No Kings, Just Hustlers: The West’s Wake-Up Call

2025 has been a disastrous year for the Western camp—one glaring setback after another. Their losing streak is impossible to hide. Why is this happening? Let’s dive into the latest news and analysis.

China’s Reference News pointed to an October 16 article on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung website, headlined “China, not Trump’s Washington, is the real world power.”

It argues that before the close of the decade, China will become the world’s leading power. Washington’s unpredictable domestic and foreign policies have chipped away at America’s credibility and global charm. By contrast, Beijing’s steady, cooperative stance looks far more appealing in a chaotic world—something many Western pundits are reluctant to admit.

Latest polls from countries worldwide—including many in Europe—show China topping the popularity charts, leaving the US in the dust. China now holds the crown for soft power. Instead of listing every win one by one, let’s flip the script and see where America as the West’s leader is dropping the ball. German outlets point out that Trump’s “America First” doctrine has alienated partners, eroded alliances, and sapped US allure. But is it just Western in-fighting? This reveals a century-long blind spot: too often, the West has either been living in a self-fulfilling narrative or ignored capitalism’s democratic flaws—embracing fairy tales over logic. The bottom line? The US and its Western allies, Germany included, crumble under real pressure.

China Holds the Cards

The answer to who’s serious is written on the wall: China’s the only one playing for keeps.

Over the weekend, over 2,700 US cities—from New York to the smallest towns—flooded the streets under the banner “No Kings,” airing their discontent with Trump. When reporters asked him about it, Trump shot back, “I’m not a king.” (Deutsche Welle)

Trump may deny being a king, but he’s the ultimate street boss. After nearly a year, his crude, street-fighter approach—pure street smarts—makes it clear the White House is run by hustlers. They lash out when they lose and double down when they win. If their usual smoke-and-mirrors get exposed, they erupt in profanity-fueled tantrums. From the president and vice president down to the War and Treasury secretaries—and even the White House press secretary—it’s the same rush. With tactics like that, who’d mistake Trump for royalty? As Cantonese says: “Even in the dragon robe, he looks less like a crown prince—let alone an emperor.”

Two real stories from Europe and America lay their ugly truth bare—they read like chapters from China’s classic collection of supernatural tales “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio”.

Ghost Stories of the West

In 2012, the Costa Concordia—with 4,232 passengers aboard—hit a reef off Italy and flipped, killing 32 and injuring 64. Three years later, Captain Francesco Schettino was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and slapped with a 16-year sentence. He broke down in court, insisting he was just the cruise line’s fall guy to protect its bottom line.

Back in 1912, the Titanic rammed an iceberg in the North Atlantic and went down, taking over 1,500 lives out of 2,200 on board. The tragedy laid bare the ship’s lack of lifeboats. Rumor has it Captain Edward Smith turned down rescue offers after the crash—and he was never found.

If there was ever a “Titanic spirit,” design flaws aside, it sure didn’t save the captain. A century on, prosecutors branded him a “reckless fool” who “ditched his passengers to save himself.” How does the West shrug this off?

I’ll spare you the full breakdown—this screams “Painted Skin” from Strange Stories. And guess what? Google’s AI nails it in its summary:

Google AI Spills the Moral

First takeaway: don’t let looks fool you. The tale warns against those who wear human skin with scorpion hearts hidden inside.

Second lesson: moral retribution exists. Good or bad, actions have consequences—so be kind and stay on guard.

See the point? With AI as our guide, we don’t need to wait for dawn. Bravo!

Deep Blue

** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **

Boys will be boys, I suppose. Diario AS captured the moment that stunned everyone. Marc Cucurella walked off in slides, hauling away the World Cup trophy his teammates had bled for, stuffed inside a see-through plastic bag. What was that about?

Rewind to the trophy ceremony itself. Trump handed the World Cup to Spain's captain Rodri, then simply refused to step aside and let the players have their moment. Online users mocked him for "clinging to the stage." FIFA President Gianni Infantino eventually had to physically steer the US president to the side of the podium. Nothing like it had happened in the World Cup's 96-year history.

Here is a theory, purely speculation. The Spanish players were furious but dared not say so out loud. So back in the locker room, they may have drawn lots to pick someone to speak for the team. Cucurella, whose curly hair sets him apart from Dutch legend Ruud Gullit in his own distinctive way, drew the short straw. He answered with a piece of postmodern performance art, mocking the graceless guest of honor.

For real, both Cucurella and Trump share a certain eccentric streak, so who else would it be when a stunt like that is to be pulled off? Before the final, Cucurella had already promised that if Spain won, he would get head coach Luis de la Fuente's face tattooed on his body.

Calling this a national embarrassment might be a stretch. But the numbers back up at least part of the charge. A survey that has drawn global attention just landed. The Pew Research Center reported last week that in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed, most respondents view China more favorably than the United States, and that group includes Canada and Mexico.

Pew ran the poll between February and May, right as the United States and Israel were at war with Iran. Who tanked America's image? The answer is written on the wall.

A Pew spokesperson said this marks the first time in 20 years that global respondents rated China more favorably than the United States. Views of the two countries had crept close before. A clear tilt toward China, though, is new. The spokesperson noted the shift is unfolding as Covid-19 fades from memory and America's global image keeps sliding.

It all adds up. This has all played out during Trump's presidencies 1.0 and 2.0, a genuine wake-up call.

Listen to what the Pew spokesperson actually said. There is a link between the outbreak of war, the sense that the United States is not contributing to peace and stability, and falling confidence in Trump. On top of that, Trump's push to annex Greenland, the US military's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Washington's handling of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas have all dragged America's approval ratings down further.

America's approval could still fall further. Why? Voters, through an indirect one-person-one-vote system, elected a president with the mental age of a five-year-old. Things were bound to go wrong. You and I both saw this coming, so there is little left to say. For reference, the countries that still hold a favorable view of the United States include Israel in first place, followed mainly by Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Poland. Even in those countries, however, favorable views of the United States have been weakening in recent years.

One postscript. After Spain's victory, reporters asked Cucurella when he would honor his tattoo pledge. His reply: "I'll definitely get it somewhere visible!" Good, very good. The most important thing is not to embarrass yourself. Above all, do not fail on the tattoo and then serve up a TACO, "Trump Always Chickens Out," as a substitute payment.

One more thing. Within less than 24 hours, Cucurella's trophy-in-a-plastic-bag moment had already outshone Messi in online popularity.