It is important to understand the context within which this is said, and I agree that the PRC writ large has not (quoting myself) totally “abandoned internationalism”.
These statements, though, this praise, taken at face value, reads that way to me, and I’m certain it reads that way to those who were directly affected by Kissinger’s policymaking. It is nationalistic – the only internationalism present here is between the PRC and the U.S. bourgeoisie and MIC. Kissinger did far more harm than good to the international proletariat, to millions of people, and I do take umbrage with this level of praise coming from communists.
The PRC is not immune to criticism, and I am aware that many of us are the rather hypocritical westoleftos levying this criticism against the PRC, but this is a communist forum, no? It is one of our tasks to rectify incorrect ideas and criticize incorrect actions so that we as communists may grow from them.
It’s not like it would have been a great idea to shit on his legacy. But if Chinese leaders genuinely think this will win them any favors with the ever increasingly Sinophobic U.S. ruling class, I think they’re dead wrong. I, and many others, think it’s worse than saying nothing. It is little more than hot air to the people they’re ostensibly trying to placate, and it is downright offensive to those who suffered and died from U.S. imperialism during his tenure.
I have not found any official Vietnamese English-language statements on his death, but this is from SCMP. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos’s foreign ministries have all, at this point in time, decided to stay silent on the matter.
Describing him as a “war criminal”, Ho Chi Minh City-based student Anh Nguyen, 23, said she hoped “he died with deep regrets about what he did”, reflecting a history shared through the generations by the Vietnamese Communist Party victors.
Condemning the Nobel award, history graduate Bui Khanh Minh of the Fulbright University Vietnam said Kissinger “crippled the country” during the Christmas bombing campaign of 1972 that pushed the Viet Cong to the negotiating table. “As someone from Hanoi … that decision by him and Nixon sparks a particularly personal resentment,” she said.
Will have to wait and see if any more statements are made.
I think it would be better to compare the Chinese government statement to the Vietnam (and other AES nation) government statement(s) (or lack of), and compare comments from the Vietnamese public to comments from the Chinese public. You’ll find no shortage of hatred for Kissinger where words aren’t curated by statesmanship.
Most certainly fair. I would be interested in knowing more about what average Chinese people think of Kissinger. I am hopeful it is generally not quite this level of admiration.
It is important to understand the context within which this is said, and I agree that the PRC writ large has not (quoting myself) totally “abandoned internationalism”.
These statements, though, this praise, taken at face value, reads that way to me, and I’m certain it reads that way to those who were directly affected by Kissinger’s policymaking. It is nationalistic – the only internationalism present here is between the PRC and the U.S. bourgeoisie and MIC. Kissinger did far more harm than good to the international proletariat, to millions of people, and I do take umbrage with this level of praise coming from communists.
The PRC is not immune to criticism, and I am aware that many of us are the rather hypocritical westoleftos levying this criticism against the PRC, but this is a communist forum, no? It is one of our tasks to rectify incorrect ideas and criticize incorrect actions so that we as communists may grow from them.
It’s not like it would have been a great idea to shit on his legacy. But if Chinese leaders genuinely think this will win them any favors with the ever increasingly Sinophobic U.S. ruling class, I think they’re dead wrong. I, and many others, think it’s worse than saying nothing. It is little more than hot air to the people they’re ostensibly trying to placate, and it is downright offensive to those who suffered and died from U.S. imperialism during his tenure.
I have not found any official Vietnamese English-language statements on his death, but this is from SCMP. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos’s foreign ministries have all, at this point in time, decided to stay silent on the matter.
Will have to wait and see if any more statements are made.
I think it would be better to compare the Chinese government statement to the Vietnam (and other AES nation) government statement(s) (or lack of), and compare comments from the Vietnamese public to comments from the Chinese public. You’ll find no shortage of hatred for Kissinger where words aren’t curated by statesmanship.
Most certainly fair. I would be interested in knowing more about what average Chinese people think of Kissinger. I am hopeful it is generally not quite this level of admiration.