Is China richer than America ?

China is now home to more wealthy people than the U.S. According to Credit Suisse’s global wealth report of 2019, out of the hundreds of millions of people that make up the wealthiest 10% of people on the planet in 2018, 100 million lived in China and 99 million lived in the United States. _________________________________________________ The U.S. is not a poor country, but the reality is that a few rich people own a very large amount of the country’s income and wealth, while the common people own a very small amount of it. In other words, the wealth gap is huge. The rich are getting richer and richer, but the poor are getting poorer and poorer. While the middle class in China is growing, the middle class in the U.S. is declining. _________________________________________________ This article is not an argument on whether Capitalism is better than Socialism, or vice versa. It is to point out the fact that China has been very successful in lifting hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. _________________________________________________ China describes itself as a socialist country with Chinese characteristics. Whatever you think of it, China is no longer weak and poor. While Donald Trump wants to make America great again, Xi Jinping is making China great again. Instead of fighting against each other, I wish the U.S. and China would work things out in their trade negotiations. War is a problem, not a solution. For stability and world peace, a good U.S. / China relation is very necessary. _________________________________________________ Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments.

Great Again

October 1st is the national day of the People's Republic of China. While Donald Trump has been saying that he'll make America great again, Xi Jinping has been working hard to make China great again. Who do you think will succeed? Peace !

Is Japan Giving Up Pacifism ?

In the news, 25,000 Japanese protesters in Toyko opposed war legislation put forward by their Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. These are my thoughts and comments:

To allow Japan to give up Pacifism and re-militarize itself is a terrible mistake. Japan's war crimes and atrocities against China and other Asian and non-Asian countries still have not been settled. Don't know what political and military game that Abe is playing.

Regarding Japan's war crimes and atrocities committed against China in the Second World War, Japan still has not issued a formal apology to China. Instead, Abe just said to the U.S. Congress that "History is harsh. What was done cannot be undone." What an irresponsible statement and B.S. it was !

When I went to university in the U.S., I had a Japanese schoolmate Yoshi who talked candidly about these things with me, including Japan's invasion and occupying of China, the Nanjing Massacre, Sex Slaves, and so many war crimes and atrocities. Yoshi said these words to me, " I sincerely apologize to China for Japan." Whao, how I wish Yoshi became the Prime Minister of Japan, not Shinzo Abe.  

If Japan or other Asian countries think that the U.S. will always take side with them to fight China, they are making a terrible mistake. China wants peace, not war, but China will never be humiliated by Japan ever again. It is unlikely that the U.S. will go to war with China or Russia. If it did, a nuclear war would break out, and the whole world would be finished.

Uncle Sam also makes a terrible mistake, if he thinks that NATO members will always "obey" him 100%. If the U.S. goes to war with Russia, I bet Germany and France will not follow, in spite of NATO's so-called principle of "If you attack one, you attack all". Does this remind you of George Bush's stupid statement that "you are either on our side, or you are on the terrorist's side!" ?

At the end of the day, each country would be most concerned with its own well being and success, and would not blindly take action solely based on its membership or affiliation with whatever organization or alliance it belongs to. I mean when the shit hit the fan, it is not impossible that ideology and membership would yield to unexpected action rather based on rationality, reality and practicality.

I dare to say that the whole Asia, including Japan, is already substantially anchored with and influenced by China's growing economy. To put it bluntly, if you are an Asian country located in Asia, would you join the increasingly prosperous and powerful China Club nearby, or the debt-ridden and declining American Club thousands of miles away?

China is not a new rising power. It is a re-emerging power. Except for the last 200 years or so, China has always been the super power of the world. When I attended university in the U.S., an American History Professor told me that the 19th century belongs to the British Empire, the 20th century belongs to the United States of America, and the 21st century belongs to China. Looks like he is right.

Dear Mr. Abe, please listen to your own peace-loving Japanese protesters. Even Uncle Sam is showing signs of being tired of repeated war games, and you think that by re-militarizing Japan, you can again invade and fight China?

