Dewdrop Books

What If This Road What if this road, that has held no surprises these many years, decided not to go home after all; what if it could turn left or…[...]

Saw this book at the library yesterday. Who has the right to speak for dead writers and poets? Lu Xun, the most misunderstood Chinese writer. https://flic.kr/p/2pLHTW5 https://flic.kr/p/2pLBAXq https://www.chanjoonyee.com/2024/04/23/speaking-for-the-dead-lu-xun/[...]

An honest look at Chinese culture from the book "从甲午到辛亥" by Lei Yi 雷颐 中国传统“天下”观的核心是“华夏中心论”,即天下是以中国为中心的,其他都是边缘,而且由“边缘”渐成“野蛮”。 《尚书·禹贡》把天下分为五个同心而具有阶级性的地区,分别是甸服、侯服、绥服、要服、荒服。夷夏对举始于西周,有四夷、八蛮、七闽、九貉、五戎、六狄之说,严夷夏之辨则是在春秋时期。约至春秋时期,“夏”和与其相对的 “狄” “夷” “蛮” “戎” “胡” 等(后简称“狄夷”或“夷”)概念的使用开始突破地域范围,主要用于区别尊卑上下、文明野蛮、 道德与非道德。“华夏”代表正宗、中心、高贵、文明、伦理道德;“夷”则代表偏庶、边缘、卑下、野蛮、没有伦理道德,尚未脱离兽性。 这种居高临下、俯视其他文明与文化的华夏中心论在处理、 对待与他国的关系中,制度化为以中国为宗主、他国为藩属的 “宗藩体制”,或曰“朝贡体制”,以此规范“华夷秩序”。在这 “华夷秩序”中,中国的“皇帝”是承受天命的“天子”,“天子”是最高的道德“天道”在人间的化身、代表,代“天”来执政“天下”。所以,“天下”其他国家只能是中国的“藩邦” “藩属” “属国”。[...]

Why was Disney's Mulan such a big box office flop in spite of its alignment with PRC narrative? https://flic.kr/p/2rTUVMj The film Mulan had a reported production budget of $200 million…[...]

"This (the race to report on social media) has certainly revolutionised the weaponisation of information. In the 1980s, for example, the Soviet KGB ran Operation Denver, a complex attempt to…[...]

Many people didn't realise that wars were fought during COVID. From the book, The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti: "Beijing, by contrast, seemed unsure whether to be good cop…[...]

The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti https://flic.kr/p/2rTtNAW "The Russians are especially willing and able to use gangsters as agents, but they are not alone, especially if we broaden the…[...]

https://flic.kr/p/2rSYDvu Pablo Picasso: Eccentric Genius, Tumultuous Relationships and a Legacy of Misogyny Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) stands as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, a co-founder of…[...]

From the book The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti Why do poor countries contribute peacekeeping forces? "Pakistan, India, Nepal, Rwanda, Bangladesh and, at the top of the league, Ethiopia.…[...]

Oscar Wilde was as dramatic and flamboyant outside and inside the courtroom. His witty insolence during cross examination drew laughs from the audience, but his careless arrogance would finally do…[...]