inflame nationalism - they will deliberately turn anti-PRC protests into anti-Chinese protests to garner willful support for their oppression. Will there be in beggars in Beijing during the Olympics? What happened to the people whose houses were in the way of those stadiums? How many people have *died* for this so far? This idiot display of national pride is being built with the blood of the chinese people, and it is deplorable.

[RedStarOverChina]

Um, you side with the Western imperialists in bullying China and you complain about Chinese nationalist sentiments?

Yeah, China is a "monster"---But no where near as big of a monster as the US.

Like a typical Western liberal, you rush to to condemn some foreign threat and don't care the slightest what these foreigners think of it.

What is it that you hope to achieve by attacking China? Do you want the US to pass sanctions against China or even better, declare war on China? Do you want to dismantle the "monster" so that Western dominance remains? These are the only possible outcomes (other than a nationalist backlash that's already happening) that your attacks on China may achieve.

I'm curious as to what your intentions are.

And finally, a bit of advice: you deal with your own criminal oppressors and we'll deal with ours.

[Xiao Banfa]

Exactly, stop encouraging imperialist-sponspored meddling in China because China is an easy target. No controversy.

It makes me sick. Sure, I'm quite frustrated with alot of the anti-socialist developments that have taken place in the PRC.

But it's been getting better. Human rights that is. And other things.

To hold onto a country that big, it's pretty obvious that there will be abuses and excesses. No one has the moral high ground here.

Stop ranting about something that is a sideshow from the main enemy and concentrate on your back yard. Wilsonian liberals:confused:.

[Bluetongue]

It seems to me that you loyal patriots live in Canada and New Zealand. And, if you were in the PRC, you'd probably be in prison. You certainly wouldn't be posting on RevLeft. Methinks the ladies doth protest too much.

Besides, you are dualist fools. Attacking the PRC for human rights abuses does not mean that I condone American foreign policy or economic imperialism. My actual beef with the PRC involves its record of ecological abuses, which threaten the future of the Chinese people far more that government oppression. I deplore that the West sucks up to China. Trade sanctions against China would start a massive economic depression in the USA. How does supporting such an idea make me pro Imperialist American?

[Phalanx]

Apparently they think you should focus only on American imperialism, but their double standards don't hold for them. Otherwise they'd focus on crimes committed by Canada.

[jake williams]

There's plenty to criticize in the PRC - and everywhere else - and it should be done. I don't think anyone semi-sane denies that. It's about how and why it's done, and what exactly efficacy is to be found in joining the nationalist, imperialist, largely racist chorus, whatever your own intentions and beliefs happen to be.

[jake williams]

Apparently they think you should focus only on American imperialism, but their double standards don't hold for them. Otherwise they'd focus on crimes committed by Canada.
What?

There's like two Canadian people in this thread, myself and VR, and I would think that neither of us thinks Canada has a particularly glorious history, even when it comes to China.

[RedStarOverChina]

It seems to me that you loyal patriots live in Canada and New Zealand. And, if you were in the PRC, you'd probably be in prison. You certainly wouldn't be posting on RevLeft. Methinks the ladies doth protest too much.

I did have a nice stay in the slammer back in China. But things ain't any different from what you find in the States, I assure you.

But it doesn't matter cause u ain't ever getting arrested attacking China from the Net. Nor does your action do anything except creating resentment between Americans and Chinese--Something that your government and its media's been doing for quite sometime. And that's why you see (or you don't) the massive Chinese protests in the US.

If you want to contribute to that, well fine but then you ain't no different from any liberal in my eyes.

[Xiao Banfa]

Look there's another naive liberal romantic douchebag who covers up his genetic phobia of chinese people by fawning over a backward culture that was a piece of shit anyway.
http://www.viceland.com/int/dos_donts/712/icon.jpg

[Bluetongue]

genetic hatred to chinese peopleAh, I see, you're insane. Interesting. For what it's worth, I'm a Hongkong style banana dyed in the wool asiaphile. And you're insane. Though I've already said that, it bears repeating.


