A MUST-WATCH 29-minute interview in which Jeffrey Sachs tells it like it is and as few others dare to tell it.
Andrew Napolitano from Judging Freedom talks with Jeffrey Sachs about the credibility of the US in the diplomatic community, its freefalling position in the world, much of which is not covered in mainstream media, in the US or abroad. There is fear, power but very little respect, says Sachs.
“One of the great shames of American politics in recent times to see this display of pitiful obeisance of the US to the mass murderer standing at the podium and in the context of tens of thousands of innocent women and children being slaughtered to the moment that Netanyahu talked and then he gave a litany of complete lies and after that has gone on with the continued murder and provocations of a wider War in the Middle East.”
About 1000 BC, King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 B.C.), a Count from the Shang Dynasty, was known as the Civilising King for ruling by means of moral virtue and kindness. He taught the people to be honest, virtuous, and respectful to God/Heaven.
He often said: “The king shall rule the people with benevolence, officials shall manage the people with care, children shall respect their parents with filial piety, parents shall raise their children with love, and the people shall associate with one another in good faith.”
His son, King Wu, defeated the last King of Shang and founded the Zhou Dynasty. He then honoured his father as the first King of Zhou posthumously. The Zhou Dynasty ruled China for 800 years, the longest-lasting of ancient Chinese dynasties (1046-256 BCE)
During the 800-year Zhou Dynasty, the most influential minds in the Chinese intellectual tradition flourished. Many of the ideas developed by figures like Lao Tsu, Confucius, Mencius and Mozi, who all lived during the Zhou period, would shape the character of Chinese civilisation up to the present day.
Unfortunately, the Mongolian invasion disrupted China Golden Age, and The Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) had to close its doors to the barbaric outside world. The famous voyages of Admiral Zheng He (1371–1435), the largest fleet in the world with 28,000 sailors that visited over 30 countries had to be terminated.
What actually happened?
In the video below, Jeffrey Sachs discusses the evolution of Western values, comparing them with Buddhist and Confucian thought. He highlights the shift from virtue ethics, as seen in Aristotle, Buddha, and Confucius, to a more power-centric philosophy starting around 1500. This shift, influenced by thinkers like Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Adam Smith, led to a focus on competition and individualism. Sachs argues that this change has had harmful effects and suggests a return to the common ethical principles of virtue and cooperation.
Mystic Reflections 