This is the heading of an article by William Choong, a senior writer of ST and published in today’s ST. The gist of his article is that he got screwed by other Chinese for questioning the rise of China and China’s assertiveness as an emerging power. Some even questioned his roots, whether he is a Chinese or perhaps an ang moh or something else.
He claimed that as a journalist, and a Singaporean, it would be foolish to let his race shaped his assessment of global trends. He even quoted LKY’s defence of American presence in the region to balance the rise of China’s military power.
I agree that one should not allow one’s racial origin to colour one’s objectivity. And one should be thinking of one’s national interest and take a position on that ground. But it is altogether a silly thing to take a position without knowing why, without knowing that one is not being objective but trying to impress others as being objective.
The very title of his article is biased and not objective. It is not a matter of supporting China’s rise but a matter of supporting right against wrong, against injustice and inequality. Is China’s rise leading to China bullying the weaker nations, committing aggression and invasion against weak nations, or is China’s rise just a natural and neutral phenomenon of the growing economic and military prowess of a nation? What is wrong if a nation, any nation, becomes strong and powerful? Even with China’s new stature, little silly Asean nations have been arresting Chinese fishermen and threatening to go to war with China. What would it be if China is still a weakling nation? Would that be better?
Likewise, the silly statement that we need the US to balance the rise of China is as good as wisdom from a joker. Why is it that no one ever asked for a stronger country to balance the military might of the US all these years? Why isn’t China’s rise seen as a balance against the US presence and world domination? I am sure the Arab and Muslim world would beg for a stronger country, be it China or anyone else, to stop the oppressive and hegemonic American presence in the Middle East.
Or is it because the American world domination for too long has got stuck in his head, that this is the only normal? Any new power challenging this normal is unacceptable?
I half agree with LKY’s statement that it is Singapore’s national interest that there should be a balance of power in the Pacific. Now what kind of balance of power is he talking about? A mighty America unchallenged and can do what it wants against any nation, conducting espionage and military war games at other nation’s front yard, conducting aerial spying missions against weaker nations at will? Conducting regime change? Or a more balance of power between the Americans and the Chinese when both side would not dare to push the other around at will, like I can slam you and you cannot slam me back?
It is not an issue of supporting or not supporting China’s rise just because one is a Chinese. It is silly to just question and try to discredit China like the West because the West is doing it and saying the same thing. What the West is saying and doing is for their own interests.
Whatever, a Chinese is a bloody Chinese by any name, a Singaporean or an American Chinese, or if you call yourself Ah Choong or William. When China was a beggar of nations, any Chinese will be known as a useless Chink wherever he went, and be spitted upon, even physically abused, not only by the Westerners, but also by the colonized Asians. Pai Hua was common in Southeast Asia. Today, it is not so easy anymore, because there is a strong China. It would be nice if William Choong could be able to ask his grandpa or great grandpa what it was like to be a Chinese when China was the sick man of Asia.
Today, any bloody Chinese of whatever nationality takes it as a natural right that he is somehow seen as nearly equal, and treated slightly better by the Westerners, for granted. Just imagine how he will be treated if China is still the sick man of Asia? Will the Westerners take a bloody Singaporean Chinese with a name like William Choong seriously? Or will they be laughing their guts out at the thought of him and his great articles in questioning China’s intention as a new military power behind his inscrutable face?
Mind you, for many decades, the Chinese all looked alike to the Westerners, no personality, no character, no talent, poor, good only to be cooks and laundry men and inscrutable, with little slit eyes. Yes, they all looked alike, can't distinguish one from another. Sounds familiar?
The rise of China and its progress in all fields have made the Westerners to look at Chinese as a people, from a new angle. William Choong should thank the bloody Commie Chinese for the added respect and standing he is getting from the Westerners and the former colonized people of the world. The Indonesians and Malaysians would not be so ready to pai hua. The Aussies would not bang into him in the streets that often.
There is no need to support the rise of China just because you are Chinese. But you get some additional intangible benefits from it indirectly. Maybe I am wrong. The Westerners will respect me more and see me up if China is still a weak pariah state with its people living in poverty, without ideas and talents. Or maybe I should question China like the West and they will respect me more for seeing the world in their coloured lens, like a Westerner?
