{"id":7322,"date":"2024-01-01T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T00:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7322"},"modified":"2024-01-03T16:23:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T08:23:41","slug":"321-war-and-the-endurance-of-humiliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7322","title":{"rendered":"321. War and the Endurance of Humiliation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><sup>3<\/sup>\u00a0And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,\u00a0<sup>4<\/sup>\u00a0and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,\u00a0<sup>5<\/sup>\u00a0and hope does not disappoint us, because God\u2019s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">[<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Romans 5:3-5<\/span>, <em>NRSV<\/em>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Yinhe-Incident.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7323\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Yinhe-Incident.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"476\" height=\"295\" \/> <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Manufactured-Yinhe-Incident.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7324\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Manufactured-Yinhe-Incident.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"422\" height=\"294\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">American Manufactured Yinhe Incident: [L] The container-ship <em>Yinhe<\/em>; [R] Cartoon by Lu Lingxing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China has chosen a war-free path. China stresses poverty-eradication, economic progress and technological advancement. Her vision surpasses the narrow vision of war. Her records over the last few decades are stunning. From lifting a few hundred million people out of extreme poverty to world-leading 5G\/6G mobile network, high speed rail, and cutting-edge machineries and products, the Chinese marvels would not have been possible without perseverance in the face of adversity. An identity-defining and character-building element of that adversity has been international humiliation from the Americans \u2013 <strong>still in gunslinging madness domestically and across the world in the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century<\/strong>. Known for its strident war-reliant distinction and coercive character, the USA cannot and will not survive indefinitely in its hegemony; corrosion eats it from inside.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1993, the U.S. manufactured an international incident, known as the \u201cYinhe Incident\u201d. It was an example of U.S. attempts through international humiliation to provoke China to start a war. Here\u2019s a quick summary of that Incident:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The U.S. government launched its notorious Yinhe Incident by first claiming that it had \u201cconclusive evidence\u201d indicating that the China-based container ship named Yinhe (\u94f6\u6cb3; &#8216;Milky Way&#8217;) was carrying \u201cchemical weapon materials\u201d bound for Iran.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was a matter of \u201cnational security\u201d on which the U.S. claimed the right to intervene.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Navy\">U.S. Navy<\/a>\u00a0forced the surrounding Middle Eastern countries to refuse docking rights to the\u00a0<em>Yinhe<\/em>, leaving it in the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_waters\">international waters<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indian_Ocean\">Indian Ocean<\/a>\u00a0for twenty-four days.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The GPS of the ship was jammed such that the ship could not navigate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then the U.S. sent warships and helicopters into international waters where the Yinhe was located to intercept the vessel, having threatened to impose sanctions on China.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China resolutely denied this baseless American claim and made it clear to the U.S. that there were no prohibited chemicals on the ship.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But the all-powerful international bully relentlessly pushed its claims that its intelligence was absolutely accurate and insisted on inspecting the Yinhe. Despite this blatant international humiliation, China allowed the Americans to board the ship to carry out the investigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the end, absolutely no chemical weapon materials were found onboard the Yinhe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Failing to obtain the results of the investigation it wanted, the U.S. finally gave up the search, refusing to make any apology, let alone paying for any damages, and still insisting that it had acted in good faith on intelligence from a number of sources, all of which proved to be wrong.