My life in China - Diaoyu Island protests
Okay, so for the past few weeks I've gotten bombarded with questions about diaoyu, those stupid little islands someplace out east of here. These brain-dead idiots I live around (and until you live here, you can't tell me I'm wrong on this) are whipped up into a lather over it.
The problem is China has backed itself into a corner. Remember during the summer all the bullshit with Xisha Islands down in the South China Sea? The CCP did it's best to whip up a frenzy about those. Problem was no one cared. Philippines has done nothing to China, so when the drums of war were banged, no one really cared.
Japan, however, is a sore topic. So now the drums of war are beating again. People here are all set to fight for these islands. Notice I didn't say die, just fight. It seems it's the really young set that want to fight, or at least they believe the Chinese PLA should do the fighting. But, as I was told "since the army is already big enough, I don't need to join." Nice huh? Chickenhawks aplenty. That guy was a 19 year old boy.
So, this latest exercise is mindlessness and controlling the 1.34 billion sheep that live here is working well. Sadly, no one here believes me when I say the Japanese military can only legally defend, not attack and if Japanese gets attacked, the US must defend as per peace treaty with the Japanese in 1945 and 1970. So, China attacks Japan, they invite war with America.
Don't worry. According to them, China will destroy America. All China needs to do is invade Alaska with troops, attack Hawai'i and then the US is crippled because "China owns the US." When I them about ICBM technology, NORAD and our advances in stealth and first strike, the look of bewilderment and shock comes, followed by disbelief. Then comes the face saving "no, that's not what I was told/read/heard/believe/taught/(brainwashed into thinking).
Don't get my wrong. There are rational, intelligent people here in China (1% maybe) that think this shit is just a big waste of time, money, energy and resources. Two of them are friends of mine, one is a university professor (go figure!)
What people do not understand is what is going to happen, because history is a political tool (history books teach these clowns that the US did nothing to help China during WW2 and all the US did was drop two bombs on Japan, that the failure of the Great Leap Forward was due to weather, not Mao's hubris, arrogance and stupidity. . .and that the Cultural Revolution was the fault of the Gang of Four, not Mao's desire to regain lost prestige after the Great Chinese Famine) and that what I predict is only a short time away.
Here is my prediction for these stupid protests (some has already happened):
2: The sharks will begin to start "selling" "patriotic" (爱国） mementos filled with propaganda (which just means information in China). At the local supermarket, this 18 year old kid was selling "钓鱼岛是中国。 日本：去死" (Diaoyu Islands are China. Japan: Go Die). People, because they are uneducated (mostly) and ignorant (because their schools suck) will lap this shit up because Japan is China's traditional tormentor.
3: All the while, people will be obsessed with these stupid little islands as evidenced by all the talk on Weibo, Qzone, RenRenWang and on the street. Even my employers asked my opinion and I told them "I don't give a rat's ass about Chinese or Japanese islands because it doesn't affect my country at all."
4: The fanning of the flames will caused violence against businesses perceived to be owned by the Japanese. A buddy in Wuhan told me a Family Mart (Korean) and a 7/11 (American) were vandalized and looted because the Chinese there though those two companies were Japanese.
5: The violence will escalate. In Beijing yesterday, a woman's Toyota was attacked by a mob. They pulled her out and carjacked it. . .only to discover her five month old baby was in the back. Six hours later, the car was brought back, damaged, as was the child, unharmed.
6: The police will do nothing. The Government will tacitly condemn to save face, but will work behind the scenes to flame the flames even more.
7: Someone important will die. Or someone important will get attacked (Gary Locke was attacked in Beijing). Then it's time to really save face, but do nothing.
8: Eventually, the real reason for all this shit will die down (it is being used as a distraction for the slowly economy, the loss of jobs and wages and to cover the power transfer from Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping) and the government will begin issuing edicts stopping the protests.
9: People won't listen because you can't put the fart back in the Elephant. At that point, the authoritarian Chinese government will do the only thing it know how to do:
10: [img]
[/img]My GF wanted to be part of that protest. I convinced her to stay away. It's just not worth the risk of TPTB and the police changing their minds. Wait until October 1st when it's National Days (or as I call it, the "National 'Ain't Mao Just Swell' Brainwashing Festival."
See the jingoism then.
On that, have a good day.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I guess they're everywhere. 
