Vision Times Newspaper VOL.10 MAR 12,2021 by Vision Times -Bringing you Truth, Inspiration, Hope

VOL. MAR 12 - 18, 2021

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New York Democrats

Clamor for Cuomo’s Resignation in Harassment Scandal By Neil Campbell Visiontimes ew York Democrat calls for beleaguered Governor Andrew Cuomo to tender his resignation intensified after two additional women came forward to accuse the Democrat of sexual harassment on Sunday, bringing the total to five. The accusations include former press aide Karen Hinton, who told the Washington Post that when he was head of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department in 2000, Cuomo summoned her to his hotel room after an event, “embraced her” and “ pulled her back toward his body, holding her” after she resisted his advances, and Ana Liss, a policy operations aide who worked in the Governor’s office from 2013 to 2015. Liss told the Wall Street Journal that Cuomo “asked her if she had a boyfriend, called her sweetheart, touched her on her lower

And I think it should be encouraged in every way. I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional. And I truly apologize for how I feel awful about it. And frankly, I am embarrassed by it. And it’s not easy to say, but that’s the truth. But this is what I want you to know, and I want you to know this from me directly. --Cuomo

(Image: Screenshot form Twitter)

A third woman has accused Governor Cuomo of unwanted touching and sexual attention, saying he placed his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her at her friend's wedding. A friend took a series of pictures of the incident as it occurred.

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back at a reception and once kissed her hand when she rose from her desk.” Cuomo’s Director of Communications, Peter Ajemian, took a page out of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ book, by launching an assault on Hinton in defense of his Governor, “Karen Hinton is a known antagonist of the governor’s who is attempting to take advantage of this moment to score cheap points with made-up allegations from 21 years ago,” he said in a statement according to the Washington Examiner. The CCP’s propaganda machine recently launched a smear campaign against Uyghur Muslim women who stepped forward in an interview with BBC cataloguing brutal instances of gang rape and sexual abuse experienced first hand during the genocide of the ethnic minority in the Xinjiang Autonomous region. During a teleconference on Sunday, the 63 year-old Cuomo said he had no intentions of resigning amid the scandal, “That’s democracy. There is no way I resign,” he said. “People are free to make allegations, but then you also have a process — due process — where people get the facts,

and they make a determination…I was the Attorney General of New York for four years. I got all sorts of allegations against politicians.” Last week Cuomo made a point of offering an apology for his conduct, “I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this. First, I fully support a woman’s right to come forward.” “And I think it should be encouraged in every way. I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional. And I truly apologize for how I feel awful about it. And frankly, I am embarrassed by it. And it’s not easy to say, but that’s the truth. But this is what I want you to know, and I want you to know this from me directly.” “I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable,” he added.

New York Democrat officials call for resignation

New York Democrat Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins called Cuomo’s recent scandals a “distraction” and called on the Governor to resign in a

March 7 statement. More than 50 elected officials in the State legislature have called on the Governor to resign or face impeachment proceedings. Stewart Cousins was joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie who questioned the “governor’s ability to continue to lead this state,” according to the New York Times. Cuomo also faces an independent probe from State Attorney General Letitia James, who says the findings of her investigation will be released in a future public report. The Governor’s sexual harassment scandals come after it was revealed that Cuomo’s actions resulted in the deaths of thousands of seniors in New York nursing homes during the earliest parts of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus pandemic as his office ordered homes to accept COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital. His administration was also found to have under-reported deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent. Cuomo’s situation is not without precedent in the New York Democrat faction. In 2008 when New York Democrat Governor Elliot Spitzer resigned during a prostitution scandal, Spitzer similarly faced a loss of support from his own Party.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo listens to speakers at a vaccination site on March 8, 2021, in New York. Cuomo is facing calls from within his own party to resign after two additional women stepped forward over the weekend with accusations of improper conduct.

Emergency Medical Service workers unload a patient out of their ambulance at the Cobble Hill Health Center on April 18, 2020 in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo is under fire for ordering discharged COVID-19 patients to nursing homes and covering up death statistics in his state. (Image: Justin Heiman/Getty Images)

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US Supreme Court Hears Arizona Election Integrity Lawsuits By Jonathan Walke Visiontimes

he United States Supreme C ou r t recently heard two cases related to Arizona’s election integrity. The two lawsuits were filed by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and the Arizona Republican Party against the Democratic National Committee (DNC.) The plaintiffs in both cases argued that Arizona’s election integrity laws are consistent with the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) and must be upheld. Democrats claim that Arizona’s laws violate VRA by restricting vulnerable groups from fully

practicing their right to vote. Arizona has a policy that excludes provisional ballots cast in-person on Election Day at a location outside of the voter’s precinct. Another policy, H.B. 2023, only allows a voter’s close family members, caregivers, election officials, and mail carriers to handle their early ballot. These rules were challenged under the VRA since Section 2 of the act prohibits states and localities from imposing any requirement to block a person from voting based on their color or race. A U.S. district court upheld Arizona’s rules as legally valid. However, a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the claim that Arizona’s election laws were

discriminatory. The court stated that the criminalization of collecting another person’s ballots affects Hispanic, American Indian, and African American voters more since they are generally poorer and face difficulty in receiving and sending mail. It is a violation of Section 2 of the VRA, the court said. At the Supreme Court, Brnovich dismissed these findings, saying that Arizona’s election laws do not violate VRA regarding racial discrimination. “Requiring in-person voters to cast their ballots at assigned precincts ensures that they can vote in local races and helps officials monitor for fraud… Restricting early ballot collections

by third parties, including political operatives, protects against voter coercion and preserves ballot secrecy,” Brnovich said in a statement. Michael Carvin, attorney for the Arizona Republican Party, also stated that Arizona has never denied any citizen their rightful voting opportunity. When Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that being poor is, in itself, violating an individual’s voting rights, Carvin countered, stating that voting underutilization due to socioeconomic factors is not a cognizable factor under Section 2 of the VRA. Associate Justice Samuel Alito stated that the Democrat argument makes every voting rule vulnerable to attack. Disadvantaged people will

inevitably find it more challenging to comply with the election rules. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. A decision on the case is expected by June.

Arizona Republicans and H.R. 1 Legislation

While Arizona Republicans fight for election integrity in the Supreme Court, Democrats proposed new legislation that threatens probity nationwide. H.R 1 or ‘For the People Act’ will empower the federal government to impose its election mandates on states. “I said this bill’s title is a misnomer because I do not believe this bill has anything to do with the American people… This is a bill that’s about

preserving the present Democratic majority. It is a bill by the majority, for the majority, and is intended to entrench the majority in power for years to come,” Republican Representative Tom Cole, a House Rules Committee Ranking Member, said in a statement. One of the provisions of H.R. 1 is to automatically register all adults irrespective of their citizenship status for voting. It also mandates states to implement early voting, allow felons to vote, end voter ID requirements, practice 15 days of early voting, and enact no-fault absentee voting. House Minority Leader Republican Kevin McCarthy warned that the bill would totally erode confidence in the election process.

Maine’s Jared Golden Only Democrat Dissent as House Passes Final $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan run through the House, said he voted against his Democrat fellows because the American Rescue Plan Act does not fit his principles, “This bill addresses urgent needs, and then buries them under a mountain of unnecessary or untimely spending,” he said in a Statement.

By Neil Campbell Visiontimes

he House of Representatives, sans Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), passed the final version of the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan spending bill on March 10. The Act will now be sent to President Biden for final signing and become United States law. The Act’s journey through Congress has been a partisan affair, with the House rejecting all but 2 of 286 Republican amendments to the gargantuan 591 page bill. The Senate, meanwhile, accepted only three Republican amendments in a 24 hour session on March 6. The final version included the removal of Biden’s promised $15 minimum wage hike, a reduction of the “raise” given to the unemployed of $400 per week to only $300 per week and an extension of the additional unemployment insurance to Sept. 6.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sign the American Rescue Plan Act after the House Chamber voted on the final revised legislation of the $1.9 trillion spending plan, at the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote nay on the bill. (Image: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

The revised Act was passed by the Senate 50-49 after Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska had to leave the marathon session early to attend a family funeral. The final passing in the House was by a margin of 220-211, with all Republicans voting in oppo-

sition and all Democrats, except for Jared Golden, voting in favor.