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The crimes committed by the U.S. in this case included serious infringement of the sovereign rights of an independent country of the U.N. to engage in international trade, the rights of free passage on international waters by her vessels, as well as the freedom from \u00a0infringement of the personal liberty and human rights of the sailors on board Yinhe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The international community condemned the U.S. over the Yinhe Incident. The Iranian newspaper Jomhouri Eslami called the actions perpetrated by the U.S. \u201c<strong>a pure act of piracy\u201d<\/strong>, while the Indian newspaper The Hindu stated that the U.S., the <strong>self-styled \u201cchief justice of the world<\/strong>\u201d, <strong>deliberately manufactured<\/strong> the debacle only to end up humiliating itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The rest of the world is not forgetting any time soon the American March 2003 illegal and ostentatious invasion of Iraq. It was similarly based on a blatant American manufactured lie claiming that Iraq had WMD (weapons of mass destruction). Secretary of State Collin Powell\u2019s dramatic display of a little vial of powder at the U.N. as conclusive evidence against Iraq remains a parody of U.S. deceit. <strong>A million Iraqis<\/strong> <strong>were killed by the Americans<\/strong> and its allies (notably the British) in that illegal invasion. Iraq, a beautiful country of ancient culture (unlike its young gun-slinging cowboys-infested, democracy-touting, nemesis U.S.A.), continues to lie in ruins today, a generation of its population forever lost or damaged beyond salvage. There has been no American (or British) apology. Neither Bush nor Blair \u2013 two blatant perpetrators of the atrocious war against Iraq &#8211; had been arrested or charged with war crimes. Literally, the Americans and the British got away, as usual, with actual genocide and the West would not, while the rest of the world could not, do a thing about it. Gross injustice created by the West still awaits redress. The prophecy of divine help to the oppressed in Mary\u2019s Magnificat has yet to arrive in places ruined by the American-led West, including Iraq, Libya, Syria and now Palestine. The American-led West are in all truth and substance, the real \u201caxis of evil\u201d by which they label others. Four things, amongst others, continue to shield the Bushes and the Blairs of America and Europe today \u2013 (a) their deranged western \u201cdemocratic\u201d system of government; (b) their shameless hypocrisy; (c) their conniving media, and (4) their dirty hegemonic power of control. They are bad for humanity, and a force for evil around the world. After suffering a few hundred years of inhuman enslavement, the entire African continent is rising to get the West &#8211; the menacing monkey &#8211; off their back!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The U.S. instigates wars around the globe to help keep its military industrial complex busy and running. But its \u201cglorious\u201d days are on the wane. The signs are clear; even small African and Pacific island countries are courageously taking the U.S. to task on many international issues. They are no longer afraid! And in an ironical twist, Chinese ships today <em>(Yinhe<\/em> included, see https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/62y9nH_dEcQ) enjoy free passage along the Red Sea while the \u201cmighty\u201d U.S.A. who blatantly humiliated the Chinese in the Yinhe Incident, has since the end of 2023 been openly humiliated by Yemen\u2019s Houthis who bomb and impose embargo on American ships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We see a light shines bright on the spiritual significance of the Yinhe Incident for the world and, more specifically, for the modern China of 1.4 billion people. As Pope Francis has said, <em>there is no real humility without humiliation<\/em>. Having learned well from his Lord Jesus Christ, he spotlights the deep spirituality of endurance or perseverance in the face of humiliation. The U.S., afraid of losing hegemonic control of the world, has been on open war path towards everything Chinese for some time. The Yinhe Incident was an American trap to get China to give the U.S. the slightest excuse to start a war. As always, the Chinese ancient wisdom of <strong>\u5fcd<\/strong> prevailed. To revive the huge sleeping giant, to be able to progress and grow, China must at all costs restrain herself and suffer the humiliation meted out by the U.S. The alternative \u2013 a moment of loss of emotional mastery \u2013 could plunge the country into a needless war and forever lead the country to stagnation. That would then place the welfare of the people in serious jeopardy. The Chinese calculus is one of suffering brilliance: <em>if she refused to put up with the American nonsense (a \u201csmall\u201d inconvenience), the country would lose \u201cbig\u201d<\/em> (<strong>\u5c0f\u4e0d\u5fcd\u5247\u4e82\u5927\u8b00<\/strong> <u>!<\/u>).So China played for time, metaphorically lying low, \u201ctasting the gall\u201d (<strong>\u81e5\u85aa\u5617\u81bd<\/strong>) to remind herself of her unfinished arduous mission of national revival.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">By now, China has endured the Yinhe humiliation and persevered for 30 years, but in doing so she has also survived the deadly American trap, and prospered <strong>(\u4e2d\u570b\u5fcd\u8fb130\u5e74, <\/strong><strong>\u624d<\/strong><strong>\u8eb2\u904e\u9019\u500b<\/strong> <strong>\u81f4\u547d<\/strong> <strong>\u9677<\/strong> <strong>\u9631<\/strong>). <em>And<\/em> <em>look how much she has prospered!