One of the interesting features of the current China panic is how bits and pieces of the old anti-communist rhetoric is taken out of storage to be recycled, but this anti-communism is now used, strangely, against an increasingly capitalist China. For example, it is, on one level at least, the capitalist modernization of Tibet that has provoked some of the protesters, who maintain instead a romantic vision of a traditional society, unthreatened by railroads and commerce. On a deeper level, there are anxieties about the power of the Chinese economy, inexpensive goods, and American indebtedness.
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The path of the Olympic torch brought out large demonstrations, especially in London, Paris, and San Francisco. Various political agenda were in play, most prominently objections to Chinese policies on Tibet and on the Sudan, with regard to the genocide in Darfur. Each of these topics could be discussed in detail, and it is surely not unreasonable to develop a criticism of China on these and other issues. China has problems, which it is fair to scrutinize. Yet the sudden eruption of anti-Chinese sentiment is striking. Something has changed. It is important to remember that Italy was probably the first country in Europe involved in that worldwide generational protest cycle which came to be called “1968.” The occupation of universities and the student mobilization had already begun in the autumn of 1967. In addition, the famous battle of “Valle Giulia” in Rome between students and police took place on March 1, 1968, before the most famous joli Mai.
Thursday is book day at Telos. We use this time and space for posts about books, authors, and all sorts of writing, considered in light of the sorts of questions that are at home at Telos. As with all our blogs, you are invited to post a comment. If you have a book review that you’d like to post here, or some other comment on the worlds of writing, drop a line to us at telospress@aol.com. Ayman al-Zawahari responded in an audio interview to the question, “Excuse me, Mr. Zawahri, but who is it who is killing with Your Excellency’s blessing the innocents in Baghdad, Morocco, and Algeria?” with the answer: “We [Al-Qaida] haven’t killed the innocents, not in Baghdad, nor in Morocco, nor in Algeria, nor anywhere else.” Over the past week or so, Senator Barack Obama has delivered two major speeches that will not only shape his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination but also have the potential to transform American politics. The first was the widely publicized and debated speech on race, delivered on March 18 in Philadelphia. The second was given on March 27 in Manhattan and focused on the economy. Neither can be simply dismissed as a piece of electoral rhetoric. Each belies the accusation that the junior Senator from Illinois is all about style and lacks any substance. Together, they sketch the contours of an Obama Presidency that could change America and its perception in the world. |
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