Bad American

Apparently Jack Cafferty touched a nerve

McClatchy

Earlier this week, the state Xinhua news agency called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “disgusting.” And on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu lambasted a CNN commentator, Jack Cafferty, for his “vicious” commentary on China.

“We solemnly request that CNN, and Cafferty himself, take back the malicious remarks and apologize to the Chinese people,” Jiang said at a news briefing.

Protests plaguing a global Olympic torch relay, along with mounting criticism of China’s handling of domestic unrest by Tibetans, have embittered many Chinese. As foreign leaders discuss whether to boycott Olympic opening ceremonies Aug. 8, Chinese internet sites are replete with their own mounting calls for boycotts — of foreign goods.

The mood has definitely soured here as the nation prepares to host its biggest international event ever. Angry nationalism has replaced what had been festive anticipation as government officials to lash out at foreign critics, trying to stay ahead of public resentment _ even fury _ that foreigners may spoil the Summer Olympics with what some see as unwarranted criticism.

Several foreign journalists, including correspondents for USA Today and The Times of London, say they have received death threats.

snip

Cafferty, whose CNN commentaries are invariably acerbic, sounded off on China on the program The Situation Room April 9. He said the United States imports “their junk with the lead paint” and their “poisoned pet food” while losing factory jobs to China, a country run by “the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years.”

Jiang, the ministry spokeswoman, said Cafferty “used his microphone to denigrate China and Chinese people” and that his remarks constitute racism.

The firestorm began among angry Chinese immigrants in the United States, who launched an online petition drive (www.petitiononline.com/cnncaff/petition.html) to protest Cafferty’s remarks. Coverage quickly crossed into China, where citizens had already launched an internet campaign against CNN, accusing it of biased coverage in mid-March of an uprising of ethnic Tibetans demanding greater freedom.

A Chinese “anti-CNN” website contained plenty of vitriolic remarks against Cafferty by Tuesday.

“Nobody should ever take this hyperthyroid rooster too seriously,” said one commenter, adding that Cafferty is prone to “anti-Chinese diarrhea.”

Hyperthyroid rooster?

Someone really needs to teach the Chinese how to properly insult people. Most Westerners, when they read these kind of insults, laugh out loud because they’re funny. They’re not terribly insulting at all but perhaps they think so.

At any rate, if this helps destroy the Summer Olympics and embarrass China, so much the better. The whole idea of an Olympic Game in Beijing was a bad to begin with and can only end badly at this point.

Of course the fact that the Chinese ban my and Matt Adams’ podcast does not mean I’m bitter at all.

Of course not. I’m just a working class white guy from small town Ohio. I’m clinging to my gun right now.

Anyway, these are still the same goons who committed the slaughter of Tiannemen Square. They were doing fine in ‘89 and they’re doing fine today. I have to say, Jack Cafferty does have a way about him, however.

But the bottom line is as long as US multinationals can make a buck off cheap Chinese imports, this sort of nonsense will continue. It’s just fun to see the mandarins in Beijing spin like turret lathes in righteous indignation.