[Opinion] China Committing Economics Suicide?

1. I am pessimistic about China transitioning from a manufacturing economy to an information economy under its current political policies.

An information economy requires the free flow of information and China is continuing to make the wrong moves.

(BBC News 2015):

"China thinks your government should control your internet"

"At a conference on Wednesday China is arguing for cyber sovereignty, a system that allows governments to control the internet within their own borders."


2. This BBC news item reminds me of an episode in Season 5 (1991-2) of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Hero Worship".

In this episode, a science vessel was destroyed by shock waves of increasing intensity.

It turns out that when the science vessel initially encountered the shock waves it raised its shield and raising the shield created a positive feedback loop with the source of the shockwaves which in turn magnified the shock waves.

Not knowing the reason for the bigger shock waves, the crew of the science vessel increased more and more power to the shield which led to ever bigger shock waves.

This vicious cycles eventually led to the destruction of the science vessel.


3. In analogy with the more power to the shield strategy of the science vessel, the totalitarian government of China is pursuing a more control strategy.

It seems the Communist Party of China under Xi Jinping has a very limited policy repertoire.

Whenever there is a problem, the prefer solution seems to be more control.

If China is relying on the market for the functioning of its economy, then more and more control of the market is not a solution.

A market is fundamentally an institution for the free buying and selling of goods and services.

Free flow of information is a prerequisite for the functioning of a competitive market.

The lack of free access to the Internet is one of the contributing factors to the (to date) failure of the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone, the first free-trade zone in mainland China.

The government arresting people for reporting on the 2015 Chinese stock market crash makes a mockery of the Chinese stock markets.

The Chinese economy is already manifesting many weaknesses.

Ever more control of the market will create a positive feedback loop that will eventually destroy the Chinese economy.

"Cyber Sovereignty" is one more step in the direction of economics suicide.


References:

BBC News. 2015. China thinks your government should control your internet. December 15.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35106016
(accessed 2015-12-15).

Livingston, Scott D. 2015. Beijing Touts ‘Cyber-Sovereignty’ In Internet Governance. ChinaFile, February 19.
https://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/beijing-touts-cyber-sovereignty-internet-governance
(accessed 2015-12-15).

Wildau, Gabriel. 2015. Shanghai free-trade zone struggles for relevance. Financial Times, September 27.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8cec0faa-6364-11e5-9846-de406ccb37f2.html
(accessed 2015-12-15).

"2015 Chinese stock market crash", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Chinese_stock_market_crash
(accessed 2015-12-15).

"Cyber sovereignty", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_sovereignty
(accessed 2015-12-15).

"Hero Worship (Star Trek: The Next Generation)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_Worship_%28Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation%29
(accessed 2015-12-15).

"Shanghai Free-Trade Zone", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Free-Trade_Zone
(accessed 2015-12-15).

End.

[Music] Kit Chan -- Left-Right Hands

Kit Chan

1. The original singer of the Cantonese song Left-Right Hands ("左右手") is Leslie Cheung.

This song came out in 1999 and has won many awards.

Since the passing of Leslie Cheung in 2003, the best interpreter of Left-Right Hands (1999) is Kit Chan.

So with apologies to Leslie Cheung's fans, I am listing this song under Kit Chan.

Left-Right Hands (1999) has been covered by many singers and Wikipedia noted four covers in particular ("左右手", Wikipedia):

(a) by Hacken Lee;

(b) by Priscilla Chan;

(c) by Kit Chan; and

(d) by Prudence Liew.


2. ("Kit Chan", Wikipedia):

"Kit Chan (Chinese: 陈洁仪; pinyin: Chén Jiéyí, born 15 September 1972, Singapore) is a Chinese singer and actress of Singaporean nationality. Chan is the third daughter in a family of four sisters."

"On 8 December 2012, Chan married her long-time boyfriend, whom she met in 2000."

Being a Singaporean of Chinese ancestry, Kit Chan is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Kit Chan began her music career in Singapore in 1993, but her breakout came in 1997 when Jacky Cheung invited her to become the second female lead for the musical "Snow.Wolf.Lake".

"Snow.Wolf.Lake" (1997) is probably the most important musical ever produced in Hong Kong.

I was working in Hong Kong in 1997 and it was a regret that I was not able to watch this musical.


3. Kit Chan singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

This is a performance for the Chinese television show I Am a Singer in 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urf9zaWuxCQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfCqbdG10fU


An audience recording of the Shanghai stop of a 2015 concert tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKwIsBZA5QQ


Official version for a 2012 Hong Kong concert.

The fourth of four songs starting at the 9:30 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8upXEjqk2g

The music is by the Hong Kong City Pops Orchestra.


Audience recordings for the 2012 Hong Kong concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpFPHedAdRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDMrXwhgJ3g


A 2011 studio recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMRqiCai7k


4. Leslie Cheung singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

Leslie Cheung was a great Hong Kong singer.

It is an open secret that Leslie Cheung (1956 - 2003) changed his sexual orientation from hetero to homo in his 20s.

Some have speculated that the title "Left-Right Hands" and its lyrics alluded to this change in orientation.

Leslie Cheung committed suicide in 2003 while suffering from depression.

Leslie probably had entered his depression phase during this performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELxdTPjXOwM


Leslie in concert in Malaysia in 2000:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLU68Po_D-M


An award ceremony in 1999:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efjrfVShjOI


Music videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3mRYXSwrds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_JsCpchaFg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHLnM4N8cjw


5. Hacken Lee singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zF_GL61iHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9QY-iPXYQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x2NVeVylxc


6. Priscilla Chan singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGIMhVeXjmU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBPmrXR9I6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwZvCK5X4jg


7. Prudence Liew singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MtuE2kOSIs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RkkcSCTNDo


8. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


左右手 -- 張國榮

不知道為何你會遠走   不知道何時才再有對手
我的身心只適應你   沒氣力回頭

* 不知道為何你會放手   只知道習慣抱你抱了太久
怕這雙手一失去你   令動作顫抖

# 尚記得   左手邊一臉溫柔
來自你熱暖   在枕邊消受
同樣記得   當天一臉哀求
搖著我右臂   就這樣而分手

@ 從那天起我不辨別前後
從那天起我竟調亂左右
習慣都扭轉了呼吸都張不開口
你離開了   卻散落四周

& 從那天起我戀上我左手
從那天起我討厭我右手
為何沒力氣去捉緊這一點火花
天高海深   有什麼可擁有

Repeat *, #, @, &

留住你   別要走
無奈怎能夠   除下在左右我的手扣   有愛難偷

Repeat @, &

為何沒力氣去捉緊這一點火花
天高海深   有什麼可擁有
 

9. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


左右手 -- 张国荣

不知道为何你会远走   不知道何时才再有对手
我的身心只适应你   没气力回头

* 不知道为何你会放手   只知道习惯抱你抱了太久
怕这双手一失去你   令动作颤抖

# 尚记得   左手边一脸温柔
来自你热暖   在枕边消受
同样记得   当天一脸哀求
摇着我右臂   就这样而分手

@ 从那天起我不辨别前后
从那天起我竟调乱左右
习惯都扭转了呼吸都张不开口
你离开了   却散落四周

& 从那天起我恋上我左手
从那天起我讨厌我右手
为何没力气去捉紧这一点火花
天高海深   有什么可拥有

Repeat *, #, @, &

留住你   别要走
无奈怎能够   除下在左右我的手扣   有爱难偷

Repeat @, &

为何没力气去捉紧这一点火花
天高海深   有什么可拥有
 

10. Names, Words and Phrases:

Hacken Lee (Traditional Chinese: 李克勤; Simplified Chinese: 李克勤).

