Memeorandum points us to
this article in the Epoch Times:
Chairman Hu Jintao recognized it as soon as he heard it. Patriotic Chinese Internet users were delighted as soon as they saw the videos online. Early morning TV viewers in China knew it would be played an hour or two beforehand. At the White House State dinner on Jan. 19, about six minutes into his set, Lang Lang began tapping out a famous anti-American propaganda melody from the Korean War: the theme song to the movie “Battle on Shangganling Mountain."...
The movie and the tune are widely known among Chinese, and the song has been a leading piece of anti-American propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for decades....
The song Lang Lang played describes how beautiful China is and then near the end has this verse, “When friends are here, there is fine wine /But if the jackal comes /What greets it is the hunting rifle.” The “jackal” in the song is the United States....
“In the eyes of all Chinese, this will not be seen as anything other than a big insult to the U.S.,” says Yang Jingduan, a Chinese psychiatrist now living in Philadelphia who had in China been a doctor in the Chinese military. “It’s like insulting you in your face and you don’t know it, it’s humiliating...
[One] Chinese commenting on a forum responded to the Lang Lang performance by writing, “Defeat America, defeat Obama” (writing Obama’s name with the wrong first character, one meaning “sunken” or “dented.”)
IN THE COMMENTS: Irene says:
The media in general will make less of this than they did of Michaele and Tareq Salahi.
This is "fuck you, ignorant barbarians" crashing.
William says:
Didn't the Red Chinese lose tens of thousands of men in the Korean War in order to insure the prolonged rule of one of the most fucked up regimes in that region's long history of fucked up regimes? I would think that playing that tune is more likely to remind the world of the stupidity of Communist rulers than humiliate the United States. I think Obama should get Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen to write a commemorative song about Carter's failed rescue mission to Iran. He should play that song at all state functions. Same deal as this.
Posts
176 comments:
“In the eyes of all Chinese, this will not be seen as anything other than a big insult to the U.S.
I bet Obama was humming along and tapping his feet...
Michelle was wearing communist red, so he figured she would dig the song.
US Humiliation.
Courtesy of the Genuflecter-in-Chief.
Let's get a hearty round of red-baiting from the cro-magnons, shall we? I can't wait.
Obama probably feels that this was just a payback for the lack of a state dinner on the Chinese leader's last visit and that we deserved the insult.
See, this too was Bush's fault.
What a poor example of leadership.
Let's see, we followed the Korean war with continued freedom of speech, press, assembly, the right to bear arms and the private ballot.......China followed with the cultural revolution, bank-rolling totalitarian regimes and Ti'en an Min. Oh and btw our human rights advocates aren't in prison.
I think that's still a win for us.
Hillary in search of another reset button. A larger one - made in China.
Pretty chickenshit on their part to play a little propaganda tune that they knew we wouldn't recognize. Pussies.
If Robert Cook had been there, he'd have called Obama a capitalist running dog oligarchic oppressor right to his face.
And Obama probably would have apologized to him.
I know a man, a westerner, who speaks fluent Mandarin. He made a deal a number of years ago with a company based in China. The negotiations were held in China and in NY. My friend resisted the temptation to utter a word of Chinese when in China or in New York. It was only at the closing dinner that he delivered a speech. It was in Chinese and it was humiliating to the Chinese who knew that he had understood every word they said at the table over the long months of their negotiation.
Amateur hour at the WH. Simon Cowell not necessary.
For a non chicom viewpoint on battles in Korea, I highly reccy "Last Stand of Fox Company" by Drury/Clavin. It is a completely readable and fascinating Marine memoir about a 72 hour period in war. You need no historical knowledge to enjoy it. And it'll give you a great perspective on Chinese behavior in Korea.
$6 from Amazon/Prime or probably in your library.
-XC
PS - These guys also wrote the excellent "Halsey's Typhoon" - a great read.
PPS - I am so glad Bushitlerchimpymcmonkey didn't make this gaffe. At least since Teh w0n made it we won't have to endure Fareed and his ilk telling us what n00bs we all are on the world stage.
Bet franglo could do a duet of it with The Zero.
WV "stazzi" What franglo thinks of when someone says, "The good old days".
"Let's get a hearty round of red-baiting from the cro-magnons"
Yet more evidence that brain size decreases in domesticated animals. res ipsa loquitur.
This is a part of the international "respect" that Obama was going to create, right?
It's an unbelievable insult. Back in the day, wars could result from tricks like this. I'm not suggesting war, but there should be a pointed and public response.
There should also be a private one. It should involve Obama directly confronting his guests about the insult. Unfortunately, the Chinese have already taken the measure of Obama, and they know that he is a pussy. That is why something like this happens in the first place.
Must we take offense?
Here's what I said in the "birther" thread:
"Just think how Chinese president Hu is currently cleaning Obama's Kenyan clock - knowing Obama is a tiny-time Maoist of failed African inclinations. That if Mugabe could so thoroughly destroy the once thriving farms of Zimbabwe, Obama will just as preternaturally do the same to America." 1/20/11
Putting it to music wasn't really necessary. Nice touch, but unnecessary.
"...about six minutes into his set, Lang Lang began tapping out a famous anti-American propaganda melody from the Korean War..."
That's what you get when you let a fucking panda play around the piano...
Is here.
It sounds like bad Debussy.
Are Brits offended by The Star Spangled Banner ?
Ling Ling claims to have picked the song because he likes it and though it was patriotic.
So who picked the piano player?
Once again, nice work White House Staff!
Pretty chickenshit on their part to play a little propaganda tune that they knew we wouldn't recognize. Pussies.
