Alex Kanakis retweeted
最近在中國珠海、無錫等地，昨天在湖南常德，都發生了無差別殺人、造成許多傷亡的惡性事件。加上之前深圳、蘇州日本人學校遇襲，以及中國國慶節前在上海發生的連續殺傷等，此類報復社會的事件頻頻發生，被稱為「張獻忠現象」。
張獻忠是明朝末年農民起義軍的領袖。他在面臨被剿滅的命運時，把比自己弱勢的民眾當成了殺戮的對象。「張獻忠化」現在被用來形容，中國社會為殺人而殺人的暴力事件愈來愈多。
中國面臨「張獻忠化」的最重要原因，是習近平的好大喜功，導致中國社會愈發不公開、不透明、不公平，民眾不滿的聲音沒有表達的管道。
習近平對自己的國家治理能力非常自信，認為中國百姓都對共產黨感恩戴德，並宣布了2020年底全國已經「如期完成新時代脫貧攻堅目標」。說中國已經沒有窮人了，共產黨創造了人間奇跡。
地方政府為了向習近平顯示國泰民安，四處圍堵、抓捕去北京上訪的人員。對真正遭遇困境的人來說，「上訪」這條過去唯一可以伸冤的管道消失了，再難得到救濟，於是陷入絕望。
而最令人擔憂的，是隨著中國經濟越來越低迷，習近平已經喪失了控制惡性事件發生的手段。最近，中國政府提出要排查、管理好合稱為「四無五失」的九種人群。
「四無」是指無配偶、無子女、無工作或穩定收入、無房產的人。他們被認為是危險的。「五失」是指投資失敗、生活失意、關係失和、心裡失衡，以及精神異常的人群。但這樣劃定的範圍，已經大到不可能形成真正有效的管理。
老子說，「民不畏死，奈何以死懼之」。當人民生活困苦，生不如死之時，嚴刑峻法也會失去對社會的約束力。如果中國經濟不恢復，惡性報復社會的事件還將不斷發生。
圖：中國網友統計的今年2月以來中國發生的惡性事件，11月已經至少有5起。
Alex Kanakis retweeted
I can't figure out if vaccines work or not.
Tough one. I can see why RFK Jr is so concerned.
Need Sherlock Holmes on this one.
Alex Kanakis retweeted
That was a cataclysm. Electoral map wipeout. Senate D practical ceiling is now 52 seats. R's is 62.
Time to rebuild the left.
We are out of touch with the crisis of meaning/purpose fueling MAGA. We refuse to pick big fights. Our tent is too small.
1/ Some early thoughts:
Alex Kanakis retweeted
“You can get people to vote away their democracy… as long as you create a false world for them to believe in.” - @HC_Richardson on how fear and disinformation helped shape this election. #TheWeeklyShow #JonStewart #Trump #Economy
Alex Kanakis retweeted
lots of Chinese people explain their Trump preference using the idiom about 真小人 & 伪君子. "an honest villain is better than a hypocritical gentleman". ignoring that he also tells endless lies, certain mask-off moments seem to resonate with people. take for example "there are a lot of killers. You think our country's innocent"?
this nails it: "Trump’s foreign policy is disturbing because it is uncanny—both grotesque and deeply familiar. Like a funhouse mirror, Trump’s vision of the world reflects back a twisted image of U.S. global politics that is and is not who we are supposed to be".
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Alex Kanakis retweeted
(📢) MAJOR BREAKING NEWS: Prospective Trump Co-President Elon Musk Admits That He and Trump Plan to Tank the US Economy Completely Before Trying to Gradually Build It Up Over Years
This bait-and-switch isn't what Trump voters signed up for. It's shocking. newrepublic.com/post/187662/…
Alex Kanakis retweeted
This Mearsheimer video is apparently trending on Douyin (China’s internal TikTok) now. Many in the West expect China to dislike Mearsheimer because he advocates a hawkish approach. But Beijing adores him. Why? He drags the US down into the mud in terms of values and he raises China up as a co-equal in terms of power and status. Sure, Mearsheimer adds a quiet footnote here and there that Beijing dwells in the same mud, but that is easily ignored/edited out. After all, how can a foreigner like him know China?
There is some deep irony in Beijing waving Mearsheimer about as a talisman to defeat the US’ ideological power, as Beijing understands that it absolutely is about ideology. They are using “it’s-not-about-ideology” Mearsheimer as an instrument in an ideological struggle.