Hong Kong City Pops Orchestra (Traditional: 香港城市管弦樂團; Simplified: 香港城市管弦乐团).

Jacky Cheung (Traditional: 張學友; Simplified: 张学友).

Kit Chan (Traditional: 陳潔儀; Simplified: 陈洁仪).

Leslie Cheung (Traditional: 張國榮; Simplified: 张国荣).

Priscilla Chan (Traditional: 陳慧嫻; Simplified: 陈慧娴).

Prudence Liew (Traditional: 劉美君; Simplified: 刘美君).

"Snow.Wolf.Lake" (Traditional: 雪狼湖; Simplified: 雪狼湖).


References:

"Kit Chan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Chan
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"Snow.Wolf.Lake", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow.Wolf.Lake
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"陳潔儀", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%99%B3%E6%BD%94%E5%84%80_%28%E6%96%B0%E5%8A%A0%E5%9D%A1%29
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"左右手", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%B7%A6%E5%8F%B3%E6%89%8B
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"左右手", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/55771/9203847.htm
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"雪狼湖", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9B%AA%E7%8B%BC%E6%B9%96
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"我是歌手", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%88%91%E6%98%AF%E6%AD%8C%E6%89%8B
(accessed 2015-11-13).

End.

[Music] Roman Tam -- Wandering Merrily in the World

Poster for The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung (1984)

 Barbara Yung

1. Chinese Quotation of the Day:


曹植 (192 - 232 CE)


<< 蟬賦 >> (節錄)

實澹泊而寡欲兮，獨怡樂而長吟。

聲皦皦而彌厲兮，似貞士之介心。


2. Wandering Merrily in the World ("笑踏河山") is the theme song of the 1984 Hong Kong TVB television drama The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung ("楚留香之蝙蝠傳奇").

"Chor Lau Heung" is the name of a fictional character in the martial art novels by the author Gu Long (1938 - 1985).

According to Wikipedia, there are 8 novels by Gu Long with Chor Lau Heung as the main character.

I have read all the novels by Gu Long including these eight -- mostly while I was in secondary school in the 1970s.

Also according to Wikipedia, 16 movies, 8 TV series, a computer game, and a musical were adapted from these 8 novels.

The movies and TV series were produced mainly in Taiwan and Hong Kong where Gu Long lived.

To my surprise, the musical was performed by the famous Star Troupe of the Takarazuka Revue of Japan in 2013 in both Taiwan and Japan.

Being a former Japanese colony, Taiwan still has a lot of cultural ties with Japan.


3. Wandering Merrily in the World (1984) has a Taoist sentiment and it is among my favorite songs.

The original singer of this song is Roman Tam.

It is with disappointment that I can find only 1 instance of this song by Roman Tam in YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu_T_9ZIV5w

The quality of this video is not too good.

There used to be many copies of this song in YouTube, but Hong Kong's TVB has been asserting it's copyrights and those copies have disappeared.

I think this asserting of copyrights in YouTube is a bad business move on the part of TVB.

Due to the deteriorating TV environment in Hong Kong, TVB's viewership has been shrinking at an alarming rate.

Allowing old songs to appear in YouTube is one way to maintain presence and remind viewers that TVB is still there.


4. Wandering Merrily in the World (1984) by the lead actress of The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung, the late Barbara Yung (1959 - 1985):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJigSEfj5qo

Barbara Yung was among my TV idols of that period.


5. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


笑踏河山 -- 羅文

隨緣披髮獨行   未嘗鏡染塵
淡然看世事似浮雲   隨風去無痕

* 何妨花氣襲人   願憑天指引
任由過去事再莫尋   留情意不惹恨

# 對酒狂歌   一劍獨往   何愁露寒侵鬢
人生百感   輕舟掠過   萬里白雪洗我心
啊...啊...啊...
踏河山輕帶笑我獨行   如逝水若行雲

Repeat *, #

踏河山輕帶笑我獨行   如逝水若行雲


6. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


笑踏河山 -- 罗文

随缘披发独行   未尝镜染尘
淡然看世事似浮云   随风去无痕

* 何妨花气袭人   愿凭天指引
任由过去事再莫寻   留情意不惹恨

# 对酒狂歌   一剑独往   何愁露寒侵鬓
人生百感   轻舟掠过   万里白雪洗我心
啊...啊...啊...
踏河山轻带笑我独行   如逝水若行云

Repeat *, #

踏河山轻带笑我独行   如逝水若行云


7. Names, Words and Phrases:

Barbara Yung (Traditional Chinese: 翁美玲; Simplified Chinese: 翁美玲).

Chor Lau Heung (Traditional: 楚留香; Simplified: 楚留香).

Gu Long (Traditional: 古龍; Simplified: 古龙).

Roman Tam (Traditional: 羅文; Simplified: 罗文).

Star Troupe (Traditional: 星組; Simplified: 星组).

Takarazuka Revue (Traditional: 寶塚歌劇團; Simplified: 宝塚歌剧团).


References:

"Wuxia", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"曹植", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%9B%B9%E6%A4%8D
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"古龍", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%8F%A4%E9%BE%99
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"楚留香", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%A5%9A%E7%95%99%E9%A6%99
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"楚留香之蝙蝠傳奇 (電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%A5%9A%E7%95%99%E9%A6%99%E4%B9%8B%E8%9D%99%E8%9D%A0%E5%82%B3%E5%A5%87_%28%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2015-11-12).

End.

[Music] The Love of a Lifetime -- Lowell Lo

Poster for A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995)

Stephen Chow

Athena Chu

 Lowell Lo

1. The Love of a Lifetime ("一生所愛") is one of the theme songs of the 1995 Hong Kong movie A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella ("西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣").

This movie is part of a trilogy consisting also of:

(a) A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box ("西遊記第壹佰零壹回之月光寶盒") (1995); and

(b) A Chinese Odyssey Part Three ("大話西遊終結篇") (in-progress).

The movie stars, among others, Stephen Chow and Athena Chu.

 
2. The singer and the composer of this song is Lowell Lo.

The lyrics is by Lowell Lo's wife Susan Tong.

Lowell Lo is very talented and I have been a fan of his music since the 1980s.

Looking back over a 30 plus years music career, I am a little surprised that he wrote and sang many commercially successful songs and yet his songs are not conventional or vulgar.

There is a free-spirited and other-worldly feel to some of his songs which I find very appealing.


