Why on Earth would they do that?

Why on Earth would anybody give financial aid, such as this, to the Chinese regime? The People's Republic of China currently ranks fourth worldwide on the IMF's 2005 rank of countries by their national GDP. Its ranking has even surpassed that of UK (rank 5) and Canada (rank 8) and yet the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is planning to donate an additional $200 million to initiate AIDS awareness program across China. When you come to look at this, it is almost as if it is a nice PR stunt to solidify Microsoft's software distribution rights in China. With China's estimated 1.3 billion population, it would be a dream come true for any company to substantiate the distribution of its products in mainland China.

If one has a clear conscience, they would not provide aid to the PRC for whatever reason. It does not justify given aid to a government which spends over $30 billion annually on its military and has been consistently scrutinized over its role on the participation and encouragement of countless human rights abuse. If China really deserves the aid it should have initiated, at least attempted, or put efforts to shorten the gap between its rich and poor, not to wait for foreign aid. With a fourth place in the international GDP ranking, I'm pretty confident that China would do a splendid job to sustain a high standard of living for all its inhabitants. The fact is PRC does not even take the initiative to do that!

The Canadian government is not doing any better either by providing over $50 million in aid to PRC this year. The Canadians and their governing body should be ashame of themselves in giving direct assistance to a repressive state to further enforce and suppress fundamental human rights through many despicable acts, such as forcibly confine, arrest, imprison and torture of its own people. The only two reasons which justifies the aid, which are often discussed behind closed door, are: first, for the Chinese to uplift the many restrictions set against foreign businesses, particularly the Canadian businesses, wishing to establish a market in China, and, second, to establish a Chinese interest in the serious investment of Canadian oil industry, as stated in Forbe's article:

Aside from the trade benefits, Canada's oil sector is also attracting new investment. Through the late 1990s, total investment was just over (U.S.) $6.3 million. However, over the last two years, investment has climbed to almost $30 million. During Martin's visit last month to Asia, Canada and China signed framework agreements to facilitate Chinese investment in Canada's oil sands. China's two largest oil groups, Sinopec and the China National Petroleum Corporation, are considering purchasing significant shares in several Canadian oil firms with licenses to operate in Alberta's tar sands, including UTS Energy and Canadian Oil Sands Trust. Chinese firms are also considering investments in related infrastructure. A Chinese firm is considering a 49% stake in a $2 billion, 720-mile pipeline planned between northern Alberta and the northwest coast of British Columbia. These and other possible deals are valued at some $2 billion to $3 billion dollars.

Other than that there're not many legitimate reasons behind the aid. Please keep in mind the able-body, working-class Canadians are all paying for this aid. Yes, you and I are all paying to enforce a repressive state!

Money can't buy you everything

Plain and simple, it's been proven again and again that money can't buy you everything. Not even a space flight to the International Space Station, as this "space tourist" found out when he paid nearly $20 million US for a 10-day stay in orbit. He probably had a nervous breakdown after realizing it would be much better to wait for the future development in commercial passenger space travel than to be a pseduo-pioneer, buying his way to a space flight. Ha, in your face, Mr. Enomoto! What good does green do when you don't even have the health to enjoy it?

Seriously, these people need to wake up and, instead of wasting money on nonsense, be more aware of the people and the environment around them. Frankly, we're all living under a single, global community called Earth, we're all in this together and inseparable from one another. A mishap from one part of the globe would be felt across the entire community. Be it a disaster, a disease, or the ongoing Global Warming, the effects of which would for sure be carried on for generations to come. It is much better to financially support and combat these problems than to live in denial and be overwhelmed with meaningless spendings.

Manufacturing Consent: Middle East version

If you're like me who doesn't have the time to read over Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent. Here's an updated version of this classic video from Google Video. Enjoy!



Everything should be exactly the same, except we're looking at the ongoing conflict between the State of Israel and Palenstine, not the past Indochina wars in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Iran holds exhibition of Holocaust cartoons

Iran opens up Holocaust cartoon exhibition in the name of defending their God given rights of self expression and free speech. It is obviously an attempt to further torn apart the already gashing rift between the East and West, and further infuriate his insults on the Jewish people. This is in response to the publication of Muhammad cartoons last year by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which depicted Islam's holiest prophet in caricature drawings. Since the publication it has drawn fierce outrage and violent protests across the Islamic countries which resulted in the torching of Danish and Norwegian embassies in the Middle East and the boycott of many Danish and Norwegian products.

Now, let's see how will the civilized, pro-Western nations respond, particularly Israel's response. Will the Israelis also resort to violence to protest against the Holocaust cartoons? Maybe they don't have to since they already have an upper hand in the recent conflict with Lebanon.

Please keep in mind that Holocaust didn't just victimize the Jews, but also countless others whom were deemed as outcasts by the Nazis, such as the disabled, political dissidents, other ethnics, and enemy of the state.

PRC resists the urge to be Americanized

The People's Republic of China has long profited from Western influences and ideologies. Since Deng Xiaoping's economic reform of the late 1980's, China has seen tremendous economic growth and has become a major player of the global trade, especially in the recent years. Although the ongoing development is clearly biased against the rural population, the people, on average, still benefit from this economic boom and are a lot better off than they would've 30 years ago.