Japan Must Apologize

Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the U.S. did not meet with welcome everywhere. In Youtube, I saw an American Second World War veteran accusing Abe of dodging the issue of Japan's war history. In Los Angeles, Abe's last stop, there were Chinese and Korean Americans protesting Japan's war crimes, and demanded Japan's apology. Apologize, Apologize, they shouted !

History is not fiction. It is about facts and what actually happened. Japan must own up its war crimes and atrocities committed in the Second World War against China, other Asian and non-Asian countries, and issue an official apology.

The China-Japan relationship today is still very difficult, largely because of Japan's continued denial of the 'real' history of Japan's invasion of China, the Nanjing Massacre, the sex slaves, and many such undeniable war crimes and atrocities. Changing facts and white-washing history just doesn't work. Nor can the U.S. deny the fact that it dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan, killing 300,000 Japanese civilians. Nor can Japan deny the Pearl Harbour incident.

In order for countries to move forward and repair damaged relationship, they must admit what they did wrong, and apologize to the victim countries. In return, the victim countries must forgive the countries which did wrong and have officially apologized. It takes a lot of moral courage to apologize, and it is not easy to do so for most politicians who have very little spiritual I.Q. (a term I coined).

It's very sad but true, that the humans are quite advanced now in science and technology, but they are still spiritually very primitive. Their values are still about Money and Power, not Peace and Love. We, 'uncivilized' humans, continue to engage in warfare to fight and kill one another. Until and unless we make drastic changes of our current financial, economic and political systems in the world, I doubt Peace on Earth will come soon. We need a LOVE revolution !!!

Diaoyu Islands: China and Japan Conflict

The dispute regarding the Diaoyu Islands between China and Japan is a very sensitive issue. Right now, both South Korea and China are pissed off, because Japan has made its school books and maps to include some dispute islands in the China Sea, including the Diaoyu Islands, as parts of Japan.

I have done some studies about the Diaoyu Islands, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. In Youtube, you can find and watch a good number of videos about the Diaoyu Islands dispute, some of which are pro-China, and some are pro-Japan. Certainly, China took one position, and Japan took another position, otherwise there would be no conflict. I am a pacifist. I believe in peaceful solutions to all conflicts. I am pro-peace and anti-war. That said, I think these islands should be returned by Japan to China.

There is a Youtube video titled 'Diaoyu Islands The Truth' made by Chris D. Nebe, a German film director from Hollywood. I am inviting all my friends (whether you are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Filipino, Singaporean, Australian, American, Canadian, or of any nationality) to watch this well-made documentary video (42 minutes long), to learn a little bit about the modern history of China, Asia and the world.

I have many things to say about the Diaoyu Islands, Asia and the World, but I just want to touch on a few major points here:

After Japan's defeat and surrender in World War Two, it was clear that it must return all territories to their previous owners, and be allowed to keep its 4 major islands only.

The Diaoyu (meaning Fishing) Islands have been used by Chinese fishermen as a station, base, or platform for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Upon the end of WW2, the U.S. gave the Diaoyu Islands to Japan for administration without the agreement of China. To allow Japan to administer the islands could not mean the transfer of ownership or sovereignty of those lands to Japan. Administration is NOT ownership. Temporary control and usage of the Diaoyu Islands by Japan should have been made agreeable to China, not by unilateral action of the U.S. who gave them to Japan.

Was there any explicit U.S. signed statement, which was legal and recognized by the UN, that the Diaoyu Islands were given to Japan for ownership, not administration? Besides, the U.S. was not the owner of the Diaoyu Islands (not being part of the U.S.), so did the U.S. even have the legal authority to let Japan administer them? Again, as part of  the conditions of Japan's surrender in WW2 , it must return all territories to their previous owners. Were the Diaoyu Islands made an exception, that Japan could keep them ?

How could it be fair for the U.S. to sign a treaty with Japan, without the inclusion of China, when the subject matter was historically Chinese and stolen by Japan ? Apparently, the dispute of the Diaoyu Islands was swept under the rug, which later resurfaced. Kicking the can down the road can never be a solution. Sooner or later, the conflict will fire up again.    

