Please realise that I wasn't trying to defend Mao himself.
But I have to admit that modern Chinese history and politics isn't my field of research. I'm specialising in pre-modern Chinese arts and philosophy.
After this discussion I've been reading up on recent Chinese history and I'm now pretty sure you are right. So I guess I should apologise to you for discussing something I don't know enough about. I hope I haven't offended you in any way. Next time I'll check my facts before opening my mouth.
Now, with that said, how about discussing some neo-Confusianism?
Only kidding, get back to work:)
True, what Mao started with the Hundred Flowers movement in the mid 1950s and what lead to the Cultural Revolution didn't do China any good.
However, what would have been the alternative? Warlordism surely wouldn't have been any good. I don't think the Nationalists were either (will get to that). By establishing a firm government and adopting Russia's five-year plan strategy (which didn't work out very well eventually) they did manage to create a relatively stable country with a rapid growing heavy industry. It wasn't so much the communist leadership that lead to the downfall of that structure. It was Mao's personality and the inability of the communist top to replace him. It started around 1955 with the preparation of the Hundred Flowers movement and went from bad to worse from there. No one could stand up to him, he'd have them eliminated, so he could do whatever he pleased.
I think that his search for constant change and everlasting revolution was the cause of the collapsing of society, not the communist rule. Everything went fine from '49 untill the early 60s, Mao even cleaned up the Hundred Flowers movement's mess without hurting too many people (relatively). But in the 60s, when Mao started to get paranoid and obsessive about change the and 'waves and ambiguity of society', things went wrong.
The other alternative to communist rule, the Nationalists, well.. I'm not sure. Looking at how they ruled Taiwan, I would say they would have made a mess as big or even bigger when trying to keep China under controll. Governing Taiwan, making it grow economically isn't all that hard. I could do it, and so could you. Why? Because Taiwan was destined to grow. Just like Hong Kong, New York or New Delhi were and are (location, location, location). The difference between governing Taiwan and China is like governing Luxembourg and Africa. There is no comparing. Try imagining the king (he's not really a king, but I don't know the proper English term) of Luxembourg ruling over Africa.
So, here we are today. China is growing, Mao is gone, living standards are going up.
Would this have happened without the communists? Yes. Would it have been now? Probably not. Maybe in fifty years, maybe longer. But what the communists forced on the country (killing lots and lots) might have taken twice as long or maybe longer to develop on it's own.
All I'm thinking is: The communists were bad, but I don't think the others would have been any better. And don't blame the system for what one man did, even if he used it for doing it.
Interesting to see how you base your story around the popular 'China closed it's borders and lost track of time'-myth and Menzies' '1421: The Year China Discovered The World', a book in which he claimes to have proof that the Chinese had already discovered the whole world around 1421.
Did you actually read the book or did you just hear someone talking about it at a party?
Well, it doesn't really matter, it just shows how far your knowledge on the whole China-subject goes.
Yes, China had the biggest and advanced ships of the world at that time and they went all the way to the south of Africa. But there's no evidence whatsoever that they went around the world (accordign to Menzies some of the ships went back to China taking the route north of Canada). Also interesting is that Menzies does not speak any Chinese, nor did he have his material checked by someone who does. How can one research Chinese history without being able to speak Chinese? Beats me and I would know, I study Sinology. Anyways, just some reasons why Menzies is full of crap and we shouldn't be listening to your opinion when it's based on what he wrote.
I know I'm being synical, but seriously: don't believe stuff just because it's in a book.
First: I know my grammar is lousy, please don't mind.
I would like to note that the people the CCP 'seized' China from weren't all that good either.
Yes, China had a central government (Sun Yat-sen). However, this does not mean (as often before, think of the late Han or the Tang) they controlled the country. Nor does it mean they were acting in the best interests of the Chinese people. Between the ending of the Qing dynasty and the founding of the PRC in October 1949 the country was divided, making trade nearly impossible. The local leaders, warlords (the names Wu Peifu and Feng Yuxiang come to mind), didn't do much but having wars and making the locals pay too much tax. No, warlordism wasn't what China needed.
The Communists' main enemies, the nationalists weren't much better either. Just look at Taiwan (I guess you're American, so Taiwan might be a bit painfull subject), which was kept under martial law from 1949 untill the late 1980's. Remember the resistance against the Nationalists on Taiwan, against the 'Chinese domination'.
So these were the people the 'commie thugs' 'seized' china from. They didn't really seize anything, they installed a government where there was no. Eventhough I don't sympathise at all with their actions, then or now, I do think that without their firm and good (at first!!) leadership China wouldn't have been the economically growing country it is today.