3. The Love of a Lifetime (1995) by Lowell Lo:

Videos with scene from the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAJmDIGrdJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h46F_sQVLjI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y10WEfX1vQ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYUmcwcRth8


Concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ull58YWDots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWAziVssSnY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYkOG5OmUcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIEB1qW01IQ


With English subtitles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw_hlzIet6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyC15G_xPM8


Music videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyOIqLhSWkA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6JFDW0Vwu4


4. Some other singers:

Shu Qi of Taiwan is a well-known actress:

Shu Qi in Cantonese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8F723GBY34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqBs-3gSHTo

Shu Qi in Mandarin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vo_UFe0iaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ16BS__MbQ


Tracy Wang of Mainland China:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuPoecV5MI


Tan Weiwei of the Mainland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvdgFRCWCTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeFM3rzSA5g


Sa Ji of the Mainland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ZbSSGDU_o


Jessie Liu in Mandarin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bhVHuZl0cA


5. Piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5eAGcgt2Y8


Saxophone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zZcjEdErms


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


一生所愛 -- 盧冠廷

從前現在   過去再不來
紅紅落葉   長埋塵土內
開始終結總是   沒變改
天邊的你飄泊   白雲外

* 苦海   翻起愛恨
在世間   難逃避命運
相親   竟不可接近
或我應該相信是緣份

情人別後   永遠再不來   (消散的情緣)
無言獨坐   放眼塵世外   (願來日再聚)
鮮花雖會凋謝   (只願)
但會再開   (為你)
一生所愛隱約   (守候)
在白雲外   (期待)

Repeat *, *


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


一生所爱 -- 卢冠廷

从前现在   过去再不来
红红落叶   长埋尘土内
开始终结总是   没变改
天边的你飘泊   白云外

* 苦海   翻起爱恨
在世间   难逃避命运
相亲   竟不可接近
或我应该相信是缘份

情人别后   永远再不来 (消散的情缘)
无言独坐   放眼尘世外 (愿来日再聚)
鲜花虽会凋谢 (只愿)
但会再开 (为你)
一生所爱隐约 (守候)
在白云外 (期待)

Repeat *, *


8. Names, Words and Phrases:

Athena Chu (Traditional Chinese: 朱茵; Simplified Chinese: 朱茵).

Jessie Liu (Traditional: 劉美誼; Simplified: 刘美谊).

Lowell Lo (Traditional: 盧冠廷; Simplified: 卢冠廷).

Sa Ji (Traditional: 薩吉; Simplified: 萨吉).

Shu Qi (Traditional: 舒淇; Simplified: 舒淇).

Stephen Chow (Traditional: 周星馳; Simplified: 周星驰).

Susan Tong (Traditional: 唐書琛; Simplified: 唐书琛).

Tan Weiwei (Traditional: 譚維維; Simplified: 谭维维).

Tracy Wang (Traditional: 汪小敏; Simplified: 汪小敏).


References:

"Lowell Lo", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell_Lo
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"Lowell Lo Koon Ting", Hong Kong Cinemagic,
http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/people.asp?id=282
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"盧冠廷", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%9B%A7%E5%86%A0%E5%BB%B7
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"唐書琛", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%94%90%E6%9B%B8%E7%90%9B
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"一生所爱", baike.com,
http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E7%94%9F%E6%89%80%E7%88%B1
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"西遊記第壹佰零壹回之月光寶盒", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%A5%BF%E9%81%8A%E8%A8%98%E7%AC%AC%E5%A3%B9%E4%BD%B0%E9%9B%B6%E5%A3%B9%E5%9B%9E%E4%B9%8B%E6%9C%88%E5%85%89%E5%AF%B6%E7%9B%92
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%A5%BF%E9%81%8A%E8%A8%98%E5%A4%A7%E7%B5%90%E5%B1%80%E4%B9%8B%E4%BB%99%E5%B1%A5%E5%A5%87%E7%B7%A3
(accessed 2015-10-25).

"大話西遊終結篇", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A7%E8%A9%B1%E8%A5%BF%E9%81%8A%E7%B5%82%E7%B5%90%E7%AF%87
(accessed 2015-10-25).

End.

[Opinion] Vision for China

China

1. Quotations of the Day:

 
The Holy Bible

(Proverbs 29:18 ESV):

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
but blessed is he who keeps the law.


(Judges 21:25 ESV):

In those days there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.


(Proverbs 18:12 HCSB):

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.


2. In the last 200 years, China misses opportunity after opportunities for reform.

I believe the current leadership in Beijing has done no better.

Why is that so?

I do not believe there is a lack of people who wants to see China changes for the better.

Many have laid down their lives to that end.

I believe the fundamental problems are a lack of vision, an incorrect assessment of human nature, and a consequential lack of appreciation for ethics and laws.

The followings will focus on a lack of vision.


3. The Preamble to The Constitution of the United States of America (1787):

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Preamble expresses and is grounded in a set of fundamental values.

In the Preamble, the people of the United States are lifted up to a vision of a more perfect union, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, general welfare and the blessings of liberty.

There is no corresponding vision in the Preamble to The Constitution of the People's Republic of China (2004).

The Preamble to the Chinese Constitution is a partisan document touting "the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought".

I believe it is this lack of vision that makes China misses opportunity after opportunities for reform.

To reform is to change in a certain direction.

A vision provides the goal or direction for change and the reforms are means to the end of that vision.

Without vision the people cast off restraint; without vision everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Without vision, the policies and decisions of the Chinese Government are just a series of maneuvers to gain strategic and tactical advantages in the political, economics, and military arenas.


4. The two main constraints and drivers for recent historical changes are human nature and the power of a free market.

It is human nature to have material needs and wants and it is a free market that is the most efficient vehicle to deliver those material needs and wants.

A free market is most efficient because in a free market only the fittest survive.

One way to read recent world history is to read it as a series of events to align the world's political and economics systems with the existence of a free market.

Because of the underlying human needs and wants for material things, market forces became one of the main driver for historical changes.

But not all political and economic systems with their underlying values are compatible with the existence of a free market.

From this perspective, the main question for recent world history is:

What political forms and value systems are compatible with a free market?

[Free Market] <==> (compatible with) [Political Form?] + [Value System?]


5. Arnold J. Toynbee (1889 - 1975) famously analyzed the genesis, growth, breakdown and disintegration of civilizations in terms of challenge and response.

The challenges for contemporary civilizations are the challenges of modernity and the main challenge of modernity is the challenge of alignment of political forms and value systems with the existence of free markets.

(a) Western European nations were the first ones to step over the threshold of modernity.

The political form of Western Europe (i.e. democracy) and its underlying value system (i.e. Reformation and Enlightenment) have basically made peace with the existence of free markets.

[Free Market] <==> (compatible with) [Democracy] + [Reformation and Enlightenment]

(b) Religion is a source of values and the challenge for contemporary Islamic countries is to find a political form that is compatible with itself and a free market:

[Free Market] + [Islam] <==> (compatible with) [Political Form?]

We are witnessing the birth pains of Islamic countries in search of a political system that is compatible with itself and the existence of free markets.

(c) The challenge for the Communist Party of China is different from Islamic countries in that it is in search of a value system that is compatible with itself and a free market:

[Free Market] + [Totalitarian Government] <==> (compatible with) [Value System?]

China has tried to revive some form of Confucianism as its value system but it has been to no avail.

But the more basic problem is that a free market is fundamentally incompatible with totalitarianism.

The totalitarianism of China is political in nature -- everything is interpret in terms of politics and is done in service to politics.

In pride the totalitarians think that even a free market will be subject to their control and manipulation and will bow its head to politics.

In the last few months, we have witnessed the consequences of what happened when the Chinese government tried to control the stock market through administrative means.


6. In the last 200 years, China misses opportunity after opportunities for reform and it is continuing to do so.

A fundamental problem is a lack of vision for China.

The Communist Party of China lacks a vision for China because it has always put its self-interest over the national interest of China: its highest priority has always been its own continuing grip on power.

The early years of reform under Deng Xiaoping (1904 - 1997) saw the interests of China and the interests of the Communist Party of China more or less coincide.

But the divergence between the two interests became apparent after the events of 1989 Tiananmen Square.

China became a member of WTO (World Trade Organization) in December, 2001 and that membership has bought China another 15 years for implementing reforms.

