The weirdness of the modern world
The Chinese People’s Daily features an article called “The miracle called Communist Party of China”. With uncensored comments.
View ArticleWhen even ‘Communist’ China gets it…
I found this quite interesting: On the face of it, China’s central bank has room to cut interest rates to try to lift the economy, but sources say evidence companies and banks are hoarding cash has...
View ArticleThat didn’t take long
Politics Home reports, Jeremy Corbyn: State should seize ‘luxury’ properties to help those left homeless by Grenfell blaze The Labour leader said ministers must “requisition” the houses to make sure...
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Globalisation is very weird.
The above picture is the most commonplace thing in the world. There is a gift wrapped car in a shopping mall. Obviously, this is a prize in a competition, designed to encourage people to visit the...
View ArticleSo what should we do about North Korea?
By “we” I mean the American government of course. Let’s try some Q and A: Does North Korea currently possess the means to destroy cities in South Korea, Japan and even the United States? I’m guessing...
View ArticleYes, a certain perspective is in order
“It’s entirely true that China’s economic growth rate has fallen to the lowest levels in 28 years, back to the dreadful stagnation of 1990, when China was only growing at 4 percent or so. That’s more...
View ArticleThe Art of (No) Deal
Via Instapundit I came across this fine editorial from the New York Sun: “Sometimes You Have To Walk” The collapse of President Trump’s summit with the North Korean party boss, Kim Jong Un, certainly...
View ArticleA distant mirror
“Turkey officials order re-run of Istanbul election, voiding win for Erdogan opposition”, reports the Independent: Turkish authorities on Monday ordered a redo of an election won by an opponent of...
View ArticleSamizdata quote of the day
“So well done to them all as they mass on the safe, sunlit and tank-free streets of London in their courageous anti-Trump protest. And on the thirtieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of...
View ArticleSamizdata quote of the day
“When the U.K. handed back control of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Beijing promised the city that it could maintain an independent legal system, democratic freedoms and a “high degree of autonomy” for...
View ArticleTerrible arguments excusing what is going on in Hong Kong
On social media I have come across this sort of “argument” used to justify Beijing’s attempt to put its boot fully on the face of people in Hong Kong: Britain has no right to interfere in any way, even...
View ArticleSamizdata quote of the day
“We didn’t always know it at the time, but Hong Kong has been a kind of bellwether for the state of freedom in the wider world.” – Tyler Cowen. He’s right, which is why, despite the mockers, I am...
View ArticleThe rewards of compliance
The headline you see when you click on this BBC new story is “Macau: China’s other ‘one country, two systems’ region”, but the headline on the BBC front page that takes you to the story is “HK’s model...
View ArticleViruses and globalisation
The virus outbreak in China and the clampdown on travel and other activity by a Communist country is inevitably going to cause some political commentary about the implications, and it already has. One...
View ArticleThe death clock
A few years ago I remember the arrival of a sort of clock that measured the terrifying rise of the UK’s public debt, a pile that has got much heavier and scarier as a result of the splurge of spending...
View ArticleSamizdata quote of the day
Taiwan is not a Chinese province, you bat-eating, dog-beating, grave-robbing, ethnic cleansing, police state cockwomble of a stolen Nazi uniform. – Mike Fagan
View ArticleKeeping it long
Volume 9 of of the collected works of Kim Il Sung is now out, and Mick Hartley is having a hard job containing his excitement: Let’s hope the book maintains the powerful tradition in Korean...
View ArticleThe State’s lament: ‘A substantial number of people still do not feel...
Thus went the UK government’s discussion paper on increasing social distancing on 22nd March 2020. The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using...
View ArticleChina’s Soweto
The Soweto riots were the beginning of the end for Apartheid in South Africa. This is how they began: Black South African high school students in Soweto protested against the Afrikaans Medium Decree of...
View ArticleHong Kong as it was
Here is a long, very good article about Hong Kong as it developed after WW2 under relatively hands-off British rule. That is all fading away, very sadly, at least in terms of its civil liberties. Quite...
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