[Archived] The Coming War On China

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

ITV 10:40 tonight.

Looks like Uncle Joe still wants to rule the roost...

[Audax]

Japan sending boats to Vietnam:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-japan-idUSKBN15015O

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Extreme left codswallop in my opinion. Written, directed and produced by John Pilger. A lifelong anti-western journalist who could be Jim's identical twin such is his bias against the US, the UK and his own country Australian. Sacked by the Daily Mirror, founded the News on Sunday and then resigned before its first issue after falling out with everyone. Dedicated the rest of his life to a plethora of hatchet job films on the west. Almost all heavily criticised as being sensationalist, inaccurate, at times totally fabricated, he's been successfully sued for libel. Blamed the 7/7 bombings on Tony Blair, wrote in 2004 that people should support the Sunni insurgents in Iraq (one group of which were Islamic State) against our own troops, labelled Obama a "glossy Uncle Tom".

I'm all for media that challenges the establishment but this guy has gone so far down the rabbit hole of his own conspiracy theories that I doubt he even knows what objectivity even means anymore. As for this film, the Guardian loved it of course. The Times view:

"Abandoning any interest in nuance or subtlety", Pilger claims "that American bases in the region are threatening China with a 'giant noose' around its neck". For Pilger, he writes, China is "a brilliant place with just some 'issues with human rights', but let’s not go into that now" and his film's "lack of complexity is depressing".

[yoda]

Extreme left codswallop in my opinion. Written, directed and produced by John Pilger. A lifelong anti-western journalist who could be Jim's identical twin such is his bias against the US, the UK and his own country Australian. Sacked by the Daily Mirror, founded the News on Sunday and then resigned before its first issue after falling out with everyone. Dedicated the rest of his life to a plethora of hatchet job films on the west. Almost all heavily criticised as being sensationalist, inaccurate, at times totally fabricated, he's been successfully sued for libel. Blamed the 7/7 bombings on Tony Blair, wrote in 2004 that people should support the Sunni insurgents in Iraq (one group of which were Islamic State) against our own troops, labelled Obama a "glossy Uncle Tom".

I'm all for media that challenges the establishment but this guy has gone so far down the rabbit hole of his own conspiracy theories that I doubt he even knows what objectivity even means anymore. As for this film, the Guardian loved it of course. The Times view:

"Abandoning any interest in nuance or subtlety", Pilger claims "that American bases in the region are threatening China with a 'giant noose' around its neck". For Pilger, he writes, China is "a brilliant place with just some 'issues with human rights', but let’s not go into that now" and his film's "lack of complexity is depressing".

I watched it a few weeks ago, very disappointing film

[blueboy3333]

Extreme left codswallop in my opinion. Written, directed and produced by John Pilger. A lifelong anti-western journalist who could be Jim's identical twin such is his bias against the US, the UK and his own country Australian. Sacked by the Daily Mirror, founded the News on Sunday and then resigned before its first issue after falling out with everyone. Dedicated the rest of his life to a plethora of hatchet job films on the west. Almost all heavily criticised as being sensationalist, inaccurate, at times totally fabricated, he's been successfully sued for libel. Blamed the 7/7 bombings on Tony Blair, wrote in 2004 that people should support the Sunni insurgents in Iraq (one group of which were Islamic State) against our own troops, labelled Obama a "glossy Uncle Tom".

I'm all for media that challenges the establishment but this guy has gone so far down the rabbit hole of his own conspiracy theories that I doubt he even knows what objectivity even means anymore. As for this film, the Guardian loved it of course. The Times view:

"Abandoning any interest in nuance or subtlety", Pilger claims "that American bases in the region are threatening China with a 'giant noose' around its neck". For Pilger, he writes, China is "a brilliant place with just some 'issues with human rights', but let’s not go into that now" and his film's "lack of complexity is depressing".

Just read all that stuff on Pilger's Wiki.

Also on Wiki:-

'John Pilger is fearless. He unearths, with steely attention to facts, the filthy truth, and tells it as it is... I salute him' Harold Pinter

'A country that does not have a John Pilger in its journalism is a very feeble place indeed' John Simpson

'John Pilger's work has been a beacon of light in often dark times. The realities he has brought to light have been a revelation, over and over again, and his courage and insight a constant inspiration' Noam Chomsky

'For half a century, he has been an ever stronger voice for those without a voice and a thorn in the side of authority, the Establishment. His work, particularly his documentary films, has also made him rare in being a journalist who is universally known, a champion of those for whom he fights and the scourge of politicians and others whose actions he exposes' Anthony Hayward

Hope that gives a bit of balance. Oh, and he isn't Anti-Western, he's anti-imperialist. Big difference. That was on wiki too.

