Everyone's been seeing those viral videos online - an Australian 9NEWS reporter getting shot with rubber bullets by the National Guard while she's literally just doing her job, live on air. Down she goes. Before that, we had a Xinhua reporter taking a tear gas canister to the arm, and a photojournalist copping a rubber bullet to the leg. When America's reached the point of "shooting without borders," you've got to wonder what happened to all that high-minded rhetoric about press freedom.
When 'Press Freedom' Meets Rubber Bullets
This whole mess really puts the lie to that New York Times piece from early last year - "Only America Can Save the Future" - that all the usual suspects were trumpeting. You know, the one by Ross Douthat where he basically argues America's still got it, despite all the obvious problems. Here's what he claimed:
"For all its inflationary challenges, our economy has surged since the pandemic, growing rapidly while China and Europe have been stagnant. In the last five years, long-term demographic decline has accelerated in many developed countries, but our own demographic trends, while not ideal, are more stable than those in, say, Scandinavia or South Korea."
He went even further, painting this picture where:
"The richer parts of Europe and the Pacific Rim are senescent walled cities; instability and authoritarian decay predominate across much of Eurasia; and real dynamism is sustained mostly in the parts of America that are growing and building at the moment."
The whole piece was basically America patting itself on the back, claiming its AI dominance would let it keep running the world, like some kind of digital manifest destiny.
California Burns While Politicians Point Fingers
America saving the world? Give me a break. Right now, America's problems can be summed up in three neat little phrases: military unrest, man-made disasters, and Trump. Let's break that down, shall we?
Remember that cringeworthy scene earlier this year when Trump was tearing into California Governor Newsom before heading back to the White House? This was right after those massive fires ripped through Southern California in early January - we're talking nearly 7,000 hectares gone, absolutely an unprecedented scale of destruction. Los Angeles had to evacuate nearly 180,000 people, and here's the kicker - word is, most of the burned-out homes belonged to wealthy folks who won't be getting a penny from insurance companies.
For the first time in American history, we're seeing "homelessness among the wealthy" happening on a massive, collective scale. The system that America loves to call “the end of history" - this perfect democratic model - has basically devolved into two parties just tearing each other apart while everything burns around them, and inevitably leading to a national failure.
Troops on American Streets: The New Normal?
The Democrats and Republicans have delivered us "man-made disasters," and now, following those brutal June fires, we've got full-blown "military unrest." Deutsche Welle reported that on June 8, Trump signed a presidential memo deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, claiming he needed to "restore order and suppress riots." He bypassed California Governor Newsom, which has local governments and civil society groups absolutely livid.
What kicked this off was a massive ICE raid in Los Angeles the previous Friday that rounded up large numbers of undocumented immigrants. The optics were terrible - ICE officers in full tactical gear and face masks, rolling around in unmarked military vehicles like some kind of occupation force. People were genuinely terrified, and that fear quickly turned to anger.
The response was swift and fierce. Crowds surrounded ICE offices, Department of Homeland Security buildings, and other federal facilities, burning American flags, setting up roadblocks, hurling rocks and fireworks at federal vehicles. The National Guard's answer? Tear gas and stun grenades to scatter the crowds.
This kind of military unrest is doing serious damage to America's national morale and whatever's left of global faith in the "beacon of democracy."
What This Mess Means for the Rest of Us
In just six months, Trump's managed to stir up a hornet's nest of historic proportions. But here's the thing - this isn't just about "Trump being Trump." There's something deeper going on here, what Singaporean scholar Zheng Yongnian calls "national idiocracy”. But it doesn’t refer to China, but the current reality for most Americans.
Who's enabling Trump to act with such reckless abandon, both at home and abroad? Who's taught America to be this divided against itself? The writing's on the wall, and it's not pretty.
So what's the takeaway for China? Simple really - we absolutely cannot be naive enough to buy into the fantasy that America can save the world. That's a lesson too important to ignore, and frankly, too obvious to miss at this point.
Deep Blue
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
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?