And the reason we don't recognize it?
Because we have a terrible State Department that has no clue about protocol or any information about the countries, cultures and people we are trying to negotiate with.
A competent diplomatic corp(se) and State Department would have vetted the song long before it was finalized to be on the agenda. They would have known exactly the meaning of the song and diplomatically made a substitution.
Instead we have the kids from Animal House running the country.
We are made fools of all around the world, by these incompetents who think that they are the smartest people in the room.
Sounds to me like the Chinese have taken up the idea of the new civility!
I'm surprised they didn't have a Japanese cello player instead.
franglo,
Let's get a hearty round of red-baiting from the cro-magnons, shall we? I can't wait.
What kind of idiot are you? They humiliate us - to our face - and you want,...what, exactly? Understanding?
We understand what they were doing. And since when is it "red-baiting" when we know they did it for no good reason?
We did nothing to warrant this. I say we ship you, and "Lang Lang", both to China and see how you like it.
What kind of assholes have we bred here? Oh yea, I forgot.
You better be glad I'm not in charge because I'd have the FBI at your house wondering what your fucking problem is, and why you're so intent on stirring shit amongst patriots. It's an embarrassment you're living here.
There - is that what you're looking for?
It's interesting that the ChiComs were willing to dare this. They really have taken Obama's measure.
It sounds like bad Debussy.
Typical of Lang Lang, the current darling of subsidized broadcasting, and is in fact a hackest who gives Tchaikovsky's #1 a bad name.
Khruschev and JFK all over again.
The Reds can't use Cuba, but there's always the Panama Canal (thank you, Jimmy Carter).
Somebody is not doing their job, its beyond a patriotic song, its an insult. Who doesn't look over the list and understand (or seeks to understand) whats's on it.
This was a State Dinner, every little detail has to be considered. Unless one of your wife's BFFs is in charge of the social events and is more concerned about fashion.
So here is Lang Lang, a Chinese citizen who lives in NYC playing a Chinese Party musical piece, planned in advance and published by the WH in advance.
So don't we have any Chinese or Chinese scholars in the State Department who review materials for State Dinners?
Epic Fail again for the WH Social Sec and the DoS folks.
They stuck a finger in the eye of the Barbarians
The media in general will make less of this than they did of Michaele and Tareq Salahi.
This is "fuck you, ignorant barbarians" crashing.
Cro-magnons!
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
What a comedian! OMG, I never hear anything so funny or acutely astute.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Stop it already, you're killing me over here.
yawn...that was quite schmaltzy.
"It sounds like bad Debussy"
I didn't know there was any other kind of Debussy.
"...and is in fact a hackest who gives Tchaikovsky's #1 a bad name."
Tchaikovsky already took care of that.
Clinton loved China too. He seemed to think it important that China receive intercontinental ballistic missile technology. I guess the world isn't fair unless there is another power to keep us under control.
B. Hussein seems satisfied with just allowing us to be China's patsy. He insults our strongest allies and courts our erstwhile enemies.
Insult though it may be, it's interesting how much more important it seems to be to the Chinese than to us. "Patriotic pianist insults US; US yawns."
So don't we have any Chinese or Chinese scholars in the State Department who review materials for State Dinners?
Epic Fail again for the WH Social Sec and the DoS folks.
Who are we to tell them not to play this song? It is their culture! We would look so ignorant if we kept them from celebrating their culture at the White House!!
It's a shame President What didn't understand the song. He could have leaned over and whispered in President Hu's ear that old saying....If your neighbor owes you one thousand $, you're in charge. If your neighbor owes you several trillion $$$, he's in charge.
The Chicago way.
Humiliation is the same as "losing face". As a Chinese American, I find it amusing. How do you humiliate someone who doesn't know about it or feel the shame. Its useless as a device, but its a form of public shaming. Sort of a scarlet letter that Obama employed on Rush or Beck. Obama can say he knew it all along. He can say our First Amendment allows for dissent. Thus humiliating them back.
@Woof,
Did Francis Scott Key call the Brits "jackals" in "The Star Spangled Banner"?
I must have missed that verse.
And was America fighting the War of 1812 to restore one of the world's most murderous and dictatorial regimes to power?
That was the PRC goal in fighting in Korea, was it not? That was what the song was celebrating: the continued establishment of the world's largest concentration camp, North Korea.
All their songs sound alike.
And what does this say about Hillary Clinton - and her pant-suit understanding of panda bears.
He can say our First Amendment allows for dissent. Thus humiliating them back.
Really? I don't think the Chinese leaders would be the least bit humiliated to be told our First Amendment allows us to be criticized to our faces.
Even Tom Friedman seems to think these days that opposition voices in the US have entirely too much say. The Chinese don't have to waste time listening to criticism. They can just get things done!
Only an insult if we take it as such. I prefer to look at it as a evidence of a system where dissent does not lead to imprisonment.
Why would anyone think this is a matter of poor planning? Remember White House Communications Director Anita Dunn's affection for Mao? The ornament with the Great Helmsman's smiling visage on the White House Christmas Tree?
Bo is completely comfortable with this.
*Sigh*
Is there anything produced in China that isn't propaganda?
And the Chinese people are allowed to be just as delighted as they wish, just as wanting to get one over on the US as they wish.
Is the equivalent the US playing Yankee Doodle, or is it the equivalent of Battle of New Orleans on a visit to England? One oblique reference at the very end makes it sound even milder than Yankee Doodle.
Having a stick up one's national butt is not the proper response.
