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The "Mandate of Heaven" (MoH)is simply the way the Chinese refer to the legitimacy of their rulers. It is similar to the "Divine Right of Kings" often cited by European kings as justification for absolute rule. "Fighting against me is fighting against God, ole chap, it's just not done." (Se battre contre moi, c'est se battre contre Dieu, ole chap, ce n'est tout simplement pas fait.)

The two are not exactly equal. Chinese Emperors could lose the MoH through immoral acts or otherwise harming the Chinese people under their care. Signs that an Emperor had lost the MoH included drought, flood, famine, earthquakes, pestilence, and hut-to-hut insurance salesmen. (I made the last one up but the Chinese would likely agree.) Once the MoH was lost in the minds of the people it was morally permissible to rebel against the Emperor and his officials.

The European kings generally lost the Divine Right to rule when they lost their heads or were conquered, not necessarily in that order. In the modern world this is when the voters get annoyed enough to vote you out.

WWG1WGA

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

In the modern world this is when the voters get annoyed enough to vote you out.

Voting may not be forceful enough at some point.

A "Broken China" Update.

If you want on or off the ping list send me a FReepMail.

Item One:
New regulations from Beijing permit hospitals/clinics hiring up to one security guard per twenty beds amid an increase in random attacks against healthcare workers. This is occurring against a backdrop of rising outbreaks of COVID, Monkey Pox, Conjunctivitis, and Dengue Fever. Given the previous CCP mishandling of healthcare many think this is preparation for upcoming epidemic control.

Item Two:
Remember the artificial salted egg yokes in the Moon cakes story from yesterday? In a "hold my rice beer" moment, a Chinese man buys 800 boxes of Moon Cakes to give as gifts only to discover that they are NINE years past expiration.

There is also a report of prohibited Titanium Dioxide, a food coloring agent, being found in Moon Cakes imported into Finland.

Item Three:
During a recent traffic jam stranded motorists filmed themselves playing Mahjong (tiles, not computer) on the roadway for six hours while they waited.

Item Four:
There is a wave of closures of private kindergartens in Beijing and Shanghai. The demographic bite digs deeper. In a related news item, over 30 million Chinese men can't find wives. Even those who can find wives aren't having larger families. The fertility rate for young women continues to drop.

Item Five:
Wage offers for white-collar workers are dropping. In Beijing and Shanghai salary offers are down 6-9% year-on-year. Other white collar workers, such as bankers, are being asked to take pay cuts of up to 40%.

One final note. I am seeing a number of what I consider over sensationalized reports claiming variously the Xi and Putin are conspiring to start another, more deadly, pandemic or do any number of dastardly things to distract from their various difficulties. I don't consider these reports credible enough to even report as heavy rumor.

WWG1WGA

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

In the modern world this is when the voters get annoyed enough to vote you out.

Except in cases like Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu . . .