Chinese Sabres Rattle Again

The Chinese have a way of trying to manipulate public opinion in other countries by allowing certain types of things to be published in their own.  These publications favor the Party's view of the world which frequently does not approximate reality.  Say it often enough and they will believe it.

The latest of these is two fold.  First, the press reports military brass in China have decided they think the U.S should be put in its place and given "a bloody nose" over their incursions into the South China Sea.  [ see http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-ruling-china-insight-idUSKCN10B10G ]. This is a rediculous idea and one I remember well from many years ago when a Chinese PLA General thought it was a good idea to drop a nuclear weapon on Los Angeles to even things out in a dispute they were having with us.  Nobody took that seriously then because they considered it an over reaction that would never be considered by the leadership.  This situation seems to be extreme, but not as extreme as the use of nuclear weapons in diplomacy.  A bloody nose is a descriptive term that implies blood will be spilled to demonstrate the Chinese resolve to hold onto a vast expanse of ocean that is not theirs.  They held joint military exercises with Russia last week to tell us they have more friends in their claim to the South China Sea.  The Russians are laughing up their sleeves at this and are not going to come to China's aid in a dispute over territory even they can't believe the Chinese have claimed.  Sailing around in open ocean with the flags up is one thing;  shooting and being shot at are another.

The second thing is demonstrations like the smashing of iPhones and boycotting Kentucky Fried Chicken, both things that are so outrageous that even the people doing them must have wondered why anyone would want to demonstrate this way.  It makes the news, though only barely in the United States.  It is supposed to bring a vision that the Chinese people are up in arms over the ships sailing into an ocean 1000 miles from the capital city.  Please.  They could care less, and the Chinese know it.  Yet, this nonsense continues until it strikes a chord that the press in other countries will latch onto.

This is the kind of dangerous manipulation that leads to bad things happening.  One of these reactionaries will be stoked up enough to do some real harm to someone or the military will get itself worked up in a frenzy and shoot off a missile.  That is exactly what the Chinese want us to believe.

We have lived with this kind of manipulation long enough.  The press has to learn to not repeat the intentional statements made by China's own.  They are helping the Chinese and doing themselves no good.