The Empire Strikes Back

Recently there's been a lot of lamentation about China's imposition of draconian security laws in Hong Kong.  Some noted that it is in violation of international treaties.  Others said it's infringing on human rights.  And still others observed that this is an insufferable manifestation of imperialism. Don't shoot me yet till you have read my entire post.

Let me deal with each of these sentiments individually.

First, I'll take the easy one.  As far as China's actions reflecting imperialistic sentiments, I don't know what the problem is.  In Queen Elizabeth's times, friends and neighbours spied on friends and neighbours.  Anyone found saying or writing anything against the state and the sovereign was executed.  Writings were heavily censored.  Oh hell, you couldn't even practice your religion unless it was protestanism.  I don't see anyone crying foul over that!

Besides, China (though the name itself is a recent invention, coming just over a hundred years ago) has ALWAYS been an imperialistic power.  Since Day One.  We don't really expect a leopard to change its spots, no?  If you know ANYTHING about history, you would realize that what is China today is multiple times larger than what was China.  It was through imperial expansion and conquest that the nation expanded.  Like taking over other countries.  Aren't they simply taking a page from the Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the Spanish, the Brits, the Americans?  So why can't China do what they do?

Oh wait, the Queen Elizabeth I referred to was Queen Elizabeth the FIRST!  And that was oh, four hundred and fifty years ago!  Shit, I guess I got confused.  But on the other hand, if China's state practices choose to emulate England's from four and a half centuries ago, I'll just chalk that up to their being further down on the learning curve.

Or maybe those who make decisions in Peking read 1984 and decided that they should follow that game plan.  Who knows.

Imperialistic conquests created all these mighty empires.  Yes, that kind of shit is out of fashion now for half a century, but again, if a country decides to be half a century or more behind human development, who are we to judge?

After all, as their Chairman Mao once wrote, power is derived from the barrel of a gun.  Remember the tanks at Tiananmen Square?  So nothing has changed, so be it.

Second, human rights.  What rights do people have other than to serve their lords?  People must know their place.  Social hierarchy is important, especially after one has usurped power and overturned social hierarchy to their favour.  People have rights that those in charge deem fit to give them.  The lord giveth and the lord taketh.  I mean, folks, look at China's human rights record.  That tells the whole story anyway.  Because it is convenient for them, they adopt the relativist view that human rights are relative to each country.  As a side note, I do LOVE how people pick and choose bits and pieces of cultural values that suit their needs and claim that they are informed by historical values.  Those that don't fit their purpose they just ignore.  So convenient.  And we are more the fool for abiding by that.  Anyway, such is life, eh?  In other words, it is whatever they deem it to be.  Clear?

Third, international treaties.  OK, I wasn't born yesterday, and neither are you.  Why does ANYONE expect any major power to actually adhere to international law?  So they signed treaties, and if they violate them, what are you going to do about it?  Seriously.  Just because they signed some international agreement doesn't really mean it's for real.  At the end of the day, it's all about enforcement.  Something that can't or won't be enforced is hardly worth the paper it's printed on.

Harry Truman wrote once that there is nothing new in the world, only the history you didn't learn.  Can't agree more.  There's nothing new here.  Nothing that should shock us.  Certainly nothing that shocks me. It's realpolitik, my friends.  So I am a bully, but what can you do about it?

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How you interpret what I said above depends on how well you know me.  But either way, that's just my opinion.  And in what is a democratic country, I thank GOD I have the right to speak my mind without worrying that some government thugs will come beat me up or send me to jail to reeducate me.  To those who are upset by what China is doing (in Hong Kong and elsewhere), I guess to use my Queen Elizabeth theme, just give them four and a half centuries.  Maybe by then they will join the civilized world.