Didn't the Red Chinese lose tens of thousands of men in the Korean War in order to insure the prolonged rule of one of the most fucked up regimes in that region's long history of fucked up regimes? I would think that playing that tune is more likely to remind the world of the stupidity of Communist rulers than humiliate the United States. I think Obama should get Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen to write a commemorative song about Carter's failed rescue mission to Iran. He should play that song at all state functions. Same deal as this.
It doesn't sound like this was China's fault. The Americans are the ones who chose to have this played to impress their guests.
Americans: "See how much we value your culture?"
Chinese (eye brow raised): "Yes, you obviously understand us very well."
This would have never happened under President Bartlett.
(leave Hillary's pant-suits out of this)
Ignorance is dangerous. Obama and crew need to put down Alinsky and start reading Sun Tzu.
If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril. - Sun Tzu
@MayBee - Not just "communist" red but in Chinese culture also "good luck" red. Not always clear which is intended.
Something can be both an insult and an example of freedom of speech.
One can think something was done in poor taste and believe in freedom of speech.
One can both embrace freedom of speech and realize someone else takes you for a chump.
One can embrace other cultures and still take offense when our own is insulted.
I tell you what. If the Japanese had done something like this at a Chinese State Dinner, there would be protests and riots in the Chinese streets.
It was like the Chinese during a debate were flipping off someone while pretending to scratch their face.
@MayBee
You're attacking their lack of human rights. Get it?
@MayBee - Not just "communist" red but in Chinese culture also "good luck" red. Not always clear which is intended.
Why does it matter? It's both.
You're attacking their lack of human rights. Get it?
I get it.
They don't care.
It would be like trying to shame us for our failure to stone women who engage in infidelity.
deborah said...
This would have never happened under President Bartlett.
Bartletts have a notoriously short memories--so it might actually have been worse.
I may have seen this movie (assuming it's old and B/W) during my last few days in China back in June when my trip was winding down and I had some free time to sit in the hotel and watch television. It was surreal to see a movie about the Korean War from the Chinese point of view. Where Chinese actors wore pasty white makeup and lots of mascara and dreadful scowls to portray American soldiers who are charging up a hill...
Only to run into a single brave Chinese soldier armed with a bazooka(?). They freeze in terror. Then scream before the brave Chinese soldier blows them away.
Weird.
I think Obama should get Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen to write a commemorative song about Carter's failed rescue mission to Iran.
Springsteen's politics these days should disqualify him immediately. Dylan, to his credit, has remained aloof.
The Obama administration's political appointtees have a reputation around DC of being micromanaging, smarter-than-thou, fuckups.
I suspect that this was, like Hillary and the wrong word for "reset" in Russian, an example of where the political appointee clique froze out any foreign service hand that might have been able to help them figure out what was going on.
These events are planned in every detail, and this was a major fail. Unfortunately, I doubt that the appointee responsible for this fiasco will have to fall on his/her sword, as there haven't been many firings yet from the administration.
Bartlett pears?
"@MayBee - Not just "communist" red but in Chinese culture also "good luck" red. Not always clear which is intended.
Why does it matter? It's both."
Maybe, MayBee, they could have played "The East Is Red" ( One of the Chairman's favorites) and had it both ways.
It would have washed just as well with the Obamas
You know President Erkle, after the party stood around in his high-waters looking at people within his staff and said, "Did I do that?"
The Obama administration's political appointtees have a reputation around DC of being micromanaging, smarter-than-thou, fuckups.
I believe it, Young Hegelian. The other two State Dinners had misspellings on the menus.
I still can't believe Obama's people have managed not to be constant laughingstocks for the "reset" button, the Gordon Brown DVDs, and the iPod for Queen Elizabeth w/O's speeches.
"It was surreal to see a movie about the Korean War from the Chinese point of view. Where Chinese actors wore pasty white makeup and lots of mascara and dreadful scowls to portray American soldiers who are charging up a hill...
Only to run into a single brave Chinese soldier armed with a bazooka(?). They freeze in terror. Then scream before the brave Chinese soldier blows them away.
Weird."
The Chinese movies with Japanese in them are similarly "interesting."
But put Stallone on the hill with the Bazooka and make the horde of enemy soldiers something else... the US vs. Russia, or in Russia, Russia vs. the US... or Colombian drug lords vs. a special forces team... whatever.
It really doesn't bother me too much when some other country makes a movie where America is the villain. (I have a bit of a problem with second-rate American actors playing the American parts, but that's a different issue.) The principle in the movie "Unbreakable" applies... the hero needs a powerful arch enemy or the hero can't exist. It's a story necessity. And who is more powerful than America?
Class factotum said:
"Only an insult if we take it as such. I prefer to look at it as a evidence of a system where dissent does not lead to imprisonment."
There are appropriate occasions for political dissent. A state dinner isn't one of them. The song was an insult, not "dissent".
President Urkel can't even keep a Real Housewive from crashing his state dinner because she was dressed in a sari.
That's why about ten Chinese delivery guys who were bringing take out were seated at the dinner.
These guys are real pros.
It really doesn't bother me too much when some other country makes a movie where America is the villain.
Yeah, of course not, but would it really be appropriate for our chosen pianist to play the theme from Rambo II at state dinner hosted by the Vietnamese government?
Eh, who cares. I don't feel humiliated. Does anyone here feel humiliated?
The humiliation, to me, is that our government officials speak positively about Chinese "progress" on human rights.
"The humiliation, to me, is that our government officials speak positively about Chinese "progress" on human rights."
The humilitation, to me, started when this douchenozzle got elected President. It won't stop until he goes. Get used to it.
