China, A Huge Ray of Hope
Lie, lie, lie, still and always, there will well remain something about it! —Goebbels, propaganda minister of Adolf Hitler
Erasmo Calzadilla
HAVANA TIMES — Granma has been assigned (we all know by whom) a daunting and painful task: lying and misrepresenting. And the truth is that is it has been fulfilling this masterfully.
One of those topics around which it has “worked” most is beautifying the image of China.
The Friday (September 21) edition of the paper featured two magnificent gems for understanding how the professionals Granma operate when it comes to their comrades.
Did you know that China represents a huge ray of hope for the climate?
I’ll summarize the news if you won’t give yourself the pleasure of reading it.
It turns out that the price of solar panels has plummeted in recent years due to the significant investments that the Asian giant has made in this field. However the European Union and the United States are hampering the development of solar energy by imposing tariffs and subsidizing the oil industry.
All of this might even be true, partially or totally. Now, imagine that you live under an unopposed media blitz aimed at putting a good spin on China, and in this context you come across a piece of news like this.
You will receive it without knowing, for example, that that nation is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, which places it in an undisputed first place worldwide.
The reason isn’t its population of over a billion people, but the leaders of the Chinese “communist” party who have turned it into a kind of country-factory.
It is a factory that is exceedingly dependent on fossil fuel, a factory whose growth based on human exploitation has rescued from the crisis the capitalist system (distended, consumeristic and polluting par excellence).
So, contrary to what the news in Granma suggests, China is — with respect to the environment — the most wanted criminal of the global village. Even though many European Union nations advocate the control of CO2 emissions or already control them, China doesn’t accept those restrictions.
Another article discussed a related topic: China will contribute to solving the crisis of the European Union.
As written, it seems that the Asian nation will make a gesture of kindness toward old Europe and its poor unemployed.
Wouldn’t it have been more honest to say that it will rescue — out of pure self-interest — the global economic “order,” just as it systematically poisons the environment?
Also, if it’s going to pull the EU out of the mud, why not also call for the elimination of tariffs and obstacles imposed against the development of solar energy, like the news mentioned earlier in this post?
This is all very absurd and inconsistent, typical when trying to defend the indefensible and after having told so many lies that it has become difficult to stop. The Granma guys are trying hard but the task assigned to them is Herculean.
Beyond them and those who believe them, it’s up to the active readers of Granma to read between the lines and draw conclusions. Our media’s maneuvers around China, for example, can give an idea of where Cuba’s “socialist” leaders want to lead the “updating” of the economic model.
I will leave some links to articles (in Spanish) that deal with Chinese greenhouse gas emissions.
• China, the country that generates the most CO2 emissions in the world
• China forbids its airlines pay for CO2 emissions
• China overtakes US as the country with the most CO2 emissions
Typical of Americans who claim they know everything about other country’s motivations. In this case I doubt if ‘Moses’ actually believes the crap he wrote.
Countries that have been successful in warding off the American Empire obviously have natural affinities. Americans typically depict anyone different than them as ‘anti-American’. We can assume this is neurotic paranoia on their part or more likely in this case, a device to ward off the obvious.
‘Moses is certainly correct that embracing enemies of your enemy forces you “to get in bed with some really bad characters”. He should know but for some strange reason he doesn’t give us the mother lode, the rather long, shall we say, extensive list of Americans’ very ugly bed mates.
Off the top of my head, bin Laden, Saudi Arabian shieks, Mubarek, Saddam, Assad, Bahrain, Israel, Stalin, South Vietnam’s dictators, Pol Pot, Batista, Mobutu, Pinochet, Trujillo, Duvalier, Somoza, Porfirio Diaz and on and on.
As a general rule, you can assume that any monster who supported the American Empire was a bed partner and fuckmate of the US government.
Erasmo,
Thank-you for providing the ‘other side of the story’ that Granma omits. I actually read Granma to get the ‘other side of the story’ that my corporate media – as controlled as Granma, albeit more disguised – omits.
So I previously knew much of what you wrote about China’s ‘sins’, but I’m not as familiar with China’s strengths unless I read Granma.
Neither Granma nor corporate media have set themselves the task of providing us with ‘truth’. They are providing us with propaganda, on the Granma side, recognized, on the other, not.
Perhaps you should welcome this as in your bio, you have written, “I am a bitter opponent of those who … believe they hold the truth.”
But I feel you have made a serious error in charging Granma with “lying” and with “having told so many lies that it has become difficult to stop”. You provided no examples of Granma lying, only presenting selected ‘truths’. This is ‘honest propaganda’. There is also the dishonest type. It’s legion in comments from certain well-known sources on HT.
There is a legitimate philosophical point to be made as to whether selective truth is really truth. I think we can agree it is not, but if one side insists on presenting selective truths, it forces the other side to reply in kind, filling in the gaps.
Without this knowledge, I fear you will not be aware of the reality of what is taking place. Reality is a prerequisite for being “a bitter opponent of those who … believe they hold the truth.”
“The reason isn’t its population of over a billion people, but the leaders of the Chinese “communist” party who have turned it into a kind of country-factory.
It is a factory that is exceedingly dependent on fossil fuel, a factory whose growth based on human exploitation has rescued from the crisis the capitalist system (distended, consumeristic and polluting par excellence).”
Perfect, Erasmo. China has become – with the support and interest from the developed countries – the industrial park of the globalized economy. Every crap I buy is ‘Made in China’, it’s stunning. Brazil exports 1 ton of brute iron to China in exchange of one pair of tennis shoes (!).
“The axis of evil” Boo-ho-ho.
International politics has never been about ‘goodness’. Otherwise, you’ll have to explain the carnal relationship of your country with Saudi Arabia.
Cuba continues to search for the änti-US¨ patron saint, ever-hoping that China or Brazil or even the ¨new¨Russia will take the job. Their tiresome campaign to beautify China, or make Siria look like a victim of foreign terrorists, and even justify a nuclear Iran are driven at its core as a way to counterbalance what they perceive as US imperial interests. The problem with using the quote ¨My enemy´s enemy is my friend¨ as the main game plan for your foreign policy is that you have to get in bed with some really bad characters. Let´s look at Cuba recent list of BFFs: North Korea, Iran, Libya, Siria, Iran, Belarussa, etc. Need more be said?