Human Contact, Racist Encounters, China Developments

[tcpip]

After spending most of the week without human contact (and going slowly mad as a result) due to lockdown conditions in wintery Melbourne, the weekend has featured multiple such contacts. On Friday cycled up to Bulleen Park to take an absolutely lovely walk along the Yarra River with Li F. We have a rather lovely friendship that spans over thirty years, although there was a gap of more than a decade. In our youth, we were partners on a couple of occasions for a while, and apropos previous entries I do make an effort to ensure lasting friendships among those who have shared that slice of life to me. As I undergo further packing for the move, I also chanced upon a photo of us shortly after we met; we met as teenagers at a gay bar dancing to Bananarama's cover of "Venus", 'cause that's what pop kids would do, right? The following day I dropped off groceries to caseopaya and chatted through the doorway at a minimum safe distance, and then caught up at Flagstaff Gardens with Jac and Damien. These multiple experiences of meeting with flesh-and-blood human beings has provided a necessary boost to oxytocin levels and has improved my mood somewhat in these rather dark days.

As regular readers would know, I recently have experimented with the online dating world, and bless the algorithm it has found a lecturer of philosophy who shares an interest in transcendental pragmatics, which one must admit is a pretty rare match. In a somewhat less salubrious experience, Linda (46) simply left me the message of "Go live in China you moron", clearly taking umbrage at my profile that says I would like to meet "Xi Jinping, as the single person who could probably do the most good in the world if they make the right decisions", which seems to be just a statement of fact, really. I might be single at the moment because of my own decisions some eighteen months ago (albeit with much hand-wringing), and more recently because my former partner had a rather dramatic change of expressed opinion at a critical juncture (sad as it can be, we allow people to make poor life choices). But never, I can thankfully say, have I trolled members of any website to leave insulting and racist remarks. I think we know why you're single, Linda (46), and I am sure you will find the man you richly deserve.

But there is a sense in which racist Linda is correct. I will go live in China, or at least try to! The Flying Geese project continues to gain some wings, and I give a special thank you to some of my new Facebook friends who are pointing me in the right direction for this construction project that dominates my future life. With my strategy of extensive language learning first and then intensive study afterward, I have also appropriately finally completed the Duolingo tree for standard Chinese (read: Mandarin). Of course, with this caveat I have but only a basic understanding of the language, but at least I have been exposed to some moderately more complex phrases. I still don't expect any degree of real competence for at least another three to five years, as there's an estimated 2,000 hours of active learning required for us English native speakers. Like most things in life, genuine success is not an exciting, rapid, impulsive, all-or-nothing affair, but rather something that is gained incrementally and carefully over time.

Comments

[vatine]

I suspect that Xi Jinping, making the right (from a global good perspective) decisions, may indeed be in a position to do an extreme amount of good.

I can also see how someone can see that and interpret it as a glowing statement of Chinese Communism. I mean, I don't think it is one, nor do I think it was intended as one. And I would not have spotted it if it wasn't for Linda (46).

So I guess I should thank her for that?

[tcpip]

I guess? Although I think it's a bit a stretch if the statement with all the conditionals ("could", "if") stated.

[catsidhe]

Yeah, the Xi Jinping thing is tricky.

1) yes, he is the single person in best position to be able to make change with his choices.

The trouble is that

2) he is, based on all the evidence and in my opinion, unlikely to do very much that is good, unless you include accidentally, and
3) no one person should ever be in the sort of position where the net total amount of good in the world is measurably changeable by their whim.

While I'm dreaming of a world without autocrats, I'd also like a pony.

[tcpip]

Everything you have said is correct. The question posed is "I would really like to meet in person..." and in a world where single people have power, the answer remains true.

One of the things I would say is "Ask your economic advisers what would happen if you applied Sun Yat Sen's taxation policies in your country".

[motg]

Indeed yes! Dr Sun was... quite a man. They still revere him in the Middle Kingdom. They just don't listen to him. Pity really. There is a rather excellent film called 1911 - apparently financed and made by Jackie Chan - where Sun plays a big role. It is a way better movie than The Last Emperor, and illustrates Mr Chan's clever way with getting around mainland sensibilities. By making Sun the hero, he avoids treading on too many Party toes.

I am sorry about your experience with the woman in question. While she is certainly justified in her loathing of the Middle Kingdom's brutality, she clearly lacks the intelligence to see past the surface into the nuance of your remark. And that, for you, is a deal-breaker. As it should be. What you require most from a potential partner is brains, nuance, and sympathy. It does not appear that she possesses any of the above.

[tcpip]

I sometimes wonder if Sun was the wrong man for the job given the times. I mean, they needed him as a charismatic and thoughtful leader, but we're talking about the first half of the 20th century which was ... not fun for China. Perhaps now that things are more stable some of his ideas could be revisited.

It is true, brains, nuance, and sympathy feature in any potential partner in my life. By the one thing that is most important, and the only thing that I would have as a deal-breaker, is whether they are possessed by eudaimonia. That seemed to be lacking in this case.

[motg]

Was Sun the wrong man? Yuan Shi-Kai was never going to cut it as overlord. But that was Sun all over. He didn't actually want it. But he showed them what a civilized rebellion might look like. He deserves his high repute. What they needed then was a guy like the founder of the Ming Dynasty: a sturdy, highly intelligent peasant. Can't recall his name now...

I had to look up eudaimonia! (I can do most European languages, but not Ancient Greek. My school didn't offer it.)Yep. Sounds right.

[tcpip]

He absolutely deserves the high reputation, you are quite correct.

I guess the main issue was the way that things fell apart between the CPC and the KMT afterward.

I wonder how different things would have been with Chen Duxiu and Wang Jingwei instead. But of course, such speculations are far removed from the facts that happened.

[manicule]

Bless those algorithms for sure! Go for it.

My partner and I found each other through OKCupid. I was ecstatic to find he had a philosophy background since I studied a lot of early modern literature. We have amazing conversations where we deconstruct everything. It is the best. I love his mind—he is the most adept devil’s advocate I have ever met.

[tcpip]

Ha! That sounds great. I must say I am happy with this discovery and last night's chat went quite well. Given recent events however, I am likely to take things very cautiously indeed. It has been a terrible year for me, the absolute worst I have experienced.

[manicule]

I'm glad the chat went well. When you find the right person they will be patient and understand.

I hope things start to look up for you. Sorry to hear you about the rough patch.