Nationalistic Fervor Sweeps China....

Anti-Japanese protests surrounding WWII issues are getting more global press. A recent article by the Christian Science Monitor, here, details these violent confrontations.

Last summer tensions rose as Japan defeated China at the Asia Cup soccer games in Beijing.


In the southern city of Shenzhen Sunday, about 10,000 protesters surrounded a Japanese-run Jasco supermarket and threw water bottles, the Associated Press reported. And in Guangzhou, about 3,000 people marched toward the Japanese Consulate General, though police prevented demonstrators from getting too close. Hong Kong Cable Television also showed a large crowd protesting outside a shopping center in the city.


In Beijing on Saturday, riot police and troops were deployed over much of the Chaoyang district where foreign embassies are located. Police cars crawled along the streets on a sunny afternoon with patrol lights flashing. A crowd of many thousands, including some people with children, walked from west Beijing's "Silicon Valley" street to the Japanese Embassy. Along a small stretch of road in front of the Japanese ambassador's residence, a Japanese car was overturned, and the crowd briefly went out of control.

China's leaders have increasing used nationalism surrounding such lunatic issues as the Diyou Islands, Japanese history textbooks and the midair collision of a US surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter jet to stir up their populace.

My experience with creating xenophobic internal feelings with the populace is that it is a ploy by very weak governments that offer very little in the way of progressive leadership. The Chinese Communist Party, an anachronism, who's time is well past the expiry date, is a fundamentally flawed institution and needs to direct animosity to foreigners. This policy was foisted upon us by the Jiang Zemin, the previous colorless leader of China, that played juvenile games such as not answering telephone calls from President Clinton when he was calling to apologize for the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrave.

It won't be long before every foreigner becomes a target of these crowds. What is to stop these people from exacting revenge on anyone they feel like for any real or perceived crime or slight?

The Chinese Communist Party is not to be trusted and will only lead to trouble. The CCP is responsible for more death and destruction to their own people than anyone should be able to accept. Good luck to the people of China. You are digging your own graves by playing this loser game.