Alex Kanakis retweeted
.@KaiserKuo interview with Xinhua journalists gives them an unchallenged platform to claim that Beijing has "effectively" tackled social challenges.
Their case in point: Uyghur labor transfers are not forced labor.
@KaiserKuo's reply: "great point." ⬇️
Alex Kanakis retweeted
不知道未来会如何，但这两年万圣节在中国有狂欢节性质。
汉民族聚居地很少有狂欢节传统。中国唯一的狂欢节传统恐怕是西双版纳泼水节。中国南方划龙舟也带一点狂欢节性质。
依据苏联哲学界巴赫金的狂欢化理论，狂欢节具有反叛、颠覆、嘲讽和质疑（包括自我怀疑）的特点。
最近几天，中国各大城市轮番庆祝万圣节，规模好像反而比去年更大了。中国的万圣节与其他国家相比呈现出一些不同特点，其中最显著的是像开启了一个阈限阶段。
狂欢节和阈限阶段叠加在中国年轻人的万圣节庆祝上构成一种反结构、反秩序、反中心的新的宣泄口。这恰恰就是我讲的突破心理障碍的地方。
象征性反抗並不是无用的反抗，它首先就是突破心理障碍。突破心理障碍是所有反抗形式的起点。
Alex Kanakis retweeted
十几年前，我们运营着一些个人网站。忽然有一天，备案政策出台，我们不知所措。管理员说："先等等看吧，这种不得民心的政策不会长久的。"
于是我们等待。等来了去北京拍照片领备案号，等来了 UGC 网站的相继关闭，等来了 Google 被墙，等来了手机号强制验证，等来了"外网"这个词汇的诞生。
后来，他们开始修改孩子们的教科书；用智慧屏幕取代了物理化学实验室；在每间教室安装监控，用人工智能分析孩子们的表情；让学生上交牛奶盒，却给他们吃变质的食物；把课间十分钟变成去厕所的谈话时间；给教室的窗户装上铁栅栏；禁止年轻人在街头 cosplay，却让更小的孩子背着写有"炸药包"的纸箱子…
我记得不知道谁表达过这么一个观点：能够向前看到一些事情，并不能给你带来什么优势，你得到的只是更早开始的痛苦。同样的，偶然回头看我们是如何走到今天这步田地的，感受也是如此。
回忆中更早的片段，是在奥运会之前。我在图书馆借了一本《一九八四》，边读边走在校园里，那个夏天的阳光真的很刺眼。
Alex Kanakis retweeted
1/ I highly recommend this book review by @CSISFreeman Jude Blanchette. Jude uses two recent books on Xi Jinping to explore what makes Xi tick, whether Xi is a true Marxist, and the ambitions that animate how Xi wields power. A few highlights (🧵). thewirechina.com/2024/10/17/…
Alex Kanakis retweeted
Wonder what the circumstances were that led to him having a blood test in #China? It is problem here though. Someone can return to China, having been somewhere that it’s perfectly legal to consume cannabis, and registration of it in your system means detention then deportation.
Alex Kanakis retweeted
Yes. I support Harris because the rule of law matters. Trump tried to overthrow the transfer of power and would do it again. I’m more conservative than most Harris voters, but policy and ideology don’t matter for long when you elect a corrupt autocrat. Been there, done that.
I’m voting for Kamala Harris not in spite of being a conservative, but because I’m a conservative. Conservatives believe in the rule of law.
video.twimg.com/amplify_vide…
Alex Kanakis retweeted
Everyone sees Iran’s help for Putin, and the cooperation of China with Russia. Despite statements, Beijing refrains from taking truly effective steps to stop the aggression and Russia’s violations of the UN Charter.
Alex Kanakis retweeted
🧵A brief posting on why we continue to get #Russia wrong: An often-repeated fallacy in DC when it comes to Russia (and academics reinforce it) is that Russia's pressure against the West is really about their security; pushing this alleged Western threat away from its borders.1/6
Alex Kanakis retweeted
Dark money, anonymous companies, and secretive elites with hidden wealth aren’t limited to distant dictatorships. They’re here in America—and they’re enabling democracy’s decay, @anneapplebaum and @peterpomeranzev argue.
theatln.tc/qOpsnJLt
Alex Kanakis retweeted
"I want to apologize to America. I helped create a monster": The former marketing chief for NBC who helped promote a fake version of Trump as a successful businessman on "The Apprentice" expresses regret. usnews.com/opinion/articles/…