Internal party politics and not implementing many of the WTO requirements (or blocking them through administrative means) have squandered this window of opportunity.

Without a vision to guide them, the policies and decisions of China are reduced to strategic and tactical maneuvers to gain temporary or short-term advantages.

The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) that was drafted last Monday (October 5, 2015) signaled the coming to an end of the comparative economic advantage China has gained under the WTO.

If China does not seriously implement reforms, then eventually its choice will be limited to taking a big left turn politically.

There are many indications that the change in political direction has been underway.

To insure its own survival and with the concentration of power under Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China may take a very big left turn yet.

But that is not in the national interest of China.

May God bless China and her people.


Reference:

"Preamble to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (2004)", npc.gov.cn,
http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Constitution/2007-11/15/content_1372962.htm
(accessed 2015-10-10).

End.

[Music] A Woman from of Old -- Tamia Liu

Posters for Nirvana in Fire (2015)

Tamia Liu

1. A Woman from of Old ("红颜旧") is one of two sub-theme songs for the Chinese TV drama Nirvana in Fire ("瑯琊榜") (2015).

This drama is consisted of 55 episodes and its broadcast is still ongoing in China.

As of today (Monday, October 5), 34 of the 55 episodes have been broadcasted.

Nirvana in Fire ("瑯琊榜") is based on a novel first published on the internet and its main themes are (a) palace intrigues / power struggles and their interplay with (b) martial arts heroes.

I have not read the internet novel but judging by what have been broadcasted so far, this TV drama is very well produced.

I understand that the internet novel is not set in a particular time period but for specificity (including what costumes to use), the TV drama is set in the Liang Dynasty ("梁") (502–557) and specifically the later part of the rule of Emperor Wu of Liang ("梁武帝") (502–549).

Because of the producers attention to details, I have learned quite a bit about Liang Dynasty's clothing and customs.

 
2. There are three theme songs for this TV drama:

(a) When the Wind Rises ("风起时") (theme song) by Hugh Hu;

(b) A Woman from of Old ("红颜旧") (sub-theme song) by Tamia Liu; and

(c) Our Blood Will Remain Red ("赤血长殷") (sub-theme song) by Nick Wang.

Hugh Hu and Tamia Liu are the male and female leads for this drama and Nick Wang is also one of the main actors.

I like all three songs but have a preference among them:

First, A Woman from of Old by Tamia Liu.

Second, When the Wind Rises by Hugh Hu.

Third, Our Blood Will Remain Red by Nick Wang.


3. A Woman from of Old ("红颜旧") by Tamia Liu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noZGNFiKX30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3Undo6HTg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRBOachwR94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGmDCWXc2OQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRu40V9Py1c


4. When the Wind Rises ("风起时") by Hugh Hu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkKmNhoRuJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PnVrMYIFuI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_PpbviU2cc


5. Our Blood Will Remain Red ("赤血长殷") by Nick Wang:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeWBpxSKyc8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVqXX_9mg7o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HHR8IEKvK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gf7gAckJ-o


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


紅顏舊 -- 劉濤

西風夜渡寒山雨
家國依稀殘夢裡
思君不見倍思君
別離難忍忍別離

* 狼煙烽火何時休
成王敗寇盡東流
蠟炬已殘淚難乾
江山未老紅顏舊

# 忍別離
不忍卻又別離
托鴻雁南去
不知此心何寄

@ 紅顏舊
任憑斗轉星移
唯不變此情悠悠

Repeat *, #, @, #, @

唯不變此情悠悠
唯不變此情悠悠


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


红颜旧 -- 刘涛

西风夜渡寒山雨
家国依稀残梦里
思君不见倍思君
别离难忍忍别离

* 狼烟烽火何时休
成王败寇尽东流
蜡炬已残泪难干
江山未老红颜旧

# 忍别离
不忍却又别离
托鸿雁南去
不知此心何寄

@ 红颜旧
任凭斗转星移
唯不变此情悠悠

Repeat *, #, @, #, @

唯不变此情悠悠
唯不变此情悠悠


8. Names, Words and Phrases:

Hugh Hu (Traditional Chinese: 胡歌; Simplified Chinese: 胡歌).

[English transliteration] (Hu Ge).

Nick Wang (Traditional: 王凱; Simplified: 王凯).

[English transliteration] (Wang Kai).

Tamia Liu (Traditional: 劉濤; Simplified: 刘涛).

[English transliteration] (Liu Tao).

 
References:

"List of rulers of China", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_monarchs#Five_dynasties_and_Ten_Kingdoms
(accessed 2015-10-05).

""瑯琊榜 (電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%91%AF%E7%90%8A%E6%A6%9C_%28%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"琅琊榜", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/1562685/12093740.htm
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"胡歌", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/15679/15679.htm
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"刘涛", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/35619/5930620.htm
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"王凯", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/3744/5628618.htm
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"风起时", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/13272227/18661384.htm
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"红颜旧", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%BA%A2%E9%A2%9C%E6%97%A7
(accessed 2015-10-05).

"赤血长殷", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/14768400/18945893.htm
 (accessed 2015-10-05).

End.

[Opinion] Historical Atlas of China

 Timeline of Chinese History

Map of Western Han (206 BCE - 9 CE)

1. Chinese Quotation of the Day:


顧憲成 (1550 - 1612)


<< 東林書院門前對聯 >>

風聲，雨聲，讀書聲，聲聲入耳；

家事，國事，天下事，事事關心。


2. "中国历史地图 Historical Atlas of China":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-foZ5RcCm8U

When I watched this 42 minutes video on YouTube some weeks ago, I was nearly moved to tears.

Many thoughts and emotions ran through my mind.

I cannot help but wonder how many persons lived and died in the 4,000 years that were depicted in the video and what were the circumstances of their lives and deaths.

I cannot help but wonder how many persons died as a result of wars and natural disasters and how many of those were unnatural and preventable.

I cannot help but wonder how many persons dedicated their lives to the betterment of China and how many of those ended in despair.

I cannot help but wonder why China misses opportunity after opportunities for reform in the last 200 years and seems to be continuing doing so.

May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, be gracious and merciful to China and her people.


3. Other Historical Atlases of China:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PdrnHA4Ydg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dJ_MLirHhs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxD9HmAEeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVCUld6LXTU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQiFrKaVk2Y


Reference:

"顧憲成", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%A1%A7%E6%86%B2%E6%88%90
(accessed 2015-10-04).

End.

[Music] How Beautiful You Are -- Ayumi Hamasaki

Poster for Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (2012)

Poster for Zoku—Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (2014)

Chiaki Yoshino and the Nagakura Family

 Kyoko Koizumi (left) and Kiichi Nakai (right)

1. Chinese Quotations of the Day:

 
范仲淹 (989 - 1052)

 
《岳陽樓記》

「不以物喜，不以己悲。」

「先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂。」


2. How Beautiful You Are by Ayumi Hamasaki is the ending theme song of the Japanese TV drama Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (2012).

("Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi", Wikipedia):

"Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (最後から二番目の恋 My Second Last Love) is a Japanese television drama series, starring Kyoko Koizumi and Kiichi Nakai. The series aired Thursdays at 22:00 - 22:54, on Fuji Television from January 12, to March 22, 2012."

"A second season entitled Zoku—Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (続・最後から二番目の恋) was broadcast by Fuji TV from April 17 to June 26, 2014."

