CCTV FOLLIES 12.19 POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE

Earthquakes are tectonic, but in China the political angle reigns supreme -Xi is not shown in the context of disaster (inauspicious) -Xi yes men on the job -Putin threatens Finland -Houthis halt ships

On the evening news today there is a long recycled canned feature and two political stories to endure before CCTV turns its gaze to breaking earthquake coverage. The quake has to be reported, but it has to be reported in a way that echoes the party line and strengthens the party and in no way underlines or maligns the paramount leader.

So today, after necessary paeans to Xi agriculture and Xi diplomacy and the inculcation of Xi thought, the earthquake gets its due. The coverage is quite extensive but focuses entirely on the positive. In short it’s the story of a CCP-directed rescue mission rather than a story of disaster, shocking dislocation and human suffering.

Western coverage of earthquakes tends to look at the damage, China’s coverage starts with the healing, though only state-actors and party hacks get any real role to play.

Above a map and below a military injunction that sums up the paradox.

We shall implement Xi Jinping’s orders and guidance with determination!

But first, let’s look at some out-of-season reruns about the munificence of Xi Jinping’s rule and the blossoming of the harvest under his green thumb, here show in close-up.

With China’s north being lashed by subzero temperatures, and a major earthquake shaking things up in the northwest, how reassuring it must be to see dated pictures of colorful fruit and vegetables as the top story of the day!

Oh, China, so beautiful and beneficent!

Premier Li Qiang welcomes his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin, to Beijing

Xi Jinping’s right-hand man Cai Qi reminds other humorless party members to take the importance and supremacy of his master’s thought with the utmost seriousness.

Finally, some earthquake news. The thing to emphasize is that the party is on the case.

Here Xi emissary Zhang Guoqing “directs” coverage as the paramount leader would like it to be. Men in uniform, orange and green, do most of the heavy lifting.

The people dislocated by the quake have little choice but to stand around and watch while the CCTV camera crews and CCP-directed rescue spectacle comes through.

The party is firmly in control and rescue workers are resolute.

The military deploys gleaming cargo jets and giant helicopters to illustrate the magnimity of offical response while hapless locals warm their hands over a fire of scrapwood.

In foreign news, Gaza is the top story, opening with Israeli footage of the IDF on the attack, clearing buildings and streets with gunfire.

The IDF footage is followed by Hamas footage of resistance strikes on Israel military vehicles and troops with the telltale red arrows showing targets of destruction.

Meanwhile, things are heating up at the Bab el Mandeb bottleneck of the Red Sea.

Houthi missile and drone strikes, of which CCTV has excellent footage, attack Western shipping and ships supplying Israel. Maersk and other big shippers now refuse to enter the Red Sea and have to go the long way around Africa instead.

Russia’s special military operation is still special, but not as special as before as it has been ongoing for almost two years with scant postive result.

Putin fingers Finland, and NATO (which now includes Finland) more generally, as a problem. Putin promises new problems for Finland as punishment for having joined forces with NATO.

Finland and US sign military cooperation agreement and Putin is not happy about it.

In other news, Sisi won re-election in Egypt. And Iran feeling it at the gas pump, not due to any gas shortage, but due to a malicious cyber attack caused by malware said to be from Israel.

Finally, news of the day is wrapped up with the standard bad news from Japan.

Powerful Abe political faction in crisis due to investigation of a slush fund scandal.

Zai jian!