Shame in Chinese culture is personal. National insults are personal humiliation. Don't think if it is coming from Obama that there won't be a negative reaction. OR perhaps humiliation.
In fact...
Obama's attempts to avoid the appearance of patriotism is humiliating and insulting... the patriotism of China is not.
Not that I'm suggesting that Obama have someone play the Battle of New Orleans or Yankee Doodle next time he has the British delegation over for tea, but patriotism ought to be seen as the positive thing that it is. Obama is supposed to be on OUR team. The Chinese are supposed to be cheering for THEIR team. If they didn't it would be a reason to despise them.
Just the same way that we perceive Obama's lack of American enthusiasm to be a reason for the world to despise US.
Hey I was watching the bogus playoff game just now and the Packer's band just played "Hail to the Redskins."
What's up with that?
Oh and we won't be hearing from garage mahal today.
He told me he will be in front of the TV with some baby oil and a box of tissues.
Talk about your humiliation.
Ah jeez. It looks like the Packers like Rambo.
They got First Blood. So to speak.
Are Brits offended by The Star Spangled Banner ?
Dunno, but after their on the receiving end of WH insults this episode has gotta have given them a couple of giggles.
Eh, who cares. I don't feel humiliated. Does anyone here feel humiliated?
Nope.
But a Palladian Gadsden flag redesign with Hu walking on a that says 'Tread on me' would be humorous.
Now we all know that there are no hero's named Aaron.
Aaron Burr.....murderer and tratior.
Aaron Sorkin....purveyor of boring liberal claptrap.
Aaron Spelling...produce demon spawn Tori....need I say more.
Aaron Neville...I mean the dude can sing but why can't he clean off his fucking lip for crying out loud.
There are just no hero's named Aaron. Just sayn'
...their BEING on the....
I have saved thousands of dollars by not buying Chinese-made products, so I appreciate this motivational boost to my thrift campaign.
(Santa brought me some well-made Peruvian polo shirts, as well as books printed in the good old USA.)
Obama is supposed to be on OUR team. The Chinese are supposed to be cheering for THEIR team. If they didn't it would be a reason to despise them.
True. You know there are people on fashion boards saying that if Michelle had worn an American-designed dress, or hadn't worn red, it would have looked too nationalistic.
Now we hgave a lot of Jay's who are heros.
John Jay....the first Chief Justice.
Jay Black...who is such a patriot he named his band "The Americans."
Chief Jay Strongbow....one of the greatest grapplers of all time.
And of cours...Jay Z....I mean the guy is boning Beyonce.
He's my hero. Just sayn'
There are a lot of hero's named Jay.
When did red become the color of the GOP? I missed the memo on that. Red was always the color of the left.
"When did red become the color of the GOP? I missed the memo on that. Red was always the color of the left."
When you're a cro-Magnon Althouse hillbilly, the GOP IS on the left. Sort of like Robert Cook's perspective in reverse. (SARCASM ALERT)
MayBee said...
True. You know there are people on fashion boards saying that if Michelle had worn an American-designed dress, or hadn't worn red, it would have looked too nationalistic.
As if looking to nationalistic is a bad thing. Unbelievable.
Lang Lang cannot be unaware of how the song has been used and its anti-American slant. Even if he simply just likes the song, it was a poor choice, considering the song's history and use by the Communist Party.
He is a guest of the United States. Is this how a guest treats a host who has welcomed him and enabled him to advance his education and career? The shame is on him and his gloating compatriots in China.
Let him know what you think:
http://www.langlang.com/us
I saw a thing Michael Moore did on the red and blue thing. I don't remember what the explanations were about it. I think he was asking media companies how they decided and was getting his cameras in people's faces and being rude as usual.
I *think* that the colors used to alternate so that one party wasn't always red and one always blue, but certainly the *parties* did not choose the colors.
Blue is prettier.
But Red is stronger.
Maybe someone decided not to have the Dems be Red because it would be too easy to call them communist. Who knows.
But I think it's sort of permanent now.
former law student said...
When did red become the color of the GOP? I missed the memo on that. Red was always the color of the left.
Red is the color of valor, after all. The media types, seeing what gutless, craven small c communists inhabit the Democrat Party, made the only logical choice.
What Michael said--the Chinese have taken Mr Obama's measure with this little stunt.
I *think* that the colors used to alternate so that one party wasn't always red and one always blue, but certainly the *parties* did not choose the colors.
I think that's right. It got frozen after 2000, when the argument became about "red" states and "blue" states.
"True. You know there are people on fashion boards saying that if Michelle had worn an American-designed dress, or hadn't worn red, it would have looked too nationalistic."
Yes, exactly. And it's clear that Obama and most of his supporters find national pride and promotion unseemly. But don't question their patriotism! Nevermind that patriotism is an appearance to be avoided in polite company, it's still uncivil to suggest that someone isn't patriotic.
I don't know how people deal with the cognitive dissonance.
As for Michelle... I'm sure she looked very pretty in a red dress. She looks good in strong colors.
Oh, and pardon me, I think David said it first.
Are Brits offended by The Star Spangled Banner ?
I don't know about The Star Spangled Banner, but I have known more than one UK expat living here who have expressed annoyance at the whole 4th of July raz-ma-taz. Their take on it is we are specifically celebrating the defeat of Britain. Sort of like an ongoing end zone dance, to put it in US football terms (as I watch the Packers and the bears). I try to tell them that it's not anti-Britain any way near as much as it is a celebration of the birth of the US. They are not convinced.
Ignorance is dangerous. Obama and crew need to put down Alinsky and start reading Sun Tzu.
