“When China Rules the World” and other links…
The Observer: “China is not a nation state, he writes, but a civilisation state. As such, it cannot make accommodations with others as it rises. …Historically, China has regarded itself as being at the centre of the world and has sought tribute from others as acknowledgement of its inherent superiority, a racism that is embedded in the Chinese psyche, Jacques argues provocatively. Its instincts remain essentially Confucian: a strong central state seeking benevolently and collectively to improve the condition of the people. Communism is a contemporary expression of Confucianism.” This link comes from Dr. Gerald Horne with the comment, “Despite the negative FT review, the author at least is posing the query that few choose to pose—even by our Black Intellectuals who I had thought had an interest in ‘race.’ Fewer still ask-why and-how did this radical turn of events occur?”
“Carer grandparents ‘face poverty’”
BBC: “A third of grandparents in the UK aged under-55 are struggling financially, according to Grandparents Plus. …While the overall trend is for women to become mothers later in life—pushing back the age at which people become grandparents - this report highlights another group of families at the other end of the age range. …There are 1.5 million grandparents under the age of 50 - with younger grandparents more likely to come from less affluent families.”
“A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy”
Shirky: “So these are human patterns that have shown up on the Internet, not because of the software, but because it's being used by humans. Bion has identified this possibility of groups sandbagging their sophisticated goals with these basic urges. And what he finally came to, in analyzing this tension, is that group structure is necessary. Robert’s Rules of Order are necessary. Constitutions are necessary. Norms, rituals, laws, the whole list of ways that we say, out of the universe of possible behaviors, we're going to draw a relatively small circle around the acceptable ones. …He said the group structure is necessary to defend the group from itself. Group structure exists to keep a group on target, on track, on message, on charter, whatever. To keep a group focused on its own sophisticated goals and to keep a group from sliding into these basic patterns. Group structure defends the group from the action of its own members.”