"Described as an adult love story, the story of Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi narrates the story of Chiaki Yoshino (Kyoko Koizumi), a 45-year-old TV drama producer. As she is becoming older, Yoshino becomes increasingly more concerned about her health and retirement, instead of building romantic relationship with someone: the life she once hoped for of sharing her life with someone else seems distant. Yoshino is subsequently troubled about deciding on taking a break from her ruling life, and such questions lead her to Kamakura, where she decides to move in and settle. In this ancient city she knows Wahei Nagakura (Kiichi Nakai), a 50-year-old widower and father of one child who works for the city office."

The stars of the drama are Kyoko Koizumi, Kiichi Nakai, Kenji Sakaguchi, Naoko Iijima, and Yuki Uchida; these are well-known actors to J-Drama.

I have watched both seasons and find some of the relationships depicted in the drama to be quite quirky, but they ultimately work for the audience.

The drama won Tokyo Drama Awards for Excellence (2013) and Best Screenplay (2014).

The setting for the drama is mainly in historic Kamakura City, which is not too distant from Tokyo and is the seat of power for the Kamakura shogunate (1192-1333).

The drama has some sceneries of Kamakura City including the historic Enoshima Electric Railway.

I have previously read a mystery novel in which murders took place along the Enoshima Electric Rail lines and am happy to get to know the rail lines better through this drama.

 
3. How Beautiful You Are by Ayumi Hamasaki:

Concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVrZxWBsCSU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW0cq4PlpZo

Music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AtQGD8r4YM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWHkis8nVcs

The making of the music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXFeoXJrmqI


References:

"Ayumi Hamasaki", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayumi_Hamasaki
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"How Beautiful You Are (Ayumi Hamasaki song)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Beautiful_You_Are_%28Ayumi_Hamasaki_song%29
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigo_Kara_Nibanme_no_Koi
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"范仲淹", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%8C%83%E4%BB%B2%E6%B7%B9
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"岳陽樓記白話翻譯", study.ck.tp.edu.tw,
http://study.ck.tp.edu.tw/teafiles/tctso/%A9%A8%B6%A7%BC%D3%B0O%A5%D5%B8%DC%5B1%5D.htm
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"岳陽樓記", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%B2%B3%E9%98%B3%E6%A5%BC%E8%AE%B0
(accessed 2015-09-22).

"岳阳楼记", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/view/15258.htm
(accessed 2015-09-22).

End.

[Opinion] (Movie) Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (2015)

0.A Added: Sunday, October 2, 2016

I have received a message from The Blogger Team notifying me that certain content in this post infringe upon the copyrights of others.

I have followed the instruction and went to Lumen but was unable to locate the DCMA notice regarding my blog.

As the only offending content I can think of are some images of the movie Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (2015), I have deleted all the images in this post.


0.B The message from The Blogger Team dated September 30, 2016: 

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.

A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. In order to file a counter-claim, please see https://support.google.com/legal/contact/lr_counternotice?product=blogger.

The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Lumen at https://www.lumendatabase.org. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Lumen page, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed.

If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. DMCA notices concerning content on your blog may also result in action taken against any associated AdSense accounts. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

Affected URLs:

http://culture-in-criticism.blogspot.com/2015/08/opinion-movie-zhong-kui-snow-girl-and.html 


1. ("Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal", Wikipedia):

"Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (Chinese: 钟馗伏魔：雪妖魔灵) is a 2015 Chinese-Hong Kong-United States 3D fantasy action adventure film directed by Peter Pau and Zhao Tianyu and starring Chen Kun, Li Bingbing, Winston Chao, Yang Zishan, Bao Bei'er, and Jike Junyi. Production began on February 16, 2014. The film was released on February 19, 2015."


2. The script of the movie is based on the mythological figure Zhong Kui ("钟馗") of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE).

("Zhong Kui", Wikipedia):

"Zhong Kui (Chinese: 鍾馗; pinyin: Zhōng Kuí; Wade-Giles: Chung Kwei; Japanese: Shōki) is a figure of Chinese mythology. Traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings, and reputedly able to command 80,000 demons, his image is often painted on household gates as a guardian spirit, as well as in places of business where high-value goods are involved."

"According to folklore, Zhong Kui travelled with Du Ping (杜平), a friend from his hometown, to take part in the imperial examinations at the capital. Though Zhong achieved top honours in the exams, his title of 'zhuangyuan' was stripped by the emperor because of his disfigured appearance. In anger, Zhong Kui committed suicide upon the palace steps by hurling himself against the palace gate until his head was broken. Du Ping buried him. During his judgment, the Hell King saw potential in Zhong. Intelligent enough to score top honors in the imperial examinations, but damned to hell because he committed suicide. The Hell King (judge) then gave him the title, as king of ghost, forever to hunt, capture, maintain and order ghosts. After Zhong became king of ghosts in Hell, he returned to his hometown on Chinese New Year's Eve. To repay Du Ping's kindness, Zhong Kui gave his younger sister in marriage to Du."


3. The following is the User Review of the movie by Alison (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) (August 1, 2015) in the Internet Movie Database:

"Gorgeous, If a Tad Confusing"

"Zhong Kui (Chen Kun) has been trained as a scholar and a demon- hunter; the God Zhang has taken him as a pupil in preparation for stealing the Dark Crystal, which the demons of hell own and use to store stolen human spirits. Zhong achieves that quest, but the King of the demons enlists the aid of Snow Girl (Li Bingbing) to steal the Crystal back. Matters become more complicated when it becomes clear that Zhong and Snow Girl were former lovers, and they still mean more to each other than human and demon should. Will their love save - or destroy - the three realms of Heaven, Earth and Hell? "

"This is a beautifully striking film, filled with gorgeous scenery and marvelous fight scenes. The film-makers went all out with CGI monsters and other effects, using a number of different companies (including Weta Workshop), although that decision results in uneven effects from time to time. For example, some scenes look more like a video game than a movie. But overall, the spectacle holds up well, although I think I might need repeated viewings to understand the whole thing!"


4. *** Spoiler Alert ***

Alison of Montreal gave the movie an 8/10 rating.

I would rate the movie 7/10.

I agree with Alison that "this is a beautifully striking film".

Alison, not familiar with the mythology of Zhong Kui, finds the movie "a tad confusing" and "need repeated viewings to understand the whole thing!"

I, on the other hand having some familiarities with the mythology, find the storyline ultimately disappointing.

The movie uses more than one flashbacks to tell its story.

I think it uses one flashback too many and so confuses those whom are not familiar with the mythology of Zhong Kui.

Specifically, I have in mind the flashback of Zhong Kui being denied the 1st Place of the Imperial Examination ("Zhuang-yuan" or "狀元") and committed the sin of suicide and thereafter became a demon.

The atmosphere of the movie is somewhat heavy and dark and Zhong Ling (actress Zishan Yang), Zhong Kui's younger sister, and her husband Du Ping (actor Bei-Er Bao) provide the necessary relief.

I have enjoyed the first three-quarters of this movie but find the ending very disappointing.

It turned out the reason the Immortal Zhang (Zhang Daoxian) helped Zhong Kui is because Zhang wanted to possess the power of the Dark Crystal so that he can replace the Jade Emperor ("玉皇大帝") as the ruler of the Heavenly Court.

This part of the story lacks subtleties, depths, and imaginations.

Movie making in China, like much else, is hampered by politics.

In terms of the non-political aspects of film making such as camera works and computer graphics, Chinese films are approaching Hollywood if not already are at the same level.