If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril. - Sun Tzu
So many people do not understand politicians. Once again; their job is to get elected. Everything else is of little importance.
By the way, I changed my profile so we don't have so many Michaels.
I try to tell them that it's not anti-Britain any way near as much as it is a celebration of the birth of the US.
How does it go? "If we hadn't beaten the British (twice!*), we'd all be speaking English today"?
*Don't let the Canucks try to tell you any different about who won. They ended up with a few arpents of snow, as Voltaire put it.
The piano piece needs to be viewed not from the perspective of whether we're insulted -- I'm don't feel particularly insulted and I suspect hardly any other American feels insulted -- but from the perspective of the Oriental concept of "face."
And I think we lost some, and not merely with the Chinese but with numerous Asian countries.
I think the people who push multiculturalism also lost face, in that they truly don't seem to understand the perspectives of other cultures.
I think the Bears better put in Dick Butkis.
Wait I misspelled that.
It's Butkus.
Butkiss is what Barry was doing to the Chinamen. It's had Sorry about that. Carry on.
Butkiss is what Barry was doing to the Chinamen.
Troop, we have to kiss the ass of the Chinese or I'll never be able to make toast again.
Trooper York said...
I think the Bears better put in Dick Butkis.
Wait I misspelled that.
It's Butkus.
Butkiss is what Barry was doing to the Chinamen. It's had. Sorry about that. Carry on.
Never apologize, mister. It's a sign of weakness.
(you, above all people, should know that...)
Sad to say, but a second Rick has surfaced on this thread. I will cease posting until I assume a new ID.
I think the Bears better put in Dick Butkis.
Yeah, because so far from the Bears it's bupkis.
"I think the people who push multiculturalism also lost face, in that they truly don't seem to understand the perspectives of other cultures."
Multiculturalism misunderstands other cultures but how could it do otherwise when the "rules" are that 100% of the burden for accommodating the other culture rests on us alone, no other country or culture is required to understand our culture or make accommodations for an American point of view.
When did red become the color of the GOP? I missed the memo on that. Red was always the color of the left.
There was a stink about this when the networks first did this, for the 2000 election. Republicans objected because red has long been the color of the Left, and in military exercises the BLUFORS are "our side" and the REDFORS are the enemy. The networks piously claimed that they just flipped a coin to assign the colors, and that in future elections they would vary the colors. Bullshit.
More propaganda from the MSM. Can you say "Меньшевики и Большевики," boys and girls?
You mean Bruce Springsteen? The same one who has written beautifully crafted rock and pop tunes about how the American dream is a cruel joke, all the while cashing in to the tune of tens of millions of dollars?
I would bet Bruce loves the Chinese regime for the same reasons that Tom Friedman does.
So a billion Chinese are tittering up their sleeves at us. Meanwhile, out here in the civilized world where Nobel Prize-winning dissidents are not imprisoned, we don't really give a hoot what silly song that Ling-Squared fellow was playing on his piano. It could have been the theme from M*A*S*H for all we care.
m-666 is right on tgt here. The LSM weasels couldn't stand the thought of reminding the American public of the ultimate logical connection between the American left and Communism on the continuum of political thought/ideology. And, yes, the smarmy bastards DID, as m-666 states, defend their decisions by the coin-flip defense--which obviously anyone over the age of 12 with an IQ even below room temperature knew was a pile of steaming crapolla. Indeed, that little move can be said to be the beginning signal that the LSM had begun the process of giving up any pretense whatsoever of "nobody here but us chickens" political "neutrality" in reportage.
Of course, vis a vis the piano bit, this is the sort of insult that the "weak horse(s'ass) better expect and get used to..how sickeningly typical of an Obama-run WH. Obama: One of the *REALLY SMART* people. Right..
In ALL circumstances Obama ALWAYS in ALL WAYS is, as the British are famously wont to say, consistently "too clever by half."
I didn't know there was any other kind of Debussy.
Lots, say this
franglo wrote: Let's get a hearty round of red-baiting from the cro-magnons, shall we? I can't wait.
A heartfelt insult from our representative H. erectus.
@murgy, how did you generate the Cyrillic letters? I assume the same approach works to produce letters with umlauts and Greek letters?
FLS wrote: [W]e have to kiss the ass of the Chinese or I'll never be able to make toast again.
I don't see the logical connection. A couple million lines of argument must have been deleted.
woof wrote: Are Brits offended by The Star Spangled Banner?
Good question. They might well be if there it contained a lyric with bestial comparatives or metaphors.
Has anyone asked Krugman if he feels this was civilized or not?
@ Big Mike
Use Word to compose you comment. There are a number of symbol sets, including Cyrillic. Then paste.
A couple million lines of argument must have been deleted.
For me to make toast, I need a toaster.
All toasters are made in China.
Chinese people must be kindly disposed towards Americans to continue to ship toasters to America.
Kissing Chinese ass will assure my access to toasters because it will make Chinese people -- source of all toasters -- kindly disposed towards Americans and thus willing to ship toasters to America.
re Maggoturo
Patriotism: the first refuge of a punk byatch.
You might not care for...chinese or koreans...then like take a look at scorecards of US military vs VC,NV, or NK, and you might figure it out.
Let a 1000 flowers bloom
You know, I was just thinking of that great Sinatra movie, The Manchurian Candidate. Doesn’t it seem like this bozo in the white house is acting exactly like what the Chinese were trying to implement in that movie? Seriously, it truly seems this President is hell bent to deliver us to the Red Chinese and the rest of the Marxist Socialists. Watch the movie and you’ll see what I mean.
harkin said...
