What is it that China doesn't want to tell us?
Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva Sha Zukang told a reporter yesterday that "It's better for the U.S. to shut up [about Chinese military spending]."…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
776 - troll
the third house is a den of corruption but it's our den and the only system we have for communicating 'needs' to the elected legislature
it needs a good cleaning
Pollyanna's extreme view is absurd of course...like saying that because I turned on an electric light this morning lobbyists advocating increased reliance on nuclear power are working for me
777 - Clavos
Three of the largest and most powerful lobbies in DC include:
AARP
NEA
NRA
All of them represent people, not corporations.
778 - Dean
"All of them represent people, not corporations."
In your dreams.
Lobbyists represent special interests, not the people.
It is obvious that bribery is alive and well in Washington.
When special interest lobbies are allowed to write our laws, the people are not represented.
779 - Dave Nalle
Lobbyists represent special interests, not the people.
Special interests ARE people. I pay one of the groups Clavos listed on a regular basis so that they'll represent MY interests in Washington. Other people pay the other two groups so that they'll screw with my interests. And, in fact, I pay several groups money to oppose the efforts of one of those lobbies.
Dave
780 - Dean
"Special interests ARE people."?
People have a right to vote, special interests do not.
781 - Dave Nalle
Yes, but if you want to have MORE influence than just your single vote, you take your money to your union or your representative lobbying group and encourage them to present your case to congress or in the courts to advance your welfare. The special interest groups aren't voting, they're advocating for you. Are you saying that we shouldn't be able to hire lawyers to defend ourselves in court or purchase advertising to promote our businesses? It's the same thing.
Dave
782 - Dean
When you say hiring a lawyer to present a case in court is "the same thing" as paying a lobbyist to buy votes in a legislative body or administration, I have to believe that you are out of touch with reality.
783 - Dean
Lawyers don't make judicial decisions. Have you ever paid a judge or jury anything?
784 - Dean
How much would you have paid Jack Abramoff to "represent" you?
785 - equal
most average people do not have money to pay to lobbist.
786 - Dave Nalle
most average people do not have money to pay to lobbist.
Sure they do. My $30 a year paid to the NRA gets me a hell of a lot of powerful representation in Washington.
How much would you have paid Jack Abramoff to "represent" you?
Not being an indian gaming entrepreneur the point is probably irrelevant. And the main problem with Abramoff is that he ripped off the people who paid him.
Dave
787 - I'm Chinese!
America is pointing the finger at the wrong country. Japan is the right one to be really worried about! The right-wing power in Japan reaches the highest level before it launched the Pearl Harbor attack. Do not forget Japan never forgets who threw two atomic bombs over its head and as the second largest economy and military spender, Japan is planning a lethal revenge on America. The accumulation of materials for nuclear weapons is second only to America. It is spending crazily on space programs, which boosts its ballistic missile preparations to attack America. A nation that once prepared itself with national suicide to attack America is always a threat and its democracy America transplanted after the War is now giving up to right-wing powers.
788 - South East Asian Chinese
IC is right. While the Germans have repented of their extremely sinful killings of the Jews, the Japanese have not repented of their extremely horrible crimes in killing thousands of people in Nanjing and other parts of Asia.
That is serious! They even pay tribute to and worship wartime criminals at the shrine and argue that they don't. They have even denied that mass killings took place. You can sense how cold and horribly ugly their hearts are.
Those who have not repented can be extremely dangerous to the U.S., Europe, China, and the world.
789 - Anderson
Fortunately, the Phoenix TV Station has told hundreds of millions of Chinese all over the world about what is happening in the U.S. Many in Asia are happy to know that more and more Americans begin to realize that they need to cooperate with China economically and politically (if they are sincerely concerned about their own well-being in the forthcoming decades).
790 - James
No matter whether you like it or not, China is going to be a superpower that is more formidable to resist than the former Soviet Union.
791 - Donald
It is not wrong for China to be secretive about its military spending. A nation which has been bullied and tortured for more than a century should now realize how important it is to keep a low profile while concentrating on buiding its defensive systems.
792 - Jefferey
Hey guys, after another ten years, China will be an economy which is bigger than that of the United States. It is not suprising that its influence will be more powerful that that of the United States soon.
793 - Gordon Liew
You are right. China's influence in Africa is already more powerful than that of the United States. That is why the West is attempting to tell the Africans that China is making use of Africans to serve its own interests. Actually, what China has been doing have benefited the people of Africa tremendously.
794 - Siew Lan
When Westerners (except genuine Christians) had forgoten about the Africans, the Chinese from the despised People's Republic at that time (in the 1950s and 1960s) went all out to help the Africans. The Chinese are still doing so in the 21st century even though they are no longer regarded with contempt.
795 - African Supporter
A stronger Africa will benefit China tremendously, and a more economically powerful China will bring great properity to Africa.
796 - Brandon
Of course we know. China has a population which is many times bigger than that of the U.S. It will come as no surprise that when the much larger mass of people are well educated, well trained and move to the forefront of scientific research and development, the resulting impact on the entire world, including the U.S., will be unimaginably shocking.
797 - Wilson
What will turn out to be shocking will not be just "the large mass of people moving to the forefront of research and scientific development." The potentially amazing scenario includes an enormous country with countless intelligent and diligent people who are determined to lead the world once again after being asleep for several centuries.
798 - Christopher Rose
What shocks me is the fact that "Anderson", "James", "Donald", "Jefferey", "Gordon Liew", "Siew Lan", "African Supporter", "Brandon" and "Wilson" all have exactly the same IP address...
