March Roundup: How Do We Keep Up With Our Changing World?
Newsletter 019 -- The importance of local news. China. Arms Shuffling. An Energy Crisis.
Hey all!
Phew, the last few months have flown by.
This month we deliver on our promise made at the beginning of this year to keep an eye on China. And, this month China’s been busy, so we’ve gathered some of the stories that most interested us (we’re watching and waiting to cover the TikTok hearings!). But, it feels like they’re garnering global importance and influence at whiplash speeds — even I have found it hard to know what it all means. I will say, it has been a total mind-bend seeing Chinese leaders center stage in global leadership spaces where American leaders typically dominate.
This is such a compelling time in foreign policy and global affairs because so much is changing or being pushed toward change. Countries are pivoting away from their long-held foreign policy stances — stances the rest of the global community never saw changing — and the onslaught of unprecedented events in the last few years has changed the landscape into something unrecognizable for even the most senior advisor.
I hope you stay tuned this year as we unravel what’s to come!
» What is China up to?
China has garnered more global influence since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) it has also become the greatest threat to the US’s title as the world’s preeminent global superpower. China has the second largest military in the world, and it is the world’s largest economy. Because of this, the US has been aggressively campaigning and creating new pathways to fortify its global position. Last week the US approved $619 million in high-tech arms sales to Taiwan which included new missiles and F-16 fighter jets. The Biden administration’s support for Taiwanese sovereignty diverges drastically from the American “One China” foreign policy stance the country has had for decades. Taiwan is an important geopolitical link in the US’s global defense strategy in the Pacific – it's part of the trail of US-friendly islands on the eastern side of China. Foreign policy experts warn, “By preparing for war, the powers inclined themselves, they increased the probability, that war would come.” Experts worry that the tension building between the US and China, and China and Taiwan, could get ugly now that high-tech weapons have been distributed. — Alexis
Artist Yun-Fei Ji Grew Up During China’s Cultural Revolution
“My teachers…some of them, kind of, banished in Xinjiang or Tibet, and different areas, digging ditches or doing farming work or factories. Not able to make art for about twenty years, because they were young art students, very talented, outspoken. So seeing them come back at that moment, it was really a huge lesson…” — Yun-Fei Ji
The Cultural Revolution in China began in 1966 under the direction of President Mao Zedong. The sociopolitical movement denounced old capitalistic and traditional ways of life in China. Zedong hoped to purge the country of its political elites in the government, the military, and important spheres of culture in an effort to destroy old ideas, customs, culture, and habits (the “Four Olds”). This movement crippled the Chinese economy and led to the deaths of 1.5 million people, and the banishment of about 20 million people (including China’s current president, Xi Jinping). The Cultural Revolution ended in 1976 with the death of Mao Zedong. In this article, the artist Yun-Fei Ji discusses how this sociopolitical movement shaped his artistic practice and how his Socialist Realism style came to be. Socialist Realism is a form of modern realism, and works in this style often depict scenes from the everyday life of working class people combined with a naturalist treatment that makes the work look like a photograph. This interview offers a look into how the politics of the time not only influence the kind of art being made but how the craft and knowledge gathering for an art piece can also have a political lens. Art can be a form of propaganda, it can also be a subversion of the system, and lastly, art can be seen as a political reflection of the time. Yun-Fei Ji’s story shows how governments try to control or manage art production as a way to create a country’s culture and how the politics du jour shapes the way artists view and understand their own work. — Alexis
The Chinese Market Is Crazy About ChatGPT. But the Government, Not So Much
ChatGBT4, an updated version of the original ChatGBT, and one of the most advanced AI (artificial intelligence) systems was just released this month. Governmental policies and regulations however are not as advanced and can barely keep up with the fast pace of AI technology. The Chinese government in particular is not keen on ChatGBT being accessible by the Chinese people because it would make uncensored data available to the masses – things like historical uprisings and political propaganda which have been meticulously scrubbed from the internet through China’s censorship program would now be free-flowing information. The program’s censors would not be able to control unpredictable chatbots, as easily as they can with human actors, and China would have to pour even more resources into training the AI to comply with the official Chinese narrative. Although China is leading in technology and AI, censorship could be its Achilles heel. The U.S.'s strength when it comes to AI is innovation – AI is learning new information and being trained every day to better understand the world we live in. China’s strength is practical application, but part of this application means spending time and money focusing on censoring AI and working to train it to only produce calculated, government-approved information. China, a leader in the technology space, could now be bogged down with censoring instead of expanding the capacities of AI like the U.S. is currently doing. This could be just the edge the U.S. needs to come out ahead of China in the global technology market. — Sarah
» Stories Out of Africa
“It also proposes an issue of legitimacy. ‘If the government isn't able to give me water if they aren't able to provide adequate healthcare and education, and if they aren't able to keep the lights on, then what do I have to gain from my support and my respect of the government?’ So, in many ways, I think load shedding is the national crisis that will define South Africa’s future in the upcoming years.” – Andile Zulu (Energy Democracy Officer at the Alternative Information Development Center)
With the help of Andile Zulu, in this episode, I continue my education on neoliberalism. By explaining how the ANC’s adoption of neoliberalism, after Apartheid, orchestrated the perfect storm of events that placed South Africa in the midst of an energy crisis today, listeners gleen insight into this popular political ideology. Neoliberalism is a political ideology that believes a society’s political and economic institutions should be free and capitalist – it's the bedrock for a free market economy. — Alexis
The People Have Spoken
