Has anyone else been following Niall Ferguson's three part series on China? I've just finished watching it and as a British Chinese I feel incredibly angry and insulted at his completely biased account of China. What does everyone else think about it? Summary at the End
Firstly the entire tone of the programs has been sinister. He seeks to portray China as an "Evil Empire" that constantly seeks to impose itself on other nations. He has absolutely nothing positive to say about China or its people. He travelled around the country being sarcastic, arrogant, and condescending to everyone he met, twisting their words to support his ridiculous arguments. One example of his **** was lasts weeks program when he was talking about China's addiction to neon lights, and he shot immdiadely from scenes of Shanghi, to the government building in Beijing hundreds of miles away. He then goes on to say "This is the only building without neon lights" or somthing similar. What an absolute dick. Who does he think he's fooling? Thats like comparing Blackpool pleasure beach to Westminster!
He equates today's Chinese government with that of the first emperor over 2000 years ago, really? China at that time was a divided country run by warlords, maybe his turmoil BS would stand up then but not now. He presents China as a country riddled with political protests and suppression of human rights. Of course these problems exist, but not on the same scale as he makes out. A lot of people in China have been lifted from absolute poverty, but it's not perfect, no country is. And as for human rights, I don't think I need to list the human rights abuses going on in a country like the USA. He says things like "China has no desire for western style democracy", well why on earth should they? It doesn't even work here so how would it work in a country with a completely different strucure, people, and tradition. British democracy has taken centuries to develop, and it is far from perfect. I think modern China isn't doing too badly for 70 odd years of existance.They instead should seek to is impliment democratic reforms, this is precisely what the Chinese government is doing. Such as reforms to the death penalty ect.
His depiction of Mao was one of the most disgusting. He constantly refers to him as a tyrant and a mass murderer, likening him to Hitler and Stalin. Mao made huge mistakes that had grave consequences, but his achievments far outweigh the negatives. And Ferguson implies that Mao actively set out, on his own, to murder his own people. So if that's true, why does everyone in China love him? Some of Hitler's policies actually benefited poor Germans, but he isn't celebrated for it is he? And there is no mention of any of the things Mao's wife or the Gang of Four did. It's all Mao's fault! The reason virtually all Chinese love Mao is because everything we see in China now, was made possible by him.
His overiding point was that the Chinese civilization is on the brink of collapse or "turmoil", and that they are constantly trying to avoid it. Well he's wrong, but what country wouldn't resist that anyway? Oh but because the "communist state" did it it's a problem! He criticises China's communism, its capitalism, and its nationalism. I sense that Ferguson is aching for turmoil in China, he wants China to collapse. But for what reason, I don't know, and don't really care either! China isn't going anywhere but up, but please people don't fear them! All the trade that China is doing across the world is above board and mutually beneficial. I think we all should be far more fearful of America's presence in the world.
Please don't let this man's poison fool you. Please feel free to criticise China if you want, but at least do it objectively, taking into consideration all points of view.
Thank you for reading if you did!
SUMMARY: Niall Ferguson is a right wing Neo-colonial dickhead who hates Chinese Civilization and wants to influence us to think like him. Don't listen to him.