Not “making it up,” mhaze.

//I didn't mention coal stats. Just making it up.//

You leaned on coal as the reason for the emissions. That’s why you’re now hair-splitting between “coal” and “CO2e.”

//As I said..."now that you've made this error, you'll defend it to the end".//

And here’s the script again: redefine the terms, call my clarification “defensiveness,” then declare your prophecy fulfilled. That’s not foresight, that’s a self-sealing trick.

…speaking of predictability.

//Your becoming toooo predictable.//

If “predictable” means catching you every time you swap definitions to stay “never wrong,” then yes - I’ll keep being predictable.

Better predictable than permanently evasive.

Yes, JD, just pure fabrication. I've never mentioned coal statistics. Never once. Frankly I'd need to research it to find out what they are and how reliable they are.

"That’s why you’re now hair-splitting between “coal” and “CO2e.”

Hairspliting. You carry on as though they are interchangeable data. All in your futile effort to try to hide your original error. I've never understood the mindset that prefers playing the clown to admitting error.

What we have here, if we go back to the beginning, is me providing statistics that showed that (1) JD's claims about China's environmental credentials were pure fantasy and (2) that renewables don't lead to reduced emissions. Since both of those are anathema to JD's worldview, he's been struggling ever since to find a way to deny the nose on his face.

That the only way he can do it is by misrepresenting what was said, we can see the quality of his opinion.

And even though he keeps claiming I relied on coal statistics, we can't help but notice that he can't back up that absurdity with a quote.

Not fabrication, mhaze.

You invoked coal as the driver of China’s emissions. That’s the link you leaned on. Whether you called it a “statistic” or “CO2e” is beside the point - it’s the evidentiary crutch you used until it got inconvenient.

//And even though he keeps claiming I relied on coal statistics, we can't help but notice that he can't back up that absurdity with a quote.//

Cute move: insist on the magic word “statistics” while ignoring that you did exactly what I said - pointed to coal to explain the emissions. If you want to pretend the difference between “coal share of energy” and “emissions from coal” absolves you, fine.

But that’s hair-splitting, not a rebuttal.

And the rest is just set dressing - “fantasy,” “clown,” “struggling.” That’s the performance. Strip the performance away, and all you’ve really said is: coal proves China’s emissions are bad, but when I call that selective, suddenly it was never about coal at all.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=10647#371593

Thanks mhaze for your comments, it's good to know that you see things similarly. It's good when your own independent analysis is convergent with others that you respect. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you.

Thanks for the quotes and for the later very lucid comments (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=10647#371622).

Comment- John Daysh said "Flattening 2,000 years of complexity into “West = liberty, East = tyranny” isn’t history, it’s a caricature."

Answer- If you believe that one thing leads to another, and you haven't got the first, then you haven't got the second. Joseph Nye apparently puts the success of western society down to a handful of principles, including openness where appropriate. Machiavelli (1469-1527) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli) made the observation that Asian political model's were superior because they were more dictatorial, but then came the Reformation, the Renaisance, and the Enlightenment. It isn't me saying that Asia is dictatorial it's Machiavelli- doesn't mean it's not a caricature, but Daysh needs to do more than just say "It's a caricature!", at least to convince me over the lucid arguments that Machiavelli makes. There are a number of other principles from Asia, that seem to have conspired to tyranny. I believe that Asia would do well to adopt the home grown principles of Confucius (not the Confucius Institute), that was attacked in Asia, and some Asian countries, such as South Korea have, to their great success.

There are commentators that have talked about the failure of introducing western success principles and institutions to Asia.

Zealots preach before they teach... Listening to idiots can make you dumber.

I was thinking that Japan also seems to have a feeling of Confucianism and it turns out luckily to be correct as below...

From Search Assist AI-

Relationship Between Shinto and Confucianism
Overview of Shinto

Shinto is Japan's indigenous religion, focusing on kami (spirits) found in nature.
It emphasizes rituals and practices that connect people with these spirits.

Influence of Confucianism on Shinto

Confucianism began influencing Shinto during the Edo period (1603–1868).
Scholars like Yamazaki Ansai integrated Confucian ethics, such as filial piety and moral behavior, into Shinto beliefs.
This blend is known as Confucian Shinto or Juka Shintō.

Key Features of Confucian Shinto

It emphasizes ethical behavior and family values.
Popular among the samurai class, it helped reconcile their duties to the emperor with Confucian ideals.
Confucian Shinto also played a role in shaping modern Japanese nationalism and values during the Meiji Restoration.

Modern Developments

Contemporary groups influenced by Confucian Shinto include Shinto Taiseikyo and Shinto Shusei.
These organizations continue to reflect the integration of Confucian principles within Shinto practices.

In summary, while Shinto and Confucianism are distinct traditions, Confucianism has significantly influenced Shinto, particularly in ethical and social aspects.

It's been said that the three philosophical traditions of China's Middle Kingdom are Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism. Therefore to understand the mindset of China, and perhaps wider Asia, and how to create peace with Europe, it might be helpful to understand something about these traditions, and the fundamental assumptions of Asia.