This war is an extension of a particular type of Russian outlook on the world and Russia's place with it that is several hundred years old. Even though Putin is old and irrational, his policies are informed by an old tradition and explain much of what is going on.
This is the case with China but to a far greater degree. With the exception of the past 300 years or so China has been the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world for basically as long as it has existed. It was wealthier, more sophisticated, populous and powerful than the Roman Empire at its height in the Antiquity era. It had crossbows and gunpowder 1000 years before Europeans did. It has cocieved of itself as a single political entity for about 4000 years.
There is a very compelling and well researched theory that both World Wars occured when they did because China was at its weakest point in history and unable to maintain the global balance It has done for millenia. It sees its purpose as being fulcrum to the world, its centre around which things evolve. Harmony and balance and maintenance are key in a way westerners simply can't understand because pretty much all those things we consider expedient. Whereas to the Chinese Political order they have guaranteed its wealth and longevity for far longer than any other civilisation in history. So they're deadly serious about it.
It is very much its own thing. It's vision of superiority is not expansionist in the way Western Powers are. If it were China would have comfortably run over pretty much anyone it liked for most of the history of civilization.
It's as foolish to project Western values onto them as it was to believe societies in the middle east want to be secular and democratic. China obviously has political ambitions as does any super power but their motives are not informed by remedial expansionism.
The US on the other hand is a civilisation born out of war and which has basically waged war against someone for its entire existence and seems to basically require it to justify its existence. Alternatively, if it dosent start wars, it agressivley fronts up to other nations it believes are encroaching on its interests, and conveniently Americas interests are wherever they pervueve them to be. Outside of Russia, they ate far my biggest concern to world peace, and us as their lap dogs if our government continues to be as supine as it has this century.
very interesting read, while I agree with some parts I dont think its as simple as you suggest, for example you miss out the whole part of history with regards the Mongol invasions and the many civil wars that torn the country apart in different eras, it like many other empires of the world has had peaks and dips. To be fair "china as we know it" has been a collection of waring states many times in its 5000 year history, in fact China has split into independent states more than once, it could be compared how Europe has changed over the years. With new countries coming and going with new empires and such, much like china changed between each dynasty.
But remember Modern china is very much removed from its own history in many ways the peoples revolution made sure of that.
I also read about the theory that china being weak played a part in two world wars, its an interesting theory, but the same can be seen throughout history, when an empire fails it leaves a vacuum and a power struggle tends to follow to fill the void.
First Sino-Japanese War was the final nail in the coffin of the emperors of china , it had been in decline for some time in the 100 years before, conceding land to western powers, at the same time Japan had its sights on Empire and the west was all looking to expand empires and an arms race began. We all know how that turned out.
Modern China has been crapped on more than once in modern times by the western powers, starting with WW1, then as you know its common knowledge how things progressed leading to revolution.
The fear of communism by the USA has been a major problem the last 100 years and is still a major issue today, I feel we should be able to work with China, its in our interests to do so, China wants to trade, but there's so much mistrust on both sides, years of being bitten by the west doesn't help and the west not understanding China also causes problems, add to the fact the USA wanted to fight communism anywhere in the world, no wonder there's zero trust.
Not my strongest topic the history of China, but from year dot thy have been the worlds traders, exporting more than just goods, we should try and forge closer ties with them and learn to trust each other, if we ever crack that and become friends, the world would be a safer place.
I'll find the link
like Sunderland to Newcastle via durham. Bet that’s pissing them off.
