Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 10.27.2021
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
Female astronaut in China
A female astronaut will be participant in newly launched FChina space station. Provided with cosmetics on board. Senior official at Chinese space agency stated on Chinese television, "Female astronauts may be in better condition after putting on makeup."
Thomas Jefferson – religious tolerance and slavery
There is a very thoughtful op-ed in The Times today by Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis, on the Thomas Jefferson statue in the New York City Council that is being removed. The article notes that the statue was originally donated In 1834 by a Jewish immigrant who admired Jefferson's support for religious freedom, including for Jews, something very controversial at the time. The article also notes obviously that Jefferson owned slaves. His point is that both of these are part of jefferson's legacy, we should not ignore either one.
Pro-CCP Uyghur singer arrested
The Economist reports that a popular Uyghur singer, who once wrote a song called "A song for leader Xi Jinping," featuring the line, "You put light into the hearts of the people," has now been arrested amidst a government crackdown.
Stolen artifacts from Cambodia
The Cambodian government is claiming that a number of Cambodian antiquities at the Metropolitan museum of art in New York were stolen Civil War Between 1970 and 2000. These claims have mostly in the past been made about stolen artifacts from 150 years ago, interesting that these claims involve such a recent time.
New Xinjiang party chief background in “anti-terrorism”
The South China Morning Post reports that "a former PLA soldier with extensive anti-terrorism experience has been confirmed as party chief of Urumqi," the capital of Xinjiang.
The Chinese economy’s triple shock
The Economist notes this week that the Chinese economy faces a triple shock -- the problems in the property market, the pandemic, and a coal shortage. The growth in industrial production is now less than during the worst of the 2008 economic crisis.