On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:
> > Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.
> >
> > If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder value.
> >
> >
> > https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?
> >
> >
> > "ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.
> >
> > “Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title’s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."
> First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.
>
> Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant. Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!
>
> Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.

China's civilizational/soft power
"The Modern Influence of Confucianism

There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still,
scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice
Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
don’t self-identify as such.

The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be
“Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is
generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine
Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.

In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."

(Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
Learning Company)

On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 4:54:10 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> > On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:
> > > Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.
> > >
> > > If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder value.
> > >
> > >
> > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?
> > >
> > >
> > > "ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.
> > >
> > > “Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title’s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."
> > First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.
> >
> > Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant. Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!
> >
> > Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.
> China's civilizational/soft power
> "The Modern Influence of Confucianism
>
> There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
> in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still,
> scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
> the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
> Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
> One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
> of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
> Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
> sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice
> Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
> and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
> don’t self-identify as such.
>
> The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
> religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
> percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be
> “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is
> generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine
> Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.
>
> In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
> to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
> like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."
>
> (Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
> Learning Company)

South Koreans are "deeply Confucian even if they don't self identify as such." Why?

1. Cultures/civilizations exist because they are needed in solving individual problems,
social problems, as well as national problems big and small. They could be viewed as
sets of problem solving guidelines.
2. Sets that pass the tests of time and space are not mutually exclusive. Hence modern
day South Koreans are "able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious
commitments such as Christianity and Buddhism, neither were originated from elsewhere in
the past.

On Friday, April 14, 2023 at 1:39:39 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 4:54:10 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> > On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:
> > > > Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.
> > > >
> > > > If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder value.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.
> > > >
> > > > “Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title’s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."
> > > First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.
> > >
> > > Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant. Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!
> > >
> > > Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.
> > China's civilizational/soft power
> > "The Modern Influence of Confucianism
> >
> > There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
> > in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still,
> > scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
> > the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
> > Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
> > One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
> > of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
> > Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
> > sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice
> > Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
> > and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
> > don’t self-identify as such.
> >
> > The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
> > religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
> > percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be
> > “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is
> > generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine
> > Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.
> >
> > In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
> > to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
> > like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."
> >
> > (Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
> > Learning Company)
> South Koreans are "deeply Confucian even if they don't self identify as such." Why?
>
> 1. Cultures/civilizations exist because they are needed in solving individual problems,
> social problems, as well as national problems big and small. They could be viewed as
> sets of problem solving guidelines.
> 2. Sets that pass the tests of time and space are not mutually exclusive. Hence modern
> day South Koreans are "able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious
> commitments such as Christianity and Buddhism, neither

Correction from "neither" to "both"
> were originated from elsewhere in
> the past.

On Friday, April 14, 2023 at 1:39:39 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 4:54:10 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> > On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:
> > > > Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.
> > > >
> > > > If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder value.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.
> > > >
> > > > “Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title’s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."
> > > First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.
> > >
> > > Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant. Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!
> > >
> > > Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.
> > China's civilizational/soft power
> > "The Modern Influence of Confucianism
> >
> > There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
> > in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still,
> > scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
> > the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
> > Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
> > One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
> > of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
> > Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
> > sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice
> > Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
> > and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
> > don’t self-identify as such.
> >
> > The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
> > religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
> > percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be
> > “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is
> > generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine
> > Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.
> >
> > In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
> > to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
> > like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."
> >
> > (Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
> > Learning Company)
> South Koreans are "deeply Confucian even if they don't self identify as such." Why?
>
> 1. Cultures/civilizations exist because they are needed in solving individual problems,
> social problems, as well as national problems big and small. They could be viewed as
> sets of problem solving guidelines.
> 2. Sets that pass the tests of time and space are not mutually exclusive. Hence modern
> day South Koreans are "able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious
> commitments such as Christianity and Buddhism, neither were originated from elsewhere in
> the past.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
China’s soft power reaches deep and wide in Thailand

BAN RAK THAI – Rotting weapons, faded battlefield photos, and rough-sketched jungle maps from defeated, anti-communist, US-equipped Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) guerrillas are cherished in this northern border village.

The KMT and China stopped killing each other decades ago. Today, the KMT’s descendants graciously serve China’s fun-seeking tourists, sheltering them in cozy, Chinese-themed hotels and quenching them with locally grown, fermented oolong tea.

KMT families are thankful their victorious former foe is boosting their local economy. The traumatic reversals in fortune on both sides display the way China’s monetized soft power is influencing this Southeast Asian country.

“Some Chinese come here and see these things, and say they are sorry for the way the KMT were treated so hard, years ago,” said Wang Ja Da, gesturing inside his thatch-roofed restaurant at shelves displaying his family’s rusty, decrepit machine gun alongside metal helmets, canteens, ammunition cartridge boxes and other KMT equipment.

The dusty display is dotted with photos of armed, uniformed KMT who did not survive.

“Because of China’s soft power, some KMT Chinese in northern Thailand have gradually shifted their position from being pro-Taipei to being pro-Beijing,” said ThinkChina, a Singapore-based, English-language news site.

China’s soft power appears in other subtle ways.

Many ethnic Chinese-Thai parents – and some non-Chinese Thais – send their children to private Chinese language schools for their first four years to learn Mandarin, preparing for possible careers dealing with Chinese investors, officials and others.

Dozens of Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes (CIs) operate in Thailand, sponsored worldwide by China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

Open to the public, they promote Chinese language, culture and festivals, and teach locals to become teachers.

CI classes for Thai officials included, “Anti-corruption Bureau Chinese class,” “Immigration Bureau Chinese class,” “Parliament Chinese class,” and “advanced Chinese classes for government officials,” said a report titled, “Confucius Institute in Sino-Thai Relations: A Display of China’s Soft Power,” by Singapore’s National University.
....
“Through the introduction of CIs, some Thailand companies can find a reliable go-between to facilitate trade with Chinese companies.

“These programs garnered the support of the Thai government, Thai royal family, and local businesspeople in that they equate CIs to a strategic and economic tool,” said the university’s sociology department report.

China-based Huawei’s 5G telecommunications is also penetrating Thailand, welcomed by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s administration.
....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/chinas-soft-power-reaches-deep-and-wide-in-thailand/