Japan's war crime is not fiction. It is a historical fact. The Nanjing Massacre claimed the lives of 300,000 Chinese civilians. Japanese soldiers raped Chinese women and played games by throwing Chinese babies in the air, then stuck their guns or machetes to the butts of the babies to kill them. Comfort women made of Chinese, Koreans and other nationalities were forced to be sex slaves of the Japanese soldiers. People were buried alive.  

If Japan has the moral courage to apologize to China and the Chinese people, (and to the Korean people, actually also to other Asians and people of other nationalities), then I believe China will forgive Japan on its war crimes and atrocities. The problem is that Japan would not apologize. Instead, it's been creating tension with China. This is the major problem in the relationship between China and Japan today. Regarding the Diaoyu Islands, the U.S. has no official position, but it looks like Uncle Sam is taking side with Japan. The U.S. military alliance is with Japan, not with China.

Based on historical, legal and moral grounds, or just on moral ground, it would be better off for Japan to return the Diaoyu Islands to China. Just based on the terrible war crimes committed by Japan against China, Japan owes to China much more than just these few small islands. 

What is your opinion ? To let China take leadership in building Asia (such as through the newly formed Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank), or let Japan be the leader? Don't you know Japan is in economic deep shit, and the U.S., too ? Just using a nice-sounding terminology of Quantitative Easing cannot hide the real meaning of the action, which is printing money or creating fiat money out of thin air by the U.S. and Japanese Governments. My humble opinion is that Quantitative Easing is a problem, not a solution. It is like keep kicking a bomb down the road. Sooner or later, it will explore.

Can you see China is a hardworking builder and rising leader, and the U.S. is in heavy debt and has become a tired warrior and destroyer? Whether you like it or not (probably Uncle Sam doesn't), China is rising. My humble opinion is this: Japan has 2 choices: (1)  return the Diaoyu Islands and apologize to China, co-operate with China to develop Asia and the world, and become prosperous and peaceful together with China, Asia and the world, or (2) refuse to have the moral courage to apologize to China, and continue to create tension and the illusion that the U.S. will always come to your military protection.

I don't think the U.S. will go to war directly with China or Russia. That could mean World War Three and the end of the world. The U.S. may provide some military assistance to Japan, yes, but in the end if a war broke out between China and Japan, the dead soldiers and civilians would be largely Japanese and Chinese, not Americans. Dear Japan, please remember this: you invaded China and committed some undeniably terrible war crimes. China did not drop the two atomic bombs on you. The U.S. did. Do you want Peace or do you want War?       

I am not against Japan, the U.S. or any country. I am pro-peace and anti-war. Forgive all past mistakes. Forgive yourself and forgive all others. Start new. Be friends. Co-operate and build together, instead of fighting, killing, and causing death and destruction

I welcome any comments or ideas. If you are an international law expert, please speak up. How are we going to solve the problem PEACEFULLY regarding the Diaoyu Islands ? Would it work if Japan acknowledged the sovereignty and ownership belongs to China, and China allowed Japan to jointly administer the Diaoyu Islands for mutual benefits? Is there any Win-Win solution? PEACE TO ALL !!!

Racism in America

In the news, South Carolina police officer Michael Slager is charged with murder, for shooting dead of an unarmed black man Walter Scott.

White American policeman shot unarmed black man dead. It is nothing new really, but so bad and so sad !!! Yes, black life does matter. Actually all human lives matter. Does racism exist in U.S.A.? Yes, it does. It still does.

Martin Luther King's beautiful dream has not been fully realized. Even Obama, the first U.S. black president, has to face this ugly truth of racism in America. You have very poor eyesight if you don't see it !   

Stephen Harper's Canada

First and foremost, I don't belong to any political party in Canada or anywhere. I don't blindly take side with one political party against another political party. I look at the issues and concerns rationally, and see how our leaders deal with them. Basically, I am a pacifist. I am pro-peace and anti-war. I am pro-diplomacy and anti-destruction. I am pro-negotiation and anti-nuke. I am pro-freedom and anti-fear. 

I am a Canadian. I love Canada, even the whole world. I am very concerned about the Harper Government's domestic and foreign policies. To put it bluntly, I don't like them. But do I still respect Stephen Harper? Yes, he is our prime minister. He is not all bad. Is he a good politician? Yes, he is. Is he a great statesman? No. 