Jared Golden the sole Democrat ‘nay’

In a statement, Jared Golden, who also voted against the bill in its original

Between the money spent in 2020 and today’s package, we are already nearing $6 trillion in new spending in less than one year. This amount of new spending is unprecedented since World War II Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)

“In reviewing the bill in its full scope, less than 20 percent of the total spending addresses core COVID challenges that are immediately pressing: funding for vaccine distribution and testing, and emergency federal unemployment programs. I support these portions of

Michigan Governor Allegedly Bribes Public Health Official to Stay Quiet About Nursing Home Scandal

ichigan Governor Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is accused of paying hush money to the former health department director Robert Gordon. One month after announcing his resignation on Jan. 22, Gordon allegedly signed an agreement with Whitmer’s administration for $155,506. The bribe was to silence Gordon over Governor Whitmer’s COVID-19 policies and not discuss his resignation circumstances. The deal has only added fuel to claims that Whitmer is hiding something significant about the pandemic’s impact in the state’s nursing homes. “This is a public official being bought off with taxpayer dollars… What I want to know is, what are they hiding… [The committee will] begin an investigation to look

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at the process of what they’re doing within this administration… [House Republicans are] working with our legal counsel to determine what options we have available… and if we have to do a subpoena, we will,” Steven Johnson said at a news conference.

Under fire

The Michigan governor is also under fire by the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charlie LeDuff. He announced that he would sue Michigan Governor Democrat Gretchen Whitmer to force her to release coronavirus data regarding its nursing homes. LeDuff is preparing the lawsuit along with freemarket think-tank Mackinac Center. The journalist tweeted that Whitmer refused to release

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, ILLINOIS – APRIL 16: Terrence Bardney of Leak and Sons’ Funeral Chapels carries flowers from the chapel following the service for Cora Johnson on April 16, 2020, in Country Club Hills, Illinois. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist is suing Michigan governor over coronavirus nursing home policies. ( Images: cott Olson/ Getty Images)

CCP virus death data and accurate home numbers to the public. He is willing to fight the case all the way to the Supreme Court. “The public has a right to know. Above all, the public has a need to know. We shut down the entire economy. We interrupted our children’s lives, all in the name of protecting the most vulnerable. We now know this was the institutionalized elderly. If we could not protect them, at the very least, we deserve an explanation from Madam Governor,” LeDuff told Fox News. He added that if there is gross negligence or incompetence from the governor, she needs “to answer for it.” The journalist tweeted that Whitmer copied nursing homes’ policies from Andrew Cuomo. The New York Governor is also under

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the bill wholeheartedly and believe we should do more for the people hardest hit by the pandemic by continuing to extend unemployment programs until economic indicators show they are no longer necessary.” Golden says the remaining 80 percent of the bill falls into two categories. The first he described as a “series of spending provisions that duplicate ongoing COVID assistance programs that Congress has already funded or are poorly designed and wasteful of public resources,” including additional rental, food, and child care assistance, aid to state and local governments, schools, small businesses, and $1,400 checks for individuals making more than $75,000 and couples making $150,000. Jared Golden described the second category as “a series of policies worthy of consideration under regular order but that do not belong in an emergency spending bill,” such as a one-year expansion of the Child Tax Credit,

a two-year enhancement under the Affordable Care Act, and pension reform. Golden says he appreciates these policies on their own, but feels they should not be included as riders in a pandemic relief spending bill. “Between the money spent in 2020 and today’s package, we are already nearing $6 trillion in new spending in less than one year. This amount of new spending is unprecedented since World War II,” said Golden. “It’s not unreasonable to take a step back and ask ourselves if we are making every dollar count and picking the right priorities.” The United States national debt increased from approximately $23.6 trillion in March of 2020 to a high of $27.9 trillion by February of 2021. According to the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product is approximately $21.5 billion as of Q4 2020. President Biden is scheduled to sign the American Rescue Plan into law on Friday, according to USA Today.

scrutiny for hiding nursing home deaths in his state. But in May, Cuomo stopped COVID-19–positive people from returning to their nursing homes. Whitmer, in contrast, continued to allow infected people into nursing homes. She even vetoed a bill that would protect the elderly. Last July, Whitmer vetoed a bill aimed at stopping coronavirus patients from being housed together with the vulnerable elderly. People aged 60 and above constitute 90 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state. Mackinac Center for Public Policy spokesperson Holly Wetzel stated that its lawsuit aims to collect accurate records to understand better how the pandemic affected Michigan.

into Whittier’s role in nursing home coronavirus deaths. In addition to her problematic policies, the lawmakers explained that there are discrepancies in the data reported by nursing homes. For example, patients transferred to hospitals who received a positive coronavirus test were added to the records of only a few nursing home facilities. At the same time, some centers completely skipped all reports of them. Steven Johnson, Chairman of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, held a hearing to know more about Whitmer’s COVID-19 nursing home policies. However, the state health and human services director, who was supposed to testify at the hearing personally, did not show up. Instead, the director sent a letter stating that they have “the greatest data out there” but failed to share any data with the committee.

Michigan Republicans want answers

Michiga n’s Republican state legislators have demanded an investigation

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Texas Launches Operation to Deal With Border Crisis, Mexican Gangs By Prakash Gogoi Visiontimes

he governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, recently launched ‘Operation Lone Star’ in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety (DPS). The operation will deploy the state’s National Guard Troops and personnel from other agencies to block criminal organizations from Mexico smuggling people and drugs, across the border, into Texas. Ground, air, marine, and tactical assets will be deployed to aid in the operation. In February, Abbott held a meeting with DPS Director Colonel Steve McCraw in which they discussed various ways to secure the border regions. “Texas supports legal immigration but will not be an accomplice to the open border policies that cause, rather than prevent, a humanitarian crisis in our state and endanger the lives

of Texans. We will surge the resources and law enforcement personnel needed to confront this crisis,” the governor said in a statement. The decision to launch Operation Lone Star came after Governor Abbott and President Biden clashed on how to control the pandemic. Abbott had recently lifted the mask mandate in his state, feeling that such restrictions were not needed given the reduced hospitalizations, encouraging recovery numbers, and expanding vaccinations. However, the governor did say that even though the state won’t force citizens to wear a face mask, it would be a responsible practice towards family and the community.

Pandemic spreading in Texas

Biden, meanwhile, has criticized the move as a “big mistake,” saying that the last thing the country needs is “Neanderthal thinking.”

Abbott responded to Biden’s comments by pointing out that the president’s policy of allowing a large number of migrants through the southern borders was the main reason the pandemic continues to spread throughout Texas and other U.S. states. Most illegal migrants are allowed entry without proper COVID-19 test or quarantine requirements. According to data from the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the number of illegal crossings via the southwestern border between October 2020 and January 2021 rose by 79.6 percent. The number of illegal aliens coming into the country rose even further in February after Biden lifted many of Trump’s restrictions on immigration and introduced new policies that boost the flow of people across the border. Biden’s immigration policies have been widely condemned; Trump has termed it a disaster. “Our border is now totally

US Soldiers assigned to the 2-151st Security and Support Aviation Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard depart the SC Technology and Aviation Center, Greenville, SC in a UH-72A Lakota helicopter to provide support to the US Border Patrol in Texas, May 21, 2018. Image courtesy Sgt. Jorge Intriago/South Carolina National Guard. (Image: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

out of control, thanks to the disastrous leadership of Joe Biden… Our great Border Patrol and ICE agents have been disrespected, demeaned, and mocked by the Biden Administration…” “A mass incursion into the country by people who should not be here is happening on an hourly basis, getting worse by the minute. Many have criminal records, and many others have and are

spreading COVID,” Trump said in a statement.

Recovery as a whole

Texans are also divided on whether to prioritize the economy at the cost of potentially worsening the pandemic or impose restrictions to curb the viral outbreak at the economy’s expense. A poll by Texas Politics Project conducted in February showed that people are

almost evenly split on the issue, with 47 percent choosing to control the virus while 43 percent wanted a move toward economic recovery. This division is more extreme when looked at from a political perspective. 72 percent of the Republicans stated that preserving the economy is most critical, while 82 percent of the Democrats stressed controlling the pandemic.

American Views of China in a Recent Survey By Debbie Cho Visiontimes

he Pew Research Center released its survey results on the American public’s feelings towards China in a report issued March 4. The report questioned American’s on their attitude towards China in several different categories, including economics, human rights, technology, military power, coronavirus handling, the environment, and international students. According to the survey, four main topics of serious concern among the American public stood out. China’s role in cyberattacks, job losses, the CCP’s growing military power, Human rights, and Animal Rights. The increasing negative sentiments of the American public towards the Chinese government are also shared in other countries, as found in an earlier Pew Research Center survey released in October 2020. Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, the UK, Sweden, Canada, Australia, and Japan have an extremely unfavorable view of China that has increased in the past year.

Chinese cyberattacks

Cyberattacks are of huge concern, voiced by the American public. Two-thirds of respondents have found the issue to be a very serious matter which is seven percentage points higher than last year’s survey. Last summer, FBI Director Christopher Wray made statements blasting Chinese cyberattacks. At ny@visiontimes.com

an event at the Hudson Institute, he said, “To achieve its goals and surpass America, China recognizes it needs to make leaps in cutting edge technology, but the sad fact is that instead of engaging in the hard slog of innovation, China often steals American intellectual property and then uses it to compete against the very American companies it victimizes, in effect, cheating twice.” He also stated that the Chinese government targets “research on everything from military equipment to wind turbines.” In the past few months, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) reported that Chinese hackers targeted Jap-

The past year has seen the Chinese crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong through arrests under the new National Security Law;

90% of respondents believe China does not respect its citizens’ freedoms.