28 comments:
Same as asking - Must Singaporeans support the PAP forever?
Hahaha....
some Chinese are fond of disconnecting themselves from their roots.
'yin sui si yuan' is something some bloody Chinese never understand. Maybe Singapore has more of such Chinese that choose to live as pseudo angmohs, lol.
patriot
just another silly banana.
Is the rojak education system..can't blame lah.
Educated with british system, worked for american companies, speak and converse with bilingual languages that are neither here nor there..and now they say singlish no more good..must speak american liao..how not to be rojak?
Who gives a shit...
You cut me...i cut you...we still bleed the same color red...
With self deluded racist/superior for superior sake's finite self serving mind set...
Humanity will definitely never go forth and breed like bunny rabbits amongst the stars.
Definitely NO!!! They are already uncultured and bull-dozing over everyone when they are guests of other countries. If they ever rise to "power", what other worse things will they do? Barbeque humans (instead of dogs/cats) and make it legal?
The Chinese were an oppressed people, poor and trapped in an old culture. They are just coming out from poverty, to see the world. The poor peasant mentality and behaviour will still be there. Such behaviour also is present among those Singaporeans or westerners who thought they are superior to the Chinese.
Looking at some of you and your comments, you are just as uncouth and even uncultured as the peasant Chinese. Being poor and uncouth is still bearable. Being educated and living in a socalled first world and behaving like the uncouth Chinese, don't know what to say. Look at the mirror.
Dear Redbean,
Singapore is governed by american corporate interests. This talk about balance of power is a bit of a smokescreen. Its about wealth, the cultivation of a compliant elite and the priority of corporate profits over national interests.
You can oso change your name to William Chua or William Redbean to see whether the Westerner look up upon you.
Hi Abdullah Ang, welcome to the blog.
Who am I? This was Jackie Chan's movie. He found himself, just like Andy Lau and many of the Hongkong Chinese.
Many people started out not interested in who they are. They enjoyed being somebody else, like the young enjoying the anime fad. This is quite natural and normal in the process of growing up.
As one gets older, one starts to ask the same question, who am I? The Buddhists have a wide range of literature on this question but went deeper than just the superficial mortal perception and understanding of who am I.
Many started out in search of the self at a later age, wanting to know their roots and origin, how they become what they are and who they are in life. The reflection of the past and the history will make a person richer, more self confident and respectable.
If one does not know who he is, he cannot find self respect nor be respected by others. But he may believe otherwise. You are what you are, and you can't run away from it. I can call myself William, go for a bleaching programme, but what I am is what I am.
There are commonality among the human species, and differences. The differences have been narrowed but still far from just being superficial. The clash of civilisation is still waiting to happen, be it cultural or religious or racial. Some are obsessed with the differences and with their own superiority in culture or religion.
It is easy to say that it will go away and all will be just human beans. One may wish for it and live by it, but others would not allow you to be so.
Know who you are first, and you can then be more coherent and consistent in your ideas, and be more respected by others who are proud to be who they are, not someone else.
Yes Patriot, 'yin sui si yuan'. Know the source of where the water comes from.
Well said Patriot and Redbean.
I like both your views.BeeKok means pretty country.Not strong country.
Who is Beekok to think they can police the world lor.
It is ridiculous that we need a world policeman-self appointed.
When the Western world collapses,(on their way) and China or India or both taking over global leadership,that would be the days when the whites would call Asians SIR,this is also karma.
but note that some cunning Whites already switched to Asian origin,including some US billionaires.Smart fellows.
Thanks for nice commentary.
To me it is quite fortunate that LKY and his gang are far sight enough to change their strategy as sson as they smelled the eastern wind is blowing,otherwise singapore will lose in this great battle,so called clash of civilisations.The answer is very obvious now.
Straits Times is just making copy of LKY statement,balance of power.
Simply there is no way for Americans to change thier lifestyle before they declare bankupty first,so the days of giant blue navy fleet around the world are numbered.just look at UK before and after the second world war!
Without USA and Europe,the balance of power would be between India and China,the smart fella might start to pick nthe winner now.
As a matter of fact,the Chinese leadership has been a little bit too nice to USA and Europe.
