Any two humans are about 99.9% genetically identical, but that tiny 0.1% variation accounts for millions of differences.
The world’s cultures are often described as existing on a spectrum between individualism with a focus on personal goals; independence, and collectivism with its focus on group harmony; loyalty, et al.
Then there’s religious influence which acts as a fundamental shaper of culture, deeply embedding values, behavior, and social structures within societies by providing a framework for daily life, morality and identity.
Christianity and Western Culture
Islam and Middle Eastern Culture
Hinduisum and South Asian Culture
With Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism influencing East Asian Culture
The Tao of Poisonis a powerful, believable story set in 18th century China during the White Lotus Rebellion. The nine-year conflict heavily impacted many districts in central China, leading to widespread losses in the mountainous regions separating Sichuan, Hubei, and Shaanxi provinces.
Qiezi, 17, has practiced mithridatism, a method of building poison resistance, for most of her life. Her body has become toxic. She also studied China’s famous encyclopedia of healing and learned from experts how to heal illness naturally.
Early in the story, a powerful Qing Dynasty official threatens her and her family if she won’t have sex with him. She warns the man that her body is poisonous. The man doesn’t believe her. After he dies, Qiezi and her family are blamed for the powerful official’s death and become fugitives.
Separated from her family while on the run, Qiezi eventually reunites with them after joining a group of Chinese Taoists. These Taoists practice consensual partnered or multi-partnered intimacy to harness sexual energy for self-improvement and spiritual development.
Still, what these Taoists practice is illegal. If caught, they will be executed.
This is a fascinating story of survival in a dangerous China.
The Author
Isham Cook is an American essayist and novelist based in China since 1994. His writing philosophy is big concept, discriminating, provocative. His influences are Ballard, Beckett, Borges, Dick, Kafka, Hesse, Melville, Mishima, Sade—authors and artists who fearlessly forge new territories.
The western history of vaccines seldom mentions China, so I’ll start there, explaining why I’ll post this on my iLookChina bog first.
“The Liao Dynasty, which existed around the 10th century, is thought to be the first Chinese dynasty to use inoculation, an early form of vaccination. The son of a statesman was inoculated against smallpox by having a powder made from smallpox scabs blown into his nose. Another method was to scratch smallpox into the skin.
“The Chinese method of inoculation, known as variolation, spread to other countries in the 17th century. In 1689, Russian envoys visited the Qing Dynasty to learn about variolation, which was considered a concept that included both treatment and prevention. In 1726, Jesuit missionaries in Beijing reported on variolation to European countries, but it was not widely accepted.
“In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner scientifically tested a method to protect against smallpox using the cowpox virus. He is often considered the father of vaccines for his scientific approach.”
“Number of Lives saved by vaccines from 1974 to 2024 — more than 153 million.” — Our World in Data
Not counting the fact that vaccines have saved 150 million children over the last 50 years. — Our World in Data
Next, learn about polio epidemics and the development, approval and impact of the polio vaccine.
“1948-1955: Before a polio vaccine became available, several polio epidemics had occurred between 1948 and 1955. Many people avoided crowds and public gatherings, such as fairs, sports games and swimming pools, during this time due to concern about getting polio. Some parents wouldn’t let their children play with new friends and regularly checked them for symptoms.” — Mayo Clinic
Maybe what Putin wants his puppet, Donald Trump, his supporters, and 2nd administration, to do in the United States is create a pandemic worse than the black plague. It’s no secret that Putin wants to destroy the United States and the EU anyway possible to elevate Russia to superpower status, knocking the US off that perch.
“The Black Death was so extreme that it’s surprising even to scientists who are familiar with the general details. The epidemic killed 30 to 50 percent of the entire population of Europe. Between 75 and 200 million people died in a few years’ time, starting in 1348 when the plague reached London.”
Thirty percent of the US population would add up to more than 100,000,000 [million] deaths.
“The bubonic plague left its mark on the human population of Europe, showing that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” — American Scientist
“Before the invention of vaccinations in 1796, people had very few ways to protect themselves from disease.”
George Washington was a well-educated and literate person.
Unlike the convicted rapist, fraud and felon, lover of dictators, who wants to be a dictator, the dumber-than-dumb, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t like to exercise, Donald Trump, his supporters, and his incoming administration.
“Tinpot dictator” are the two key words in the title of this opinion piece, as if the United States or the UK has never hosted and/or supported “tinpot” dictators.
A well-written criticism of the U.S. government from Sri Lanka sets the record straight.
“I wish the spokesman of the (U.S.) State Department … would explain how Washington’s concern for democracy in Sri Lanka squares with US support for repressive regimes such as the one in Uzbekistan or the autocratic rule in Saudi Arabia, both countries in which the U.S. has military facilities.
“In post-World War II period, Washington has militarily propped up such dictators including several in South Korea, Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted by the Filipino people, Indonesia’s Suharto also thrown out by the people, Vietnam’s Dinh Diem, various military governments in Thailand, Singapore’s autocrat Lee Kwan Yew, the military dictators in Pakistan from Ayub Khan to Pervez Musharraf, all of them from our part of the world…” The Ugly Americans Once More (Lankaweb, Sri Lanaka’s first Social Media website)
The Economist only mentions a half century of history between China and Burma/Myanmar, yet, China’s history with Burma and then Myanmar goes back about two thousand years.
The opinion piece also does not mention that China, since 1982, has not been into nation building as the U.S. has since 9/11, when President G.W. Bush launched wars against Iraq and Afghanistan with threats to Iran and North Korea.
Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of My Splendid Concubine [3rd edition]. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.
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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse 
iLook China 