But in terms of ideas and imaginations, Chinese movies still lack that certain something that makes a movie truly great.

Censorship stifles creativity.


References:

"Zhong Kui", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhong_Kui
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"Zhongkui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal", IMDb (Internet Movie Database),
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3585004/
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhong_Kui:_Snow_Girl_and_the_Dark_Crystal
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"鍾馗", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%8D%BE%E9%A6%97
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"鍾馗嫁妹", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%8D%BE%E9%A6%97%E5%AB%81%E5%A6%B9
(accessed 2015-08-30).

End.

[Music] In Love and War -- Adam Cheng

Poster for In Love and War (1981)

Adam Cheng

1. "The surrender of the Empire of Japan was announced by Imperial Japan on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close." ("Surrender of Japan", Wikipedia)

But for the Chinese people, World War II officially ended when the Empire of Japan surrendered to the Republic of China on September 9, 1945.


2. In Love and War ("烽火飛花") is the theme song of a 1981 Hong Kong TVB TV drama.

The background for this drama is occupied China during World War II.

The name of the TV drama and its theme song is the same in Chinese: "烽火飛花".

The official English translation for "烽火飛花" is "In Love and War" and it is a very good translation.

In Love and War (1981) is a good song but it is seldom heard nowadays.

I was having a conversation with some friends a few months ago in a lounge and the lounge singer, to my surprise, sang this song.

The original singer of this song is Adam Cheng and he is one the stars of this TV drama.


3. In Love and War (1981):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt6Ok08dssM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk379GrgV7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl8mi4kDZUc


The first of 2 songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZelnZJZ8Ls

The first of 6 songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRoXHbQEBBU


4. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


烽火飛花 -- 鄭少秋

* 河山滿目烽煙起   神州漫天風雨飛
雄獅醒覺顯威風   決心拼生死
縱有熱愛熱情兒女事   忍心不記起
獻上熱血熱腸男子氣   犧牲小我見仁義
人生性命本可貴   情癡亦一世回味
為保家國肯輕拋   兩者都不記起

Repeat *


5. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


烽火飞花 -- 郑少秋

* 河山满目烽烟起   神州漫天风雨飞
雄狮醒觉显威风   决心拼生死
纵有热爱热情儿女事   忍心不记起
献上热血热肠男子气   牺牲小我见仁义
人生性命本可贵   情痴亦一世回味
为保家国肯轻抛   两者都不记起

Repeat *


6. Names, Words and Phrases:

Adam Cheng (Traditional Chinese: 鄭少秋; Simplified Chinese: 郑少秋).


References:

"Surrender of Japan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"烽火飛花", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%83%BD%E7%81%AB%E9%A3%9B%E8%8A%B1
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"中國抗日戰爭", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%8A%97%E6%97%A5%E6%88%98%E4%BA%89
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"國民政府", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%9C%8B%E6%B0%91%E6%94%BF%E5%BA%9C
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"大日本帝國", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A7%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%B8%9D%E5%9B%BD
(accessed 2015-08-30).

"日本投降", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%8A%95%E9%99%8D
(accessed 2015-08-30).

End.

[Music & Poem] "Thou Shalt Not Die" by Akiko Yosano

Akiko Yosano (1878 - 1942)

1. This year (2015) is the 70th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

There are many commemorations in different countries for the anniversary.

I like to remember the pains and sufferings of wars with the following poem by Akiko Yosano (1878-1942).

I find the title of this poem especially touching: "Thou Shalt Not Die" (1904) (Chinese: "賜君莫死").


2. ("Akiko Yosano", Wikipedia):

"Akiko Yosano (与謝野 晶子 Yosano Akiko, Seiji: 與謝野 晶子, 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942) was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji period as well as the Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. Her name at birth was Shō Hō (鳳 志よう Hō Shō). She is one of the most famous, and most controversial, post-classical woman poets of Japan."

"Yosano was born into a prosperous merchant family in Sakai, near Osaka. From the age of 11, she was the family member most responsible for running the family business, which produced and sold yokan, a type of confection. From early childhood, she was fond of reading literary works, and read widely in her father's extensive library. When she was a high school student, she began to subscribe to the poetry magazine Myōjō ("Bright Star"), and she became one of its most important contributors. Myōjō’s editor, Tekkan Yosano, taught her tanka poetry. They met when he came to Osaka and Sakai to deliver lectures and teach workshops."

"Although Tekkan had a common-law wife, Tekkan and Akiko fell in love. Tekkan eventually separated from his common-law wife, and the two poets started a new life together in the suburb of Tokyo. Tekkan and Akiko married in 1901. The couple would have two sons, Hikaru and Shigeru. Despite separation from his first wife, Tekkan remained actively involved with her."


3. (Beichman 2006):

"In the poem 'Thou Shalt Not Die', which was published in Myôjô in September, 1904, Akiko is bewailing the fact that her younger brother Sôshichi has been sent to fight in the Russo-Japanese War, and appealing to him not to let himself be killed. (It is not a tanka, but a shintaishi, written in alternating lines of five and seven syllables). During that war it was regarded as an unpatriotic poem, but after World War II it achieved great popularity as an anti-war poem. ..."


4. (Phillips 2012):

"Amongst Akiko’s most controversial poems was Kimi shinitamou koto nakare (‘Thou Shalt Not Die’), written for her younger brother during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5. This poem was turned into a song, and used as an anti-war anthem during the long and violent siege of Port Arthur."


Singing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAzBAxXrg0U 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om8b__CcudU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIpDoZV8z2E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LupdEIrQLC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqr5frW0kuM

Reading:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz7XeJ7BIIU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxielI0wXIw


5. The Poem in English (Partial translation):

Source: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/o-my-brother-you-must-not-die/


O My Brother, You Must Not Die

by Akiko Yosano


O my young brother, I cry for you
Don't you understand you must not die!
You who were born the last of all
Command a special store of parents' love
Would parents place a blade in children's hands
Teaching them to murder other men
Teaching them to kill and then to die?
Have you so learned and grown to twenty-four?

O my brother, you must not die!
Could it be the Emperor His Grace
Exposeth not to jeopardy of war
But urgeth men to spilling human blood
And dying in the way of wild beasts,
Calling such death the path to glory?
If His Grace possesseth noble heart
What must be the thoughts that linger there?


6. The Poem in English (Full translation):

Source: http://pw1.netcom.com/~kyamazak/lit/_Jpoet/yosano_kimishini.htm

Note: Yosano Akiko (maiden name Hō) was born to a candy merchant called Surugaya. Her younger brother Chûzaburo, who inherited the family business fought in the Russo-Japanese War. This poem "Kimi shini tamau koto nakare (Prithee Do not Die)" is about her worries when he was in Lüshun (Port Arthur) which became a fierce battleground.


Prithee Do Not Die

(Lamenting my younger brother in combat as one of the troops besieged at Lüshun (Port Arthur))

by Akiko Yosano
　　　

Oh, younger brother mine, for thee I weep,
Prithee do not die,
For you were born the very last,
And our parents loved you all the more,
Yet they made thee grasp a blade in hand,
Taught thee kill a man you shall,
Kill a man, and die you too,
groomed you thus to age twenty-four.

Master now of the proud old house,
The merchant-house of Sakai(1), our town,
You must now carry on our name,
So I prithee, do not die,
Though Lüshun's(2) fortress should perish,
Should it be saved, what of that?
Thou ought know, it nowhere commands
On the familial codes(3) of our merchant house.