A well respected international financial expert, Professor Henry C K Liu ,was born in Hong Kong and educated at Harvard University, US,in architecture and urban design. His interest in economics and international relations started when he participated in interdisciplinary work on urban and regional development as a professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Harvard and Columbia. He is currently chairman of a New York-based private investment group.
Pro Lin has written extensively over these issues in Asian Times on line,for those who are interested,their web ref is
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/others/Henry.html
Roughly,I remember that one of the most important recommendation is for China to use RBM as international reserve currency,and cease trading in USD,therby support the begger to be.
China is now the biggest trading nation,the biggest creditor,and the biggest customer,it has the say and demand all nations trade with China in RBM,and that settles all the pending issues,instead of being make use by Uncle Sam for their niwn benefit only.
Looks like history of China is being repeated in USA,where the stupid citizens have been taught that money dropped from sky,and happiness for ever w/o much personel efforts.
American citizens believe it even till today,exactly what haappened during the Ching dynasty.
Serve them right!
Hahaha
This senior writer:
Is nothing more than a plantain
Masquerading as a banana
Trying to impress the monkeys
By throwing sneers at the Chinese
At least reading ST these days is giving us a chance to play a more interesting game: spot the gullible/sycophantic/lazy/sloppy journalist.
He does not believe in the rising power of China,nor india,I suppose.
He is definitely right,The global fleet of USA is indeed unbeatable.
But for how long?the defence minister is being forced to begin to cut his budget.
What happens to the mighty global fleet of USSR after being declared bankrupt?
William should think deeper,yes,he is military expert,but he lack financial expertise.
Let you know a little secret. The Indians are running the major American and European banks without whispering a word about it. It used to be the domain of the Jews.
Oh, they are also running the major banks in Singapore. They are going to control the purse string of the world banking system.
The richest man in the world just overtook Bill Gates is an Indian.
Hehe
Military expert? What about financial experts that created the financial mess? Just one question: How much credibility do they have actually?
Indians are not only dominating global banking industry,there are also many Indian CEOs in fortune 500 companies,such as Pesi-Cola,which is now doing extremly well.
Chairman Mao was indeed right when he declared that China had stood up,although he was very badly treated by many fellow Asians.But in china,Chairmn Mao is still a hero.all these developments were not possible without him!
He a military expert? Does he know more than me? I won't dare to claim to be one.
There are experts!There are experts!!
A very good article in deed.
I start to realize the benefit from the rise of the dragon. However, talking about the fall of the Western is WAY................too soon.
The stupidity of the Asians, including many English educated Chinese, is that they chose to believe the West and their world views. This view is simply that the white men are the world's savior, benevolent, compassionate, peace loving, kind, and everything that is good. China is backward, barbaric, evil, cruel, selfish, uncouth, out to conquer and destroy the world, to trample and rule over everyone.
The facts. Since the beginning of western conquests and colonialism, everything evil were committed by the West. Genocide, slavery, butchering of the natives in the name of god, looting a country's wealth and resources, robbing the natives of their pride and dignity, and control and rule over the natives, even taking their land, America, Australia, South Africa and many islands across the Pacific and Atlantic and Indian Ocean too.
The facts for China. Since the naval expedition of Admiral Cheng Ho to Africa, they did not conquer or rule over any country. Cheng Ho went in peace, to trade. No slavery, no butchery, no genocide, no colonisation or looting of resources and land.
But these are the things the West are telling the unthinking Asians and the rest of the world that China will do, the assumed fear that these people have grown up with. They simply forgot that these were the things that the West did to them. China too was a victim of the West's conquest.
Today, they are looking at China on these assumptions planted into their heads. And either they could not think or refuse to think. They choose to believe, that China is the evil country. Look at who is doing all the killings even today, in the Middle East?
Those idiots asking about the intention of China, why not ask the intention of the West? Oh, China repeatedly told the world of its intention for peace and economic growth. But they could not see nor hear.
What about the West and all the killings and invasion? Ok, the intentionn is clear, no need to ask. They killed and went to wars for peace, to bring a better life to the countries invaded.
An Shits Times JOURNALIST, Senior or Junior reading here?
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