Small and independent publications have indisputable importance in culture-making, their ability to create space for deep diving into little-known stories, connecting more intimately with their readers, and the flexibility to try new things within the media space. Such is the story of the revolutionary beginnings of the magazine, Revolution Africaine. The magazines’ small size and make up, gave them a special buoyancy that allowed them to float closer to homegrown news stories, cultural movements, and community discussions. After Algeria won its independence from French colonization, the magazine played a culture-making role in unifying Algerians inside and outside of the country. The magazine created space for readers to share their thoughts, ideas, and information — creating important links between Algerians scattered around the globe, and the burgeoning entities of power within the country itself. Revolution Africaine helped the country establish its post-colonial sense of self. Revolution Africaine’s small but earnest group of writers wrote about new ideas, debated social theories, and had authentic conversations about Algerian culture, society, and history so Algerians could relearn and resituate their country (for themselves) outside of the colonial context. Their work was integral in weaving the fabric of post-colonial Algerian society. As the newly formed Algerian government came together, they looked for ways to fortify the legitimize their power. In the country’s fledgling state, the government’s power relied heavily on its ability to communicate that power to its citizens and shape a culture and society that would be amenable to its rule (it shouldn't surprise anyone that they utilized propaganda tactics to achieve this). However, there is an important utility in the symbiotic relationship media outlets and governments have, especially at critical moments such as when a people gain independence and need to think of ways to organize themselves. The role that smaller, locally focused magazines or newspapers have is to be the hub for their community, giving the country and diaspora a way to communicate ideas with each other, organize and progress-track — all important to moving in lockstep during this precarious and exciting time of state creation. And, as the foremost media outlet on the ground, Revolution Africaine documented this living, breathing process as it happened. — Alexis
» The Movements of Weapons Around the Globe
“I don't think 900 US special operations forces can stop that recruitment. The recruitment is a result of bitter political division, social problems in that part of Syria. And the Americans can't fix that. Frankly, the Americans don't even speak the language, much less have the ability to address these kinds of political divisions that enable the recruitment. So the mission itself, I would argue, is unachievable. And that's why I want a debate in the Congress about this. Because it’s not that the operation is so expensive…but were putting people in harms way for what reason?” — Robert Ford was President Obama’s ambassador to Syria until 2014. In this episode, he discusses why he has concerns that the U.S.’s involvement in Syria might be turning into an occupation — Alexis
Australia to Buy up to 220 Tomahawk Missiles From The U.S.
Australia just completed two weapons deals with the U.S. garnering global attention. They are set to buy nuclear-powered attack submarines and up to 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles which can be fired from the submarines. In total, Australia will be spending over 350 Billion dollars to amp up its defense force. The purchase of these weapons from the U.S. is not just to strengthen defense capabilities, it will give Australia access to advanced, cutting-edge technology, and strengthen the relationship between these two nations. This deal will enhance their political alliance and the interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces, making it easier for them to work together in joint military operations. As allies, Australia and the U.S. have similar concerns about their stability and security. Australia has expressed concerns about China’s increasing military power and assertiveness in the region. Additionally, in the last newsletter, we discussed the U.S.’s race with China and their concern that China might be outmaneuvering them geopolitically. China seems to be a pattern when it comes to these two western countries. Australia owning advanced weapons benefits the U.S. as well: American representatives have announced that they have shared interests. This military relationship between the U.S. and Australia could foreshadow an upper hand over China. — Sarah
» Who Gets to Be a Part of Europe?
Author, Dina Nayeri, discusses her new book, “Who Gets Believed”, which investigates the idea of status, racism, and Western superiority through the lens of asylum seekers and refugees who are seeking safety. She looks at asylum storytelling and the ways individuals are acculturated to telling stories differently than how people in the West are able to understand stories. Asylum seekers are asked to perform their pain for those who are trying to help them settle into their new homes. This was an engaging discussion about what gets lost in translation, the privilege of being believed, and the bureaucracy within the asylum system that makes exacerbates these points of tension. — Alexis
Georgia Faces a Rocky Road to EU Membership
In March of 2022, Georgia applied to become a member of the European Union (EU) and in June, the EU said it would accept Georgia as a candidate if it completed a list of reforms that would bring it up to EU standards. Some of the reforms they required were: 1) a decrease in political polarization, limiting the influence of the country’s oligarchs, improving their judiciary, 2) beefing up the protections they offer to the LGBTQIA+ community, and 3) an increase in press freedoms. Georgian citizens desire EU membership because they believe it will offer security from Russian aggression. Since there are a number of countries interested in joining the EU following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this is a great time to take a look at what the application process entails. The European Union considers a few things when assessing membership applications: they look at how stable the country’s democratic institutions are, and the strength of its economy. Once that assessment has been made, the European Commission will present its opinion and decide whether they recommend the applicant move to the next step and become an official candidate, or it will lay out what reforms they require the applicant to meet before it can give them official “candidate status”. Once a country is given candidate status it can begin negotiations with the EU where representatives from the country and the EU will create a plan for the candidate’s admittance to the EU as a full member. However, attaining candidate status doesn't ensure that you will become a member. For example, Turkiye has been a candidate for EU membership since 1999. The desire to join the European Union comes from the idea that the geopolitical entity would offer protection and built-in allyship seen as helpful in instances like the Russian invasion. — Alexis
» Updates
How Cities Are Tackling Caste Discrimination
In last month's newsletter, we discussed how the South Asian community imported the Caste System when they arrived here in the U.S. and how this system has created tensions in school board meetings, at Google, and was even taken up as a city issue in Seattle, Washington. Here is an update on how it's playing out in other places. — Alexis
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In Solidarity,
The 823 Team