I prithee do not die,
The Heavenly-Prince does not himself
Lead by his own august presence his troop to battle.
For to command that men shed blood of men,
And die following the beastly path(4),
And tell us death be the glory of men,
If his Highness' heart be compassionate,
How could he truly think it so?

Oh young brother mine in battle,
I prithee you mustn't die.
Our mother who has lagged behind father
In the passing of the autumn years of life,
It sores me to watch her lament,
Deprived of son to guard the home,
And though she hears our Highness hale and safe,
Our mother's gray hair grows.

Stooping in the shade of the noren(5) she weeps,
The frail young wife of yours,
Or have you forgotten? Or do you think of her?
Think on her maidenly feeling,
Together ere ten months, then parted,
And there's none another the likes of you,
Oh once again I ask,
Prithee do not die.

— pub. in Myōjō Sept. 1904.

Notes:

1 Sakai is a merchant town with a rich history, which prospered by foreign trade in the age of Warring-States, and its merchants were proud and independent-minded. The famous tea ceremony master Sen-no-Rikyū (1522-1591) who committed harakiri was a Sakai merchant.

2 Lüshun(Port Arthur), pronounced "Ryojun" in Japanese, was a naval port for Russia's Eastern Fleet.

3 An "old family" often has something called kakun or lessons — do's and don'ts that are passed down generation to generation. The poetess is saying that since they are merchant family, dying to defend a castle is certainly not one of those lessons.

4 beastly path is a reference to a course of conduct without morality or discipline; In Buddhism, if your conduct in this life is poor, you are said to be relegated to chikushōdō "way of beasts" in the next life.

5 noren is the shop curtain, the drape of cloth hanging at the shop entrance. There is also such a curtain between the storefront and the back area.


7. The Poem in Japanese:

Source: http://pw1.netcom.com/~kyamazak/lit/_Jpoet/yosano_kimishini.htm


君死にたまふことなかれ

(旅順口包囲軍の中にある弟を歎きて)

与謝野晶子


あゝをとうとよ君を泣く
君死にたまふことなかれ
末に生れし君なれば
親のなさけはまさりしも
親は刃(やいば)をにぎらせて
人を殺せとをしへしや
人を殺して死ねよとて
二十四までをそだてしや

堺の街のあきびと(1)の
旧家をほこるあるじにて
親の名を継ぐ君なれば
君死にたまふことなかれ
旅順(2)の城はほろぶとも
ほろびずとても何事か
君知るべきやあきびとの
家のおきてに無かりけり

君死にたまふことなかれ
すめらみこと(3)は戦ひに
おほみづからは出でまさね
かたみ(4)に人の血を流し
獣の道に死ねよとは
死ぬるを人のほまれとは
大みこゝろ(5)の深ければ
もとよりいかで思(おぼ)されむ

あゝをとうとよ戦ひに
君死にたまふことなかれ
すぎにし秋を父ぎみに
おくれたまへる母ぎみは
なげきの中にいたましく
わが子を召され家を守(も)り
安しと聞ける大御代も
母のしら髪はまさりぬる

暖簾(のれん)のかげに伏して泣く
あえかに(6)わかき新妻を
君わするるや思へるや
十月(とつき)も添はでわかれたる
少女(おとめ)ごころを思ひみよ
この世ひとりの君ならで
あゝまた誰をたのむべき
君死にたまふことなかれ

－１９０４年『明星』９月号に掲載

注釈：

1 あきびと＝商人

2 旅順＝遼東半島南端にある軍港。 ロシアの東洋艦隊の基地で要塞が築かれていた。

3 すめらみこと＝天皇

4 かたみに＝たがいに

5 大みこゝろ＝天皇のこころ

6 あえかに＝かよわく


8. The Poem in Modern Chinese:

Source: http://www.douban.com/group/topic/21583620/


你不要死去
 
(为包围旅顺口军中的弟弟而悲叹)
 
与谢野晶子

(李　芒译)


啊，弟弟呀，我为你哭泣，
你不要死去！
你是咱家最小的弟弟，
双亲加倍地疼爱你。
双亲何曾教你紧握利刃，
为了杀人到前线去？
双亲把你养育成二十四岁，
哪里是为了你先杀别人后葬自己？

既然是这[土界]市①的商人世家——
值得自豪的主人②
你就必须传宗接代，
你不要死去！
旅顺城即便失陷，
或能保住，又有啥关系？
你当然不会晓得，
商人家规里并无这一条。

你不要死去，
天皇不会亲自参加战役。
皇恩浩荡，
　岂能有这样的旨意——
让人们流血而死，
让人们死如禽兽，
还说什么
　这就是荣誉。

啊，弟弟呀，
你不要在战争中死去。
去年秋季父亲逝世，
撇下母亲，余悲未息，
又痛心地送儿子应召开拔，
自己则孤苦零丁，独守四壁。
纵然是升平的圣代，
母亲的白发却日见多起。

你那年轻纤弱的新娘，
常常蜷伏在帘后哭泣。
你已然忘怀，抑或尚在思念，
新婚不满十月就凉了枕席。
要哀怜这少女的心啊，
她在世上依靠的只有你
只有你一个人呀，
你不要死去！
　　　　　　　　
①[土界]市属于大阪府，位于大阪南部附近，为作者出生地。

②日本人以长子继承父业和财产，故作如此说。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

References:

"Akiko Yosano", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiko_Yosano
(accessed 2015-08-29).

Beichman, Janine. 2006. "Thou Shalt Not Die: Yosano Akiko and the Russo-Japanese War". The Asiatic Society of Japan. December 11.
http://www.asjapan.org/web.php/lectures/2006/12
(accessed 2015-08-29).

Leahmama1. 2012. "Japanese Anti-War Poet". Japan Journal: food, books and thoughts on my life Blog. September 16.
https://leahinjapan.wordpress.com/tag/yosano-akiko/
(accessed 2015-08-29).

Phillips, Jeremy. 2012. "They died in 1942 -- 2: Akiko Yosano". The 1709 Blog. December 26.
http://the1709blog.blogspot.ca/2012/12/they-died-in-1942-2-akiko-yosano.html
(accessed 2015-08-29).

"與謝野晶子", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%88%87%E8%AC%9D%E9%87%8E%E6%99%B6%E5%AD%90
(accessed 2015-08-29).

"与谢野晶子", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/view/299252.htm
(accessed 2015-08-29).

盧荻. 2015. " '你不要死' ——道德政治的背面". 盧荻：生活與知識博客. January 5.
http://kakafuka.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=6812135
(accessed 2015-08-29).

End.

[Opinion] Naturalism and Ethical Anarchism

Ethics: Right or Wrong?

1. I venture into the Internet from time to time and participate in discussions.

A few months ago in one of the Christian blogs I frequented, a secular humanist who claimed to be a former Christian unexpectedly drop-by and engaged the group in discussions.

Although my part in the discussions was relatively minor, I posed a question to the secular humanist gentleman and he was not able to answer.

I like to re-blog the question here for anyone who might find it interesting or might have an answer to it.


2. The two major worldviews of contemporary Western civilizations are Christian Theism and Naturalism.

Christian Theism claims the infinite-personal God of the Bible exists.

Naturalism denies any God or gods exist including the God of the Bible.

Thus, Christian Theism and Naturalism are contrary positions -- they cannot both be true although they can both be false.

The naturalists in religion are atheistic -- they claim all God or gods do not exist including the God of the Bible.

