Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life,5.11.2022
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
More support for Nato in Sweden
The Swedish defense minister on the TV news tonight said that Nato membership would increase Sweden's security. Before Ukraine, he had said he would "never" support Swedish membership. Two former foreign ministers have also now come out for Swedish membership.
Chocolates in Moscow
A man in Moscow was arrested after placing a box of chocolates on a park branch with a handwritten sign saying, "Have some candy if you're against the war."
How West Virginia has changed
Interesting to read in The Times today about the West Virginia Republican primary between a mainstream Republican and Trump's candidate comcandidatem, the former voted in favor in favor of an investigation of the January 6 insurrection.. It is amazing to remember that in 1960, when John F. Kennedy was running for president and West Virginia was a key primary state in election, the state was one of the most Democratic in the nation. In 2020 it gave Trump 69% of the vote.
The two sides of the Chinese state
China has announced it will set up covid testing facilities within a 15 minute walk of everyone's residence in big cities. In my view, we see here the the two faces of the Chinese state. On the one hand, in my view it is admirable they have such a robust implementation capacity to set up this kind of presence. On the other hand, of course this same capacity can also be used for surveillance and harassment. On the latter, I learned recently that in the vicinity of a certain subway stop in Beijing, there were over 100 surveillance cameras as well as additional cameras on each car.
“Static management” in China
The official government phrase used now in China for lockdowns is "static management." These guys are weird. A Chinese friend wrote to me that use of newspeak has increased under president Xi. (Incidentally the same friend in a conversation on this said to me wrote to me knowledge of this expression is quite widespread in China.)
“We love our country” Hong Kong
The poor puppet Chief Executive in Hong-Kong made the mistake of saying in a speech for his "election" campaign that "we love our country Hong-Kong." For China, of course, Hong-Kong is not a country. The speech has been censored in China.
QAnon on the Mexican border
The Times reports today that some QAnon supporters have been hanging around at the Mexican border to "save" newly arrived Mexican children from being kidnapped by sex traffickers.
Most handsome man in China
The South China morning post reports that a Tibetan sheep herder whose picture went viral a few years ago years ago as the handsomest man in China is now suing people who have belittled him online. In one survey, 63% of male respondents said they thought they were more handsome than he.
US and Swedish journalists call out Putin “lies”
The ABC News reporter from Moscow tonight used the word "lies" to discuss Putin's statements in his Victory Day speech. It was, as I noted in an earlier post today, the same word as the Swedish TV reporter in Moscow used.
Harvard faculty statement against Harvard Crimson support for Boycott, Divestiture, and sanctions
A tweet of mine endorsing a statement by Harvard faculty against the Harvard Crimson editorial supporting boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel has been retweeted I think more than any other tweet I have ever done.
Children of undocumented denied schooling?
An editorial in the Dallas Morning News says the paper has generally supported Gov. Abbott's efforts to tighten the southern border, but that they oppose his suggestion that the children of undocumented people be denied access to public education. This is an extreme position, the paper says.