Photos of Dalian, PRC and Pyongyang, DPRK

 

Step-Daughter, Tianshu, living well and happily in Shanghai 2021

 

Questions to Blog Owner John Fitzpatrick about the reliability of NEWS about North Asia

 John, if you wished to find out what was happening in North Asia what news service in Australia would you go to?

"None of them. One would need to look at those news services that have an understanding and an interest in that Region, and no news service in Australia has either."

New services outside Australia?

"Well, there are a few. NK News is very good for the unbiased journalism, and the huge scope of which they are capable. Unless we are talking about just 'things that fascinate America', whereby DW English, Al Jazeera and Le Monde are quite reasonable. NHK Japan is okay. Even the Bangkok Post can be quite clear with their reporting, but nothing reported by Australia about North Asia is clear or particularly 'news', per se. If one wishes to see an 'independent' news agency as a total succubus of their governments, you could look at, equally, CGTN or ABC News or SBS News in Australia. CGTN will still provide a far more balanced view, and far more interesting topics for anyone interested in North Asia.

Is Australia part of Asia?

"No. For two reasons: First, it can't be, simply because no one in their right mind in Asia would want it to be.  Second, Australia doesn't want to be. It is a satellite of the USA, everyone knows that and most Australians prefer that."

Is this due to Australian racism?

"Absolutely. No question about that. It is also due to the long history of Australian politicians demonising China, in particularly, to shore up marginal FEAR votes in every Federal election. The current Australian Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton is a remarkable champion of this cause....and, well, there is an election early in 2022. There will be no positive news from Australia about our biggest trading partner, China, til after that election, I guarantee that."

recalling moments in China, on the fast train from Beijing to Shen Yang, the retired Red army colonel advising me that there was no need to learn the languages of Asia, just learn Mandarin, the common talk of China, for China IS Asia. Then he broke into song about the Motherland.

I note, from reliable sources, that North Korea isn't planning on bombing everyone on Earth this week, nor has it ever been interested in doing so. What we do have is an incredibly dis-engaged world media that just makes shit up every day.

I still think it is a shame that MISHIMA never received a Nobel Prize for Literature, for the simple reason that he was, indeed, the best writer alive at that time.

I know his personal politics and views were totally unacceptable, but it is a shame that these were taken into account at all. His value is in the beauty and complexity of his writings, in the poignant emotions, rather than in what he believed in as time went by.

Mishima changed the modern Novel from what a novel could do. His genius in progressing the Form is remarkable and sorely under appreciated.

So, Mishima wasn't, over all, a great guy. How does that matter? What he wrote was remarkable and totally unwritten before him.

The idea is to progress, expand, and perfect the Literary Form, rather than getting points if you like American Theory or not.

My father in law noted that, from his journeys into North Korea, that it did have the worst government in the world, and yet, at the same time, they were brothers.