Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, February 15, 2016

Ri Yong-gil was said to be executed in Korea. He wasn’t seen in his usual place in public with Great Successor Un. This just after the satellite launch, which led to more sanctions approved by the Senate.

Hong Kong cracked down on some unlicensed food vendors in the streets of Mong Kok. People responded by throwing and burning things. Their view is clear, as is the view of Hong Kong’s government. China remarked about “terrorist tendencies”. Hong Kong’s finance minister, Tsang (曾俊華), implied the Biblical story of Solomon’s judgment of two women in writing, “A mother who truly loves her son would not saw him in half and would never themselves be the executioner.” It is good to see that China did not rebuke a government leader for studying the Bible.

China is losing money. It also lost a bank. But, so what. China is oblivious to its own past with which it haunts itself. HSBC has reviewed Hong Kong again, for a possible location. HQ-ing in HK could save $14B. But, again, no. Tienanmen scared them too much. Even after 25 years, old fears don’t die easily, especially when they don’t have a reason to.

It’s somewhat ironic, though. Asia is responsible for much of HSBC’s revenue. Or, maybe it’s not ironic since that “is” seems to be changing into more of a “was”. Asia “was” responsible for much of HSBC’s revenue. It seems that the West has profited and, now, has picked up, packed up, and isn’t coming back. And, what should that tell us?

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, August 3, 2015

Propaganda backfired this week. Beijing wants more Internet censorship, almost to create a “Chinanet” akin to another Great Schism not seen since the Orthodox Church split from the West. TPP failed. Students in Taiwan stormed government offices to keep out China-propaganda over “minor” changes to national curriculum. An Australia-India-Japan alliance plumed out of nowhere. Taiwan and Japan are kissing and making up. And some truth came through well-kept gates.

An 18-year-old got back from his year in North Korea. The North Koreans shower together like Americans and Romans. North Korean students are curious about mundane life in America. And, notably, North Koreans seem to agree with a Americans: Government is the problem, not the people.

Joshua Wang, Hong Kong, had an interview with the BBC and explained that the Umbrella Movement never really had a plan and never communicated a plan to the public. But they did succeed in raising public awareness.  · · · →

continue reading
Standard
Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 8, 2015

A week of political campaigns. Imagine if John McCain were under review to be kicked out of the Republican Party for not supporting big money enough, there was no strong Republican Candidate, Hillary was already the Democratic nominee, and McCain said, “If the RNC orders me to, it would be my duty to run for President.”

That’s what happened in Taiwan this week. Wang Jin-pyng, Speaker of Taiwan’s puppet Legislator (which cannot introduce its own legislation) is hated by party bosses of his own KMT-Nationalist party. And he offered to run if the party asks him to, which, of course it won’t. That party never supports any good ideas, especially good ideas that would win favor with the people. They have been too interested in winning the favor of the Beijing Communists. Wang would be the best candidate since the party has destroyed itself with all the footsie-footsie games it played with China over the years, especially over the last decade.  · · · →

continue reading
Standard