36 Years On, Who's Really Stuck in the Past?

So, it's June 4th again, and the Global Times has an editorial that’s bound to get some folks talking: "Global Favorability Rises – What Has China Done Right?" They point to a fascinating tidbit from the US political news outlet Axios, citing a Morning Consult poll across 41 countries.

“The US political news outlet Axios, citing a poll conducted by the American firm Morning Consult covering 41 countries, reported that China's global favorability has been on a steady upward trajectory over the past year, with a notable acceleration since March of this year. As of the end of May, China had an 8.8 net favorability rating, compared to -1.5 for the US. This marks the first time since the tracking began that China's global favorability has surpassed that of the US in this metric.”

China's Quiet Rise, The West's Old Habits

And let's be honest, China's just kept its head down and ploughed on. They’ve forged their own path, largely ignoring the constant nagging and finger-wagging from the West. Getting the world to see that and appreciate it wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

Meanwhile, what's the West been up to? Seems like they're stuck on repeat, clinging to the dusty old playbook of colonial-style plunder. Seriously, have they learned nothing? As for China, the Global Times puts it rather well:

“The increase in global favorability is due to China's role as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. These efforts and achievements have had a positive impact on the international community. China's development and progress have not only benefited its own people but have also made significant contributions to world peace and development. China's contribution to global economic growth remains around 30 percent, with its economic growth rate ranking among the highest of major economies in the world.”

Beijing's Transformation vs. Western Stagnation

Face it, China has decisively moved on from the turbulence of 1989. But look at Europe and America: they're still banging on about the same old ideological tunes, completely stuck in a time warp. Today's Beijing? It's a world away from the city it was 36 years ago. And China itself, much different from the old days.

The Global Times nails it again, quoting an HSBC survey, no less: “The rise in China's global favorability also reflects growing international recognition and respect for a confident, self-reliant major power that stands for justice, supports the weak and promotes goodwill.”

And here's what HSBC found:

“According to a recent HSBC survey of over 5,700 transnational companies across 13 global markets, China is the most favored target market for increased business reliance. China's innovative breakthroughs in high-end manufacturing, green energy, and artificial intelligence not only drive its own high-quality development but also contribute 'Chinese solutions' to addressing common challenges faced by humanity through advanced technologies and quality services.”

So, while some are still living in 1989, global businesses are looking at China for the future.

America's Pragmatism, Europe's Pitfalls

Now, over in the Western camp, you've got to give the US some credit for a smidgen more realism, at least historically. Taiwan's United Daily News pointed out in a 2019 article that back then after June 4th, George H.W. Bush, played it smart – sanctions on one hand, secret envoys to patch things up on the other. And lo and behold, less than three years later, sanctions were gone, and things were pretty much back to normal. Fast forward to Trump, who basically told the American media to get a new hobby if they were still obsessed with June 4th. And this year? You can bet Trump's by the phone, hoping for a ring from Beijing.

Europe, on the other hand? Self-reflection doesn't seem to be their strong suit. Remember de Gaulle back in the 60s, telling Europe to stand on its own feet and mind its own business, free from Uncle Sam? Then you had Merkel. Germany, for a while there, actually played a blinder. They ditched the ideological nonsense, got cheap energy from Russia, and cosied up to China for that massive market. A German smart industrial revolution? It was almost in the bag! But then Merkel leaves, and suddenly Germany's lost in political bickering. It got so bad, even their world-beating football team started caring more about virtue signalling than scoring goals – just look at how they bottled it in 2018 and 2022. A cautionary tale if ever there was one.

Europe's Grand Delusions

Without any real backbone, Europe's current crop of short-sighted politicians seem to be chasing political correctness like it's going out of fashion. It's all for the cheap applause and a few extra votes, never mind the actual good of their countries or people. And what's the result? Europe's centuries-old foundations are crumbling. Politics are a mess, economies are tanking, and by blindly tagging along with the US on the Russia-Ukraine fiasco, they've basically served themselves up on a platter for the big predators. Capital, talent, companies – all legging it to the States. You couldn't make it up.

And yet, come June 4th, Europe always gets the most worked up, doesn't it? They still seem to think they're the centre of the universe, the grand "conscience of civilization." Bless. Frankly, it’s pretty safe to say Europe's present is looking bleak, and its future? Probably even bleaker. Don't believe me? Mark your calendars. Let's check back next June 4th and see who's laughing then, shall we?

Deep Blue

** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **

Let’s check the calendar: with over 1,300 days left in Trump’s new four-year term, many Americans are already feeling the strain. The sense of exhaustion is palpable – and entirely understandable.

Trump’s feats of self-enrichment almost defy belief. If David Copperfield could make a Boeing 747 disappear, Trump could make it reappear in his own pocket – especially if it was a “gift” from Qatar. Yet such sleights of hand pale in comparison to his real magic: manipulating news cycles to create lucrative investment opportunities for himself, most notably in the wild west of cryptocurrencies. The American intelligentsia is growing uneasy, including The New York Times: “Trump Profits Like No Other President, as Outrage Is Muted”

Recent coverage suggests that, in just a few months, the Trump family and its business partners have raked in $320 million from a new cryptocurrency, sealed multibillion-dollar overseas real estate deals, and launched an exclusive Washington club called “The Executive Branch” with a $500,000 membership fee—likely just scratching the surface of their latest financial ventures. And that, one suspects, is only the tip of the iceberg.

But the real issue is not simply Trump’s audacity – it’s the system that enables him. How has he managed to become so untouchable, so brazen in his disregard for the rule of law? The answer lies in America’s own constitutional DNA. Montesquieu, the French philosopher, famously observed that the difference between monarchy and despotism is the presence of checks and balances. America may not have a king, but it has certainly perfected the machinery of unchecked power.

A revealing article on the American Institute in Taiwan’s Chinese-language website, “On Democracy: The President’s Power,” lays it bare:

“Anyone who reads Article II of the Constitution is immediately struck by the fact that it spells out the mechanism for electing the president in great details, but says very little about the president’s powers once in office. There are no specifics, for example, about how the president is to give orders to the heads of departments, how he is to control the various branches of government, or how he is to remove officials.”

In other words, Trump is operating with almost no real oversight. With the Republican Party controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, America is experiencing what political insiders call a “trifecta” – a recipe for unchecked executive power.

According to the article, the president “may veto acts of Congress, either on constitutional or policy grounds, and his veto cannot be overturned without a two-thirds vote to do so in the House and Senate.” The article further explains that “the most important checks on the president involve the ‘auxiliary precautions’ of impeachment and removal for ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’”

However, the article also notes that “the American constitutional system does not contemplate removal for losing the confidence of the legislature (such as is implied in losing a vote of confidence in a parliamentary system).”

Moreover, “a president is impeached (equivalent to being indicted) by a majority vote of the House of Representatives, thereafter he is tried in the Senate, with the Chief Justice of the United States presiding.”

But even the Chief Justice, in this era, is seen as being within Trump’s sphere of influence. Add to that Trump’s mastery of social media – which has allowed him to sidestep traditional media gatekeepers and drown out dissent – and you have a president who is, for all practical purposes, untouchable. Who, then, could possibly ignite a “Dump Trump” movement? Most have simply chosen to wait out the next 1,300 days.

What kept previous presidents in check was not just law, but a sense of honour – a moral compass. That compass, it seems, is now broken. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of United States, often opened his speeches with a warning:

“The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality.”

This, in essence, is how a society descends into chaos: when morality collapses and the world looks away.

The turmoil in America today is not just Trump’s doing – it is the tragic, inevitable fate of a fading empire.