In this file photo taken on August 04, 2020, Prince, a member of the hacking group Red Hacker Alliance who refused to give his real name, claims to show a website that monitors global cyberattacks on his computer at their office in Dongguan, China’s southern Guangdong province. Chinese communist state hackers have been using a zero-day exploit on Microsoft Exchange Server email servers since January. (Image: NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

anese organizations, Southeast Asian governments, and the National Data Center of Mongolia. Hackers connected to the Chinese government targeted gaming and gambling countries, demanding a ransom of $100 million.

American job losses

American job loss to China saw a six-point increase from the previous year growing to 53 percent in 2021. As one 82-year-old man included in the survey stated, “They are actively working to take over the U.S. economically rather than militarily. They are pulling our manufacturing abilities, copying advanced technologies, buying up large-scale U.S. corporations and they own much of our debt. They are methodically taking over control of our economy.” The pandemic has highlighted the seriousness of

relying on China as the sole manufacturer in a supply chain far from domestic consumers. When the scarcity of medical equipment and PPE arose during the pandemic’s height in 2020, the bottleneck in supplies pointed towards China as equipment manufacturing moved offshore from the U.S. to China.

Growing military power

Forty-nine percent of respondents believe that the CCP’s growing military power is a serious issue. During the National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing on March 5, the Chinese defense spending budget increased 6.8% this year to $208 billion. This comes after spats with India over border disputes, and tensions with Taiwan flared. In February, hackers connected to the Chinese military targeted Tibet-

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ans both within China and outside the country. And in January, China sent military planes into the Taiwan Strait in a show of force just as a new administration entered the White House. To counter any U.S. assistance in the CCP’s military growth, American investments in entities related to the Chinese military have been restricted. In November 2020, the Trump administration barred U.S. investments into private Chinese companies with military ties as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) used these entities as a means to modernize and develop their technology.

Human Rights

Additionally, about 50 percent of respondents see China’s human rights violations as a grave issue, up by seven points from last year.

Regarding a total of 84 percent of Americans surveyed, another 31 percent of Americans feel the basic human rights in China to be a notably serious issue. The past year has seen the Chinese crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong through arrests under the new National Security Law; ninety percent of respondents believe China does not respect its citizens’ freedoms. Yet, the CCP’s clampdown against Tibetans, Christians, and the Falun Gong spiritual group members needs even greater exposure to make a significant impact. Recently, various news reports have highlighted the use of concentration camps and forced labor on the Uighur Muslim minority group in the Xinjiang region. Furthermore, there has been a widespread call to action to end the use of goods and labor in the supply chain, which eventually makes its way to the U.S. in the form of retail products. Of the surveyed American individuals, seventy percent believe in prioritizing China’s Human Rights issue. This sentiment crosses political affiliations, education level, and age groups of those surveyed. As one surveyed respondent put it, “When I think of China, the first thing that comes to mind is the oppressive measures it takes on those within its borders, especially the plight of Uyghur Muslims, but also the restrictions placed by the Communist government on free speech and dissent by its citizens.” 212-730-6963

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China to Build the World’s Largest Dam on Sacred Tibetan River By Max Lu Visiontimes

uilding a dam no longer just aims to control flooding. Dams now also double as power generators and tourist attractions. China, as of 2019, boasted 23,841 dams. In fact, the largest dam in China is the Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province. Hence, when China announced another major dam project, the people of China, and of the world, were taken aback. The new dam is set to be built in the Yarlung Valley, which is formed by the Yarlung Tsangpo River and joins with the Chongye River. Located at the base of the foothills of the Himalayas, it is considered to be the cradle of Tibetian civilization, and it is where China aims to build the world’s largest hydroelectric dam.

The purpose of the dam

China is battling pollution effects and its carbon footprint, especially in the major cities, as it aims to create greener and more sustainable initiatives that span from small pig farms to huge solar plants. The core objective behind this dam is aligned

The water that flows down from the Himalayas is said to supply the needs of over 1.8 billion people encompassing three countries — China, Bhutan, and India. (Image: Dreamstime.com © Namchetolukla)

with this goal — reduction of the usage of fossil fuels and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Said to be the world’s largest hydroelectric dam project, the power generated from water flowing through the dam’s turbines has the potential to equal three times the power output of the Three Gorges Dam. The river on which the dam is proposed to be built has its point of origin from melting glaciers and springs. The

water that flows down from the Himalayas is said to supply the needs of over 1.8 billion people encompassing three countries — China, Bhutan, and India. Coming to the benefits of the project, a hydroelectric dam definitely has many potential benefits, especially as being a source of alternative and clean energy to fuel electrical appliances and industries. This not only reduces the generation of greenhouse gases but also

has a major positive impact on the reduction of carbon. However, all these benefits do come at a cost.

The Tibet angles

While the aims of the dam are noble, Tibetan environmentalists and activists are raising their voices. The prime location of the dam is sparsely populated, having about 14,000 inhabitants. Still, the dam construction will mean reallocation and heavy personal losses to the

residents of the region. The Yarlung Tsangpo River, on which the dam is proposed to be built, is the longest river in Tibet. It also forms the world’s largest and deepest canyon, the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, when leaving the Tibetan plateau. Apart from its geographic importance, the Yarlung Tsangpo also is deemed sacred by the Tibetans, which is another reason behind the cries of protests from Tibetan activists.

Stories around the river claim that it is actually the body of the goddess Dorje Phagmo, who is known to be the highest incarnation in Tibetan culture. While Tibet is by no means backward, they have immense respect for the natural world. This was the core reason why no dams were constructed in the past, as many of their waterways are deemed holy. Another scientific and geographic impact of the dam’s construction will be the heavy loss of the natural ecosystem in the area. This part of the Tibetan plateau is said to be rich in natural resources and has a flourishing aquatic ecosystem. Another impact of the dam construction will be of a political nature. The proposed area borders many nations, one of them being India. In fact, the area is very close to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. With the current geopolitical animosity between the two countries, India has expressed doubts regarding the true reason behind the dam’s construction. This has also led to India planning its own 10-gigawatt dam project on the Brahmaputra River to counter any reverse flooding or other political moves made by China.

Communist China’s Anal Swab Tests Anger World Governments By Prakash Gogoi Visiontimes

he Chinese government’s decision to conduct COVID-19 anal swab tests on foreigners is endangering the international community. Germany recently condemned the tests after German nationals complained about them. “We have repeatedly raised that issue vis-à-vis the Chinese government, especially with regard to the medical tests and examinations that are taking place against the will of the persons concerned,” a source from the German Foreign Office told VICE. Washington had raised the issue with Beijing after several American diplomats were forced to undergo the

tests. Communist China dismissed the allegation and said that they have never asked U.S. diplomats stationed in China to take anal swab tests. The Japanese government complained that the anal swab tests have caused “great psychological pain” to travelers going to China. Tokyo has asked Chinese authorities to stop conducting the tests. Kyodo News said that the test humiliates people and violates their human rights and dignity. The South Korean foreign ministry informed citizens that visitors to communist China can now submit their stool samples rather than having Chinese officials “taking them directly.” The ministry’s statements come after China announced that foreign travelers refusing to take an anal swab test should sub-

mit stool samples to test for COVID-19. Communist China has vehemently defended the anal swab test, calling it a critical part of controlling the pandemic. In an interview with the state-backed Global Times, Lu Hongzhou, an expert from China’s Fudan University Public Health Clinical Center, said that nasal and throat swab tests might produce falsenegative results.

There has been strong opposition to the test in the Chinese medical community Some studies have shown that traces of the virus might

remain in fecal matter longer than the respiratory tract, strengthening the case for anal swab tests. However, there has been strong opposition to the test in the Chinese medical community. Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, said that an individual contracts the virus through the respiratory system rather than his digestive system. Consequently, nasal and throat tests should sufficiently identify infections. “There have been cases concerning the coronavirus testing positive in a patient’s excrement, but no evidence has suggested it had been transmitted through one’s digestive system,” Yang told Global Times. In February, a video showing people walking like pen-

Currently China using anal swab tests as the only option in mandatory testing for SARS-CoV-2 on the public. (Image: Sina Weibo)

guins in a swaying motion spread online in the country claiming that these individuals had undergone anal swab tests. Chinese authorities called the video fake and assured citizens that no one walks like that after they take the test.

