Warrior Society of the Month - The Han Chinese! Part I

There's a reason why that 20% of the Earth's population is Han Chinese and that the People's Republic of China is among the most monoethnic nations on Earth. The Chinese people are a warrior people and due to their success they've been around so long and are all over the world. Compared to the Jews of whom they seem to be dying out most of the world except for Europe, North America and Israel. Ask the last Jew of Kabul or the last hundred or so Jews left in Yemen. In contrast to that, there's Chinese people everywhere and this trend has been noticed in African countries such as Sudan, Angola, Zambia where the Chinese government is making deals to secure mineral riches under the Earth. All the power to them, after all it's their job to maintain Chinese Civilization much like their predecessors.

The peoples who today make up China have always been fighting each other and there's always been someone to record them killing each other apparently. At least since the Xia dynasty which introduced feudalism in China around 2200 BC. Much like in Europe, vassal holders would fight each other for fiefs. The Shang were cool too, they created the first bronzes allowing the Chinese to kill each other with bronze spears, swords and they created the first Chinese writing (albeit on tortoise shells). The Chief of the West's dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty was trashed by northern barbarians and soon China descended into a Warring States Period...

The Zhou split up to hundreds of Chinese states, a ripe atmosphere for war in any case but the tactics they used were a little iffy. In 638 BC the Duke of Sung refused to attack an army moving across the river, 2000 years later Mao was reported to have said "I am not the Duke of Sung". Other strange things happened like relieving the siege of starving cities because of cannibalism. At least other states like Chin or Qin actually new how to conduct warfare. Other states too like Wu who had hired Sun Tzu to command his armies and soon by 450 BC several states survived: Qin, Chu, Zhao, Qi, Wei, Han and Yan. During this time Taoism developed, probably a response to the chaotic nature of Chinese politics. Confucius also came up to, as a method to restoring traditional Chinese values to a society shaped by warfare. Along with Mencius, Hsun-Tzu and Mo-Tzu.

Eventually, Qin conquered all and Shi Huang Ti became the first Emperor of China in 221 BC, ruling more than any before him. Chinese bureaucracy was created to end feudalism. Instead of giving land to great generals etc, give them titles and pensions as his lawgiver Li Ssu suggested. It was the right suggestion in the long-run. Some not so bright ideas were making hundreds of thousands of workers toil on his tomb, sending thousands to look for the immortal islands and building a Great Wall in which a warlord could easily just go around it (like Mr Jenghis Khan did) but it didn't only keep barbarians like the Hsiung Nu out.. it kept the Chinese in. Another bad thing he did was burning every history book because some Confucian scholar pissed him off about not being given land. Imagine all the knowledge we've lost!

After his death, his Empire collapsed and various warlords fought it out in vicious battles and massacres like burning of Hsien-Yang, the Imperial capital. Eventually, a commoner named Liu Pang won out after having his rival murdered and hacked to pieces in a marsh somewhere in Southern China. This is where the Han Chinese people move south on mass. The Han Dynasty embraced this region and conquered it's non-Han peoples (who do still exist today but in marginal numbers). However the Northern peoples were not easily contained and the cost of that war ruined the Empire. A rebel named Wang Mang won control of the Empire around 9 AD and he made the financial situation worse by taking all the gold out of circulation thus making China unable to trade with the outside world.

It got worse later on when 161 AD when an epidemic killed 3 out of every 1o people which caused one of the major pitfalls of Chinese rule to occur - whenever something shitty happens the Chinese people turn to religion. The other way how Chinese rule collapses is when a ruling dynasty becomes corrupt and inept and warlord/often with the help of a foreigner replaces the ruling dynasty. This time, a mystic named Chang Chio created a movement called the "Way of Peace" and grew and army called the Yellow Turbans. The Imperial armies were intimidated at first but they eventually overcame the Yellow Turbans with the help of private armies from warlords. A succession crisis after the death of the ruling Emperor led to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Battle of Red Bluff which created a North/South division of China. It got way worse when Tibetans, Huns and other foreigners invaded China and the Toba people pushed the Chinese far South around 386 AD forcing them to absorb, kill or displace these southern peoples who farmed rice and lived off pork. This disperal of peoples is still present on the border of China and South-East Asia where small pockets of Austro-Asian and Hmong-Mien speakers live.