I didn't actually read the article, just looked at the pretty pictures and guessed it had something to do with suns and stuff. Or maybe with 20th century impressionism.
The room was badly lit and the air damp, as if already used by hundreds of people. Scully sat down, facing the interviewer. He had introduced himself as Mr. Kawamoto. Kawamoto. She had to admit, he certainly was inventive.
Scully scanned the room with a quick glance, can't let him notice. He started asking his questions. "As the IT industry restructures, how would you describe its turnaround?" Kawamoto said. She answered his questions, all the while thinking about what the man had said, last night, before kicking the chair he was standing on from underneeth his own feet. The gun had slipped from his hand after a long minute. That was one place she was never going back to. "The man with the funny face you want!" he had screamed while choking on the rope and swaying back and forth. "The man with the funny face!"
Kawamoto was still asking questions, something about Wi-Fi and their profit margins, but that wasn't what made her tense. She couldn't see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but his whole body had twisted a bit. His right leg a bit higher than his left, his shoulders turned to the left, just a little bit, hardly enough to notice, and his head had gone up a bit. Whenever he'd stop speaking his mouth wouldn't entirely close, but just hang open a bit. She could hear him breath. A soft sighing noise. Hissing and sighing. She heared herself saying "The chance for entrepreneurs and innovators to create new things will probably come..." but before she could answer her sentence her phone started beeping. Beep beep. Beep beep. Kawamoto didn't appear to be aware of the phone. He just kept on looking at her from behind his dark glasses. Sighing. The scar that run from his left ear over his nose and up across his right eye seemed to pulse, barely noticable.
"Excuse me," she murmered and reached for her cell phone in the inside pocket of her coat, which she had hung over the back of her chair before sitting down. Her gun was in there too. She touched it slightly before taking out her phone. The gun made her feel comfortable. Which made her even more scared. She knew that when guns make you feel comfortable you are in serious trouble. Pressing the green button and holding the phone to her ear she heared Mulder's voice: "Scully, get out of there. Get out of there now. The man you told me about? The man with the funny face? He's him. He is him. Get out of there now, you hear me?"
Scully turned her face to Kawamoto. He had taken off his glasses. Where the scar had gone out of sight behind the darkness of the glasses at his right eye was nothing. His eyebrow was twisted down in an awfull way, leaving only a small space where his eye was supposed to be. But it wasn't. There was only a blackness leading to a gory, infected hollow. His mouth was in a twisted grin..
What next, Google-RIAA search; 'enter a kazaa username and google will give you the IP address, personal information, credit card number, and home address of the user!'
Alright, let's try that.
First, a quick search of most active username on kazaa.
Ah, there we have it. Now, let's find some info on this bastard.
-- --
Google 'Search by location' search term: kazaaliteuser@kazaa.com
Google 'Search by location' region: USA
Google found 2.304.942 search results:
Alabama
A. Allan
1425 21st Street South, Suite 208
Anniston, AL 12205
A. Andrews
517 Beacon Parkway West
Anniston, AL 25209
I don't need a licence to browse the library, do I?
I don't need a licence to go to my local bookstore, do I?
What if I have a cold and you are standing next to me at the bookstore. I'm reading 'Shaven asians' and you your favourite linux magazine. I cough, hold my hand in front of my face, but you do happen to inhale some of my bad bad germs. Voila, you're infected. Big deal.
Maybe not the best example, but things happen, viruses are around, some people hold their hand in front of their face when they sneeze or cough, some don't.
Difference between the internet and real life: online you can walk around with a face mask, out in the street people'll stare at you. Wear the mask, don't wear the mask, it's your descision. I don't need a licence that says I'm able to wear a face mask. My mom doesn't need one. If she'd keep on getting infected with something (online, real life, it doesn't matter) and doesn't know what to do to prevent it, she will go to someone to ask how to prevent those infections. The docter will give her a mask, I'll give her a virusscanner and firewall.
Call me naive, but I still believe people will learn to take care of themselves. It will take a while though. Maybe a month, maybe a year. And there will always be 'newbies' who don't know yet. But they'll learn.
When you learn something by yourself it'll stick. If an organistaion will make you pass an exam when people want to use MSN they'll have to deal with the 'who died and left you king?' attitude.
Let us browse the library without licence.
Please don't mind my spelling and grammar mistakes.
If Europe really wants to become more independent from US influence, avoiding a US-style patent regime would be a wise choice.
The only two European countries strong and independent enough to resist the American influence are France and Germany. I pray for them and the EU.
I don't know much about European politics, but I do know that my government, the Dutch government, will not go against the American will. Money and grand words come from the US, so why bother about the public opinion?