Visitor requirements

Some reports suggest that communist China might fully open borders to foreigners by October. Chinese ex-pats will likely be able to visit Tibet starting April. Foreign travelers looking to visit

China’s Lonely Hearts Club: Single Population Soon 400 Million By Prakash Gogoi Visiontimes

n China, the number of registered marriages has decreased consecutively for the last six years, while the divorce rate has increased over the same period. It is estimated that one-third of the Chinese population is in the Lonely Hearts Club. There is a huge gender imbalance caused by the 212-730-6963

( Image: Adobe Stock)

communist regime’s OneChild policy, and it is projected that soon there may be as many as 400 million single individuals in the country. The marriage rate has fallen 30 percent since 2013.

According to recent findings, there were half as many divorces registered in 2019 as there were marriages. The decline in marriages has led to a dramatic fall in the birth rate The 21st Century Economy findings recently stated that in 2018, China’s population of single people had reached 240 million, with 77 million of these single people living alone. It is estimated that this number will reach 92 million this year.

The decline in marriage, the rise in divorce rates and the increasing number of people deciding to remain single have led to a decline in the birth rate. There was a 14.9 percent decrease in the birth rate from 2019 to 2020. This is a significant decline over a 12 month period. Academic findings indicate that many people feel that they simply can’t afford the cost of raising children. Education costs are increasing and housing prices are

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beyond the reach of many.

Growing single population hides social disaster

Rural areas and villages are particularly impacted by two issues — the gross gender imbalance and the costs associated with weddings and marriage. Many families have found themselves in debt and plunged into poverty after meeting the costs of weddings, finding housing, and other expenses asso-

China will need to submit a 14-day record of their travel plans and accommodation registration forms. Nucleic acid test results showing that you are free from coronavirus infection will have to be provided. If your visit is official, a certificate of employment will be needed. Face masks and green health codes of your location and destination are required. Some cities might issue entry and exit certificates. Be sure to collect them to ensure you can travel freely.

ciated with marriage. The gender imbalance means that many rural areas have young men of marriageable age with no immediate prospects of meeting a suitable partner. These pressures have led to an increase in human trafficking, sexual assault, and instances of family violence. It is hoped that the government will review these issues caused by its socialist policies and implement policies to redress the gender imbalance and the resulting social issues that are causing so much harm. ny@visiontimes.com

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Image: Sam Tsang /SCMP

By David Clapp Vision Times

n the evening of July 21, 2019, dozens of masked men in white T-shirts stormed the Yuen Long train station and assaulted people returning home after a pro-democracy protest, as well as passers-by, with wooden sticks and metal rods. There has been widespread speculation that the attackers belonged to the Hong Kong triads — the name given to organized criminal networks that operate in Hong Kong. The violence left 45 people injured and shocked the territory, as footage of the brutal attack quickly circulated online.

triad gangs Wo Shing Wo and 14K, who were also believed to be behind the Yuen Long train station attack.

Plausible deniability

Thugs for Hire:

What are the triads, and what is their history of violence?

Triads have a global presence with operations in Taiwan, Macau, and Chinese overseas communities in Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. However, a majority conduct their criminal activities — which include extortion, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, and prostitution — in Hong Kong. A South China Morning Post article from 2017 estimated that there could be as many as 100,000 triad members operating within the city, with the most notorious gangs being the 14K, Sun Yee On, and Wo Shing Wo. The triads developed out of the 18th-century Tiandihui, (also known as the Hongmen) and often worked with foreign traders to bring opium into China. In the 19th century, they operated as secret societies opposed to the harsh rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, regarded by many ethnic Han Chinese as barbarian outsiders, and aimed to replace them with the old Ming Dynasty. The triads thrived in the warlord era from the 1920s to 40s, particularly in freewheeling Shanghai, where at its height the Shanghai-based Green Gang had 100,000 members and connections with the Kuomintang, the ruling party of China at the time. During World War II, some gangs helped the Kuomintang nationalists fight against the Japanese while others took advantage of the chaos to ravage the countryside. The end of the war saw a

The Relationship Between Beijing and the Hong Kong Triads Suspected triad members attack pro-democracy protesters in North Point, Hong Kong, on August 5, 2019. Image: Wikimedia / CC0 1.0

resurgence in activity in new locations such as Singapore, which became notorious for gang violence. Triads were largely driven out of the Chinese mainland following the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) takeover in 1949, but they continued to flourish in Hong Kong and Macau. Many also allied with the defeated Kuomintang Chinese nationalists in Taiwan. Some triad groups began shifting their allegiances in the early 1990s as Beijing began showing signs of tolerance, a remarkable transition for crime groups that once used to be archenemies of communism.

Dozens of masked men stormed the Yuen Long train station in 2019 and assaulted people with wooden sticks and metal rods.

between party officials and local gangsters — and drew from their ability to cross the border for various, often trade-related, activities. It was around this time that Beijing began showing increasing openness to the triads. “Regarding organizations like the triads in Hong Kong, as long as these people are patriotic, as long as they are concerned with Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, we should unite with

Thugs for hire

Before the handover in 1997, the CCP had built on its considerable contacts with gangsters in the south — forged largely through the personal connections

them,” said Tao Siju, China’s Police Minister during a press conference in 1993. He went on to say: “Our public security organs have broad links and ties with different strata in society, including such groups,” and recalled how, when an unnamed Chinese state leader paid an overseas visit, the Chinese Secret Service was helped by “800 triad members to guard our state leader against any danger.”

VISION TIMES

Beijing later played down Tao Siju’s statements, but there was not much doubt that the CCP was strengthening its ties with the triads. Since Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from British colonial rule, some of Beijing’s most ardent critics have found themselves at the wrong end of a triad assault. Radio host Albert Cheng, publisher Chen Ping, and Jimmy Lai, owner of the Apple Daily tabloid, have all survived triad attacks. In 2014, former Ming Pao newspaper editor Kevin Lau was nearly killed in a machete attack by two men who said they were paid to “teach Lau a lesson.” Also in 2014, as a wave of pro-democracy protests swept through Hong Kong, a group of men in white T-shirts descended on demonstrators in Mongkok. Many of those later arrested had links with prominent

Those who study the phenomenon say there is rarely a clear evidence chain. “Governments outsource violence to third-party agents for plausible deniability,” said Lynette Ong, a University of Toronto academic who studies the patron-client relationship between gangsters and local governments in China. Regarding the violence at Yuen Long, she said they “could be part of organized crime groups, or simply people who are willing to work by using their muscle power.” While the attacks were hard to directly trace back to Beijing, the circumstantial evidence points strongly in the mainland’s direction. Though the former colony is under Chinese control, the CCP still needed to exercise some restraint in the use of force against elements in Hong Kong it deemed undesirable. Beijing knows full well that a direct assault by the state apparatus would be counterproductive and likely would have alienated a larger number of Hong Kong residents. Pro-Beijing thugs are easily manipulated, have no compunction in using force, and, more importantly, offer plausible deniability. The CCP wasn’t the first to employ organized criminal elements for the purpose of political agitation, the Nazis and Bolsheviks utilized similar tactics when attempting to seize power in Germany and Russia. The blurred line between criminal activity and political agitation creates a jurisdictional nightmare for law enforcement in the targeted societies while providing plausible deniability for the political forces working behind the scenes. The quick enrichment promised by involvement also ensures a ready supply of recruits among delinquents and dropouts. As China becomes a global power, and as it seeks to expand its influence globally, triads that are already active in the Chinese diaspora — across Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America — could also begin to play a more active role, again to threaten political opponents and media that remain critical of Beijing.

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Wall Street Behemoths Ate Reddit’s Gamestop Lunch

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By Neil Campbell

ccording to Wall Street behemoth JPMorgan, the fairytale spun by pundits about Reddit’s WallStreetBets organizing to “squeeze” badly positioned hedge fund short sellers of video game retailer Gamestop (NYSE: GME) in what has been affectionately dubbed the “Gamestop Rebellion” is simply false. Peng Cheng, the JPMorgan quantitative and derivatives strategy analyst, wrote to clients in a note: “Although retail buying was portrayed as the main driver of the extreme price rally experienced by some stocks, the actual picture may be much more nuanced,” according to CNBC.

