I gladly follow your posts Jeff and heartily concur with your attitude, but I beg you, simplify your webpage, there’s just too much going on and the article to which the headline refers is never readily apparent or accessible
I hear you., Australasian. You are not the first to tell me this. I promise to follow up and will ask for donations in a seperate post each week. Problem is my wife and I need the money to buy food and heating oil. Thank you for your good suggestion. Jeff
Hello Jeff, I just wanted to share the following in support of your excellent work (I can’t remember which specific article prompted me to collate the following – I have been distracted - but please enjoy in your own good time) …
“By far the most interesting fact I hear about the Chinese is one on which we cannot arrive at clearness, but which excites <b>endless curiosity</b> even in the dim state: this namely, that they do attempt to make their Men of Letters their Governors! […] <b>There does seem to be, all over China, a more or less active search everywhere to discover the men of talent that grow up in the young generation. […] The youths who distinguish themselves in the lower school are promoted into favorable stations in the higher, that they may still more distinguish themselves,-forward and forward: it appears to be out of these that the Official Persons, and incipient Governors, are taken.”</b>
[…]
“These are they whom they try first, whether they can govern or not. And surely with the best hope: for they are the men that have already shown intellect. Try them: they have not governed or administered as yet; perhaps they cannot; but there is no doubt they have some Understanding,--without which no man can! Neither is Understanding a tool, as we are too apt to figure; "it is a hand which can handle any tool." Try these men: they are of all others the best worth trying.--Surely there is no kind of government, constitution, revolution, social apparatus or arrangement, that I know of in this world, so promising to one's scientific curiosity as this. The man of intellect at the top of affairs: this is the aim of all constitutions and revolutions, if they have any aim. <b>For the man of true intellect, as I assert and believe always, is the noble-hearted man withal, the true, just, humane and valiant man.</b> Get him for governor, all is got; fail to get him, though you had Constitutions plentiful as blackberries, and a Parliament in every village, there is nothing yet got!—"
That was written in 1840 (published in 1841) by Thomas Carlyle in “Heroes and Hero Worship - all 6 Lectures” - Chapter 5 “Hero as Man of Letters”
I gladly follow your posts Jeff and heartily concur with your attitude, but I beg you, simplify your webpage, there’s just too much going on and the article to which the headline refers is never readily apparent or accessible
I hear you., Australasian. You are not the first to tell me this. I promise to follow up and will ask for donations in a seperate post each week. Problem is my wife and I need the money to buy food and heating oil. Thank you for your good suggestion. Jeff
Thank you Jeff, your voice is desperately needed.
I am humbled, Warren. Thank you. Venceremos!
Hello Jeff, I just wanted to share the following in support of your excellent work (I can’t remember which specific article prompted me to collate the following – I have been distracted - but please enjoy in your own good time) …
“By far the most interesting fact I hear about the Chinese is one on which we cannot arrive at clearness, but which excites <b>endless curiosity</b> even in the dim state: this namely, that they do attempt to make their Men of Letters their Governors! […] <b>There does seem to be, all over China, a more or less active search everywhere to discover the men of talent that grow up in the young generation. […] The youths who distinguish themselves in the lower school are promoted into favorable stations in the higher, that they may still more distinguish themselves,-forward and forward: it appears to be out of these that the Official Persons, and incipient Governors, are taken.”</b>
[…]
“These are they whom they try first, whether they can govern or not. And surely with the best hope: for they are the men that have already shown intellect. Try them: they have not governed or administered as yet; perhaps they cannot; but there is no doubt they have some Understanding,--without which no man can! Neither is Understanding a tool, as we are too apt to figure; "it is a hand which can handle any tool." Try these men: they are of all others the best worth trying.--Surely there is no kind of government, constitution, revolution, social apparatus or arrangement, that I know of in this world, so promising to one's scientific curiosity as this. The man of intellect at the top of affairs: this is the aim of all constitutions and revolutions, if they have any aim. <b>For the man of true intellect, as I assert and believe always, is the noble-hearted man withal, the true, just, humane and valiant man.</b> Get him for governor, all is got; fail to get him, though you had Constitutions plentiful as blackberries, and a Parliament in every village, there is nothing yet got!—"
That was written in 1840 (published in 1841) by Thomas Carlyle in “Heroes and Hero Worship - all 6 Lectures” - Chapter 5 “Hero as Man of Letters”
Jumping ahead to the present
• “How do Chinese leaders get elected?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twKhCqfjffQ
• Selection and election: How China chooses its leaders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgpQxVCekgw
“very much in line with the Confucian system of meritocracy”
Who would have thought, then, that in 1840 Thomas Carlyle was virtually pre-empting the script of the rise to power of President Xi Jinping?
• Xi Jinping: Scholar in a cave - CGTN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGDm_mWtXmU
and finally, …
One more topical link
• Eric X. Li: A tale of two political systems – TED Talks July 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0YjL9rZyR0
and definitely finally …
Matthew (‘Matt’) Galat – aka ‘JaYoe Nation’
• Chinese Government Officials Corrupted My Videos! | JaYoe Conversation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smnVeGR15GI
Julius, great synthesis and research. Don't forget Cynthia. On with the good fight! Jeff