Posts Tagged ‘china’

NPR Charlie Sheen and parental fealty

Posted: March 9, 2011 by datechguy in media, opinion/news
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I couple of days ago I saw this post from a Chinese site concerning Charlie Sheen. It from a Chinese view concerning Sheen actions in terms of parental fealty (that is respect for one’s parents and family name) Sicilians are very big into this so the article interested me. The author talked about how media influences behavior:

How many young people have been led astray by Sheen’s boasts about his substance abuse and freewheeling sex life? And that was when he was in character on national television, as a randy bachelor in Two and a Half Men.

The author then talked about the difference between how such a situation would be handled in a Chinese culture rather than an American one.

Take Edison Chen, who humbly apologized and slipped away to Canada. Or Li Gang’s father, who wept as he sought forgiveness on his son’s behalf.

The fact that Sheen continues to embarrass himself unabated, becoming even a hero to many, points to the vast differences in cultures.

Now there is a lot of talk about how TV really doesn’t have an influence and it doesn’t really matter. It is to those people that I direct the next line:

He ignored his own father’s advice to keep quiet, who was once the president of the US. emphasis mine Sheen is a disgrace, unfilial to his father and his fatherland.

You are likely laughing right now. Look at this guy who doesn’t know the difference between West Wing and reality, what a maroon. Consider how many years West Wing was on, how many people who don’t pay attention to this kind of thing, or lived overseas with no other point of reference actually believed what they saw?

Which brings us to NPR.

One of the things that makes institutional bias the “media template” so insidious is the effect of a false background message on people who do not pay attention to what is going on. True or false it becomes what “everybody knows”.

When a person or a group has an acknowledged bias (For example I am unapologetic conservative Catholic) those biases are out there and people can make an informed decision on what to believe or not. When you have a large company supported by tax dollars feeding biases such as shown in the NPR videos you are simply providing propaganda to a particular side, and to those who are either not paying attention regularly or to those listening overseas it becomes what “everybody knows”.

I don’t think this is a bug, I think NPR considers this a feature. How many people have a false impression of the Tea Party, a position that would be moot if they attended a meeting or two?

And that is why government funding doesn’t belong, if people or groups want to give their money to support a point of view that’s one thing, its a free country. To use public funds, particularly when we have a deficit, to do so that’s another.

Update: Fealty was misspelled in the Chinese article and I copied that misspelling, corrected.

Update 2: The damage control keeps up first Ron Schiller, then Vivian Schiller now Ron again

Aspen Institute communications director Jim Spiegelman says in an e-mail: “Ron Schiller has informed us that, in light of the controversy surrounding his recent statements, he does not feel that it’s in the best interests of the Aspen Institute for him to come work here.”

That half minute news story keeps getting longer doesn’t it?

The NPR executive caught on video bashing the Tea Party and saying that NPR didn’t need federal funding will not be heading to the Aspen Institute. Ron Schiller had been scheduled to start his new position as director of the Aspen Institute Arts Program and Harman-Eisner Artist-in-Residence April 1, according to a glowing press release distributed last week.

But now Aspen Institute communications director Jim Spiegelman says that Schiller will not be working there.

Rush is now reporting that Ron Schiller is claiming his statements do not reflect the views of NPR or his own. Say WHAT?

Welcome to the real world Mike Daisey

Posted: February 16, 2011 by datechguy in opinion/news
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So lets get this straight.

We have a communist state where the individual is subordinate to the party, where demonstrations are crushed, where Nobel peace prize winners are imprisoned, that has enslaved Tibet for half a century.

And this guy is shocked that they don’t give a damn about workers in their factories?

Cox and Forkum put it best: They are communist dictators you fools!

This lesson applies to any dictator. Via Cox and Forkum BUY THEIR BOOKS!

I swear I didn’t see the Wikileaks documents…

Posted: November 29, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news
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….before I said this:

China is fine with both North Korean proliferation and development of nuclear weapons

and lo and behold what do the wikileaks reveal? China is aiding in nuclear proliferation:

Documents reveal China’s role in shipments of nukes to Iran

So much for the “China has its own Islamic militants so they aren’t going to help Islamic radicals get nukes”. China doesn’t have a problem with Islamic militants, they kill them, without mercy and without the chest beating that we have in you put a Koran in Gitmo the wrong side up on a table.

Anyone who thinks China is on our side is deluding themselves.

North Korea China and deluding yourself

Posted: November 28, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news
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Yesterday I was setting up in the studio for the RAVE show (Gary Rosen and Gary Vecchio) preceding Conservatively Speaking and the subject of North Korea came up where both Gary’s said that it was hard to deal with North Korea because you are dealing with “unstable” people.

As I’m typing this on Fox News the hosts said North Korea has nothing to lose by going to war.

Over and over we hear that we want China to restrain North Korea. All of this is in my opinion is wrong and based on some myths:

1. Myth one China wants to restrain North Korea: Wrong: China is fine with both North Korean proliferation and development of nuclear weapons. North Korea give China the ability to proliferate nuclear weapons to groups who oppose us and our interests without being directly involved. If you think that the North Koreans were able to get where they were without China technological aid then you are out of your mind.

There are two primary targets for the Chinese army. One is their own people and the other is the US. It is not fashionable to say it but China is our primary enemy and we are theirs. We trade, we exchange culture, but our goals are diametrically opposed. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluding themselves.

Mind you the Chinese people themselves are awesome. You will not find harder working, more dedicated and more culturally centered people out there. If China would lose the communistic oppression and the evil that comes with it there would be no limit to what they could achieve.

2. Myth two: North Korea’s rulers are “irrational” or “unstable”

This is a cop-out. If you want to understand the rulers of North Korea think of an unjust feudal Lord. North Korea is a vast feudal estate where the Lord of the manor keeps all for himself and feeds his troops to give him power. He gives only enough to his subjects to keep who they need alive.

It is not irrational it is entirely rational. The NK government knows that its people are starving, they don’t care, the only thing that matters is their leaders comfort and keeping the military well fed and loyal. Watch a few episodes of the old Richard Greene Robin Hood series if you want to understand their mindset

3. Myth three: North Korea’s threats of war are serious:

This is the biggest myth out there. The North Korean government is terrified of a war. Why, because the North Korean Army isn’t an army. It is the bodyguard for the Jong Il family. The moment any war begins three things happen:

a) The nuclear areas are toast

b) The Army is toast

c) The Jon Il family is dead

If the nuclear power is gone then they can’t shake down the west. If the army is massacred then they can’t control their own people, and if they are dead…then they are dead. Again you have to stop thinking of North Korea as anything other than a feudal kingdom of the Jong Il family subject to their Chinese masters. The Jong Il’s don’t care if the country starves or even if half a million of their own soldiers are dead, all they care about is their own comfort. Period.

If it is VERY clear that any attack on South Korea means smart bombs in the Jong Il Household and carpet bombing of the military, the game is over.

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