Banzai, Out - Baizuo IN

[Badger52]

One Japanese, one current Chinese jargon.
I ran across this article regarding the rise in Chinese social media circles of a term (or two) that is most decidedly not complimentary. The article also has a direct link to the original written by Ms. Chenchen Zheng.

If you look at any thread about Trump, Islam or immigration on a Chinese social media platform these days, it’s impossible to avoid encountering the term baizuo (白左), or literally, the ‘white left’. It first emerged about two years ago, and yet has quickly become one of the most popular derogatory descriptions for Chinese netizens to discredit their opponents in online debates.

Given their test-inflated IQs, it’s not entirely surprising that Chinese would be one of the first foreigners to bristle with contempt for our domestic cancer cells. The more astute of their observers understand that the left’s affections are an entirely fickle force that could just as easily be turned against the Chinese should an opportunity for more conspicuous moral preening present itself–such as African and Muslim migration to China, for instance.

"Although the emphasis varies, baizuo is used generally to describe those who “only care about topics such as immigration, minorities, LGBT and the environment” and “have no sense of real problems in the real world”; they are hypocritical humanitarians who advocate for peace and equality only to “satisfy their own feeling of moral superiority”; they are “obsessed with political correctness” to the extent that they “tolerate backwards Islamic values for the sake of multiculturalism”; they believe in the welfare state that “benefits only the idle and the free riders”; they are the “ignorant and arrogant westerners” who “pity the rest of the world and think they are saviours”.

Another treat:

Heated discussions about baizuo on Chinese social media websites rarely make reference to domestic issues, except for occasionally and unsurprisingly insulting Chinese Muslims for being “unintegrated” or “complicit in the spread of Islam extremism”. The stigmatization of the ‘white left’ is driven first and foremost by Chinese netizens’ understanding of ‘western’ problems. It is a symptom and weakness of the Other.

It certainly is. Western liberalism is better described as the zeal to occupy museum exhibits. And I can think of no more certain means of destroying a formidable opponent than by elevating the doctrine within their society. I sometimes wonder if man will one day conquer other solar systems by seeding alien civilizations with pods from Vermont.

The term first became influential amidst the European refugee crisis, and Angela Merkel was the first western politician to be labelled as a baizuo for her open-door refugee policy. Hungary, on the other hand, was praised by Chinese netizens for its hard line on refugees, if not for its authoritarian leader. Around the same time another derogatory name that was often used alongside baizuo was shengmu (圣母) – literally the ‘holy mother’ – which according to its users refers to those who are ‘overemotional’, ‘hypocritical’ and ‘have too much empathy’. The criticisms of baizuo and shengmu soon became an online smear campaign targeted at not only public figures such as J. K. Rowling and Emma Watson, but also volunteers, social workers and all other ordinary citizens, whether in Europe or China, who express any sympathy with international refugees.

Haha shengmu indeed. The overwrought white liberal “holy mother” has become iconic over the past generation, from Sally Struthers’ weepy appeals to feed the third world to Angela Merkel’s yearning to import it.

It's enough to make a guy

[Flagg]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

It kind of ties in with anecdotals from my Mainland Chinese classmates last year at Stanford.

While wealthy tech and EU lefties living in gated utopias were getting it wrong to their great surprise on Brexit, Trump, and terror attacks that were leading to all too frequent "we are with you", including family members of 2 students delayed on their campus visit due to the Istanbul airport attack, the Mainland Chinese were asking me what I thought.

I kept my cards pretty close, but told them I was not sympathetic with leftist agendas.

When they opened up it seemed pretty clear that they and their immediate families had enjoyed some of the greatest relative increases in quality of life, standard of living, and wealth increase that the world has ever seen.

And they don't want to lose it.

I suspect the vast majority Mainland Chinese who have benefitted enormously in recent decades, look at our leftist reincarnation of China's Cultural Revolution era "Struggle Sessions", and think we are completely insane for eating ourselves.

What's interesting is that while there is a certain level of truth to Mainland Chinese entrepreneurs being arrogant cowboys, there was no arrogance to all of these issues, just genuine concern and confusion as to why we are eating ourselves.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by Flagg

What's interesting is that while there is a certain level of truth to Mainland Chinese entrepreneurs being arrogant cowboys, there was no arrogance to all of these issues, just genuine concern and confusion as to why we are eating ourselves.

Interesting anecdotal stuff actually; much better than the pronounciations from some policy wonk.

I've noticed over the years, in certain consumer items where the original company has put in a QC/QA presence (field office if you will) on the ground in China for the manufacturing, that they can aggressively compete with some good stuff. They seem quicker to learn what works; this seems (to me) similar in a cyclic way to what initially happened mid-20th century when the Japanese earned their reputation for "junk" and evolved that rather aggressively to good stuff worth having. Not specific to manufacturing, it just seems they have an attitude to make it happen if they get the operational daylight to do so because they've seen the flipside already. Not saying they've gone a completely different direction but the contrast is easy if we're going backwards at the same time.

I wonder how much accurate information they get on things like the success story of Venezuela who are finishing off the last course of themselves & reaching for a napkin.

[Flagg]

Originally Posted by Badger52

Interesting anecdotal stuff actually; much better than the pronounciations from some policy wonk.

I've noticed over the years, in certain consumer items where the original company has put in a QC/QA presence (field office if you will) on the ground in China for the manufacturing, that they can aggressively compete with some good stuff. They seem quicker to learn what works; this seems (to me) similar in a cyclic way to what initially happened mid-20th century when the Japanese earned their reputation for "junk" and evolved that rather aggressively to good stuff worth having. Not specific to manufacturing, it just seems they have an attitude to make it happen if they get the operational daylight to do so because they've seen the flipside already. Not saying they've gone a completely different direction but the contrast is easy if we're going backwards at the same time.

I wonder how much accurate information they get on things like the success story of Venezuela who are finishing off the last course of themselves & reaching for a napkin.

A big embarrassment for the Mainland Chinese I got to know was counterfeiting and blatant IP theft.

What they liked talking about was iterating. Starting out making something barely good enough, then improving 1% every time for eternity until they are world class.

Like the example of the Japanese you mentioned.

The old b&w TV shows that joked about Made in Japan in the 1950's was a shoe on the other foot 20+ years later.

We didn't have anyone from Venezuela in our cohort(gee, I wonder why) but a few from Columbia, Brazil, and Chile.

They didn't bite on my attempts to discuss Chile's history(ie Pinochet), but I think out of a lack of geopolitical understanding.

They thought Venezuela was a disaster because leadership ate the entire national business community.

I got the distinct sense from my Mainland Chinese classmates that they respected(maybe even thought needed) very firm(authoritarian) but fair or at least consistent leadership that leaves business alone to make money.

"Cultural cannibalism" we already covered, but besides that one....corruption was a big issue for them.

A big indicator was that some of them already owned properties outside of Mainland China with the rest actively shopping for some.

I had a few pass thru NZ in the past 6 months shopping.

I don't view it as a pro China indicator. I see it as a "lifeboat ticket" and store of value in case things get weird in China.

China's going big, real big, unless there's some nasty pandemic. But it will not all go up in a straight line, they'll have their big bumps too.