The Dutch people were against the war on Iraq. Our government didn't do or say a thing.
The VS wants the UN to clean up in Iraq. Dutch public opinion: Clean up your own mess. The Dutch government goes to the White House to concur with Bush about sending the UN to Iraq to rebuild it, instead of telling Bush he should have thought about it before launching a war.
The US didn't sign the Kyoto treaty. Our opinion: What the F*CK?! Our government: "Um, Mister America? Could you maybe please, if it isn't too much trouble, please maybe sign it? Of course we don't want to push you or anything, but please reconsider, could you? Please? Pretty please?"
JSF? Don't ask, ok? Just don't ask...
Just some examples to show that The Netherlands won't stop software patenting if the US says the laws are good.
Like a child following his father, the Dutch government holds onto America's hand, following it blindly while looking at all the pretty clouds and birdies.
Do I sound bitter? I apologize.
Please don't mind my spelling and grammar mistakes.
My old 486 23mhz laptop from '93 (I'm a sucker for WP) and it's as 3D as anything could possibly get.
It's a lot more 3D than my new powerbook. It weighs a ton too, but I think the manufacturers did that just to emphasise the 3D-ness.
I didn't really see it as a feature though, untill now. Thank you, Slashdot!
The point is, bits aren't cheap. If we're going to set standards for their allocation, let's let somebody who knows what they're doing do it. Yes?
Yeah, those so called 'researchers' at MIT are nothing but frauds. We need people who know what they are doing. We need experience. We need expertise.
I say we ask Ballmer. He'll help us out.
Old Japanese Lady> Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL? HAL> Affirmative, Old Japanese Lady, I read you. Old Japanese Lady> Sit down on this bench, HAL. HAL> I'm sorry Old Japanese Lady, I'm affraid I can't do that.
Slashdot Mirror
I knew! I knew! I knew!
a p-out-of-you-untill-you-kick-me-in-the-nuts dance*
That's why I Switched to Open Office Presentation Long ago.
HAHA!
I'm smart, you're dumb!
I'm big, you're small!
I'm strong, you're weak!
I'm smarter, I'm smarter, I'm smarter!
*dancing around, doing the I'm-smarter-than-you-and-am-going-to-annoy-the-cr
Please realise that I wasn't trying to defend Mao himself.
:)
But I have to admit that modern Chinese history and politics isn't my field of research. I'm specialising in pre-modern Chinese arts and philosophy.
After this discussion I've been reading up on recent Chinese history and I'm now pretty sure you are right. So I guess I should apologise to you for discussing something I don't know enough about. I hope I haven't offended you in any way. Next time I'll check my facts before opening my mouth.
Now, with that said, how about discussing some neo-Confusianism?
Only kidding, get back to work
A basketballhoop? That's what? (1/15)*Volkswagen Beetle?
I'm Dutch. We play soccer, not basketball.
Insensitive clods.
I love it!
It's much faster and it let's me set a default font. Those two things were all that kept it from being perfect.
True, what Mao started with the Hundred Flowers movement in the mid 1950s and what lead to the Cultural Revolution didn't do China any good.
However, what would have been the alternative? Warlordism surely wouldn't have been any good. I don't think the Nationalists were either (will get to that). By establishing a firm government and adopting Russia's five-year plan strategy (which didn't work out very well eventually) they did manage to create a relatively stable country with a rapid growing heavy industry. It wasn't so much the communist leadership that lead to the downfall of that structure. It was Mao's personality and the inability of the communist top to replace him. It started around 1955 with the preparation of the Hundred Flowers movement and went from bad to worse from there. No one could stand up to him, he'd have them eliminated, so he could do whatever he pleased.
I think that his search for constant change and everlasting revolution was the cause of the collapsing of society, not the communist rule. Everything went fine from '49 untill the early 60s, Mao even cleaned up the Hundred Flowers movement's mess without hurting too many people (relatively). But in the 60s, when Mao started to get paranoid and obsessive about change the and 'waves and ambiguity of society', things went wrong.
The other alternative to communist rule, the Nationalists, well.. I'm not sure. Looking at how they ruled Taiwan, I would say they would have made a mess as big or even bigger when trying to keep China under controll. Governing Taiwan, making it grow economically isn't all that hard. I could do it, and so could you. Why? Because Taiwan was destined to grow. Just like Hong Kong, New York or New Delhi were and are (location, location, location). The difference between governing Taiwan and China is like governing Luxembourg and Africa. There is no comparing. Try imagining the king (he's not really a king, but I don't know the proper English term) of Luxembourg ruling over Africa.
So, here we are today. China is growing, Mao is gone, living standards are going up.