I did have a nice stay in the slammer back in China. But things ain't any different from what you find in the States, I assure you.

Uh, I'm a very vocal critic of my government, and though I've been to jail, it wasn't for speaking my mind. And I'm pretty sure the PRC would have executed me by now. Slight difference, there.

[RedStarOverChina]

Uh, I'm a very vocal critic of my government, and though I've been to jail, it wasn't for speaking my mind. And I'm pretty sure the PRC would have executed me by now. Slight difference, there.
Yeah and then they'd harvest your organs and make them into dangerous toys and sell them to kids in the US.

That's that I'd think if I trust what the media tells me as much as you do.

[Xiao Banfa]

Ah, I see, you're insane. Interesting. For what it's worth, I'm a Hongkong style banana dyed in the wool asiaphile. And you're insane. Though I've already said that, it bears repeating.


First of all, you've stolen my style with that shit. I'll let you off with a warning. You're obviously a banana coz you want to get in with the people barely able to hide their anti-chinese racism by getting on the China bashing bandwagon.

I mean China is the biggest threat in the world. I mean what dastardly plans is that evil CPC hatching in Zhongnanhai?

We must make sure the west is always geopolitically superior or we'll have to accept China as a world power and everyone knows nice americans are so much kinder to their subjects.

The chinese would involuntarily harvest everybodies organs and we'd all wear identical clothing.

Forget that power has been steadily decentralising in the CPC since the death of Deng.

Forget that China has dramatically increased personal freedoms in the last 30 years.

Forget their helping out Cuba and Venezuela.

Forget that they raised Tibet out of a hellish feudal, slaveowning theocracy into a modern nation.

Their not completely democratic? I bet they're really sorry for not reforming to your schedule.

[Phalanx]

Forget that they raised Tibet out of a hellish feudal, slaveowning theocracy into a modern nation.

God, you are so hypocritical. Are you opposed to the Iraq War? The West uses the same excuses for spreading "freedom and democracy" as the Russians and the Chinese used to spread their forms of communism. Get over yourself.

[Bluetongue]

I'm getting the feeling that there's some irrational patriotism going on with the pro-China stuff. If the US invaded Saudi Arabia and set up a democracry, he'd scream bloody murder. If the PRC invaded SA and set up a communist dictatorship, that would be good, right? Even though the Saudi people are one of the happiest populations on the planet just as they are now....

[Xiao Banfa]

God, you are so hypocritical. Are you opposed to the Iraq War? The West uses the same excuses for spreading "freedom and democracy" as the Russians and the Chinese used to spread their forms of communism. Get over yourself.


Well the Iraq war was an imperialist effort to ensure global hegemony.

Their aim was to get hold of the oil (by privatising it in order to sell it to US companies- not German, French, Russian or Chinese), remove/neutralise the threat(s) to Israel and create a pax americana.

They had nothing to offer the Iraqi people whatsoever.

China at that stage was not an imperialist country, they didn't go halfway around the world in order to involve themselves in something that didn't immediately concern them in order to steal rresources and warp the natural political development of the region.

I think a lot of good things have come out of the Iraq war, but not because of US intentions.

Now the invasion/return of Tibet to chinese sovereignty was completely different.

A friendly administration in Tibet was millitarily vital for China. Otherwise the perfect invasion bridgehead would have existed. Threatening the sovereignty of China.

A subjugated China? Not again, not again. That would embolden some of the most deadly reactionaries in ways that would bleed this world dry.

Tibet before the invasion of China was a hellhole- go look it up.

The revolt after which the Dalai Lama fled was a Landowners and Theocrats revolt not a Workers and Peasants revolt.

The Dalai Lama took with him millions of dollars and a coterie of feudal-era retainers.

Aren't you supposed to be a capitalist? Doesn't feudalism disgust you?
Or have you given up on any progressive tradition your politics might have and are now ready to eat any bullshit the western media feeds you?