Today's Canada is not the Canada that I used to know. Sad to see that Stephen Harper has joined the U.S. led Fighting and Killing Club.It is my opinion that Canada must not go into Syria to strike ISIS. However bad you think Syria is, it is a sovereign country. Call it a dictatorship, evil empire, or whatever, it is a sovereign country. Without the support of the Syrian Government,  it just doesn't make any legal and diplomatic sense, to go into Syria to fight ISIS or do whatever. Does Syria post a direct threat to Canada? No. Even if it does, the Canadian Parliament must first approve a declaration of war against Syria, before Canada should go into Syria. Have we learned anything at all from 911 and the illegal U.S. invasion of Iraq? Had there not been an Iraq War, there would not even have been ISIS. Do international law and the U.N.Charter mean anything at all ?    

Canada used to stand for Peace and Peace Keeping. What is Canada now becoming ? Now that oil price has dropped drastically, Harper and his gang can no longer boast that Canada is a super oil power. Alberta is moaning. Sorry, no more easy oil money! I feel very sad that Harper is turning Canada into a militarized and war-oriented country. 

I despise politicians who use moral justification in their military actions, to order the fighting of evil with evil, and killing of other human beings, including the innocent, all in the name of god and religion. Adding religion to politics only makes it stink even more.To me, war is the worst kind of organized crime. There is no true honor in killing innocent people, whether they are your enemies or your own countrymen. Can you tell me any war which was not messy, in which there was absolutely no injury or death of the civilians? You can't. Want to talk about moral high ground ? How about Thou Shalt Not Kill ? How about Love your neighbor ? How about Love your enemy ? So many religious and political hypocrites !!! 

Regarding fighting ISIS, I do not favor the military involvement of Canada. I support any humanitarian work, such as helping the refugees and displaced people, which Canada is very good at. I would like to see Canada return to its old peaceful way. Improving homeland security should focus on home soil, not by fighting and killing in foreign lands far away. Again, have we learned from 911 and the U.S. illegal invasion of Iraq? Don't tell me that you don't understand the difference between Defense and Invasion. To defend your country, you must focus on your homeland and its border, not by invading another country or engaging in fighting and killing people far away from home. 

In the past, if you held a Canadian passport, you would be welcome everywhere in the world. After 911, some American travelers pretended to be Canadians, to avoid being targets of the terrorists. Today, the terrorists treat Canadians the same as Americans. Why? Please do some thinking yourself and you will find the answer.

I love Canada, but not Harper's Canada. As said earlier, I don't belong to any political party, but I am hoping that Stephen Harper will not be re-elected in the upcoming election. But there is a good chance that I will be disappointed. He may win again!     
 

I Don't Get No Respect

Politics could be so ugly. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, went directly to address the U.S. Congress, ignoring President Barack Obama and proper protocol between world leaders of different countries. Obama refused to see Netanyahu. He must be pissed off.  

Netanyahu is against any U.S. nuclear deal with Iran being worked on by Obama. Washington is divided over new sanctions against Iran. White House official says Netanyahu "spat in our face". This new tension between Israel and the U.S. cannot be a good thing. It makes things difficult in the already much dangerous and complicated  Middle East.

Even if you were the U.S. President, you may still get no respect. Remember the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield ? It was funny when he said "I don't get no respect". But when Obama said " I don't get no respect", there was nothing funny about it.     

Economic Freedom

In the news, the U.S. ranks 12 in a report of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation. These are the top five with the most Economic Freedom: (1) Hong Kong, (2) Singapore, (3) New Zealand, (4) Australia, (5) Switzerland.

Canada is (6), which is not bad. The falling of Oil Price and the value of Loonie is good news to some, but bad news to others. There is no perfect country on Earth. On the whole, Canada is still a great country to live in. What do you think ?

Korea

In the news,  there are hints that South Korea and North Korea are willing to talk some time this year.

These are my thoughts and comments:

Political unification of the 2 Koreas, soon, may be too much to ask for at this time, but any peaceful talk to improve relationship is better than refusing to talk and threatening each other.