799 - S.T.M
Why would you be worried about that old boy .... they've obviously been out for a bit of crispy-skin duck and have stopped at the internet cafe on the way home after one too many lagers.
Or perhaps they are just one person working at the central planning ministry in Beijing.
Either way ... nothing to worry about. Except the syntax.
800 - Clavos
CR & STM,
Or perhaps they are just one person working at the central planning ministry in Beijing.
Dead on...
And this isn't the first time in this thread.
It's an awfully long thread (partly because that's what our esteemed Asian friends want-- a BC "most comments ever" title -- they said so; see comments back in late August), but if you check that time period through early Sept you'll see quite a spirited discussion also involving several PRC employees.
Said PRC agents spouted mostly propaganda. Nalle checked IP addresses back then, too, and bingo; at least 8 or 10 handles were coming from only three IPs, two in china and one in London.
801 - S.T.M
Hello People's Republic of China secret agents ... I'm STM. I am loser too! Not only couldn't get into university of choice but only Chinese friend ever had was born in Australia and his nickname Chongo. One of best surfers and rugby halfbacks ever met, but all skills learned in Australia. He also quite smart but have one failing: one of worst drivers ever met. Don't want to stereotype but suspect it has something to do with peripheral vision. Also falls asleep after five beers. However, I love to use ancient Chinese technology - chopsticks - and thanks to tip-off from Chongo, big fan of crispy-skin chicken with shangtung sauce from Lotus Garden up the road (beat American hamburger hands down). They own me. They are my Chinese bros.
802 - Clavos"to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws
Trolling, STM? :>)
803 - S.T.M
Up early, daughter off to school, waiting for a phone call, and bored shitless, actually. You can tell, too, can't you??
That you Chris??
804 - Clavos
No, 'tis Clavos, mate. Something went crazy in the little box with my handle...
805 - Clavos
@#808:
Are you afraid to write under your own handle?
806 - Dave Nalle
What shocks me is the fact that "Anderson", "James", "Donald", "Jefferey", "Gordon Liew", "Siew Lan", "African Supporter", "Brandon" and "Wilson" all have exactly the same IP address...
I'm not. Though it does surprise me that the address is in Malaysia. Has BC not taken the standard security procedure of blocking all Malaysian and Indonesian IP addresses?
Dave
807 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Clavos, STM, Dave,
I got to admit these guys from China had me boiling in their rice bowl for a while. They obviously know how to play their BS game rather well... One of these days I'll have to check into some internet café and watch Chris Rose's virtual eyebrows shoot up in surprise...
Later...
808 - Christopher Rose
I dunno, you try a tiny bit of humour and dour pols take you literally. Don'tcha just hate pols, don'tcha?
Ruvy, The only time you'll see me looking surprised will be on the day when you finally admit all your faithist nonsense is untrue and apologise for calling for the slaughter of both Arabs and all the Israelis and foreigners in Tel Aviv that you wouldn't mind seeing nuked.
Of course that would take some integrity and moral courage so it's pretty unlikely...
809 - HACKER
all Chinese who read this site should make a link to Chinese hacker forums
810 - Someone
Hey I know why these trailer trash are angry at CHina, cuz they probably lost their crappy assembly line job and now all they can do is cry about it.
811 - Clavos
China is the greatest nation on earth! me love CHINA!
812 - STM
I love crispy-skin chicken with shangtung sauce and boiled rice.
813 - Brandon
Dear Clavos and Nalle,
Checking people's IP addresses is simply a ridiculous thing to do. Everyone is free to use any name and any number of names.
You are only intelligent if you are able to comment on the content/s. It doesn't matter whether one, four or ten people use/s the same IP address to write at an Internet cafe.
You need not respond to this message. Just refelect on all that have been said by these 'people' at the same IP address.
814 - Anderson and Brandon
Dear STM,
You just don't understand what 'syntax' is. You had better take a course in English grammar or linguistics before writing at this site.
You should be more conscious of the syntactical structures of your own sentences.
815 - S.T.M
Ah, we're back ... hello gentlemen. Yes, you are probably right. My grammar's not great. How's Beijing this time of year, BTW? Should be quite chilly still.
Remember fellas - really, do watch the syntax; it's a dead giveaway. That, and the inability to recognise irony.
816 - troll
Brandon talking about freedom - now that's ironic
817 - Clavos
Brandon, in #813, writes:
Everyone is free to use any name and any number of names.
Actually, Brandon, you're wrong. Here's an excerpt from the comment policy of this site:
We also ask that you not post comments under multiple names, and it is grounds for immediate banning to comment under someone else's name.
818 - Brandon
Clavos,
Can you stop several people from sharing a computer at an Internet cafe if they don't mind waiting for their turns to write at this site?
819 - Clavos
I can't, no.
But the editors CAN block any specific computer from being able to post comments, IF they feel it's necessary.
I'm not an editor, just a poster and commenter.
Hope that answers your question?
820 - Brandon
Clavos,
Of course the editors CAN do that. But isn't it silly to stop a few guys from sharing a computer when they all have a lot to post at this site?
Is it right to stop different individuals, who have similar or differing views, to save up some costs while attempting to express their views using the same computer at an Internet cafe?
821 - Clavos
Not my call, dude...
822 - jojoe
When the Chinese diplomat said shut up he meant "shut up, you have people starving in streets and 50 million do not have health insurance, you spend more on defense than on education, health, enviroment combined several times over"
I think that's what he meant