Would this have happened without the communists? Yes. Would it have been now? Probably not. Maybe in fifty years, maybe longer. But what the communists forced on the country (killing lots and lots) might have taken twice as long or maybe longer to develop on it's own.
All I'm thinking is: The communists were bad, but I don't think the others would have been any better. And don't blame the system for what one man did, even if he used it for doing it.
Interesting to see how you base your story around the popular 'China closed it's borders and lost track of time'-myth and Menzies' '1421: The Year China Discovered The World', a book in which he claimes to have proof that the Chinese had already discovered the whole world around 1421.
Did you actually read the book or did you just hear someone talking about it at a party?
Well, it doesn't really matter, it just shows how far your knowledge on the whole China-subject goes.
Yes, China had the biggest and advanced ships of the world at that time and they went all the way to the south of Africa. But there's no evidence whatsoever that they went around the world (accordign to Menzies some of the ships went back to China taking the route north of Canada). Also interesting is that Menzies does not speak any Chinese, nor did he have his material checked by someone who does. How can one research Chinese history without being able to speak Chinese? Beats me and I would know, I study Sinology. Anyways, just some reasons why Menzies is full of crap and we shouldn't be listening to your opinion when it's based on what he wrote.
I know I'm being synical, but seriously: don't believe stuff just because it's in a book.
First: I know my grammar is lousy, please don't mind.
I would like to note that the people the CCP 'seized' China from weren't all that good either.
Yes, China had a central government (Sun Yat-sen). However, this does not mean (as often before, think of the late Han or the Tang) they controlled the country. Nor does it mean they were acting in the best interests of the Chinese people. Between the ending of the Qing dynasty and the founding of the PRC in October 1949 the country was divided, making trade nearly impossible. The local leaders, warlords (the names Wu Peifu and Feng Yuxiang come to mind), didn't do much but having wars and making the locals pay too much tax. No, warlordism wasn't what China needed.
The Communists' main enemies, the nationalists weren't much better either. Just look at Taiwan (I guess you're American, so Taiwan might be a bit painfull subject), which was kept under martial law from 1949 untill the late 1980's. Remember the resistance against the Nationalists on Taiwan, against the 'Chinese domination'.
So these were the people the 'commie thugs' 'seized' china from. They didn't really seize anything, they installed a government where there was no. Eventhough I don't sympathise at all with their actions, then or now, I do think that without their firm and good (at first!!) leadership China wouldn't have been the economically growing country it is today.
That's not a bug, it's a feature!
I didn't actually read the article, just looked at the pretty pictures and guessed it had something to do with suns and stuff. Or maybe with 20th century impressionism.
Three?
You do realise sales will be going down, not up, because of this, don't you?
That's what it tells me to do.
But..
I don't have any...
Excuse me while I go to my room and cry a bit..
Hm, what?
Oh... so you mean... you mean you're not joking?
Right, so...
What the hell happened to the guy's taskbar?
The room was badly lit and the air damp, as if already used by hundreds of people.
Scully sat down, facing the interviewer. He had introduced himself as Mr. Kawamoto. Kawamoto. She had to admit, he certainly was inventive.
Scully scanned the room with a quick glance, can't let him notice. He started asking his questions. "As the IT industry restructures, how would you describe its turnaround?" Kawamoto said. She answered his questions, all the while thinking about what the man had said, last night, before kicking the chair he was standing on from underneeth his own feet. The gun had slipped from his hand after a long minute. That was one place she was never going back to. "The man with the funny face you want!" he had screamed while choking on the rope and swaying back and forth. "The man with the funny face!"
Kawamoto was still asking questions, something about Wi-Fi and their profit margins, but that wasn't what made her tense. She couldn't see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but his whole body had twisted a bit. His right leg a bit higher than his left, his shoulders turned to the left, just a little bit, hardly enough to notice, and his head had gone up a bit. Whenever he'd stop speaking his mouth wouldn't entirely close, but just hang open a bit. She could hear him breath. A soft sighing noise. Hissing and sighing. She heared herself saying "The chance for entrepreneurs and innovators to create new things will probably come..." but before she could answer her sentence her phone started beeping. Beep beep. Beep beep. Kawamoto didn't appear to be aware of the phone. He just kept on looking at her from behind his dark glasses. Sighing. The scar that run from his left ear over his nose and up across his right eye seemed to pulse, barely noticable.
"Excuse me," she murmered and reached for her cell phone in the inside pocket of her coat, which she had hung over the back of her chair before sitting down. Her gun was in there too. She touched it slightly before taking out her phone. The gun made her feel comfortable. Which made her even more scared. She knew that when guns make you feel comfortable you are in serious trouble. Pressing the green button and holding the phone to her ear she heared Mulder's voice: "Scully, get out of there. Get out of there now. The man you told me about? The man with the funny face? He's him. He is him. Get out of there now, you hear me?"