JANUARY 22-2

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American UN

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rum Am China’s Craft’s T bassador p and Administration a Sharp Eyes iw a n Visit Pla Project nned, Th e Serves as Warning to n Can E cellmephdasize Found Free World ing Value in Fina

Why the CCP k Wants Biden’s Pic n e ll e Y t NA e Jan ted Y rour DT y mina fo

About Pandemic Surveillance

Call Out for Geno China cide,

Travel pla ns Biden adm scrapped to acc om modat inistratio BlackRock Chair and CEO e n Lautra rence D. Fink attends a session nsitio n proced at the World Economic Forum ures (WEF) annual meeting in Davos

By Leo Timm

on January 23, 2020. BlackRock is Gamestop’s largest owner at more than 9.2 million shares.

l Hours

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A6 | MAR 12 - 18 , 2021

How Were Trojan Asteroids Discovered and Named? By Troy Oakes

A new NASA Discovery Program mission called Lucy will fly by seven Trojan asteroids, plus a main belt asteroid, to survey the diversity of this population in a single 12-year recordbreaking mission. (Image:NASA/ JPL-Caltech)

n Feb. 22, 1906, German astrophotographer Max Wolf helped reshape our understanding of the solar system. Again. Born in 1863, Wolf had a habit of dramatically altering the astronomy landscape. Something of a prodigy, he discovered his first comet at only 21 years old. Then, in 1890, he boldly declared that he planned to use wide-field pho-

Illustration of the Lucy mission's seven targets: the binary asteroid Patroclus/ Menoetius, Eurybates, Orus, Leucus, Polymele, and the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson. Image: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

tography in his quest to discover new asteroids, which would make him the first to do so. This set the groundwork for the eventual discovery of Trojan asteroids. Two years later, Wolf had found 18 new asteroids. He later became the first person to use the “stereo comparator,” a View-Master-like device that showed two photographs of the sky at once so that moving asteroids appeared to pop out from the starry background. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that on Feb.

As astronomers continued discovering asteroids hiding in Jupiter’s Lagrange points, they continued naming them after heroes of the Trojan War and began referring to them as “Trojan asteroids.”

22, 1906, Wolf made another important discovery: an asteroid with a particularly unusual orbit. As Jupiter moved, this asteroid remained ahead of Jupiter, as though it was somehow trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. German astronomer Adolf Berberich observed that the asteroid was nearly 60 degrees in front of Jupiter. This specific position reminded Swedish astronomer Carl Charlier of a peculiar behavior predicted by the Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange over 100 years earlier. Lagrange argued that if a small body (such as an asteroid) is placed at one of two stable points in a planet’s orbit around the Sun (called the L4 and L5 Lagrange Points), the asteroid would remain stationary from the planet’s perspective due to the combined gravitational forces of the planet and the Sun. Charlier realized that Wolf’s asteroid was actually caught in Jupiter’s L4 Lagrange point. Until Wolf’s discovery, Lagrange’s prediction had only been a mathematical exercise. Now, these astronomers had photographic proof that Lagrange was right. Eight months later, one of Wolf’s graduate students, August Kopff, discovered an asteroid in Jupiter’s other stable Lagrange point L5, as well as another asteroid caught in L4 a few months afterward. Once three of these Lagrange pointinhabiting asteroids had been discovered, astronomers began won-

dering what to call them. At this point, most asteroids were given the names of women from Roman or Greek mythology, unless their orbits were particularly strange. The asteroids in question certainly had bizarre orbits, so Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa suggested the names Achilles, Patroclus, and Hektor after characters from The Iliad. Achilles was a nigh-invulnerable Greek hero (except for his heel), and Patroclus was a friend of his. Hektor, prince of the Trojans, eventually killed Patroclus, and Achilles exacted revenge by killing Hektor. The recently discovered asteroids were then given Iliadinspired names. As astronomers continued discovering asteroids hiding in Jupiter’s Lagrange points, they continued naming them after heroes of the Trojan War and began referring to them as “Trojan asteroids.” (“Trojan asteroids” would eventually refer to asteroids inhabiting any planet’s stable Lagrange points, though names from The Iliad are reserved for Jupiter’s Trojans.) It later became the convention to name Jupiter’s L4 asteroids after Greek characters and Jupiter’s L5 asteroids after Trojan characters, so L4 and L5 became the “Greek camp” and the “Trojan camp” respectively. Palisa apparently did not foresee this tradition, for his naming of the first three asteroids led to a Greek “spy” residing in the Trojan camp (Patroclus) and a confused Trojan (Hektor), who probably wandered into the Greek camp hoping to order some of their famous custom-built wooden horses. No spacecraft has ever been to this population of small bodies, called the Trojan asteroids. Now, a new NASA Discovery Program mission called Lucy will fly by seven Trojan asteroids, plus a main belt asteroid, to survey the diversity of this population in a single 12-year record-breaking mission. The Lucy spacecraft launch window opens on Oct. 16, 2021. Provided by: David Dezell Turner, NASA [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.]

No spacecraft has ever been to this population of small bodies, called the Trojan asteroids. (Image:Public Domain)

212-730-6963

VISION

PIC

MAR 12 -18 , 2021 |

Comet Makes

a Pit Stop Near

Jupiter’s Asteroids By Troy Oakes

Astronauts install the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope, during SM1 in December, 1993. (Image:NASA)

fter traveling several billion miles toward the Sun, a wayward young cometlike object orbiting among the giant planets has found a temporary parking place along the way. The object has settled near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans, that are orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. This is the first time a comet-like object has been spotted near the Trojan population. The unexpected visitor belongs to a class of icy bodies found in space between Jupiter and Neptune. Called “Centaurs,” they become active for the first time when heated as they approach the Sun and dynamically transition into becoming more comet-like. Visible-light snapshots by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveal that the vagabond object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing in the form of jets, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas. Earlier observations by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope gave clues to the composition of the cometlike object and the gasses driving its activity. Lead Hubble researcher Bryce Bolin of Caltech in Pasadena, California, said:

“

Only Hubble could detect active comet-like features this far away at such high detail, and the images clearly show these features, such as a roughly 400,000-mile-long broad tail and highresolution features near the nucleus due to a coma and jets.

”

Describing the Centaur’s capture as a rare event, Bolin added: “The visitor had to have come into the orbit of Jupi-

ter at just the right trajectory to have this kind of configuration that gives it the appearance of sharing its orbit with the planet. We’re investigating how it was captured by Jupiter and landed among the Trojans. But we think it could be related to the fact that it had a somewhat close encounter with Jupiter.” The team’s paper appears in The Astronomical Journal. The research team’s computer simulations show that the icy object, called P/2019 LD2 (LD2), probably swung close to Jupiter about two years ago. The planet then gravitationally punted the wayward visitor to the Trojan asteroid group’s co-orbital location, leading Jupiter by about 437 million miles.

Astronomers found a roaming comet taking a rest stop before possibly continuing its journey. The wayward object made a temporary stop near giant Jupiter. The icy visitor has plenty of company. It has settled near the family of captured asteroids known as Trojans that are co-orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. This is the first time a comet-like object has been spotted near the Trojan asteroid population. Hubble Space Telescope observations reveal the vagabond is showing signs of transitioning from a frigid asteroid-like body to an active comet, sprouting a long tail, outgassing jets of material, and enshrouding itself in a coma of dust and gas. (Image: NASA, ESA, and B. Bolin (Caltech))

Bucket brigade The nomadic object was discovered in early June 2019 by the University of Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescopes located on the extinct volcanoes, one on Mauna Kea and one on Haleakala. Japanese amateur astronomer Seiichi Yoshida tipped off the Hubble team to possible comet activity. The astronomers then scanned archival data from the Zwicky Transient Facility, a wide-field survey conducted at Palomar Observatory in California, and realized that the object was clearly active in images from April 2019. They followed up with observations from the Apache Point Observatory in New Mex-

Inner system, ‘shortperiod’ comets break up about once a century. So, in order to maintain the number of local comets we see today, we think the bucket brigade has to deliver a new shortperiod comet about once every 100 years.

pixabay / CC0 1.0

ico, which also hinted at the activity. The team observed the comet using Spitzer just days before the observatory’s retirement in January 2020, and identified gas and dust around the comet nucleus. These observations convinced the team to use Hubble to take a closer look. Aided by Hubble’s sharp vision, the researchers identified the tail, coma structure and the size of the dust particles and their ejection velocity. These images helped them confirm that the features are due to relatively new comet-like activity. Although LD2’s location is surprising, Bolin wonders whether this pit stop could be a common pull-off for some sunward-bound comets, saying: “This could be part of the pathway from our solar system through the Jupiter Trojans to the inner solar system.” The unexpected guest probably will not stay among the asteroids for very long. Computer simulations show that it will have another close encounter with Jupiter in about another two years. The hefty planet will boot the comet from the system, and it will continue its journey to the inner solar system. Team member Carey Lisse of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland said: “The cool thing is that you’re actually catching Jupiter flinging this object around and changing its orbital behavior and bringing it into the inner system. Jupiter controls what’s going on with comets once they get into the inner system by altering their orbits.” The icy interloper is most likely one of the latest members of the so-called “bucket brigade” of comets to get kicked out of its frigid home in the Kuiper belt and into the giant planet region through interactions with another Kuiper belt object. Located beyond Neptune’s orbit, the Kuiper belt is a haven of icy, leftover debris from our planets’ construction 4.6 billion years ago, containing millions of objects, and occasionally these objects have near misses or collisions that drastically alter their orbits from the Kuiper belt inward into the giant planet region. The bucket brigade of icy relics endures a bumpy ride during their journey sunward. They bounce gravitationally from one outer planet to the next in a game of

celestial pinball before reaching the inner solar system, warming up as they come closer to the Sun. The researchers say the objects spend as much or even more time around the giant planets, gravitationally pulling on them — about 5 million years — than they do crossing into the inner system where we live, Lisse explained: “Inner system, ‘short-period’ comets break up about once a century. So, in order to maintain the number of local comets we see today, we think the bucket brigade has to deliver a new shortperiod comet about once every 100 years.”

