History may or may not repeat itself, (The Propellerheads suggest it does, I disagree but I think it comes close enough every once in awhile to scare the bejeezus out of the human race.) But like flu epidemics and movies starring Colin Farrell, certain rhetoric has a nasty habit of reappearing every so often with the same putridity but a new mutation (or marketing campaign) which has fooled us into thinking it’s something new and different.
Sixty years before Guantanamo and arguments over military tribunals and “enemies among us,” the US government imprisoned 120,00 people for the crime of having Japanese ancestry. While the historical situation was different, the rhetoric used to justify the internment in the “War aganst Fascism” is eerily reminiscent of the current debate in the face of a “War on Terror.” For those interested in reading more on this dark period in US history, the WaPo Short Stacks blog lists five books on the stories of Japanese-Americans in the internment camps. (h/t Angry Asian Man)
Speaking of closely examining past government misdeeds from a historical perspective, back in 1989…oh wait, sorry this is China, never mind.
Nevertheless, Quixotic crusading jouro that he is, John Pomfret offers his thoughts on the last 20 years of China’s history. I like Pomfret, he kind of reminds me of Sting. You know how when you put on a Sting album, even one you’ve just bought, you know EXACTLY what you’re going to get every time? Doesn’t mean it’s not good, it’s always solid, but also oddly comforting in its predictability. (Note to self: As experiement, switch Friday night ‘romantic dinner’ music from “Bring on the Night” to the audiobook version of “Chinese Lessons” and observe any change in reaction or mood.)
Finally, the website The Smoking Gun, in between showing pictures of unusual and wacky mugshots, will also occasionally post the tour riders (the backstage requirements) of famous music acts. I’d be willing to bet that some of the set-ups for our young exam scholars this week might almost be Van Halen “pick out all of the brown M&Ms” worthy. Parents renting hotel rooms near the test center so that the precious little boy-child can rest during lunch? Check. Favorite foods on offer at all times? Check. Team of Swiss nurses for rubdowns and group showering? Wouldn’t surprise me a bit.
Enjoy your Tuesday.
“History may or may not itself”
Sigh, Mr. Jeremiah, you seem to have read too much into history …
why not take a short break and enjoy a few wonderful songs from Ms. Abigail Washburn and the high mountains of Sichuan. She got an angle-like voice …
http://www.abigailwashburn.com/
dave neiwert’s strawberry days: how internment destroyed a japanese american community, on the internment of japanese from bellevue, a suburb east of seattle, is another good read on internment.
whoa, i think i went to middlebury’s summer chinese school with ms. washburn.
Yeah, she’s been a fixture on the Beijing scene for as long as I’ve been here. There’s some great video of her jamming with boyfriend Bela Fleck and members of Hanggai in NLGX on the Danwei site.
I’m guessing too that I’ve been familiar with the “angle” like voice of Ms. Washburn a sight longer than Shaney-come-lately.
thanks, j, that’s a great video.
Jeremiah:
I was linked to Abby’s music through her Sichuan Earthquake album. So it seems you like to understate my statement. Can I make a protest on your site
One of the songs on that album was both beautiful and moving (see below). It even made my sage-old friends weep. When I watched the actual video footage, it brought out the images of my parents when I was in high school.
““I miss my hometown that I am so far away from … the son who is drifting in a strange land is thinking of his mom .. ”
Years ago, when a Chinese friend was trying to start an import-export company, and I accompanied him on several of his expeditions to China (I believe my position was “officially designated white-faced assistant”), I heard more “angle-voiced” people than I’ll every be able to forget, no matter how hard I try…
From Pomfret’s article:
“The party has also let the Internet become a public square in which anti-party views may be aired — not freely, but with enough regularity to provide a relief valve.”
Perhaps not much longer:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/chinas-internet-filter-plan-draws-fire/2009/06/09/1244313123970.html
Time for another vaccination campaign again “foreign viruses?”
“reminds me of Sting”: and i predicted you want remind “russians love their children too”