History, Facts | Perspectives | Positions | Beliefs, Provocative |#
date: December 11, 2022
slug: 11
status: Published
tags: Weekly Report
type: Post
The study and interpretation of history, of course, cannot be 100% objectively accurate, but on certain issues that can reach 99.9999999% accuracy, it is foolish and harmful to dismiss all historical knowledge as 0% reliable subjective impressions. Criticizing the erroneous policies of the Mao era also falls into this category: we can be certain that they were historical man-made disasters, but it is completely unnecessary to invoke historical nihilism because of the government's avoidance attitude. The only difficulty lies in the historical continuity and inheritance of the country and the party organization. If we engage in honest, comprehensive, and accurate discussions throughout society, although it is completely correct in narrow facts and logic, it is simply not feasible when we elevate our thinking to a metalevel. The significance of moral norms is to assist politics in achieving the maximization of public welfare. Since modern society and economic systems are so complex, and any fixed provisions are extremely simplified results, they cannot universally and absolutely apply. This does not mean that they are useless; on the contrary, not only do the vast majority of people lack the ability, desire, and time to analyze every public affair from first principles, but the rule of thumb is their only option. Even if there is one in a million who can fully grasp all relevant facts and logic on a specific issue, they must also respect moral principles as an important role in the core content of internal and external propaganda. They should not overturn it completely when the rule of thumb is not the optimal solution. The relevant rule of thumb moral principle here is "honesty". The Chinese government led by Mao has committed extremely serious mistakes, but allowing the general public to simply conclude this period of history will inevitably lead to irrational associations and endanger the legitimacy and legality of the current regime. Since the Chinese government under Xi Jinping is the most advanced, excellent, and efficient political system in the world today, in order to protect the overall well-being of human society (which is also the ultimate and highest goal of all political and social activities), making euphemistic cover-ups and evasions of inconvenient historical facts actually has moral correctness. In other words, my blog is a forum for rational and advanced intellectuals, and it can and must clarify the facts. However, this does not mean that the general public can or should do the same. In simpler terms, in my article "The Myth of America's Founding", I discussed how the United States distorted and glorified its own history, which in itself does not automatically constitute evil because it is a necessary measure to maintain the stability of the regime. The reason why it is worth singling out and criticizing is that the current United States has become the political carrier of international financial oligarchs, the biggest pest in human society, exploiting the laboring masses internally and advocating an anti-intellectual mentality, and causing turmoil and suppressing the backward externally. Its founding myth is an important software component that deceives the domestic and foreign masses and mobilizes reactionary forces. This is in stark contrast to China, so although they both superficially whitewash history, they have exactly opposite effects in substance. We treat the two differently, and there is no real logical contradiction.
Therefore, the history we see will inevitably depend on our perspectives - what we see is what we "hope" to see. If we look at history from a liberal perspective, then the United States is a chosen nation on the pinnacle of the world, with wise monarchs and free and wise citizens, naturally implying that Chinese people are inherently inferior. Since they have not been completely enlightened yet, they should suffer and screw a few more decades. If we look at history from the perspective of the Chinese establishment or the Third World, then the United States was built on the blood and flesh of Native Americans and black people, and the entire West has been sucking the blood of people from the Third World in the global division of labor system.
PS: Thinking about it again, history is indeed a coquettish girl (referring to artistic creation). Taking a historical figure as an example, Mulan; I can say that she is a national hero who joined the army for her father, a model of filial piety in Chinese culture; I can also say that she is a benchmark for women's self-improvement, an example of proving that women can shoulder half of the sky; I can even say that she, as a representative of women, is a dissolution and distortion of the image of women under patriarchal society. In fact, this image is still "anti-civilization" and patriarchal; I can also say that she is one of the thousands of people sacrificed in feudal Chinese society, to prove that China has always been a conservative, feudal, backward, and authoritarian society that persecutes people, and promoting Mulan is just singing praises to the authoritarian system, which is despicable... History and the dead have always been the best tools, as the deceased cannot rise to refute them.
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Therefore, in almost all social events in politics and public opinion, historical figures can be seen as tools for various factions to express their demands. Once a person's private affairs enter the public eye, they are no longer just private affairs. They become props and excuses for more people to express their opinions. Many people (or almost everyone) use other people's affairs to express their own things. Fate has nothing to do with the parties involved; they are just tools for various factions to express their views.
Integrity, justice, right and wrong seem to be less important. In this post-truth era, can vague justice still be called justice?
A paragraph can be divided into "facts," "perspectives," "beliefs," and "opinions."
Facts - independent of personal judgment, they are objectively existent
Perspectives - views on facts
Positions - perspectives influenced by positions and interests
Beliefs - internally consistent logical systems
In general, when facts are sufficient, perspectives will naturally arise, and they will vary from person to person, leading to conflicts: different perspectives on the same facts. In general, when perspectives differ, the method to resolve conflicts is to compare facts + exchange perspectives = reach consensus.
Furthermore, an important point that is often overlooked is that facts are not necessarily the truth.
- Intentionally or unintentionally ignoring, disregarding, or selectively accepting facts.
- Intentionally misleading others by providing only partial facts.
- What you think is true may actually be false.
- What you think is certain may actually be uncertain.
Recently, I have paid some attention to how to construct an inflammatory article.
In fact, an inflammatory article is usually one-sided and emotional. Objective and comprehensive articles generally do not have the same provocative effect. Only emotional, exclusionary, and one-sided presentation of facts can maximize the use and mobilization of the masses, utilizing the characteristic of the masses to selectively absorb facts they like to "mislead" them.
PS: I am ultimately an ordinary person and will be influenced by the general social environment. I am also ignorant and easily influenced in many cases. I do not trust large-scale masses, and I do not trust myself when I am among the large-scale masses.
Another day, I can write an observation on inflammatory articles.
Facts are objective, perspectives can be changed, but humans still cannot unify their perspectives and achieve a harmonious world because of different positions. (Not having a position is also a position, and those who claim to have no position are often hypocritical.) Positions represent the human nature of thinking.
How to treat facts and positions?
- Dealing with facts requires changing perspectives and considering from others' points of view.
- Dealing with positions requires compromise (compromise does not mean weakness; the ultimate goal of stepping back is to move forward two steps).
Recently, my roommate got into Genshin Impact, and I also returned to the game. After playing it in detail, I realized the beauty of Genshin Impact. Below is a poem from the event of the God of the Stove and Crispy Rice: Wind and rain bless, mountains and seas rejoice, it is the blessing of heaven and earth; Stars shift, the world changes, fireworks in the human world remain the same; My achievements, lasting for a hundred years, do not forget the night I held the candle and wandered; In the present and the past, amidst the turbulence, we await the arrival of new talents!
You're already home, so there's no reason to procrastinate anymore, right?
- 2022 Annual Summary
- Observation of Inflammatory Articles
- Update two technical documents