An early bloomer Seeing outgassing activity on a comet 465 million miles away from the Sun (where the intensity of sunlight is 1/25th as strong as on Earth) surprised the researchers, Bolin said: “We were intrigued to see that the comet had just started to become active for the first time so far away from the Sun at distances where water ice is barely starting to sublimate.” Water remains frozen on a comet until it reaches about 200 million miles from the Sun, where heat from sunlight converts water ice to gas that escapes from the nucleus in the form of jets. So the activity signals that the tail might not be made of water. In fact, observations by Spitzer indicated the presence of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gas, which could be driving the creation of the tail and jets seen on the Jupiter-orbiting comet. These volatiles do not need much sunlight to heat their frozen form and convert them to gas. Once the comet gets kicked out of Jupiter’s orbit and continues its journey, it may meet up with the giant planet again, Lisse said: “Short-period comets like LD2 meet their fate by being thrown into the Sun and totally disintegrating, hitting a planet, or venturing too close to Jupiter once again and getting thrown out of the solar system, which is the usual fate. Simulations show that in about 500,000 years, there’s a 90% probability that this object will be ejected from the solar system and become an interstellar comet.” Provided by: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.]

After traveling several billion miles toward the Sun, a wayward young comet-like object orbiting among the giant planets has found a temporary parking place along the way.

TIMES

212-730-6963

WISDOM

A8 | MAR 12 - 18 , 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

Zi Si,

the grandson of Confucius, valued sincerity and consistency above all else. (Image: WIKI)

Following the Middle Path The Righteous Integrity of Confucius’ Grandson

By Lucy Crawford

ith the possible exception of the semi-legendary Japanese imperial line, the family with the world’s longest running genealogical record is that of the Chinese educator, Confucius. And were it not for the efforts of his progeny, Confucius’ philosophical achievements may have long faded into obscurity. Living 2,500 years ago in the different countries that compromised what is China today, Confucius had a single aim: to spread his moral and social teachings to the nobility of each state, and see his wisdom implemented throughout the land. Unfortunately, despite his many travels, few leaders took Confucius’ advice seriously, continuing to fight and scheme against each other. Confucius, whose name in Chinese was Kong Qiu, had a single grandson, Kong Ji — known to his peers and to the history books as Zi Si (子思). Even at a young age, Zi Si was inquisitive and shared with his grandfather a thirst for moral truth. One day, Zi Si saw Confucius alone, sighing deeply. He asked: “Do you sigh because you worry that your children and grandchildren will not be able to carry on your inheritance and promote morality? Or do you envy the wisdom of Yao and Shun [two legendary sage emperors], but cannot match their greatness?” Confucius responded, “Child, how could you know my aspirations?” Zi Si said, “If a parent chops wood, but his son does not carry it, the son is unworthy. Whenever I think of this, I study very hard, not daring to slacken at all, so that I may also be able to understand the Way and help the world in the future.” Hearing this, Confucius’ mood

212-730-6963

improved: “I need not worry any more,” he said.

‘Sincerity is the way of Heaven’

Zi Si studied the books of the sages diligently. He said, “sincerity is the way of Heaven.” For Zi Si, sincerity, or in Chinese, cheng (誠), basically meant consistency in one’s action. Once, the Confucian scholar Mencius asked Zi Si for advice about sincerity. Zi Si said, “The foundation of cultivating one’s body, family, state, and the world is to cultivate one’s moral character, and the key to cultivating moral character is ‘sincerity.’” “Sincerity is the law of heaven, and the pursuit of sincerity is the law of being human. There is no such thing as a sincere heart that cannot move people; it is impossible to move people without sincerity. A gentleman never deceives his own heart, and he should be all the more prudent when he is in solitary.” When the Kingdom of Wei was at war, Zi Si recommended Gou Cheng to the king of Wei as a general, saying, “Gou Cheng is very talented as a general.” The king of Wei said, “I know. However, when Gou Cheng was an official, he once ate two eggs that belonged to the people when he was collecting taxes, so I did not use him.” Zi Si said, “Everyone has strengths, but likewise, everyone makes mistakes at times, so if you guide him properly and educate him, I believe he will change. Don’t ignore his strengths and discard him.” The king of Wei paid his respects to Zi Si and said, “I accept your advice.”

Therefore, not to beg and not to degrade oneself can be considered as wealth and nobility. He denounced flattery and glory-seeking, and remarked that a high-powered position with generous pay was not enough to bait a truly superior man.

Ruling with virtue and culture

described as ‘the ruler is not like a ruler, and the ministers are not like ministers’!” When asked why, Zi Si said, “The ruler is so presumptuous that he is happy to let others praise him without examining the rights and wrongs of the matter, which is beyond foolishness; to praise without judging whether the matter is justified or not, is beyond flattery. It is fostering a culture of evildoers!” Zi Si continued, “How can the people be happy when [such leaders] rule over them in this way?! To ‘rejoice when one is told of his faults’ is the attitude that the sages took when they received criticism.” Zi Si aspired to rule the country with virtue and culture, and never wavered in his determination no matter what circumstances he was in. He put his personal life and death aside and denounced the harmful acts of the rulers who were fighting for power and profit and bullying the weak, bringing hardship to the people and undermining the Way. Once, Hu Mu Bao, a native of Lu, advised Zi Si to be more realistic about the world and not stand his moral ground in every situation. Zi Si replied, “My only concern is that my vision and morality are not ambitious enough. I wish to be accepted by society in order to practice the way of benevolence and virtue; if I turn my back on my aspirations and the way of Heaven and seek to be accepted by the world, then what do I do that is worthwhile in the world? That would be a sin, so I will never change the moral righteousness I seek.”

True wealth and true nobility

Later, when Zi Si heard that Wei’s ruler proposed an erroneous plan to his ministers, they agreed with him as one voice, he said, “I see that at this time the kingdom of Wei must really be

Zi Si traveled around the kingdoms and preached moral doctrines. He was respected by many rulers and loved by the people. Duke Mu of Lu asked him to be

VISION TIMES

the prime minister of the kingdom, but Zi Si politely declined because he wanted to teach. Although Zi Si was poor all his life, he believed the meaning of wealth and nobility was as follows: not to beg from others is called wealth; not to degrade oneself is called nobility. Therefore, not to beg and not to degrade oneself can be considered as wealth and nobility. He denounced flattery and gloryseeking, and remarked that a high-powered position with generous pay was not enough to bait a truly superior man. Zeng Shen, Zeng Zi’s son, asked him, “Do you bend yourself to achieve the Way, or do you defend your aspirations at the expense of poverty?” Zi Si said, “I would like to see the Way spread. It is the right time to do so in the present chaos. It is better to stand by one’ s aspirations to be poor than to bend oneself to be rich and powerful. If you bend yourself to others, you will be controlled by others, but if you stand by the Way, you have not failed to live up to it.” According to Zi Si, he believed that he should promote moral righteousness. If bending oneself morally was necessary for the sake of gaining wealth and prosperity, it would be better to hold on to one’s moral principles by staying poor and humble, so that one would not be subject to others and would be worthy of his moral principles. He also said, “The Way is not to be left for a moment, otherwise it is not the Way.” In the choice between “the Way” (道) and “the trend” (勢), Zi Si displayed the high moral integrity of a true sage. Zi Si strictly adhered to the rules of etiquette and morality in his dealings with people. He followed Confucius then passed on to Mencius. He wrote the classic work of Confucianism, The Middle Path (中庸), which had a great influence on later generations. ny@visiontimes.com

MYSTERIES

www.VisionTimes.com

MAR 12 -18 , 2021 |

Image : Shen Yun Performing Arts

Mystical

Udumbara Flowers Bloom Once

Every

3000 ,

Years

The udumbara flower is also a synonym for something that is exceedingly rare, sacred and special.