Let's see, we followed the Korean war with continued freedom of speech, press, assembly, the right to bear arms and the private ballot.......China followed with the cultural revolution, bank-rolling totalitarian regimes and Ti'en an Min. Oh and btw our human rights advocates aren't in prison.
I think that's still a win for us.
-----------------
No, it was a win before Free Trade and Globalism, enthusiastically endorsed by both Dem & Rep Parties - handed the Chicommies our asses.
Tienamenn Square is forgotten in China as the wise leaders with 67% approval as doing a great job (highest in the world) gave 10-12% annual growth and a tripling of the standard of living as Detroit, Akron, Oakland were gutted of good paying manufacturing jobs. Since the Tienamenn Square kerfluffle. The average feeling in China is despite the protest and unfortunate violence, "we were lucky our leaders stayed on course and got us jobs and made China #1 again"
As for "human rights" - when was the last time a banker cared one whit about people lining up to see if they could get money said as they snivelled about "human rights"??
Hey, no equivocating here:
SO, HOW’S THAT “SMART DIPLOMACY” GOING? “Chinese Pianist Plays Propaganda Tune at White House: US humiliated in eyes of Chinese by song used to inspire anti-Americanism.” This seems like quite an expression of contempt toward one’s hosts. It’s certainly quite a slap in the face to Obama, and a demonstration that our State Department remains not ready for primetime. On the other hand, it should remove any shreds of guilt I might otherwise feel when China dissolves into civil war after we default on our bonds. . . ." - Glenn Reynolds
Good news, FLS!
Viking makes toasters right there in Mississippi! There will be no great toaster embargo!
@rick - My apologies, since I am the second "Rick" I'm the one who needs to stop/change. Will tweak my Blogspot profile. :-)
Clyde said...
So a billion Chinese are tittering up their sleeves at us. Meanwhile, out here in the civilized world where Nobel Prize-winning dissidents are not imprisoned, we don't really give a hoot what silly song that Ling-Squared fellow was playing on his piano.
=============
That is not how power politics are played. America is just recently removed from being so big and powerful nations that tried to humiliate us didn't matter in the least.
Now they can. And most nations have their historical memory of past humiliations, and many ways they were forced into subordination, some involving us. Doesn't have to be war. Most involve being cast down the pecking order on economic issues. Like Greece, lining up for it's monthly shit sandwich of "you must do these things" from German, French, Dutch, Japanese, and Swiss state bankers.
=====================
This humiliation was avoidable as Jason the Commentor noted. Lang Lang gave his song list and time it takes to perform them to State Dept weeks ahead of time for purpose of planning the formal state dinner. The failure was at State Dept protocol and on Hillary, ultimately.
@Synova - Your point is well taken. We routinely enjoy shows/movies where the American hero blows away the bad evil (fill in the blank). So we shouldn't be shocked when in (fill in the blank) they have shows/movies where the hero blows away the bad evil Americans.
While getting an exceptional foot massage in Qindgao was enjoying an old Jet Li (Li Lian-Jie) movie in which the bad guys were Japanese. Or rather obviously Chinese actors pretending to be Japanese. ;-)
Obama: ...regain the respect of the international community...
The World is laughing at our Diversity Hire.
it's interesting how much more important it seems to be to the Chinese than to us. "Patriotic pianist insults US; US yawns."
American contractors recently returning from China have noted that Chineese Army Officers consider America to be their next enemy and train accordingly.
Well, they brought a knife. Let's see if our punk-in-chief brings a gun.
Let's see if our punk-in-chief brings a gun.
No no, Obama's Corruptocrat Pal (Daley) got a special handout from the Chineese. Can't jeapordize that.
J said...
re Maggoturo
Patriotism: the first refuge of a punk byatch.
The Soviets didn't think so. Look what they did with Philby & Co.
You might not care for...chinese or koreans...then like take a look at scorecards of US military vs VC,NV, or NK, and you might figure it out.
Nitwit forgets we won the Korean War and withdrew from 'Nam only because of traitors like himself. The good news: after depopulating enough Commies in Indochina, Uncle Hoho's planned expansion into Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines was permanently checked.
Let a 1000 flowers bloom
The words of the worst murderer in human history. Guess who's the real punk byatch?
PS Guys like him are the first to go to the wall.
Well since J seems to think that we are no match for VC/NV/NK and presumably China, our only option now is to remilitarize Japan and encourage them to regain their colonial possessions. After all, they sure kicked the living shit out of Viet Nam, Korea, China, and everybody else. Except us.
Nicely put, sir, but don't forget the Brits and the Aussies.
They had their revenge, too.
I guess I consider them "us." For these purposes. They both speak American. Just with odd accents. Sort of like people from Maine. And I could not be more serious about remilitarizing Japan (including simply handing them nukes; consider it payback for backing the Norks). The PRC would suddenly find the US to be the least of their worries.
Let them have their laugh, then sell Taiwan the weapons it wants.
I'm sure our subtle friends can figure it out.
MayBee -- thanks.
I have to think if I want to spend $200 for a professional grade toaster.
My last toaster was made in Mexico and cost $10. It has an integrated circuit. My only problem is it takes twice as long to make toast as it used to.
Then ask them if the insult was worth it. They bring a knife, Taiwan and Japan show up with nukes. On SSBNs.
"My only problem is it takes twice as long to make toast as it used to."
I've seen this problem before. You have to open it up and remove the marijuana stashed in it.
woof wrote: Are Brits offended by The Star Spangled Banner?
Good question. They might well be if there it contained a lyric with bestial comparatives or metaphors.
