Syria Explained

Understanding the reasons behind Russia and China's UNSC veto against purposeful and engineered regime change are desperately lacking. 

Do the West and Arab despots really care about human rights in Syria? The dim prospects in Syria go beyond human rights in the short terms. 

Foremost, the concern should be the rise of Sunni and Zionist collaboration aimed at weakening Iran and Iraq, and the consequences on Shia and Christian minorities in authoritarian Arab states.   

Rather than picking on falsified and exaggerated massacres which even the Arab League was hard pressed to find evidence to support Western claims, look out for the sinister agenda.  The world is deceived yet again but many never seem to learn any lessons. 

We have only Russia and China who saw through the ruse to prevent the dominos falling and worse human rights disasters.  Ex-commis from the Cold War period continue to be demonized for not supporting colored revolutions in selective abhorrent countries. 

Independent minded leaders are clearly obstacles to neo-imperialism propagated since earlier British colonial and American expansionism post-WWII. The US and NATO are not reliable allies. Just look at the villain turned darling Gaddafi’s downfall.. Having seen developments of Islamists hijacking the revolution in Egypt and Libya, would Assad be stupid enough to accelerate the demise of his government and all that he has built for the country without a fight?  

National sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, the very rules set up by the West, but are constantly altered to serve their interests. To be fair, the United Nations should not be an extension of US and NATO but look after all states and humanity. 

Warning: be careful who you depose

BY:       JOHN R. BRADLEY 

Fro     The Australian

          February 13, 2012 12:00AM

IS the Syrian regime hellbent on political suicide? There can be no doubt President Bashar al-Assad is determined to crush rebellion, but if he had really carried out a massacre in the city of Homs (as was reported by most of the Western media) it would have been an act of complete madness.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has been deploring the Russian and Chinese veto of a Western-backed UN resolution against Syria, but a look at the Russians' reservations reveals legitimate concerns.

The West seems keen to portray the uprising as a simple story of freedom fighters opposing tyranny, when the situation is much more complex. An awful repeat of the Libyan debacle is beginning to unfold: Western reporters embed themselves with self-declared former al-Qa'ida fighters and bands of tribal fanatics, but fail to report this so as not to undermine the "Arab Spring".

The result of this in Libya is plain to see. Once the Islamist militias had established their rule in Tripoli, they imposed sharia law on the once secular country and set about torturing their enemies in a way that would have put even Gaddafi to shame.

Now the same voices that helped the Islamists to take over Libya - and then feigned surprise when they introduced a new and even worse type of despotism - are calling for another armed revolution in Syria. It doesn't seem to matter to them that should their insurrection succeed, the new regime might cause untold suffering for the Syrian people, most of whom (it is not often reported) have not joined the uprising. Why would they? They have plenty of reason to fear that what would come after Assad could be far more repressive and potentially murderous.

The NATO-sponsored government in exile, the Syrian National Council, is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The ranks of the rebel Free Syrian Army have been swelled by radical Islamists from Iraq and Libya, who are being armed and funded by Qatar via Lebanon and Turkey.

The Emir of Qatar, darling of the West, has at least had the decency to make his intentions clear: he has declared he wants to overthrow the last secular Arab regime. He has installed proxies of the insane Wahhabi cult in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, and now aims to do the same in Syria.

The House of Saud cares nothing for ordinary Syrians - its interest in the conflict is simply strategic. Along with its undeclared ally, Israel, it would like to see a group of Sunni and Wahhabi despots, hostile to their common enemy, Iran, replace Assad, who has collaborated with Tehran.

But what of Syria's religious minorities, the moderate Alawites, the Christians and the Shi'ites? What of the women? What of the dwindling number of free-thinking intellectuals, or Syria's ordinary moderate Muslim "folks", in Obama parlance, who do not wish to live under a backward Wahhabi theocracy? They can suffer in silence, it seems. US and Israeli "security interests" must come first, and are best served by a pact with the devil.

Of course, the veto by Russia and China at the UN had nothing to do with concerns about human rights. For China, it was revenge for being duped by NATO after the UN approved a no-fly zone over Libya, supposedly strictly to protect civilians but which was used as an excuse for all-out war and subsequently to ensure China no longer had access to Libya's vast oil reserves.

Russia has extensive economic investments in Syria, whose main port is leased to the Russian navy; and it sells billions of dollars of arms to the Assad regime.

But we sell many billions more to Saudi Arabia, which is Britain's main trading partner. We installed the al-Saud dynasty back in the 1920s, and we'll continue to be silent, as we always have been, on that regime's repulsive human rights record.

What goes around certainly comes around in the Middle East, and it comes around with depressing regularity. The Arab Spring was never going to end the cycle.

John R. Bradley is the author of After the Arab Spring: How Islamists Hijacked the Middle East Revolts

The Spectator 

Excerpts : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/warning-be-careful-who-you-depose/story-e6frg6ux-1226269067692

China on the Defensive : Syria under Seige?