The Chinese people are now tasting what it is like to be a First World citizen, from high quality living standard to a pastime in consumerism. However, the transition from a Third World country to an attainable First World standard of living and being a dominant player of the global trade do come with a hidden cost - a cost which may strip away the cultural identity of China. Unlike many Western-influenced countries of Asia Pacific (i.e. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and etc.) that has long since volunteerily surrendered its full or partial culture identity in exchange of First World living standard, the Communist regime has now realised the impending identity crisis and tries fervently to prevent the hostile takeover, including a recent all out bans of foreign cartoons from prime time television.

Unlike its strict censorship of the Internet and the exclusion of distribution rights of selective movies and videogames, which are necessary for the suppression of anti-totalitarian ideology in a repressive state. This desparate attempt of banning foreign cartoons from prime time television is clearly the PRC's contempt against hostile cultural takeover, often a side effect of Westernization. The word "Westernization" is also misleading when most of the First World ideologies are a direct consequence of American culture. So, it is no longer "Westernization" but in fact "Americanization". Which is even more harmful when you considered most of the American pop culture to be empty and toxic.

So, I wonder when will the PRC succumb to pressure from the US to widen its market and accept its fate as the next Americanized nation? The pressure would sure be unsurmountable especially with the approach of 2008 Summer Olympic in Beijing. Coupled with the accusations of suppression of free speech and expression from the international community, it is only a matter of time before the PRC relent and embrace the true cost of its economic boom!

We, the Canadians, are not doing much better in terms of retaining its own identity. Apart from hockey, native arts and the Molson Canadian, we're not too dissimilar from our southern neighbors.

For the curious few who wish to know more on the invasion of American pop culture across all continents, I strongly suggest Chapter 12 of Rogue Nation by Peter Scowen.

Celebration of Light: A cash cow for the rich and the richest

The 2010 Winter Olympic hosting City of Vancouver is famous for its beautiful sceneries, diverse multiculturalism, friendly neighborhood, and the spicy night scenes. Since 1990, we, the Vancouverites, has had the privilege to host a variety of events, with probably the most memorable and still ongoing event being the annual displays of fireworks. This event started out in the early 90's and continues on to this day as "The Celebration of Light". It is a series of firework exhibitions from different competitors (of different countries) every half week, for up to 2 weeks between late July and early August. The spectacle attracts huge crowd from all over the Lower Mainland to the downtown core, and, with it, brings business, tourism and surging profit to the ever-thirsty entertainment establishments. On the surface, the event is hailed as an invigorating and exciting family-oriented event, a perfect gathering for all ages to enjoy. Yet, what the commentators frequently failed to disclose is the darker and more sinister underlying purpose behind this event.

We all know "The Celebration of Light" is a perfect, legitimate opportunity for the local business to gain a few quick bucks, but what we don't know is the sponsors' intention to purposefully hide the ongoing human-rights abuse, animal abuse and civic unrests of the competing nations, making them oblivious to the commoners. What they are trying to do is to paint a bright and beautiful picture over the impoverished, deteriorating and stenching reality. Their ultimate aim is to brainwash Westerners to a degree such that one would voluntarily visit or take vacation in one of the competing countries.

So, when will the general public wake up and realise they've been undermined by the rich and the super rich, and have been played as a puppet in the arena of the richest? When will the public realize that one of the country is still under an ongoing dispute over its recent presidential-election, and confronts an impending water shortage crisis for most of its inhabitant? And, when will they understand that one of the other country has a long history of human-rights and animal abuse, and is responsible for countless acts of aggression, torture, confinement and murder against its own people?

It is only until we've well fed the rich and the richest would we realize our mistake, but by then it would've already been too late!

Note: The City of Vancouver is no better in handling it's own crisis, just look at the sprawl of homeless people in our backyard!

An Inconvenient Truth

This is a must see movie for those of you who haven't had much exposure to the whole idea behind Global Warming, and who wish to open your eyes and to understand more on what's happening around us and how we, as individuals, could alter, shape and write our own destiny.



Hey, this is my 50th post! Nice! Pretty neat!

Winners and losers of Global Warming

Global Warming, as we all know it, is the consequence of heat absorption by atmospheric greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases, which are trapped in the atmosphere for a prolonged period of time, mainly arise from man-made activities, such as burning of the fossil fuels, agricultural activities, and etc., to natural phenomena, such as lightening-induced forest fires and volcanic emissions. The effects of Global Warming is inevitable. It's arrival is imminent and it will ultimately affect every living species, either directly or indirectly.

Global Warming will produce both winners and losers. Winners are those who could reek benefits from the climate change, such as the production of beer from the Greenland ice cap and the increase of plant growth in temperate and cool areas, just to name a few. But, eventually, losers will outnumber the winners. In Jared Diamond's book "Collapse", losers will be the residence of coastal cities, people who depends on glacier-fed streams as the source of their water supply, elderlies and young children who are susceptible to the intense and prolonged summer heat, and many others, including the extinction of countless exotic species which could not adapt to a fast changing climate as well as we humans do.

Lest we forget, the ultimate loser will be our next generation, who has to endure, adapt, live, and suffer under the consequences of an ever-changing climate.

So, "what can I do to help?", you ask. The least one you do is adhere to these twelve guidelines. Furthermore, you could also help by being an advocate for the environmentally-aware consumer, boycotting any company which is suspicious of employing environmentally destructive suppliers. Finally, you could also financially support organizations such as World Wildlife Fund.

There're many losers of Global Warming and it is up to us to define how many and who they are!

For a summary of Jared Diamond's work in Collapse, please see this article. For a video presentation of his work, watch this clip from Google Video.