Roland Boer's Blog, page 6

Reading Deng Xiaoping: Liberating the forces of production as a preparation for communism

Deng Xiaoping is not studied as much as he should be. Part of the reason is that in the same way Engels is overshadowed by Marx, so also is Deng Xiaoping overshadowed by Mao Zedong. But you simply cannot understand Chinas socialist system today without studying Deng Xiaoping (along with Mao). This quotation, from 1984, Continue reading Reading Deng Xiaoping: Liberating the forces of production as a preparation for communism

Debunking the myth of the Wuhan seafood market, part 5: did the novel coronavirus originate in Australia?

Following on from my previous post (here) in relation to an article in PNAS, my wife, elder daughter, her husband and I have been discussing this further. I should add that my elder daughter has a PhD in molecular biology and works in directing clinical research trials at the regional hospital. Yesterday, I sent her Continue reading Debunking the myth of the Wuhan seafood market, part 5: did the novel coronavirus originate in Australia?

Debunking the myth of the Wuhan seafood market, part 4: ancestral form of SARS-CoV-2 virus found predominantly in the USA and Australia

Scientific research continues along fascinating paths. In a study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (the article is here), a team from the University of Cambridge has identified three main mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Type A, which is the ancestral type, is found Continue reading Debunking the myth of the Wuhan seafood market, part 4: ancestral form of SARS-CoV-2 virus found predominantly in the USA and Australia

How China deals with new outbreaks: Suifenhe border crossing with Russia

The major rail crossing with Russia in the northeast of China, in Heilongjiang, is the town of Suifenhe. It has a population of 70,000, which is a small town by Chinese standards. In the last few days there has been a spike of infections of COVID-19. Out of almost 2,500 people Chinese citizens Continue reading How China deals with new outbreaks: Suifenhe border crossing with Russia

Reading Deng Xiaoping: Draft chapter for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics completed

I have finally completed a full draft of the chapter on Deng Xiaoping. It is the first chapter of my book on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and Deng Xiaoping is the key to it all. In fact, I have a distinct liking for Deng, since he so often sits in the shadow in Mao Zedong Continue reading Reading Deng Xiaoping: Draft chapter for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics completed

An insight into Fangcang hospitals – a new approach to epidemic control

People around the world may have been impressed with the way China built two temporary hospitals from the ground up Huoshenshan and Leishenshan in a little over a week in Wuhan. But less attention has been paid to the Fangcang Hospitals. Since the policy was to put all coronavirus patients in hospital, even Continue reading An insight into Fangcang hospitals a new approach to epidemic control

The real Tibet after 60 years of socialist democratic reform

On another note, this brief video offers an excellent insight into the massive improvements in Tibet since its former system of autocratic feudalism was destroyed in 1959 and its socialist democratic reform began. Note, for example, that universal healthcare is a basic right, as is socio-economic wellbeing.

Following the China Model: How the Wuhan lockdown worked

More and more countries are trying to follow the China Model in dealing with the COVID-19. Some may have delayed, squandering the valuable time given by China; some may have been dragged reluctantly to do so, with haphazard and uncoordinated efforts; and some are unwilling to acknowledge that they are indeed following the China Model, Continue reading Following the China Model: How the Wuhan lockdown worked

Who are the most important workers during an epidemic?

Some might say doctors and nurses, which would obviously be correct. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, equally important are toilet cleaners. Why? Fecal-oral transmission is a real risk, so toilets in a COVID-19 hospital have to be cleaned every time someone uses them. The Xinhua photographer, Fei Maohua (see here), captured these photos of three Continue reading Who are the most important workers during an epidemic?

Interview with Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

A short post, since I am not sure I can copy this particular article here. It is an interview by the online journal Science, with doctor Gao Fu, who is the director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. He also works in the Chinese Academy of Science. Like many medical professionals (see Continue reading Interview with Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention