This was an interesting and unexpected subject. China continues to be quite a mystery to most of us and we are therefore prey to the various vociferous voices that tend to praise or villify. Quite apart from a still quite general ignorance (both not knowing and turning away from) about the violence of Western empires, historical and current, there is also the legacy of the West's rabid response to the rise of communism with the Russian Revolution and the narrative of evil that pervaded the Cold War period.
This is the lens through which many of the stories emanating from the East are seen. While Kenneth's delivery faltered somewhat in rebutting the accusation of genocide I generally felt that his approach was trying to be balanced rather than excusing. When we are in a state of not knowing it is easy to respond with our embedded narratives but remaining in the uncertainty that is a natural feature of being on the outside of closed societies may be a better - if less comfortable - position.
There is a huge 'glass house' problem in the West and I feel that we need to acknowledge our history of - and continuing - violence towards the global south before we can with any integrity rail against the violence of others.
This was an interesting and unexpected subject. China continues to be quite a mystery to most of us and we are therefore prey to the various vociferous voices that tend to praise or villify. Quite apart from a still quite general ignorance (both not knowing and turning away from) about the violence of Western empires, historical and current, there is also the legacy of the West's rabid response to the rise of communism with the Russian Revolution and the narrative of evil that pervaded the Cold War period.
This is the lens through which many of the stories emanating from the East are seen. While Kenneth's delivery faltered somewhat in rebutting the accusation of genocide I generally felt that his approach was trying to be balanced rather than excusing. When we are in a state of not knowing it is easy to respond with our embedded narratives but remaining in the uncertainty that is a natural feature of being on the outside of closed societies may be a better - if less comfortable - position.
There is a huge 'glass house' problem in the West and I feel that we need to acknowledge our history of - and continuing - violence towards the global south before we can with any integrity rail against the violence of others.