Just watched John Pilgers “Çoming War with China”, and it is well worth taking the 2 hours out to watch it.
One thing I liked was that John Pilger is honest and upfront in his opinion within the first five minutes of the film. That China is the victim, acting defensively against USA imperialist military aggression.
It’s a typical Political Leftist stance. A view with roots in much of Australia’s anti-militarism activist history pre-1990’s. This space often had the narrative dominated by various Stalinist/Leninist political ideologies, who only ever focused on opposing USA militarism. Never the militarism of States controlled by Communist Parties.
While it’s not an opinion I completely agree with, it is worth watching the rest of the film to allow John to justify his narrative. And his position certainly does have some merit.
He goes on to present detailed information about the cruel list of crimes against humanity that the USA committed in their occupation, and subsequent nuclear testing, in the Marshal Islands. This is information not ever presented in our schooling or mainstream media commentary.
John Pilger presents a history of USA & European colonialism in China; how the opium trade funded much of USA industrialism; and the overt Chinese racism in USA culture. Again this is important history to visit which is often glossed over in Western schooling and media.
He goes into depth about the USA military bases in Okinawa and the high level of resistance from the Japanese locals. Again this is a story almost untold in Murdoch press. And important to keep in mind when USA military spin-doctors claim that their foreign bases are popularly supported by the host country.
From this we get painted a picture of inter-generational USA colonialism & racism, using military force to ‘contain’ perceived enemies and exercise global military dominance. That this policy is structural to the USA, regardless of which President sits in the White House. To hammer the point home, John Pilger points out that USA increased its nuclear weapons capacity under Obama.
In regards to China, John argues that they are staring at a network of missile and military bases built on their doorstep, with a history of aggression from the USA.
All these USA bases are built with the explicit agenda to shut-down Chinese shipping in the case of a military conflict. That the Chinese building their military airbase in the Southern Chinese Sea was a defensive measure from China. Not an act of aggression as made out by the USA and Murdoch media. That USA sabre rattling is creating a climate of military escalation, in which China needs to respond in kind.
Now John Pilger does take time out to demonstrate that the Chinese economy is completely Capitalist. That there is a Class system in place just like in the USA. From this he suggests that China and the USA are, in practice societies highly interlinked by trade. At 58 min our interviewed guest, Eric Li, states that China is not Capitalist because the Billionaires are unable to control the Polit Burea (of the CCP), as the Billionaires control USA policy making.
While it is a tacky sound bite, it is this issue that is worth fleshing out more. That control of both Nation States is firmly dominated by certain vested interests. That this “Coming War” is not a contest of Democracy vs Communism. It is the age old contest of Capitalist Imperialism, the competition for global resources, influence and dominance.
On this score John Pilger is making out that China is being forced onto a defensive military footing. That Moa Zedong had made gestures of friendship and open communication to the USA, which were ignored. That if the USA just backed off a bit, everyone would chill out a bit more and get along better. This is where I think there is some failing in his analysis.
I say this is wrong because there certainly is a history of Chinese military colonialism last century, including the occupation of Tibet, Inner Mongolia, & Manchuria. Then there is Xinjiang and the monstrous repression of the Uighur. A history of numerous border conflicts with almost all of China’s neighbours. There is documented cases of Chinese attempts at extra-judicial kidnappings in foreign countries. Many examples of intimidation, spying and corruption to repress criticism in foreign countries by the Chinese government. Massed incarceration and the use of slave labour (certainly one point of similarity to the USA).
Within this history we don’t have a Communist Party that is merely passive and defensive, it is actively expansionist in securing resources and trade, just like the USA. It is this power dynamic in which we will see the butting of heads over the building of Statist empire. That this is the natural outcome of Capitalist development, to construct conflict over domination of resources. Expand the influence of the Party/State is the same power driving dynamic as ‘expand our influence over the Market’.
The Chinese government is as much a player in this contest, as is the USA government. Neither are the ‘good guys’ or the victim. Neither has a genuine interest in advancing democracy or freedoms for the ordinary persons. Both are committed to maintaining a militarised, Class structured society. John Pilger is on one level presenting a false dualism of the situation.
Within this dynamic is the working classes of all the nations. The ordinary people that just want to live in peace with each other, but divided by nationalistic boundaries. It is the whole of humanity that will die out in a nuclear war between China and the USA. It is, as always, ordinary people that suffer the contests of States and Capitalists. If there is a dualism to present, it’s Nation States vs the international working class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAfeYMONj9E&t=3510s
happyanarki 