This is an edited version of an editorial that appeared this week in China Daily:

When China joined hands with Russia on Saturday to veto an Arab-European draft UN resolution backing an Arab League plan to promote a regime change in Syria, its stance was consistent with its approach to international issues.

The draft resolution that sought to realize a regime change in Syria did not adequately reflect the state of affairs in this Middle East country.

In putting the resolution to the vote, western powers hoped to further exert pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, thus paving the way for the removal of a regime that is an obstacle to their policies in the Middle East.

By only exerting pressure on the Syrian government and explicitly trying to coerce its leader to step down, the resolution sends the message to armed groups and opponents of his regime that they have the support of the international community. This will undoubtedly make the Syrian situation even more complicated and make it impossible for all parties to reach a conciliatory agreement that is in the best interests of the country and its people.

We’ve seen what happened in Libya. With the armed intervention by some major western powers, the Libyan regime was overthrown. But instead of the democracy and freedom they were promised, Libyan people cannot even live in peace as the country is in the danger of falling into a sectarian civil war.

It is not a question of whether Assad should step down or not. It is whether the ever-worsening crisis in the country will be brought to an end in such a way that the country will not be plunged into a sectarian civil war and its people plunged into even greater misery.

China maintains that any attempt by the international community to help Syria solve its crisis must respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the country.

A messy civil war in Syria will not be conducive to peace in the Middle East.

Russia’s stance that conditions should not be imposed on dialogue, and that any efforts should influence not just the government but also the armed groups is reasonable.

The draft resolution was presented too hastily and the international community should give the Russian diplomatic endeavour time to soften the positions of all the parties in Syria so that an agreement can be reached that is for the good of the country.

The Chinese government believes that, in line with the UN Charter, political consultations are the best way to help a nation solve any political crisis.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1129705--china-explains-its-syria-veto-at-the-un

China Sided With Russia on Syria out of Defensiveness, Not Strength

Feb 8, 2012 1:28 PM EST

Tired of being pressured to follow rules set by the West, fearful that an Arab Spring could take root in its own soil, China’s controversial U.N. vote is all about subtext.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/08/china-sided-with-russia-on-syria-out-of-defensiveness-not-strength.html

Worship of Chinese Historical Heroic Figures and Cultural Traditions

Deeply entrenched in the traditions and cultures of the Chinese people is practice to remember historical figures and commemorate special events. There is often a fine line between mythology and history. Taoist teachings have an enduring influence in these mystical stories that have wowed many generations. Volumes of folklore stories have been written, with greater ethusiasm, dramatisation and miraculous claims. Many of these have been scripted and performed in opera conveyed in different regional dialects.

Most Chinese peoples including some of the illiterate worshippers are aware that they are not "praying" to a god, demi-god, deity or shen 神 despite the tendency to "idolise" almost every spiritual figure, including the Buddha. However, injecting an element of mysticism adds flavour and colour to enrich their way of life.

Values are incalcated and reinforced by performing rituals for thousands of years. Hence, Chinese including many overseas diaspora have built temples to pay respects to Confucius (scholarship), Guan Yu (bravery, honesty, loyalty), Qu Yuan (righteousness, patriotism) and Zheng He (adventure, diplomacy).  Some like Guan Yu and Zheng He are worshipped by other non-Chinese or mixed ethnicities in Southeast Asia. Their beliefs are inclusive. It does not bother overseas Chinese that Zheng He (Cheng Ho / San Bao) was a Hui Muslim.   And Guan Yu was held in high regard in Vietnamese home shrines even though he was of a different ethnicity.  There are many more regional and local folk heroes held in high esteem and models for laymen to follow.

Hero worshipping is probably the Chinese (and some Asian) way of learning from history. This is probably the reason why ancestral worship is an integral part of Chinese customs and traditions. While  Chinese families do not accord divine status to the deceased ancestors, they are "worshipped".  It serves as a reminder for past sacrifices and contributions. It is therefore common to to find ancestors' tablets enshrined in villages and overseas Chinese clan societies.

Thousands of years ago, before moderating and nurturing effects of Confucianism and Buddhism was absorbed by the Chinese, many were pagans and animists. To date, we still find families incorporating worship of the Kitchen God, Heaven Emperor, Mountain and Guardians, Wealth God, etc.

Surprisingly Mao Zedong is still worshipped by some mainland born Chinese baby boomers, overseas residents notwithstanding.  They would usually place a Mao photo or small figurine on the altar or shrine at the side of a Goddess or Mercy or Buddha.  While Mao had built a personality cult, Chinese people had never been duped into believing he was a heavenly son like the Emperors before him who were denounced by his Communist Party.  Mao might have shown superhuman powers when he unified China but he had also committed many grave policy errors and caused untold sufferings to his people.