The Toba people ruled and brought in Buddhism, among the two old faiths Confucianism and Taoism. Somehow, the Chinese people managed to embrace all three along with the traditional Chinese folk religions. Unlike its Western counterpart, it didn't have to kill Christians until much, much later. Soon the Sui dynasty was to rule.

The Chinese people had been fighting for over 4000 years in organized warfare and united under various warlords and fought off foreign invaders too at the cost of millions. As in the past, in the next part of this wonderful episode of the Han Chinese people millions more would die at the hands of Mongols, Manchus, Europeans, Japanese, Koreans and of course Chinese people. After all, nobody does it better than the Chinese.

19th Century Redux

It's hard to predict the events which will unfold in a new and rapidly developing century such as this one. As it is hard for any other. In 1910 did anyone in Britain think that China would become more economically poweful than the British Empire? Or that the Empire would cease to exist all together because it bankrupted itself due to two major wars with Germany? Did anyone in Mexico in 1910 think that the country would have a trillion dollar economy, or that bandits would ever go away (not that they have..)? Did anyone especially in Russia think that it would lose an empire, gain it again based on state property, then lose a quarter of it because of it's own fault? No. History is hard to predict. Which is why I found it funny when I saw reviews of George Friedmans book, "The Next Hundred Years: Forecast for the 21st Century".

He's stated that China will fragment by 2020, Russia and the US will be engaged in a small-cold war, there will be a major financial crisis by the '30s, by the 40's new powers such as Turkey, Poland and Japan(?!) will carve out spheres of influence and by the 50's there'll be a Third World War in which Poland and the US will destroy the evil forces of Japan (again) and Turkey.... then Mexico will try and reconquer it's lost territories in the Western United States by the '80s.

Trippy isn't. I'm not saying it couldn't happen because China won't allow itself to collapse after only 70 years of the CCP Dynasty, or that Russia won't disintergrate because allow the little republics in it like each other or that Poland, Japan and Turkey won't become great powers because the Poles are gutless, the Japanese are infertile and scared of Koreans and the Turks would prefer kicking Greeks and Israelis compared to kicking Arabs and Persians and that Mexicans will always be subserviant to American interests. Things do change. So I (Shoo Thaboy) will give a short little guide to how this century will go down.

This century, the one we're all currently living in will be much like the 19th century. Now, how does that make you feel inside? Maybe if you're American you'll feel a little repulsion forming in your gut making you realize of all the short, dirty wars your descendants will be doing in places from Yemen to Venezuela to Nigeria. No worries though, if you leave after you kill the people you're trying to kill most of the time you'll be alright. Nation-building is for states who can afford it. The way I see it, the 19th century and the 21st century have rising powers and the century will be important to these rising powers. The powers of bygone days who were rising were: The United States of America, Russia, Germany and Japan. The other powers were European and the tiny kingdoms, banana republics and tribal entities were nothing but wog-huts. One could say we'd term this the Third World. The nations which are rising now are China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and perhaps Russia on a good day. I would not say Poland is one.

The American nationalist who prays to an idol of Reagan in his bedroom is saying, "Those damn Chi-Coms will never be stronger than 'meriKA!" Yes, it is possible. Sooner than you think too. It'd bound to happen one day. Imagine how the British took the new that the US was richer than them. Probably made them question their national virility in the same way the Afghanistan Wars and the later economic prowess of Germany made them too. Check out the article in the New York Times in September 30th 1883 about it. You can feel the glee of the American news editor who placed it in the paper. It took the US 83 years to accomplish this feat. It'll take the Chinese less than 30 apparently according to new stats. I don't believe it, but you never know. Even then, it doesnt mean you'll see the Chinese marching up and down San Francisco.. not that they don't do that already...

Eventually by the middle of the century, new technologies may be discovered in these rising powers such as a cure for herpes or artificial intelligence. Perhaps even a way to sell them better than America can. Scary isn't it? The worst part is that they already outnumber America in two of these nations but it doesn't need to worry about Russia. It'll lose 30 million people by 2050 will the US will leap from 309 million to 439 million people, still more people than Indonesia and Brazil with room to spore. Unlike Indonesia and unlike India who'll gain 500 million more people by then too apparently according to stats unless nuclear war with Pakistan helps bump off a few million.

