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The China Syndrome | Sacred Symbols+ Episode 163

Communist-controlled China is a threat to free expression and peaceful commerce, but we here in the west are nonetheless more-than-happy to do business with them anyway. And that complicity comes at a cost, whether we want to admit it or not. To get into the nitty-gritty of just what it means to do business with, in, and for China, I (Colin!) invited Sale Lilly to the show. Sale is a Senior Policy Analyst at the world-famous RAND Corporation. A Mandarin-speaking ex-US Naval officer, educated at Oxford and specializing in China, Sale has wonderful insight into just what's going on on the other side of the Pacific. How did China come to be the totalitarian force it now is? How does economics factor into that? And -- perhaps most important, for our podcast -- how does all of this intersect with entertainment and gaming? If you're not a fan of politics and economics, this episode of + is decidedly not for you. Consider yourself fairly warned. Get exclusive access to Sacred Symbols+ twice a week at https://www.patreon.com/LastStandMedia

Comments

Rob Aitken

Here I thought this was an off day knockback to a Jack Lemmon film. This is precisely the kind of content that I miss from the CLS startup days and I appreciate it. My father served throughout the Korean war and his experience informed a life long aversion to Communist China in me, glad to see others starting to see the reality we are in.

Cameron

I know I’m preaching to the choir but this content is why we subscribe to sacred fucking symbols. Such amazing content Colin! Thank you again for everything that you do

Tristen Wilbers

Jesus, he is so knowledgeable, I love the nuance he was able to bring to this topic. So well spoken, I could listen for several more hours.

TrackyMatts

LSM developing a great network of knowledgeable contributors to their Podcasts. Sale was excellent.

Anonymous

Please have him back or at least someone similar. I would love you to pick his mind more. Stellar interview, man.

Gafferman

What a powder keg of an episode! If you ever were to expand the economics of games into its own show, then Sale should be your co-host!

Caleb Greer

God damn it. I did my graduate thesis in history on American atrocities in Asia from 1941-1975, leading to the media coverage and reaction to the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam war. I should have fucking explored the intersection between expression and masculinity and all that with gaming while soldiers were deployed during Iraq and Afghanistan like Sale mentioned at the end. It’s such a good topic! Anyway, that interview was awesome

Michael G

Wanted that to be another 2 hours longer. Fascinating topic.

Anonymous

Man I’m looking forward to listening to this

Matthew Perry

I can honestly say I learnt alot listening to this episode :-) really insightful , I hope we get more of these !!

Greg Mocha

Just finished listening. Very educational and honestly quite riveting. My mind was spinning. I look forward to more of these types of deep dives into where business and politics are openly discussed. This could be one of those two listen eps

Benjamin Schultz

I am only 20 mins in but I have to say this content is amazing and why I will keep supporting LSM. I’ve been going down YouTube rabbit holes on economics and history lately and this is the perfect combination of education and my interests in gaming. Keep up the amazing content.

Adam Turley

I'm an xbox guy and originally subbed for defining duke just to check it out. But this episode and others like it are why I stay subbed. LSM gives perspectives on gaming I don't hear talked about any where else. Great episode and awesome guest.

Anonymous

great podcast

Alec Shaner

As others have already stated this was an awesome interview with an amazing guest. I would also love to hear more from Sale.

Michael Miller

You really are becoming the “Rogan” of video games with these interviews. I love it.

Tacoyaki

This was incredibly insightful. Thank you!

Alex Watson

Wow, you’ve been stepping it up with these interviews, but this was next level. The fact that you could attract someone like this to your show is a huge testament to its quality. I’ll echo a comment above mine that this felt like an episode of Rogan with a gaming twist. And please take Sale’s suggestion to discuss gaming in the military. I’m sure there’s an LSM audience member out there who served and could discuss this topic. Any chance you guys would consider creating another show that focuses on these types of discussions, so you can scratch that political itch Colin? I know you’re busy enough as is, but I would be there for that show every week. I don’t know if you ever listen to Blocked and Reported podcast, but Jesse Singal is a gamer and would be a great guest to discuss various political issues in gaming. Anyway, sorry for the long rant, but this one was special.

Anthony A.

Colin, this is an awesome episode. Informative and insightful. Cannot get this kind of gaming content from any of the other podcasts or sights. Thank you.

Anonymous

Colin, This episode was really interesting! Hearing conversation related to what doesn’t fly in Chinese media, specifically time travel and it’s effect on the creation of Chinese governments as they exist today, was a fascinating look into the media creation process there. Knowing this is a topic that interests you, I have a recommendation. There’s a trilogy of sci fi books which came out of China called “the three body problem”. The story it self is great, but what I found even more interesting was reading the story through the lens of its ability to exist in, and escape from, communist China. The first book is critical of group think, state education, misinformation, etc. in a way that i wouldn’t have expected from a Chinese book. Not only is it well respected, it actually won the Hugo award (I believe it was the first Chinese book to do so). I hope you’ll give it a look! Thanks! I may have missed you talking about it before and if so, I hope you had a positive outlook on it!

Justin O'Reilly

Sacred Symbols/CLS has always been excellent, but in recent months I think you all have been truly incredible. Episodes like this raise SS head and shoulders above not just other gaming podcasts, but above mainstream gaming websites as well. I couldn't be happier to be a patron again after a brief hiatus. Thanks for all that you do!

LastStandMedia

No new shows, no. Sacred Symbols+ benefits from these discussions! No need to have a new brand.

Anonymous

Colin & Team, Thank you for this episode, this unapologetic discourse that every other outlet is afraid to discuss. I grew up reading and following Colin’s work and it makes me so joyful that this community exists and that you can be independent and happy after all of the bumps along the way. Keep at it, you’ve got a fan for life. I appreciate all of this hard work on REAL topics.

Anonymous

Colin I got to say this is one of the best guest you've had, wow what a smart human being. Truth I listen to it twice just to reference everything that he was discussing with you.

Anonymous

This was amazing and eye opening, thank you so much! I was especially intrigued by a possible future podcast focused on video games and the military. I'd love to hear about game connections to soldiers and how they use games for training. Thank you for the phenomenal conversation.

Anonymous

🔥 🔥 🔥

Anonymous

This was a great episode. Admittedly a lot of this went over my head, but would love to see Sale come back.

Wayne Moss

This was a very eye opening episode fantastic work LSM.

BettyAnn Moriarty

Oh…so interesting! He, like you, bud, can paint a vivid historical picture (though about different histories) by speaking so eloquently about events and their outcomes on… well, all of us.

Walt Duncan

Dude, I’d expect to find this kind of guest and conversation on like Sam Harris’s or Jim Rutt’s podcasts. Another great one, Colin. Thank you. Free idea for anyone who is brave enough. You sell a T-shirt of Shang Chi, the Marvel character, something like Doctor Strange sends him back in time to aid the people at Tiananmen Square. Or generally you make—and importantly sell—a meme of Shang Chi being a hero against the CCP. Because of the money interests involved, Disney would be forced to sue you, assuming the meme grows enough to attract attention. But the point of the shirt is explicitly a critique of Disney’s kowtowing to China, so I can’t see any way it is not protected speech in the United States. It would be crazy expensive to litigate, but the T-shirt seller wins that case, I’m reasonably certain.

Giovanni D'Amico

Was on vacation this weekend but had a chance to listen on the drive home from Vermont. This was without question one of the best podcast episodes I have ever heard - Sale is a fountain of knowledge, and the questions (and answers) were really on-point with recent topics on SS and what's on all of our minds. Super illuminating. I loved it. PLEASE have Sale back again and please keep up this excellent, excellent work. Thank you for all that you do!