Mao's bid to get rid of religion in Chinese society could not succeed because beliefs, customs, religion and cultures form a complex matrix,  so closely and strongly intertwined in Chinese society.  Certainly thousands of years of accumulated customs could not be easily wipe out by decades of Cultural Revolution. Today, the fear of excessive materialism and empty souls have prompted the Chinese government to encourage the revival of "religion".

The future face of Chinese religious psyche as increasing number of Chinese turn to Christianity in tandem with the relaxation on church activities is an interesting issue to explore. While Buddhism and Islam are foreign imports assimilated smoothly into the local culture, they are nevertheless oriental philosophies.

I shall deal with this topic in greater detail in future.

References :

http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/History109bye460.html

http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/137215.htm

http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/109S124S507.html

http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Excursions/Guan-entrance-sign.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China

Wikileaks : Advice to the US on China -- what Lee Kuan Yew told Steinberg

It is well known that many US officials who are keen to learn more about Asia, especially the rise of China, has sought the views of elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore. Much of the speculations from dubious sources (also stemmed from Wikileaks) do not have the connections and profound understanding of Chinese history, system of government, economy and people.

WikiLeaks: What Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg (on May 30, 2009)

MM Lee said he believes Japan may well ‘go nuclear’ (if North Korea becomes a nuclear power).

MM Lee said the Chinese do not want North Korea to have nuclear weapons. At the same time, the Chinese do not want North Korea, which China sees as a buffer state, to collapse. The ROK (South Korea) would take over in the North and China would face a U.S. presence at its border. If China has to choose, Beijing sees a North Korea with nuclear weapons as less bad for China than a North Korea that has collapsed ... 

MM Lee expressed worry about the effect on Iran if the DPRK (North Korea) persists (in its nuclear ambitions). MM Lee said he believes the DPRK can be contained and will not proliferate, but Iran has very high ambitions, ties to Shiite communities outside Iran, and oil wealth.

MM Lee said the ROK (South Korea), after seeing what had happened with German unification, does not want immediate unification with the DPRK (North Korea). There is ‘nothing there’ in the DPRK, other than a military organization. Kim Jong-Il has already had a stroke. It is just a matter of time before he has another stroke. The next leader may not have the gumption or the bile of his father or grandfather. He may not be prepared to see people die like flies. China is calculating all this. They have their best men on the job. They want to help the United States to advance common objectives. But they do not want the South to take over the North, MM Lee said.

...  in the absence of a social safety net in China, the Chinese savings rate is 55 percent, exceeding even Singapore’s 50 percent level. Consumption accounts for only 35 percent of Chinese GDP, as opposed to 70 percent of U.S. GDP. The Chinese leadership may be loath to shift permanently to a more consumption-oriented economy, but the leadership will do so temporarily, if only to avoid unrest… The pragmatists are in charge. There is nothing Communist about it. They just want to preserve one party rule…  
 
MM Lee said China is following an approach consistent with ideas in the Chinese television series The Rise of Great Powers. The mistake of Germany and Japan had been their effort to challenge the existing order. The Chinese are not stupid; they have avoided this mistake. China’s economy has surpassed other countries, with the exceptions of Japan and the United States. Even with those two countries, the gap is closing, with China growing at seven-nine percent annually, versus two-three percent in the United States and Japan. Overall GDP, not GDP per capita, is what matters in terms of power. China has four times the population of the United States. China is active in Latin America, Africa, and in the Gulf. Within hours, everything that is discussed in ASEAN meetings is known in Beijing, given China’s close ties with Laos, Cambodia, and Burma, he stated.

... the best course for the US is to build ties with China’s young people. China’s best and brightest want to study in the United States, with the UK as the next option, then Japan. While they are there, it is important that they be treated as equals, with the cultural support they may need as foreigners…Why not have Chinese cadets at West Point alongside Vietnamese cadets and Indian cadets?… MM Lee noted that his own experience as a student in the UK had left him with an enduring fondness for the UK. When he spent two months at Harvard in 1968, an American professor had invited him home for Thanksgiving. This was not the sort of thing that happened in the UK, and Lee had realized he was dealing with a different civilization. In the future, China’s leaders will have PhDs and MBAs from American universities, he predicted.

http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2010/11/wikileaks-what-lee-kuan-yew-told-steinberg.html

(The document which was originally posted on whistleblowing site http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/06/09SINGAPORE529.html  has been disabled by the powers that be.)


Two leaders but with totally different assessments. You would recall that in another Wikileaks revelation, Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd (last Prime Minister) talked tough and told his US counterpart Hilary Clinton that Australia to go to war with China should the latter fail to integrate with the international order.  The US despite being a strong miliary ally of Taiwan, Japan and North Korea would not fathom this as a likely scenario.  Given that China enjoys economic properity under peaceful circumstances, alternative avenues have been built to avoid using force for reunification and foreign policies. Rudd has been described as a boastful Mandarin speaking control freak by his own colleagues. His belligerent advice is uncalled for. There is much the western world could learn from LKY who is seen as the bridge between East and West.