By Mikel Davis

s en Scre

ho t/

You Tube

This flower does not come from the world.

re sec

n recent years, the mysterious udumbara flowers have been sighted all over the world. This flower is ultra-mystical and it is said to bloom once every 3,000 years. Strangely, it grows on any medium and on some really surprising surfaces, such as glass, paper, Buddha statues, and so on. The blossom of this plant is an amazing phenomenon that contains infinite secrets and divine messages. The udumbara flower is also a synonym for something that is exceedingly rare, sacred, and special. According to Buddhist scriptures, the udumbara is a sacred flower. The flower’s name comes from Sanskrit and it means “auspicious flower from heaven.” The supernatural arrival of this flower, which depicts a plant with no chlorophyll and no roots, is beyond imagination or understanding. The Buddhist scripture Fahua Wenju does tell of “a flower that blooms only once every three thousand years that heralds the advent of the King of the Golden Wheel.” The eighth volume of Huilin’s Yinyi (a composite collection of all the glossaries of scriptural words and expressions compiled in and before the Tang Dynasty) also relates that:

“When the King of the Golden Wheel appears in this world and with his great merits, the flower appears.” Back then, Buddha Sakyamuni mentioned to his disciples about the Wheel Turning King and the udumbara flower. When the Buddha brought his disciples to practice, disciples asked the Buddha whether they could remain as part of everyday society and do their practice while living as ordinary people in the human world. The Buddha replied: “You have to wait until the day when the Holy King of the Wheel Turning appears in the world… At that time, you must not miss the eternal opportunity.” After the disciples listened to the Buddha’s words, the female disciple Lianhuase respectfully asked the Buddha: “Master, in the future when the Holy Wheel Turning King appears in the world, what if people do not know about it, what do they do then?” The Buddha replied: “At that time, there will be a kind of flower called udumbara blooming everywhere that can remind people of the coming of the Wheel Turning King to the world to spread his teachings and to save sentient beings in the world.” The Buddha further explained: “This flower

tch ina .com

is a flower that does not come from the world. It is a manifestation of the merits of the Holy Wheel Turning King. This kind of manifestation is a symbol for the rare experience of encountering a Buddha or hearing a Buddha’s teaching.” The Buddha advised his disciples to accumulate merits and said he would protect them until the day they would meet the Holy Wheel Turning King.

Buddha disciples and all sentient beings are looking forward to this day!

In 1997, South Korean media first reported that udumbara flowers appeared at the Cheonggye-sa temple. The crystal clear flowers attracted countless people to see this rare phenomenon. Later, the South Korean media reported sightings of this mystical flower in many places, including at Buddhist temples in South Korea. Soon afterwards, news of multiple sightings of udumbara flowers began to spread throughout China, as reported by the media. In addition, the blossoms of these wondrous flowers were also sighted in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the United States, and other parts of the globe. Udumbara flowers are beautiful, elegant, and refined. The flower is

bell-shaped, its stem is as thin as gold silk and it has a light, unique fragrance. The flowers are snow-white in color and their existence fills the surrounding area with an auspicious aura that makes the one who sighted the flower feel calm and refreshed. The most peculiar characteristic is that the udumbara flowers can grow anywhere — on glass, steel pipes, offices, paper, Buddha statues — without any soil. The flowering period lasts for weeks, months, or even years. They usually appear in Buddhist temples and the residences of Buddhist practitioners.

The extraordinary moment has arrived

R e ce n t ly, udumbara flowers have been blooming all over the world and this signifies that the extraordinary moment which sentient beings have been waiting for has arrived. At this time when humankind’s morality has declined to the lowest level, plagues are rampant, and signs point to everything having reached the final limit, it is only through emphasizing virtue and doing good, respecting heaven and believing in God, that we can be blessed by God, avoid disasters, save ourselves, and enter into the future.

Translation by Chua BC and edited by Michael Segarty

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HEALTH

A10 | MAR 12 - 18 , 2021

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Qi Stagnation When a disturbance in the flow of Qi does occur, stagnation results When a disturbance in the flow of Qi does occur, stagnation, or “Yu”, results. In TCM, Yu syndrome is Qi stagnation or Qi blockage — a state in which Qi is obstructed and cannot flow. Chinese medicine says that all diseases are the direct consequence of Qi stagnation, and the body can no longer function properly.  In a healthy body, the distribution of Qi is relatively uniform, but when there is a disturbance, an uneven distribution of Qi will result. It is just like the four wheels of a car: each wheel needs to have the correct pressure to enable the car to run smoothly. If one of the wheels has too much or too little air pressure, or if a tire becomes flat, an imbalance will result, and the car could become unstable, wobble out of control and put the driver in danger.  It is the same with the human body. If there is an uneven flow of Qi, and the upper body has more Qi than the lower body, or the left half has more Qi than the right half, or if there is too much Qi in a certain part of the body, problems will arise. Pulse Diagnosis says that the pulse in the area where a lot of Qi has clustered will be stronger, or out of balance, just like a tire with too much air. This is the result of Qi stagnation or blockage.

A Root Cause of Illness

ife, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a gathering of Qi, or vital life energy. The vitality and health of the human body relies on the ‘pushing’ action of this Qi for good health. Conversely, Qi stagnation in any part of the body leads to illness or loss of vitality. Much like the Qi in the human body, the universe that we live in is endlessly moving. If it were to stop moving, it would spell disaster for the universe, and all of us. The human body is just like a small universe, and the Qi in the human body should move as smoothly as the stars in the sky. The less this flow is disturbed, the healthier the body will be. By Tatiana Denning

TCM recognizes 7 main emotions

The Qi inside the human body has its own law and trajectory. Any disturbance in this trajectory can cause an imbalance in the body. According to Chinese medicine, Qi stagnation results from excessive exposure to emotions. Chinese medicine recognizes seven main emotions: joy (excitement), anger, pensiveness (overthinking), grief (sadness), anxiety (worry), fear, and fright (shock). Excessive emotion can interfere with the circulation of Qi in the body, negatively impacting blood circulation and the respective internal organs.  According to the famous Chinese medical text, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, all illnesses are born of Qi stagnation or blockage. The seven emotions relate to specific organs in the body, and any excessive. According to Chinese medicine, emotions relate to organs in the following way: over excitement hurts the heart, anger hurts the liver, overthinking hurts the spleen, sadness and worry hurts the lungs, and fear and shock hurts the kidneys. The organs most easily damaged are the heart, liver, and spleen.  212-730-6963

Problems that arise from Qi stagnation For example, the emotion of excessive excitement leads to Qi stagnation in the heart, and can cause the heart to beat irregularly or too fast. It can also lead to high blood pressure, restlessness, insomnia, forgetfulness, and so forth.  Anger causes stagnation of Qi in the liver, the primary organ responsible for the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. Liver Qi stagnation can result in vision problems, diarrhea, dry, cracked nails, tinnitus, dizziness, headaches, PMS, depression, and feeling stuck in life. The common phenomenon of pain in the body, according to The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, is a direct result of anger interfering with the flow of Qi in the liver. Pensiveness, or overthinking, easily leads to Qi stagnation and loss of vitality in the spleen, and can result in hair loss, decreased appetite, bloating of the stomach, foggy thinking, muscle fatigue, easy bruising, and a lack of ability to resolve things.  If we pay attention, we may notice some ways that our emotions affect us physically. For example, when we feel anxious, such as when we’re rushing to catch a train or airplane, we often become tired before we’ve gone too far. And when we lose our temper, we may notice that we feel weak all over due to Qi depletion.  To prevent Q blockage, or depletion, we should keep a calm mind, and focus on or do something peaceful and enjoyable. Taking a walk in the park, for example, relaxes the mind. In this state, we may notice that we can walk a long distance before becoming tired, since Qi is not easily depleted when we’re calm. Qi stagnation over a long period of time will eventually lead to Qi exhaustion, resulting in loss of vitality, a tendency toward illness, and chronic diseases that are difficult to treat.

Keeping calm at all times

Avoiding excessive emotion, and keeping a calm and steady mind, are vitally important to maintaining the flow of Qi, and keeping the body in a state of good health.

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Drowsiness and fatigue Tap the acupoints against each other with both hands

When you are drowsy and sleepy during a meeting or in classes, you can tap the acupoints to keep you awake.

Fatigue emergency acupoints: Hegu, Houxi, and Yangchi

Hegu point (合谷穴) mutual tap method: With both palms face down, retract the thumbs, bring both hands together so they connect. With all five fingers straightened and together, the most protruding part of the muscle between the thumb and index finger is the

Hegu point (合谷穴). Sleepiness is related to lack of qi, and the Hegu point has the effect of invigorating qi. Tapping the hands as described can stimulate the Hegu point of both hands. Houxi Point (後溪穴) mutual tap method: With both palms face up, the sides of the little fingers are tapped together. When you make a fist, the end of the deep horizontal line on the palm is the Houxi point ( 後溪穴). This acupoint has the effect of relieving fatigue and replenishing vital energy. Yangchi point (陽池穴) mutual tap method: With the right palm up, left palm down, tap the backs of

MAR 12 -18 , 2021 |

Motion sickness and nausea Press points on the head for dizziness, press points on the hands if nauseous

the hands together. When the wrist is bent upward, horizontal lines will appear on the back of the wrist, and the Yangchi point (陽池穴) is at the midpoint of the lines. Su Shouyi indicated that the sorer the muscles are, the more effective this is. Earlobe massage: Rub the earlobes of both ears. There are many acupoints on the earlobes that stimulate the circulation of the face and brain. Hot compress to the eyes: Rub the palms 6 to 10 times. After the palms are warm, cover the closed eyes lightly, and move the eyes around 6 to 10 times. This has a refreshing effect.