Oh, do you mean something along the lines of:
"And where is that band who so vauntingly swore/That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion/A home and a country should leave us no more/Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution./No refuge could save the hireling and slave/From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave"
Frankly, for bloodthirstiness, The Marseillaise pales in comparison.
You might not care for...chinese or koreans...then like take a look at scorecards of US military vs VC,NV, or NK, and you might figure it out.
Huh. I wasn't aware that the Vietcong and North Vietnamese were actually Chinese and Korean.
You learn the most interesting things on the Internet.
And just so everyone won't think me insane (I may be, but not for reasons on evidence here), I know full well that we would never do any such things with Japan and Taiwan. But it wouldn't surprise me if the US only passively (and half-heartedly) opposed any efforts by Taiwan or Japan to obtain nukes. And I don't put an Asian nuclear arms race beyond the realm of possibility at this point.
@rick - My apologies, since I am the second "Rick" I'm the one who needs to stop/change. Will tweak my Blogspot profile. :-)
Rick....Thank you ...the other rick
"..And I don't put an Asian nuclear arms race beyond the realm of possibility at this point. "
Game on..India, China, Pakistan, North Korea..why not Japan and Taiwan?
MarkD said...
Let them have their laugh, then sell Taiwan the weapons it wants.
I'm sure our subtle friends can figure it out.
===================
Taiwan will be reabsorbed into China within a decade.
Everyone knows it is coming, hopefully without a show war done by the powerful and growing Chinese military spending their WalMart revenue on subs, attack air wings, and missiles.
Australia and NZ have already said things have changed..they no longer will back Taiwan (or America) by joining them in the event of a China-Taiwan clash if CHina elects to reabsorb them "The ugly way".
Not that there's anything wrong with Chinese toasters as long as you don't mind risking setting your cabinets or countertops on fire. From the Federal Register (HB/PS are the good old American companies of Hamilton Beach and Proctor Silex):
A. The Countertop Toasters
6. HB/PS imported and distributed
model 24205 and 24208 countertop
toasters (the ‘‘subject toasters’’ or ‘‘toasters’’) from April 1997 through September 1999. These toasters were manufactured for HB/PS by Durable Electrical Metal Factory, Ltd., in China.
"Taiwan will be reabsorbed into China within a decade."
I know a lot of "progressives" who are utterly indifferent to what that means. Oppression of many millions? Ho hum. Much better to rant about BushHitler.
"A baited banker thus desponds,
From his own hand foresees his fall,
They have his soul, who have his bonds;
'Tis like the writing on the wall."
--Jonathan Swift
RH, that's a difficult piece for the average person to appreciate. Very briefly, in the middle, it breaks into a beautiful melody.
Michelle Obama should have worn a blue dress with white accents. It would have looked nice with the accompanying red.
Um, the Chinese lost 500,000 dead and another 500,000 wounded, to go with the 1,000,000 or so NKo military and civilian dead. In exchange, the Chineses have been gifted with two different madmen running a country on their border.
Not exactly something I would consider humiliating to the US, sorta humiliating to the dumbass chinese, who bought the Chinese government lies and to this day believe it was some sort of victory.
"I don't know about The Star Spangled Banner, but I have known more than one UK expat living here who have expressed annoyance at the whole 4th of July raz-ma-taz. Their take on it is we are specifically celebrating the defeat of Britain. Sort of like an ongoing end zone dance, to put it in US football terms (as I watch the Packers and the bears). I try to tell them that it's not anti-Britain any way near as much as it is a celebration of the birth of the US. They are not convinced."
Next time tell them that if we were like that, we'd have the holiday on October 19th, when the surrender at Yorktown took place. And anyway, we bailed their butts out in both world wars, so we can't hate them too much. :-)
disgraceful stuff. I recomend Obama send Hu send a video collection of Charlie Chan movies.
Maybe a performance of Nixon in China?
I don't know about The Star Spangled Banner, but I have known more than one UK expat living here who have expressed annoyance at the whole 4th of July raz-ma-taz. Their take on it is we are specifically celebrating the defeat of Britain. Sort of like an ongoing end zone dance, to put it in US football terms (as I watch the Packers and the bears). I try to tell them that it's not anti-Britain any way near as much as it is a celebration of the birth of the US. They are not convinced.
They'd be even more annoyed if they realized we used to name our aircraft carriers (e.g. Lexington, Yorktown, Oriskany) after battles where we kicked British ass.
US Humiliation?
US just humiliation its self because of its ignorance. It took several days that you guys know what happen in white house through some Chinese dissident. This humiliation was avoidable . Lang Lang gave his song list and time it takes to perform them to State Dept weeks ahead of time for purpose of planning the formal state dinner. The failure was at State Dept protocol and on Hillary, ultimately.
How many people really understand China and Chinese culture? who knows about that film and song Langlang play. At least nobody in WH and capitol know about this song. So blame yourself first. If you really care about it, do some research and learn some Chinese culture and music. That song is a peaceful song and expressed the emotion of home memory and anti war feeling, even it was from a movie about Korea war.
@murgy, how did you generate the Cyrillic letters? I assume the same approach works to produce letters with umlauts and Greek letters?
Actually, I did it the lazy man's way: I used Google Translate, made a couple of small spelling corrections with copy-and-paste, and then pasted it into the comment box.
Google Translate is surprisingly good most of the time.
US just humiliation its self because of its ignorance. It took several days that you guys know what happen in white house through some Chinese dissident. This humiliation was avoidable .
Indeed it was. That why so many of us on this comment thread are disgusted by the Obama Administration.
