The rising cult of China
experts
By Thorsten Pattberg
BEIJING - A couple of years ago I met a German man at Harvard who
boasted about his political stipend, his up-coming talk in New York
City, and how he worked hard on the liberalization of Tibet and the
breaking-up of China. There are no human rights in China, he
explained to me. I was impressed and reminded him that if he ever
plotted this way against our German government he could be tried
for treason. He left in contempt.
He isn't the only one. There is a cult of Western evangelists
and self-righteous crusaders who are determined to dislodge
non-Western nations and usurp their governments.
In China they act as if above the law. That's because they see the
Chinese government as corrupt, non-elected, and communist, and thus
illegitimate. So why care about what it says or stands for?
Moreover, these evangelists believe Westerners can do whatever they
want in China because America and the entire Western propaganda
apparatus will bail them out should trouble arise.
These so-called China experts are now a political force in direct
opposition to the Communist Party. They form clusters and networks,
with a strong hierarchy and code of ethics: They reward their
Twitter followers and lickspittles and praise each other's work,
while policing social media and punishing "traitors" or "China
apologists".
When Yang Rui, a CCTV news anchor, condemned the activities of
foreigners in Beijing, his character was assassinated and
internationally paraded by China experts as glaring example of what
happens to any Chinese should he or she dare to look askance at
them.
In the West, foreign extremist groups, left or right, are monitored
and tightly controlled. But no-one controls these Western
imperialists. Germans finance Xinjiang separatists, Americans
finance Taiwan separatists, British finance Tibetan separatist. US
journalism even dispatches tactical troops to Hong Kong determined
on bringing down Xi Jinping, the president, and his
family.
The hierarchy of China experts is this: At the top we find the
philosophers and statesmen who set the stage and agenda for the
universal ideology - exclusively serving Western interests. They
always reside in the West, know little or nothing about China, and
discuss China solely on Western terms. In the past there were the
likes of Kant, Hegel, and Wilhelm II; today we have Henry "on
China" Kissinger, Francis "End of History" Fukuyama, and Samuel
"Clash of Civilizations" Huntington.
Next we have the journalists and editors, most of them white or
accessory white, in key positions at the New York Times, Wall
Street Journal, Economist, and so on. Thanks to the Western
planetary media monopoly, they have become the new global fascist
elite. Their culture is narrowly interbred, and some personal
relations border on the incestuous, so they float each other's boat
and write almost identical muck-raking stories. Everyone in China
knows who they are, and their China-bashing is green-lighting all
of us to join the onslaught.
Most China experts are culturists down to the last fiber. They
tolerate all races as long as they Westernize and speak English,
but show utter disdain for all foreign words, concepts, and
terminologies (language imperialism). They also prominently decide
who - Chinese or foreigner- gets praised and who gets defamed, and
- most importantly- what gets omitted in their China reports. Their
own corrupt ways get omitted. Ask yourself, when was the last time
you read a piece by a prominent Chinese (other than a dissident) in
your nation's newspaper? You haven't. It is a tight Orwellian
grip.
Last, we have legions of lesser, disposable China watchers. Few of
them enjoy fat expat packages, bigwig relatives in the media, or
peddling political influence. Unable to find proper jobs and secure
a future in China - apart from becoming activists, bloggers, or
English teachers- they are recruited easily and radicalize quickly.
Everyone has met those frustrated Westerners who once believed in
their entitlement, got disillusioned, and found a way to spend
their days: to patronize and correct the Chinese.
China isn't the only victim. All other six non-Western
civilizations are feeling the whip of Western imperialism. The West
claims it is "universal" and that is does not (and cannot) take
responsibility for any of its abusive individuals in foreign lands
since they are all free agents. It's the same old excuse since the
age of colonialism.
Taking part in the Western mission to civilize the East is highly
spiritually rewarding. And what is political destabilization and
social unrest but a sweet revenge for China's disregard for Western
hegemony. Favorite targets are: corrupt officials, suppressed
minorities, Han chauvinism and misogyny, demonstrations, currency
manipulation, and censorship. It makes China experts feel good
about themselves. They feel like social justice warriors. The
problem: this is not their country, and their negativity is
poisoning everything.
Thus, China experts are constantly on the look-out for Chinese
stand-ins. Dissidents, pro-Western activists, any Wang who can
waive the American flag. The collaborators are showered with media
coverage, prizes, and stipends, visa, freedom awards, and even
Nobel Peace prizes. This tactic didn't get unnoticed by
the zhishi fenzi(intellectuals), a class who would do
anything for Western media attention - like the artist who in May
sliced himself and cut out his own rib for a "more open
China".
If Beijing dares to protest, there will be ever harsher Western
media campaigns: China is told it must not impede on Westerners'
"freedom" to slowly destabilize the country from within: Censor
them, and they will tattletale. Incarcerate them, and they will
become martyrs. Ignore them at your own peril.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/CHIN-01-231014.html