<\/em> China did not stagnate. Her great vision for national revival proceeded apace. Today, China is feared by America and the West. Nothing short of miraculous, her development successes continue to astound. Now, China and not the West dictates the time for achieving her various major goals (such as the Taiwan unification issue). In the mean time, cosmic Wisdom is bearing fruit in the world, <em>beginning with China<\/em>, and spreading inexorably to the rest of the world. This Cosmic Wisdom is putting down roots on earth, starting with those poor, under-developed, hitherto marginalized and Western-bullied nations who seek collaboration and mutual support with China. For now:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China steadfastly walks the path of nonviolence;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China promotes peace; America promotes wars;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China builds; America destroys;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China insists on giving a lift to the poorer developing countries in the world on a win-win formula; \u201cAmerica-first\u201d is still bent on taking unfair advantage of the rest of the world (her so-called allies included, cf. pullout from Afghanistan and Nord Stream sabotage), flexing her muscles whenever she deems beneficial so to do.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Apart from wisdom and good sense, we see in the Chinese leaders the determination to <em>suffer<\/em> <em>humiliation<\/em> out of love for the people and for the greater good of the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They know the great privilege of writing the Chinese history with their hearts\u2019 blood where necessary. They desire only that they may suffer for those causes that are \u201cnoble and beautiful\u201d and that they might be permitted to love much. All they care about is to serve to the utmost of their capacity and to keep faith with that high vision which they call \u201cparty and country\u201d (<strong>\u4e3a\u515a\u4e3a<\/strong><strong>\u56fd<\/strong>). They never stop caring for the community entrusted to them. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As Christians, we see in the path taken by these Chinese leaders &#8211; in a country that is professedly non-Christian &#8211; a clear echo of the path Jesus himself took in his historical mission of salvation for the world. He absorbed humiliation; he embraced the cross. He loved and suffered to the end. John\u2019s Gospel even insists that <strong>the glorification of the Son begins with the cross \u2013 <\/strong><em>the humiliation and the scandal of the cross<\/em><strong> &#8211;<\/strong> not with the resurrection or ascension. <\/span>And see how St Paul so beautifully traces the path from suffering to hope in Romans 5:3-5.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Acting with immense prudence and wisdom over the years, how the Chinese leaders have comported themselves resonates well with the path chosen by Christ. Staying ever vigilant of their onerous duty to the country, so that the entire people would gradually be led along the path of revival, they put up with the humiliation meted out by the Americans (<strong>\u570b\u5bb6\u9818\u5c0e\u4eba\u5fcd\u8fb1\u8ca0\u91cd<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><strong>\u9042\u6b65\u5e36\u9818\u4e2d\u83ef\u6c11\u65cf\u5fa9\u8208<\/strong>).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And in choosing nonviolence over American war-mongering, China has saved the world from the immense fallout that comes with wars and attrition. In China, we are seeing a determined force for good in the modern world. The World Day of Peace on 1<sup>st<\/sup> January reflects the Chinese vision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Copyright \u00a9 Dr. Jeffrey &amp; Angie Goh, January 2024. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To comment, email\u00a0<u><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"mailto:jeffangiegoh@gmail.com\">jeffangiegoh@gmail.com<\/a><\/u><u>.<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>3\u00a0And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,\u00a04\u00a0and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,\u00a05\u00a0and hope does not disappoint us, because God\u2019s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. [Romans 5:3-5, NRSV] American Manufactured Yinhe Incident: [L] <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7322\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Dr. Jeffrey &amp; Angie Goh","author_link":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?author=1"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?cat=1\" rel=\"category\">From Our Perspective<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"3\u00a0And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,\u00a04\u00a0and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,\u00a05\u00a0and hope does not disappoint us, because God\u2019s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. [Romans 5:3-5, NRSV] American Manufactured Yinhe Incident: [L]&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7322"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7322"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7338,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7322\/revisions\/7338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}