Scully turned her face to Kawamoto. He had taken off his glasses. Where the scar had gone out of sight behind the darkness of the glasses at his right eye was nothing. His eyebrow was twisted down in an awfull way, leaving only a small space where his eye was supposed to be. But it wasn't. There was only a blackness leading to a gory, infected hollow. His mouth was in a twisted grin..
Think about that!
First, a quick search of most active username on kazaa.
Ah, there we have it. Now, let's find some info on this bastard.
-- --
Google 'Search by location' search term: kazaaliteuser@kazaa.com
Google 'Search by location' region: USA
Google found 2.304.942 search results:
Alabama
A. Allan
1425 21st Street South, Suite 208
Anniston, AL 12205
A. Andrews
517 Beacon Parkway West
Anniston, AL 25209
A. Baccus
106 W Third St
Birmingham, AL 35674
Did we even _start_ using Bluetooth yet?
So...
Where will they be going?
Shortly after Disneys announcement, last saturday, Dali was quoted as saying "Disney, you complete me."
Dali-experts are currently investigating the possibility of an 'intimate relationship' between Walt and Salvador.
More at eleven.
I don't need a licence to browse the library, do I?
I don't need a licence to go to my local bookstore, do I?
What if I have a cold and you are standing next to me at the bookstore. I'm reading 'Shaven asians' and you your favourite linux magazine. I cough, hold my hand in front of my face, but you do happen to inhale some of my bad bad germs. Voila, you're infected. Big deal.
Maybe not the best example, but things happen, viruses are around, some people hold their hand in front of their face when they sneeze or cough, some don't.
Difference between the internet and real life: online you can walk around with a face mask, out in the street people'll stare at you. Wear the mask, don't wear the mask, it's your descision. I don't need a licence that says I'm able to wear a face mask. My mom doesn't need one. If she'd keep on getting infected with something (online, real life, it doesn't matter) and doesn't know what to do to prevent it, she will go to someone to ask how to prevent those infections. The docter will give her a mask, I'll give her a virusscanner and firewall.
Call me naive, but I still believe people will learn to take care of themselves. It will take a while though. Maybe a month, maybe a year. And there will always be 'newbies' who don't know yet. But they'll learn.
When you learn something by yourself it'll stick. If an organistaion will make you pass an exam when people want to use MSN they'll have to deal with the 'who died and left you king?' attitude.
Let us browse the library without licence.
Please don't mind my spelling and grammar mistakes.
I don't know much about European politics, but I do know that my government, the Dutch government, will not go against the American will. Money and grand words come from the US, so why bother about the public opinion?
The Dutch people were against the war on Iraq. Our government didn't do or say a thing.
The VS wants the UN to clean up in Iraq. Dutch public opinion: Clean up your own mess. The Dutch government goes to the White House to concur with Bush about sending the UN to Iraq to rebuild it, instead of telling Bush he should have thought about it before launching a war.
The US didn't sign the Kyoto treaty. Our opinion: What the F*CK?! Our government: "Um, Mister America? Could you maybe please, if it isn't too much trouble, please maybe sign it? Of course we don't want to push you or anything, but please reconsider, could you? Please? Pretty please?"
JSF? Don't ask, ok? Just don't ask...
Just some examples to show that The Netherlands won't stop software patenting if the US says the laws are good.
Like a child following his father, the Dutch government holds onto America's hand, following it blindly while looking at all the pretty clouds and birdies.
Do I sound bitter? I apologize.
Please don't mind my spelling and grammar mistakes.
My old 486 23mhz laptop from '93 (I'm a sucker for WP) and it's as 3D as anything could possibly get.
It's a lot more 3D than my new powerbook. It weighs a ton too, but I think the manufacturers did that just to emphasise the 3D-ness.
I didn't really see it as a feature though, untill now. Thank you, Slashdot!
The point is, bits aren't cheap. If we're going to set standards for their allocation, let's let somebody who knows what they're doing do it. Yes?
Yeah, those so called 'researchers' at MIT are nothing but frauds. We need people who know what they are doing. We need experience. We need expertise.
I say we ask Ballmer. He'll help us out.
I for one welcome our new Honda overlords
Old Japanese Lady> Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL?
HAL> Affirmative, Old Japanese Lady, I read you.
Old Japanese Lady> Sit down on this bench, HAL.
HAL> I'm sorry Old Japanese Lady, I'm affraid I can't do that.