Motion sickness and vomiting can spoil the fun of traveling. If you have motion sickness but don’t have any symptoms of nausea, you can press acupoints on the head such as Fengchi, Yifeng, or Taiyang. If you feel nausea or have been vomiting, press the Neiguan point.

Motion sickness and nausea emergency acupoints: Taiyang, Fengchi, Yifeng, and Neiguan

Taiyang (Temple 太陽穴): Where the outer part of the eye socket crosses the extension line of the eyebrow, there is an indentation about a finger-width behind where they meet. Fengchi Point (風池穴): Under the head and occiput, inside the hairline, there’s an indentation between the two large tendons behind the ear. Yifeng Point (翳風穴): In the obvious indentation behind the earlobe. Neiguan Point (内關穴): Three fingers width above the horizontal line of the wrist, between the two tendons of the wrist.

6 Groups of

Acupoints

That Provide Relief From Common Maladies By Emma Lu

hinese acupuncture is not the only method used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure diseases. Acupressure without needles can also relieve emergency or embarrassing situations. Pressing acupoints can effectively relieve drowsiness at work, constant coughing in public, motion sickness and vomiting, frequent urination, abdominal pain, and constipation to name some key uses. According to acupuncture expert Su Shouyi, the director of the Yanlong Chinese Medicine Clinic, there are multiple acupoints applicable to the above situations, so you can choose the most convenient acupoint. Since the same acupoint is on the left and right sides of the body, he recommends massaging on both sides to improve the effect.

A11

Stomach pain and diarrhea 2 points on hands and feet for relief

Almost everyone has had the experience of sudden stomach pain, diarrhea, and rushing to find a toilet. You can press acupoints in the gastrointestinal tract, such as the Hegu point in the Large Intestine Meridian and Zusanli in the Stomach Meridian to relieve the emergency, buy time to find a toilet, and relieve the diarrhea.

Stomach pain and diarrhea emergency acupoints: Hegu and Zusanli

Hegu Point (合谷穴): Pressing the Hegu point between the thumb and index finger, as previously mentioned, will not only help energize you, but also relieve stomach pain and diarrhea. Zusanli Point (足三里穴): Four fingers below the indentation of the outer knees.

Coughing non-stop 4 acupoints for relief

In public places such as mass rapid transit, offices, restaurants, etc., if you suddenly feel an itchy throat and can’t stop coughing, it is likely to attract people’s attention, which is embarrassing. Pressing the 4 acupoints of the lung meridian will quickly stop your coughing.

Coughing emergency acupoints: Yuji, Taiyuan, Chize, and Kongzu

Yuji Point (魚際穴): At the midpoint between the base knuckle of the thumb and the wrist, which is on the line that divides the palm and the back of the hand. Taiyuan Point (太淵穴): Along the thumb side, above the line of the

wrist, there is an indentation between the metacarpal bone and the carpal bone, where you take your pulse. Chize Point (尺澤穴): Bend your arm up slightly and find a large indentation on the elbow line. Kongzui Point (孔最穴): Palm facing upwards, on the link line of the Taiyuan point and the Chize point, 7 inches above the line of the wrist. Measure from the wrist, put five fingers together (4 inches), plus four fingers together (3 inches). The above four acupoints on the hand and arm are safer to press. The Tiantu point, (天突穴) located in the center of the collarbone indentation, can also relieve coughs, but because it is just below the throat, some people will feel uncomfortable when it’s pressed.

Constipation

If you are constipated for several days, or stay on the toilet for a long time without moving, you know that constipation is very distressing. You can massage points on the hands, feet, and abdomen to promote bowel movement.

Constipation emergency acupoints: Tianshu, Shangyang, Chengshan, and Zusanli

Frequent urination 4 acupoints for relief

Frequent urination is very bothersome when traveling by car, especially in traffic jams. Press the acupoints on the palms and feet to reduce the frequency of urination.

Frequent urination emergency acupoints: Yemen, Zhongzhu, Sanyinjiao, and Yinlingquan

Yemen Point (液門穴): On the back of the hand, the skin that con-

nects the ring finger and little finger, at the point where the front and back of the hand meet. Zhongzhu Point (中渚穴): On the back of the hand, between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones, the indentation behind the metacarpophalangeal joints. Sanyinjiao Point (三陰交穴): On the inner side of the calf, four fingers width up from the pointiest part of the ankle bone, and the indentation on the back edge of the tibia. Yinlingquan Point (陰陵泉穴):

The inner side of the calf, and the indentation on the inner side of the tibia below the knee. Su Shouyi noted that for men, if they often have frequent urination, it is mostly related to prostate hypertrophy. Women may have bladder sphincter weakness or bladder inflammation. You should seek medical attention for this. At the same time, you can press the Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan points, and practice squeezing the pelvic floor to strengthen the muscles in that area.

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The hands, feet, and belly all have laxative ‘buttons’

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Tianshu Point (天樞穴): These points are three fingers-width from each side of the naval. Shangyang Point (商陽穴): About 2 mm away from the corner of the nail on the index finger, on the side closest to the thumb. Chengshan Point (承山穴): The central indentation below the bulge of the muscles behind the lower leg. Zusanli Point(足三里穴): Four fingers below the indentation of the outer knees. The Zusanli point is mainly used to adjust the spleen and stomach and can also be used for constipation and diarrhea. Su Shouyi emphasized that whether or not pressing acupoints improves constipation still depends on the individual’s physique and condition. For example, for meatatarian people, pressing is effective at the beginning, but if they do not change their eating habits over time, the effect of acupoints may gradually weaken. He added that if you have frequent constipation, you should eat more fruits and vegetables regularly to get dietary fiber. Translation by Patty Zhang and editing by Helen 212-730-6963

A12 | MAR 12 - 18 , 2021

LIFESTYLE

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Best

NonAlcoholic Drinks

To Order

By Armin Auctor

you keep getting labeled as the killjoy at the party for being a non-drinker, and water, sugary soda drinks, tea, or coffee are the only choices left for you, then it’s high time to look up some non-alcoholic drinks that leave a refreshing taste on the buds. Looking to replace booze with non-alcoholic beverages? Some of the options on this list are sure to give you a head start!

Virgin mojito

A mojito is the spirit of the party (only when you are strictly avoiding alcohol.) Bartenders are familiar with this drink as it is one of the most common non-alcoholic substitutes for a glass of boozy retreat. Or if you are staying home on a Saturday night and would like to distance yourself from liquor, a freshly prepared virgin mojito comes in handy. All you need is some fresh lime juice, lemon wedges, mint leaves, and sugar syrup. Add club soda in a shaker, put it all together with some ice cubes, and give it a shake. The best thing about the drink is that you can customize it to suit your taste! Add as many flavors as you like and there you have your non-alcoholic drink ready.

The Devoción Tonic

This drink is the daily dose of caffeine that you need, but with a slight catch! It is a strange (not to mention overly delicious) punch of grapefruit and cold brew. The Devoción Tonic is as hydrating as it is tasty; being a combination of lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and vanilla syrup along with cold brew. Customizing the tonic would be recommended for those who want to cut down on caffeine. Nonetheless, it is a dash of refreshment on a hot, sunny afternoon.

Hibiscus tea

Hibiscus tea is not just a drink; it is a health booster! Simple to prepare, you can get yourself a refreshing glass of hibiscus tea just by bringing hibiscus flowers and water to the boil. You can add lemon zest for extra flavor and “strength.”In addition to being a great antioxidant that fights free radicals that cause damage to your cells, the tea is also stacked with various health benefits. It boosts liver health, promotes weight loss, and reduces blood fat levels and blood pressure.Making happy hours healthy is easy with hibiscus tea.

An alcohol-free spritz

The spritz is just the kick you need to unwind on the weekend. Consisting of grapefruit juice, lime juice, and a dash of cinnamon, punched with club soda, this seltzer is a flavourful alternative to drinking in on Saturdays. This summer drink can also be prepared with low alcohol using about 50 ml of Aperol and topping it up with lemonade, soda, and a slice of orange to garnish. After all, kindling your party spirit on weekends with non-alcoholic drinks is not such a bad idea with the alcohol-free spritz.

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