Wednesday 31 August 2016

Waking to "Anti-Americanism"


American foreign adventures provide prodigiously fertile ground for anyone in a critical mood. But whenever I feel the urge to condemn America (again), I try to make sure its based on facts and reasons. Does that make me “anti-American”? If the alternative is voluntary blindness and submission to the biggest threat the world faces, then so be it.

I prefer to mind my own business. I’ve also long resigned to the fact that human follies are inevitable. No government is perfect. We are not perfect. That’s life. A nation’s problems are for their people to deal with. That’s why I rarely shoot my mouth off criticising other countries, including US subsidiaries, except responding to direct attacks. But I see it as necessary, even morally obligatory, to be vigilant and critical of the USA.

First of all, the US Empire openly and furtively interferes with everyone else’s business through propaganda, subversion, and bombing. It also likes to tell us how to behave, while doing the opposite. Everyone therefore has the right to point fingers at it, since reciprocating in deed is not an option. Censuring the US is more than just reprisal though, it’s also self-defence. If relentless pressures built up from within and without America, the Empire may change one day? It’s a slim hope, I know, but better than surrender or panic frozen inaction, while the prospect of a globally obliterating World War III looms pointlessly.

The list of American enormities seems endless. I’ll randomly mention a tiny fraction of well documented and undisputed cases for illustration. America’s frightful domestic human rights violations are not our problems as long as they are kept within the much awaited wall Donald Trump promises to build.

Does America threaten the rest of the world? Let’s look at the data.

Sunday 28 August 2016

面對事實等於“反美”?




可能有人認為我很 「反美」,但我對美帝國的看法是基於大量不具爭議的事實,而非偏見或意識形態。其實我年輕時很崇拜美國。好萊塢電影看多了,甚至以為牛仔是英雄,印第安人是野蠻的「紅番」。懂得睜眼看世界之後,看法才逐漸180度轉變。

我是中國人,一般不喜歡理人家閒事。我也很現實,知道烏托邦是忽悠傻瓜的白日夢。人類社會有進有退,有好有壞,有苦有樂,從來不十全十美,永遠也不會十全十美。所以除了美國,我甚少對其他國家諸多批評。連對一眾馬仔附庸國我也盡量保留口德。做馬仔很多事身不由己,大家體諒體諒。不過對美國,我覺得從自保和道義立場,大家都有需要,甚至責任,去嚴厲監察和批評。有足夠內外壓力的話,暴力帝國可能會有朝一日稍微收斂,甚至改過自身?就算是我做夢吧,但另外的選擇是任由宰割,或同歸於盡的核子戰爭。
美帝國的國際惡行多不勝數,只能隨便舉證。至於它國內侵犯人權的行為,與國際社會無直接關係的,在這裡就不作評論了。唯望唐納德順利當選,履行諾言,蓋道高牆把美國圍住,讓世界稍享片刻安寧便好了。

美國對世界和平真的有威脅?這方面個人意見不能做准。讓我們看看歷史和現狀吧。

Sunday 21 August 2016

Me? Commenting on badminton? 吓!我也來評羽毛球?


Lin Dan (left) and Lee Zhong Wei

I normally only watch sports on TV when there’s no escape. But the Olympic badminton final last night was a great match, and unexpectedly emotional for a game involving two guys taking turns whacking a bunch of feathers. Both China's Chen Long and Denmark's Axelsen broke down sobbing (hey, not just tears in the eye!) after defeating retiring icons Lee Zhong Wei and Lin Dan respectively to snatch gold and bronze. It was a moment.

家裡沒有電視,也一向不留意體壇的我,昨天偶然在酒樓看了奧運羽毛球決賽。太精彩了!諶龍和丹麥的 Axelsen 分別擊敗雄霸羽毛球壇十多年的李宗偉和林丹後,都激動得伏在地上哭不成聲。以為看兩個大男人追著一撮羽毛拍打,誰知幾乎看出眼淚。