South Korea: if you want to fight with the North, make sure you have Uncle Sam to support you. If you want peace, you don't need the U.S. China is not Japan.There is no need to be afraid of China. China doesn't want to fight or colonize you as Japan did in the past. China only wants to have peace and make deals with every nation on earth, to improve the life of its people, and contribute to the security and balance of power in the world. 

North Korea: it's time to open up and improve your relationship with South Korea and the life of your countrymen. Give Peace a Chance !!!

U.S. Sanction Against Russia

U.S. sanction against Russia, and probably also the dropping of oil prices, got to be an economic, geopolitical and currency war of the U.S. against Russia.

Does sanction work? Yes and No, if you ask Obama. For Cuba, with whom the U.S. has just re-established diplomatic relationship, Obama said No. For Russia, Obama said Yes. If it didn't work on small Cuba, having been proved for more than 50 years, how would it be possible to work and hurt big Russia ? Mr. President Obama, please tell us ! 

U.S. sanction would hurt Russia and make it difficult for Putin for a while, yes, but not for a long time. It won't take 50 years or more, like in the case of Cuba, to find out. We'll wait and see. 

Sanction, in my opinion, largely hurts only the people - your own people, those of your allies, and those of the sanctioned country you try to hurt, but not so much the elites and governments in power. 

U.S. sanction against Russia has pushed Russia even closer to China. It hurts not only Russia, but also Europeans who do business with Russia. Maybe Germany, France and a few other European countries didn't really like the sanction against Russia, but wouldn't dare not to "obey" Uncle Sam, being under political pressure to follow.

White Americans and Racism

Lip T.V. published a video in Youtube, which said six million White Americans have some African ancestry, according to a new study, which looked at the genetic records of 145,000 people, using the genetic testing service 23andMe.com

All I want to say is this: Racism is ignorance. It grows out of Fear, not Love.

By the way, just wait for a few more decades, and you will see that White Americans will become the minority in U.S.A. 

North American Cops

Canadian cops are more gentle than American cops.

My disclaimer is this: a general truth is not an absolute truth. There are good cops in the U.S. just as there are bad cops in Canada. 

You can find police brutality in both countries, but racism seems to be a much bigger problem in the U.S. than in Canada. 

Torture (2)

Back on November 6, 2011, I wrote about Torture in my blog ' Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments'. More particularly, I wrote about the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA against the suspected terrorists, which had been approved by Dick Cheney and George Bush, and supported by their obedient gang.

Torture was / is against the Geneva Convention, human rights and international laws. War crimes were committed, but who would be held responsible, prosecuted and brought to justice? Yet another example of American Double Standard and Exceptionalism! Uncle Sam would do, and did, bad things to others, but nobody seems to have the guts or means to bring him to justice.

A CIA Torture Report is out. President Obama admits that the U.S. did many things right, but torture was wrong, but what is he going to do ?

John O. Brennan, the CIA Director comes out and tries to defend the CIA. Well, people are not stupid. The CIA Torture Report is just too shocking and indefensible. He says the CIA is made of humans, and humans are not perfect, and they made mistakes. He says, " I will leave to others how they might want to label these activities." 

While I understand it was difficult for John O. Brennan to give an appropriate speech to satisfy everyone regarding this serious matter, I would like to point out the fact that the subject matter is not about just a label or small mistake. It is about torture and the alleged or actual criminal activities of the CIA. Just calling torture an enhanced interrogation technique, or whatever, did not, does not, and will not change the fact that torture is torture.

OK, the CIA workers are humans, and they made mistakes. But are the suspected or actual terrorists also humans, and they could also have made mistakes? Is it O.K. to commit a crime against a criminal? Is it O.K. for a human to torture another human? Are American lives worth more than other lives? Is it O.K. for Uncle Sam to kill  non-Americans, whether they are innocent or not, in order to protect Americans?

Dick Cheney is much worse than John O. Brennan. He comes out and growls. He says the CIA Torture Report is full of crap. He says the lawyers stated that such enhanced interrogation techniques were deemed to be legal. Who were these U.S. lawyers? So much bullshit. Yeah, I am God. Whatever I do is deemed to be right, even when it is wrong !