Over the two thousand years history of Christianity, the two worldviews have engaged in mutual criticisms and polemics and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the respective positions are well known.

For example, a perennial problem for Christianity is the Problem of Evil: Why does evil exists if God is all-powerful and all good?

A perennial problem for Naturalism is its inability to justify and ground any morality or ethical principles: A naturalistic universe is an intrinsically amoral universe.

This moral or ethical problem for the naturalists received a classic formulation in the Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) and is known as the Is-Ought Problem: One cannot logically derive what ought to be from what is.

One cannot infer a prescriptive statement from a descriptive statement.


3. The naturalistic universe is intrinsically amoral:

Naturalism ==> amoralism or moral relativism or moral subjectivism

But the atheist / secular humanist who engaged the group also believes in Darwinian evolution and that exacerbate the morality problem for him.

Many atheists / secular humanists have high personal ethics that are comparable to Christian ethics.

But while Christian ethics are grounded in the commands given by God in the Holy Bible, there aren't any similar grounds for a naturalist to justify his ethics.

Darwinian evolution implies the survival of the fittest.

The ethical principle that naturally dovetail with the Darwinian principle of the survival of the fittest is ethical anarchism.

Ethical anarchism is the principle that anything goes in ethics.

The principle of the survival of the fittest does not prescribe one unique strategy to survive.

Any strategy that results in survival is a good strategy.

The overriding goal of the ethical anarchist is to survive and any actions that are conducive to survival is ethical for him.

(Naturalism + Survival of the Fittest) ==> Ethical Anarchism


4. A person who subscribes to ethical anarchism is ethically justified in doing anything to survive:

In order to survive, an ethical anarchist can be a model citizen in the United States.

In order to survive, an ethical anarchist can be a good Roman Catholic Christian in medieval Europe.

In order to survive, an ethical anarchist can be a Nazi in National Socialist Germany that helped killed the millions of Jews.

In order to survive, an ethical anarchist can be a Red Guard in the Cultural Revolution of China that heaped untold havocs.

In order to survive, an ethical anarchist can engage in graft and bribery as is rampant in contemporary China.

An ethical anarchist can be anyone for anything goes in ethics.

And this is no laughing matter!


5. The following list of estimated war dead for the 20th Century is from David Berlinski's The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions (2009).

The list represented the untold and unspeakable sufferings of hundreds of millions of people.

Yet for the ethical anarchist, there is nothing in principle particularly right or wrong about the list.

The list just represents the outworking of the Darwinian principle of the survival of the fittest in a naturalistic universe.


(Berlinski 2009, 22-24):

A Shockingly Happy Picture by Excess Deaths

First World War (1914–18): 15 million
Russian Civil War (1917–22): 9 million
Soviet Union, Stalin’s regime (1924–53): 20 million
Second World War (1937–45): 55 million
Chinese Civil War (1945–49): 2.5 million
People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong’s regime (1949–75): 40 million
Tibet (1950 et seq.): 600,000
Congo Free State (1886–1908): 8 million
Mexico (1910–20): 1 million
Turkish massacres of Armenians (1915–23): 1.5 million
China (1917–28): 800,000
China, Nationalist era (1928–37): 3.1 million
Korean War (1950–53): 2.8 million
North Korea (1948 et seq.): 2 million
Rwanda and Burundi (1959–95): 1.35 million
Second Indochina War (1960–75): 3.5 million
Ethiopia (1962–92): 400,000
Nigeria (1966–70): 1 million
Bangladesh (1971): 1.25 million
Cambodia, Khmer Rouge (1975–78): 1.65 million
Mozambique (1975–92): 1 million
Afghanistan (1979–2001): 1.8 million
Iran–Iraq War (1980–88): 1 million
Sudan (1983 et seq.): 1.9 million
Kinshasa, Congo (1998 et seq.): 3.8 million
Philippines Insurgency (1899–1902): 220,000
Brazil (1900 et seq.): 500,000
Amazonia (1900–1912): 250,000
Portuguese colonies (1900–1925): 325,000
French colonies (1900–1940): 200,000
Japanese War (1904–5): 130,000
German East Africa (1905–7): 175,000
Libya (1911–31): 125,000
Balkan Wars (1912–13): 140,000
Greco–Turkish War (1919–22): 250,000
Spanish Civil War (1936–39): 365,000
Franco Regime (1939–75): 100,000
Abyssinian Conquest (1935–41): 400,000
Finnish War (1939–40): 150,000
Greek Civil War (1943–49): 158,000
Yugoslavia, Tito’s regime (1944–80): 200,000
First Indochina War (1945–54): 400,000
Colombia (1946–58): 200,000
India (1947): 500,000
Romania (1948–89): 150,000
Burma/Myanmar (1948 et seq.): 130,000
Algeria (1954–62): 537,000
Sudan (1955–72): 500,000
Guatemala (1960–96): 200,000
Indonesia (1965–66): 400,000
Uganda, Idi Amin’s regime (1972–79): 300,000
Vietnam, postwar Communist regime (1975 et seq.): 430,000
Angola (1975–2002): 550,000
East Timor, conquest by Indonesia (1975–99): 200,000
Lebanon (1975–90): 150,000
Cambodian Civil War (1978–91): 225,000
Iraq, Saddam Hussein (1979–2003): 300,000
Uganda (1979–86): 300,000
Kurdistan (1980s, 1990s): 300,000
Liberia (1989–97): 150,000
Iraq (1990– ): 350,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–95): 175,000
Somalia (1991 et seq.): 400,000


6. Human beings are moral beings.

Yet, Naturalism is not able to justify any ethical principles and Secular Humanism has too optimistic a view of human nature.

It is Biblical Christianity that has the realistic view:

(a) Man is created in the image of God so there is nobility to his nature.

(b) Man has fallen in sin so there is also an ugliness to his nature.

We need moral absolutes that have a claim and are binding on us to restrain us from our sinful dispositions.

I have asked the atheist / secular humanist with the high ethical principles how he would argue against a naturalist who is also an ethical anarchist.

He has no answer; for on his own principles he cannot.

Other than his subjective preferences, he has no moral basis to condemn the wars in the 20th Century that resulted in hundreds of millions of dead people.

The purpose of this post is not polemical but to pose a question to the naturalists and those naturalists who are also Darwinian evolutionists:

How would you argue against Ethical Anarchism? 


7. Appendix:

The exchange took place in the Comment section of (Gerety 2015).

The screen name of the atheist / secular humanist is "Gary M".

My screen name is "Benjamin Wong".

Our sequence of exchanges are:

(a) Comment by Benjamin Wong posted March 15, 2015 at 5:43 pm.

(b) Comment by Gary M posted March 15, 2015 at 6:40 pm.

(c) Comment by Benjamin Wong posted March 15, 2015 at 7:05 pm

(d) Comment by Gary M posted March 16, 2015 at 12:57 am

(e) Comment by Benjamin Wong posted March 16, 2015 at 2:12 am

(f) Comment by Benjamin Wong posted March 16, 2015 at 4:10 am

(g) Comment by Gary M posted March 16, 2015 at 10:47 am


References:

"Is-ought problem", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is%E2%80%93ought_problem
(accessed 2015-08-10).

Berlinski, David. 2009. The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions. New York: Basic Books.

Gerety, Sean. 2015. "A Little Sunday Morning Calvin". God's Hammer blog. January 4.
https://godshammer.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/a-little-sunday-morning-calvin/
(accessed 2015-08-10).

End.