This is the thing about history, one can easily imagine a future in which:

• A Uighur rebel group allies with the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Laskar E Taiba and declare Jihad on China launching sporadic terrorist attacks in China


• The Indian Prime Minister is killed by a Pakistani affiliated terrorist group and Pakistan is issued an ultimatum to surrender all terrorist responsible for this attack. Pakistan refuses resulting in war. Pakistan nukes India and India kills 30 million Pakistanis.


• Balochistan and Pashtunistan pretty much leave the smoldering heap what was then Pakistan giving the Taliban a safe-base to operate and forcing the US to begin incursions in former Pakistani territory


• The Shanghai Corporation forms a military pact to counter NATO and it's new ally India in Asia


• The Second Great Depression starts after the hysteria caused by the nuclear war caused by India and Pakistan


• Russia annexes Belarus

etc etc etc.

Anything can happen. What IS happening is that communication technologies is shrinking our world much like the telegraph did to theirs less than 200 years ago and that regional powers are fighting to stake their claim over their spheres. Like Russia against Georgia in 2008 and Turkey against the Kurds in Northern Iraq. One would expect to see that. But would one expect to see Indonesia attacking across the Papuan border against rebels there or India invading Nepal to stop total collapse of the Maoist regime there? Again, who knows? But if you're an American soldier signing say after this decade...you're going to have a most busy time. After all, you're the redcoat of this century.

Child Labour - A Necessary Evil

Third world nations are stuck. They're usually small, ethnically diverse, sometimes landlocked or plagued by tropical diseases. The ultimate factor to their terrible situation is their poverty. Some countries are poor for a lot of reasons but there's success stories such as Japan, South Korea, Malaysia etc. A factor in their success is child labour.

I know, it sounds terrible doesn't it? But look at the course of history. Child workers are a necessary must in young nations who're on the way to industrializing such as 19th Century Britain and America, 20th century Brazil and most African nations in the 21st century if they're jobs aren't outsourced to China. Education is highly important of course, but to the average Afghan or Burmese peasant..working the fields is a more important use of time. Especially if you're dirt poor and you're government wants you to pay for primary education. Perhaps the farm is use more useful to you in the long-run. Especially considering that most elites have a better chance if you're government is grossly corrupt than you do. Let's say you live in a somewhat urban nation though, like 19th century Britain. Boy, are you in for a shock.

It's much cheaper to use a small child than to a higher a fully grown man. Especially if the job would require a very small man to do it like entering coal shafts or doing something with textiles in a factory. Cheap workers are especially needed if the country you're selling goods to has high tarriffs or worse - free trade which swamps your country with products made by Mexican labourers in California and the same thing applied to 19th Century Britain which is why Charles Dickens so good at writing about the social conditions of children...which he suffered through when he was a mere lad. Child labour helped his family income and probably contributed to them not starving. He was a lucky one.

Let's say in Senegal, what's the point of going to school to the age of 14 when you were just going to be a fisherman anyways. Might as well start young while you still can right? Not saying education is useless, it's just useless if you can't do shit with it afterwards right? Especially in Africa. Then again, what caused child labour to end in the US and Europe? Industralization, legislation and societal shift which caused parents to think their children aren't a means to end but innocent little creatures and the education of children along with the introduction of tiny little machines to eliminate the need of tiny little hands help but so does education as well such as in South Korea but i'm sure South Korea HAD to have child labour for awhile, demography demands it and demography is a cold hard bitch.

Arguing for this is terrible. I know, awful. Abysmal, it's like supporting slavery before industralization because SOMEONE had to do the work and it wasn't going to be landed Virginian gentry that's for sure. I'm glad that self-respect for individuals has come a long way from 1830 but in countries like Afghanistan and Ethiopia, it has to be put aside to allow for daily survival. If Western Nations wanted to help prevent this from occuring, getting rid of protective tarriffs which cause nations to look for the cheapest workers available (ie children) to work for a living instead of learning how to understand English or do simple arithmatic but no. The workers/farmers in rich western states whose corporations have a bigger yearly revenue than Ghana MUST be protected. Until Western Nations allow other nations to compete fairly, child labour is a must. What a sick, sad world.