Until recently, the Chinese role in building America’s transcontinental railway was nearly written out of history. It was only in 2014 that the US Department of Labor inducted the Chinese railway workers into the Hall of Honor, officially recognizing for the first time the vital role and sacrifice of the Chinese, whose numbers amounted to over 15,000 workers at the peak of the project’s construction – 90% of the total Central Pacific Railway workforce.
I love this information and the context. We lost a great deal in the genocide visited upon the native population, as well as from the bigotry and violence foisted upon the Chinese and other non-Anglo ethnic groups. We have so much more to gain through friendship and cooperation than from subjugation and hate.
These kinds of stories continue to be a revelation. It's often said, metaphorically, that the Chinese think not in terms of years and decades but centuries, if not millennia; so perhaps the current predicament can best be seen as just a hiccup in the grand scheme of things. Harmonious progressive development between East and West will resume, all in good time. We just need to get rid of the fools and charlatans currently holding power in our societies.
Thank you, Matt; well written, easy to read glimpse into history which forged the nation, as well as being a golden spike in the age of what has been dubbed the Age of Robber Barons.
Would be interested in your view of current status: BRICS and NATO summits, The Schiller Institute call for no bailout of broken western financial system, but moving toward emerging East/West cooperation in Belt and Road type structures, with National Banks.
You propound a compelling narrative in which China inherits and develops the American spirit, which the West has traded for a mess of pottage. But it’s difficult to square this narrative with the top-down authoritarian surveillance social-credit Technocracy that Chinese elites have piloted. Patrick Wood, for example, believes that western Bilderberg elites made Chinese elites an offer to transfer technology and capital to China, and promote its exceptional economic growth, on condition that it implemented Technocracy, as a stepping-stone towards spreading this new form of totalitarianism throughout the world.
A complaint - when the article goes to a website it becomes white print on a black background - for me a VERY UNCOMFORTABLE format in which to read!!! Otherwise, all is well.
I love this information and the context. We lost a great deal in the genocide visited upon the native population, as well as from the bigotry and violence foisted upon the Chinese and other non-Anglo ethnic groups. We have so much more to gain through friendship and cooperation than from subjugation and hate.
Thank you so much for sharing this fascinating history..
I don't think more than a handful of people have any idea about this relationship..
Fascinating!
Excellent content and thanks for what you do Matthew.
New subscriber.
Very interesting article. Leaves one to ponder about the things that are going on.
Thank you Matthew. Good stuff as always!
These kinds of stories continue to be a revelation. It's often said, metaphorically, that the Chinese think not in terms of years and decades but centuries, if not millennia; so perhaps the current predicament can best be seen as just a hiccup in the grand scheme of things. Harmonious progressive development between East and West will resume, all in good time. We just need to get rid of the fools and charlatans currently holding power in our societies.
Thank you, Matt; well written, easy to read glimpse into history which forged the nation, as well as being a golden spike in the age of what has been dubbed the Age of Robber Barons.
Would be interested in your view of current status: BRICS and NATO summits, The Schiller Institute call for no bailout of broken western financial system, but moving toward emerging East/West cooperation in Belt and Road type structures, with National Banks.
You propound a compelling narrative in which China inherits and develops the American spirit, which the West has traded for a mess of pottage. But it’s difficult to square this narrative with the top-down authoritarian surveillance social-credit Technocracy that Chinese elites have piloted. Patrick Wood, for example, believes that western Bilderberg elites made Chinese elites an offer to transfer technology and capital to China, and promote its exceptional economic growth, on condition that it implemented Technocracy, as a stepping-stone towards spreading this new form of totalitarianism throughout the world.
A complaint - when the article goes to a website it becomes white print on a black background - for me a VERY UNCOMFORTABLE format in which to read!!! Otherwise, all is well.
Doug