[rock steady]

One of the finest investigative journalists alive.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Wouldn't mind so much but the China that Pilger is so desperate to make the victim, for whatever his motivations are, is arguably the most aggressive major power in the world right now. Making ever more confrontational claims on the South China Sea and pursuing land reclamation there. Also got ongoing territorial disputes on land borders with India, Bhutan and North Korea. Has spent decades nurturing the threat of North Korea just to unsettle the west, a policy its now beginning to realise could backfire by having an unstable nuclear power on its border. In the last couple of months has kicked off with the US for accepting a call from Taiwan and has also stolen one of its drones from international waters. Constant crackdowns on Tibet have led to the exiling of the Dalai Lama.

I just get a bit irritated by these champions of political justice or freedom of information or whatever going after western countries. Who are by a mile the lesser of 2 evils. Its no surprise when Steele released his report on Trump and the Russians, that the Russians is who he was scared of in going into hiding. You’d be mistaken for thinking in many liberal circles that Trump is the gravest threat to the world right now, yet a bloke who dropped him in it big time is far more scared of someone else. I wonder why Pilger hasn't spent the last couple of years investigating the numerous and serious human rights abuses of the Chinese government that everyone knows are happening, instead of a rather far fetched future scenario of the west attacking it. More dangerous subject matter and he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a Chinese jail cell no doubt.

[jim mk2]

Just read all that stuff on Pilger's Wiki.

Also on Wiki:-

'John Pilger is fearless. He unearths, with steely attention to facts, the filthy truth, and tells it as it is... I salute him' Harold Pinter

'A country that does not have a John Pilger in its journalism is a very feeble place indeed' John Simpson

'John Pilger's work has been a beacon of light in often dark times. The realities he has brought to light have been a revelation, over and over again, and his courage and insight a constant inspiration' Noam Chomsky

'For half a century, he has been an ever stronger voice for those without a voice and a thorn in the side of authority, the Establishment. His work, particularly his documentary films, has also made him rare in being a journalist who is universally known, a champion of those for whom he fights and the scourge of politicians and others whose actions he exposes' Anthony Hayward

Hope that gives a bit of balance. Oh, and he isn't Anti-Western, he's anti-imperialist. Big difference. That was on wiki too.

There are hypocrits who swear by wikpaedia and even used it to gain a "degree" [ ] but then ignore it when it doesn't suit their agenda.

As for Pilger, he's won awards in a prolific lifetime of work so any criticism of him, especially from people who haven't a clue about investigative journalism, should be dismissed.

[Mike E]

Tbf jim, Wikipedia IS a fantastic resource as long as you use it properly by checking the sources within.

It certainly comes in handy looking for quotes and ideas rather than sifting your way through online libraries for the same thing.

I reckon for my degree and PGCE, around 1 in 10 of my sources (properly checked ofc) was from Wikipedia.

The only way it loses credit is when it's copy/pasted by an idiot who can't fact-check. Journalists, usually, like those at the LET!

[Audax]

It was about 10 years ago or even 12; when wikipedia was criticised so heavily. As far as I'm concerned, they've done a lot to tidy up the ship.

[JAL]

Coming war on China ? is this because the Americans either can't or won't pay them for their goods owed ?

[philipl]

John Pilger does great work as an investigative journalist but his conclusions are usually sensationalist and unreliable.

A lot has been written about the Theucydides Trap. He wrote about the Peloponnesian War (which we would now consider to be a Greek civil war) and concluded that when there is a rising global power, there is war between it and the existing power. Indeed historians cite 14 out of 16 instances where a rising power has resulted in war with the pre-existing power.

He invariably gets quoted in relation to the US/China situation now.

- There are two very recent twists in this tail- China is being highly militaristic with regards to the South China Sea. The nation most threatened by this is the Phillipines but Duterte has publicly rescinded relations with the USA. Is Make America Great Again Trump ready to use nukes to defend a nation which is raising the middle finger to the US???

- Trump has made China his geo-political enemy number one but Apple is totally dependent on China and the trade links between the US and China go far deeper than a moron like Trump is able to grasp.

Finally Putin, Trump's boss in the Kremlin thinks he is China's best buddy. Russia is as good as owned by the Chinese bail out after their economy tanked since 2014...

For what it is worth, here is a serious article asking whether there will be a new American civil war http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-real-thucydides-trap-will-red-blue-america-go-war-19063

[Husky]

Tbf jim, Wikipedia IS a fantastic resource as long as you use it properly by checking the sources within.

Right before last month's big Joshua boxing match, someone changed Eric Molina's birthplace to Blackburn.