Henry Liu is Chinese

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Mon Mar 27 10:50:39 PST 2000


Charles Brown wrote:

The subject heading is a little weird. Yes, Henry Liu is Chinese. So what?


>CB: The validity of this whole critique of Henry is dependent upon
>the implicit critique of the PRC. I don't buy this critique of the
>PRC. I think it reflects the anti-communism of the liberal left,
>which has been horrendous for the Western working class in the
>historical long term. In other words, at least the Chinese
>Communists had a Communist Revolution. If you , your political trend
>and country had had one , I could take your criticisms of the PRC a
>lot more seriously

Well your country is the same as mind, so I'm not sure what you're saying here. And your political trend hasn't had a revo here. So is what you say invalid too?

Yes, China had a revolution long ago. One can criticize the revolution's shortcomings, but I won't deny it was a revolution on Communist principles. But it's not revolutionary any more. China is well on the way to becoming an authortiarian developmentalist/capitalist state. But we've been through this territory before, and I don't see any virtue in going over it again.


>CB: I could see some of this imagery sort of boomeranging.
>
>Also, I don't quite understand your claim that Henry is a First
>Worlder and that China is an "Other" for him. I think China is a
>"Same" for Henry Liu.

Henry has lived in this country for decades. New York, like many other U.S. cities, is full of people born elsewhere who now live & work here. His place of birth and physical appearance may make him seem "Chinese," but he lives his life as an American, regardless of his citizenship status. I don't define "American" like some Buchananite nativist - do you?

Doug



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