And where is George Bush? Would he dare to come out and talk about the CIA Torture Report or the Iraq War? I think it is better for him to stay low, and keep up with his new hobby of painting instead.          

CIA and Malaysian Planes

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but somehow I wonder if there were secret connections between the CIA and the 2 Malaysian planes, one mysteriously disappeared and the other shot-down in Eastern Ukraine. What do you know ?

Ebola

The United States has contrived the Ebola scare to manipulate the American public and control the resource-rich West Africa region, a political commentator in California says.

In an interview with Press T.V., Professor James Henry Fetzer said, “The United States has fallen into the practice of using scare tactics to manipulate the American public both with respect to domestic issues and foreign affairs."

There are all kinds of conspiracy theories flying around, including one which says that Ebola was deliberately created and exaggerated to scare the public, and to reduce the population in west Africa.

Conspiracy theories were not all theories. Some turned out to be true. Sending thousands of U.S. troops to west Africa to deal with a disease smells fishy to me.Can anybody throw some light on this matter? Thanks!    

Hong Kong Protest

It's amazing that the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong so far has been largely non-violent. If this kind of protest and stand-off happened in the U.S., or in Beijing, the police would have already opened fire and shot the students dead. I still hope peace and calm will prevail in H.K., but I am a bit worried.

Young people in Hong Kong are not stupid, but they need to learn more about history, economics and the geopolitics where they live, and in the world, and be aware of some hidden or not-too-obvious dark forces in the U.S. and other countries, which keep creating troubles and conflicts everywhere, to screw up other countries for selfish financial and power gains. There are people who do not want to see a united and rising China.

American democracy has become a plutocracy. It is free and democratic, yes, but it has become more a plutocracy than a democracy for the good of the common people. The elites work for the rich and powerful, not for the common people. Is that what you want ?

Dear Hong Kong people: Britain was your old master and your past. China is your distant past and future, not your enemy. You don't even pay federal taxes to Beijing, while Americans have to pay taxes to Uncle Sam wherever they live. Think about it.

Beijing, H.K. Government, pro-China and pro-democracy people, please be rational and don't screw it all up. Don't shoot your own foot. Good luck !!!

Harper Goes to Whitehouse

Slip of the tongue? A news reporter reports that Canada's Prime Minister Harper is in Whitehouse. He means Whitehorse, but it is true that Harper has been Americanizing Canada for years. Recently in the news, Harper may even allow American cops to come to Canada to help the RCMP maintain law and order.That is really crazy !!!

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee died at the young age of 32. Today is the 40th anniversary of his death. Most people know he is the greatest martial artist of our time, but there are things that they may not know: Bruce was a child star in Hong Kong. Quentin Tarantino probably knows, as he was a fanatic of old Chinese movies, before he became a famous director in Hollywood. Besides being a child star, Bruce was a dancing contest champion in Hong Kong. He was also a street fighter there. His father wanted to make him stay out of trouble by sending him back to America where he was born.  

Bruce Lee is great, not only because of his superb martial arts and Chinese kung fu, but also because of his philosophy of life. He rejected the idea that Chinese kung fu must be kept for the Chinese people only. He defeated everyone who dared to prevent him from teaching Chinese kung fu to the Westerners. My opinion is that all the great people in this world belong to the whole humanity, not just to their own race, culture or country. My view is a cosmopolitan view, an all-in-the-family view, with one humanity, one world, one Planet Earth.

Aside from philosophy and opinion, these are some facts that many Bruce Lee fans do not know. Bruce is not only Chinese, but also American and partly German. How so? Bruce was born in San Francisco, so he is an American. His father Lee Hoi-Chuen was an actor in Chinese opera. His mother Grace Ho was a Eurasian of German and Chinese ancestry. My dear American and German friends, you can rightfully claim that Bruce Lee is partly yours. By the way, Bruce, like myself, grew up in British Hong Kong, which went back to Chinese rule in 1997. Dear Brits, yes, you can also claim a part of Bruce Lee. My dear Chinese friends, what the heck, let's be generous and share the great Bruce Lee with the whole world. We can't say no anyway. They have already taken a great portion of him. Rest in Peace, Bruce !