First Posts

I have been thinking about blogging for awhile. To start is always the most difficult thing to do. Hopefully, I will find time to write here often.

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说说独立宣言

  独立宣言的重要目的是要摆脱英国的殖美统治。在独立宣言前美洲大陆上已有包括像 Thomas Paine 脱英派提出人的自然权利。独立宣言最终稿充满了对政府的不信任。天赋人权是独立的基础。 英国能在美洲建立起殖民地的基础不是哥伦布当年到美洲直接对土著说你们太愚昧了所以不配拥有那些土地。英国的殖民基础是所谓的 magna carta 。简单讲就是每个殖民地享有一定自主权。所以当时脱英很难有什么说词，既然已有一定自主权，要独立就没啥理由。当时 Thomas Jefferson 认定的脱英基础就是天赋人追求自由幸福的权利、对政府是极度不信任 。当独立宣言刚出来时碰到的是很大的怀疑。有英国学者质疑到没有一个政府在独立宣言下是可以存在的。当然我们都知道独立宣言没提到黑人奴隶问题和女权。所以这个宣言的很大的目的是为了独立而不是天赋人权，人人平等。这个在美国史学界也是比价公认的一种观点。有兴趣的，我推荐一本书叫 all The truths- a history of the United States. 是哈佛的史学家 Jill Lapore 写的。 简单讲美国当年立国之本确实对政府不信任 ，所以三权分立什么的。对政府的批评也是美国政客时髦事。往往去竞选政府职位的人说要把政府精简 。川普上台后对政府这个砍那个砍，川粉们拍手到 - 这个魄力，为老百姓的好官啊！ 但问题来了，政府真的是一无是处吗？这次疫情下就看到了，政府统一管理还是很有必要的。 Fareed Zaharia 在他的新书里有这个观点 - 政府不在大小，关键是否有效。光靠这个砍那个裁是弄不出好政府的。所谓的市场力量，个人动力，是没法解决如这次疫情的危机。知道些美国历史就会明白这些自然权利的来龙去脉。把那个上升到极端说是那个就是人类最高理念，这种看法早就 out 了。
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The immigration issue

To those supporting Trump’s immigration policy: In 1620, 108 pilgrims set out from port Plymouth to the new world awaiting them.  Many of the 108 passengers were separatists, fleeing persistent religious persecution.  They survived harsh new England winter environment and their voyage has become an iconic story in the American history. The culmination of the voyage in singing of the Mayflower compact was an event that established a rudimentary form democracy that emanated into what would become a mainstay political form in America. Fast forward to 1800s, immigration to the budding country had significantly increased starting from the 1820s.  From 1820 to 1860, millions of Irish arrived escaping the blight of Great Irish Famine back home.  Needless to say, the Irish weren’t required to have visas.  The country was in need of labor in canal building, lumbering, and civil constructions.  Most of the Irish settled in the big cities along the coast. Dur...
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Thoughts on China's soccer ...

Sina reports that the new owner, Yang,  of Birmingham  FC of the Premiership wants to import a couple of Chinese players and the focus is on the winger. Yang's appointed assistant, the fabled Chinese Soccer player Fan Zhiyi , told the media that China should really send young players aged between 15 and 17 to top leagues. He says Chinese kids at that age still can compete with kids in the top leagues, but Chinese adult players would not be competitive in top leagues.  He wonders why? Fan probably knows the answer better than anybody since he played in China until he was 28 and played several years in UK afterwards. Kids at 15-17 years are middle school-er in soccer terms.  Adult players are graduates of universities . If soccer player's development were to compared to general education development, Fan is pointing out up until middle school China is successful in developing young player compared to top leagues.  I think this statement is accurate to a large extent, if not...
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