Re: [Marxism] Chinese seamen were first round the world

[DCQ <deeseekyou@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think this is an important and fascinating discovery. The Economist's
word choice is already foolish, as even my high school students are
well aware of the stupidity of saying Colombus "discovered" America.
This (re)discovery will remove a large ideological plank of western
self-satisfaction and sense of superiority. The question the Economist
raises will be the one that has to be asked now: why did the Chinese
not exploit and plunder and murder once they came across these other
cultures, as the Europeans did? The answer is that Europe's (and
America's) "success" comes not from a singular ingenuity and bravery,
but from a singular rapaciousness, cruelty, and greed.

Granted that most leftists (I would hope) understand this intuitively.
But it is another ideological weapon against western arrogance and its
pretensions to global benevolence.

I'm not saying I believe the claims site-unseen. It is telling that
this fact is coming to light as China (re)gains its status among the
great powers (economically, if not yet militarily...). In this sense,
this could be nothing more than a pissing contest. And if you look at
it from the vantage point of "Who was first?" then that's pretty much
all it is. If true, I see the value for us in being able to, as I said,
shoot down one more bit of western propaganda.


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