The American people were told by their news media that Obama would make an excellent president because he was very smart and very competent. Obama himself might still believe that, but few of the rest of us do.
And the dependably lickspittle New York Times tells us it's no big deal:
If, in retrospect, “My Motherland” might seem to be a regrettable choice for a state dinner, it clearly was unintentional. Mr. Lang, an American-trained pianist who divides his time between the United States and China, is an artist who melds American and Chinese cultures.
"Clearly unintentional"? Clearly bullshit.
This is an example, as if we need another one, of Obama's and the democrats smart diplomacy that's supposed to be so much more effective than Bush's cowboy diplomacy.
Obama will talk with dictators without preconditions, will bow even when unnecessary to any foreign leaders. And what does it get us?
I'd be all for talking with foreign leaders wihtout preconditions if it actually got anything, but haven't the dems ever heard the phrase if you give an inch they'll take a mile? How big of a chump do Obama and the dem want the US to be?
“Defeat America, defeat Obama” (writing Obama’s name with the wrong first character, one meaning “sunken” or “dented.”)
∅bama
franglo wrote:
Let's get a hearty round of red-baiting from the cro-magnons, shall we? I can't wait.
Its funny hearing from dems who just got rolled internationally about red baiting cro magnons. I get it, cro magnons are stupid.
Yet why are the cromagnons aware that we just got rolled, while the dems are crowing about how sophisticated our international diplomacy is.
Smart diplomacy seems to mean American humiliation and giving away the store, with nothing to show for it. Tell us how we're wrong?
Maybee wrote:
omething can be both an insult and an example of freedom of speech.
One can think something was done in poor taste and believe in freedom of speech.
So if we say Obama was an idiot for not responding to this we are suggesting that we don't believe in freedom of speech?
Who is arguing that? Freedom of speech doesn't mean that Obama has to be sap in response.
C4 1/23/11 5:52 PM,
Are you a native or a transplant?
Americans will usually put up with quite a lot of this petty humiliation. Then one day it gets too much and we march.
Saddam played this game. For quite a long time too. Evidently he did not realize that there were limits.
Smart diplomacy is like new math - it doesn't always add up.
Remember - the rattlesnake will rattle and hiss when the danger is close, but when the danger is present it will strike. There's a reason the rattlesnake is on the Gadsden Flag and the Gadsden Flag is a favorite among the Tea Party.
wv: shammam -- where we will go for healing when obamacare kicks in
Fen said...
The World is laughing at our Diversity Hire.
r rook rame.
In exchange, the Chineses have been gifted with two different madmen running a country on their border.
N Korea doesn't exist without China's permission. And its in China's interest to have a mad dog on a short leash.
You might want to google "China's God Bless America" to see what this song is really about.
Epoch Times is Well known for it's anti-China slant.
To say the song is anti-American is like saying Star Spangled Banner is anti-British. We play it to the Queen, does it mean we are rubbing her nose in? The Revolutionary War and Korean War are both historical facts, so what does it have to do with respective state visits today?
Lang Lang picked a song for the visiting guest, don't read too much into it. It was also sang during the Olympics, in front of President Bush.
Wow, did anyone read "bobby fletcher's" profile?
He's an "Asian-American community activist" who blogs about "The Myth of Tiananmen Square Massacre" and puts a happy face on "What's Wrong with 'Organ Harvesting'?" ...
I'm a bit surprised I didn't see anything defending the Chinese government's quaint custom of billing an executed prisoner's family for the cost of the bullet.
wv: laogai ... well, not really -- but it would have been appropriate
In the eyes of all Chinese, this will not be seen as anything other than a big insult to the U.S.
The inscrutable East.
From an article on Fox News quoting protions of an interview that Peter Doocy conducted of the pianist Lang Lang.
The East room will be the epicenter of the nights entertainment, with performance by Chris Botti, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves and world-renowned pianist Lang Lang. Lang Lang, the only Chinese performer of the evening, told Fox News' Peter Doocy the program will focus on American music, but he will perform a Chinese song "Pagoda" from Ravel's Mother Goose Suites.
Was something lost in translation?
And I thought Lang Lang was a Panda...
Oh that was Lum Lum.
Wow, did anyone read "bobby fletcher's" profile?
Now I have, and I wish I hadn't.
I liked thinking he was just an idiot, and not actually a horrible person.
I have watched Lang Lang play, seen him interviewed by Alec Baldwin, and the fact that he would play garbage like that surprises me not one bit. Commies suck, and Chicoms do too.
WV: adeoto - Barber's famous piece, in Chinese.
Judge for yourselves, but do not blindly accept the author's description of what the famous young pianist was playing.
The song: My Motherland
The words: http://iask.sina.com.cn/b/8859259.html
- the word translated enemies is also rendered jackal
The video from the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LQyyh1zc44
The movie is abour war, but this song is about the soldiers missing their homeland.
As you can see, it is a patriotic song, nor a warring song. The whole song is about the beauty of the homeland but for two sentences:
Beautiful mountains and waters make a delightful place,
And every road is so smooth and so wide.
When our friends come, there are good wine for them,
When our enemies come, there are shotguns for them.
So the only agressive portion of the song is a defensive statement about their homeland.
Me: Conservative American who has visited China since 1991 and been to 12 provinces. My wife, who is Chinese, found this information.
Really, it just amazes me that some Americans can be so myopic and not see the world of opportunities in friendship building since China opened up in the last 20 years. But instead of building we should instead be so distrustful and destructive? You know many Chinese envy our freedom, we can honor that by building bridges, not by tearing them down.
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