葉小慧
發佈日期: 2020.09.23
發佈時間:
上午 9:03
悲傷的消息。
轉自 香港商報:
【美國記者伏爾切克在土耳其突然死亡 曾來港採訪遭「示威者」嘲笑】
土耳其當局正在調查美國作家和記者伏爾切克(Andre Vltchek)的死亡事件,該作家和記者在一夜之間從土耳其黑海沿海城市桑姆森前往伊斯坦布爾旅行時死亡 。
土耳其國營新聞社報道,57歲的伏爾切克和他的妻子正乘坐一輛租來的司機汽車旅行,並於周二淩晨5:30抵達他們在伊斯坦布爾的酒店前。
據阿納多盧機構報道,他的妻子試圖叫醒他,告訴他已經到了,但不能叫醒他。 該機構說,醫療隊趕到現場宣布他已經死亡。 伊斯坦布爾首席檢察官辦公室立即對死亡進行了調查,同時將他的屍體帶到法醫機構進行檢查。
DHA新聞社說,警方將他的案件記錄為「可疑死亡」。 伏爾切克在自己的網站上稱自己是小說家,哲學家,電影製片人和調查記者,以及「反對西方帝國主義和強加於世界的西方政權的革命,國際主義者和環球旅行者」。 根據他的網站,他報導了數十個戰區和衝突,包括伊拉克,斯里蘭卡,波斯尼亞,盧旺達和敘利亞。 伏爾切克與語言學家和學者喬姆斯基合著了許多著作,包括《論西方恐怖主義:從廣島到無人機戰爭》。
伏爾切克去年曾去了香港,並將他的所見所想寫成了一篇報道,名叫《我從沒見過這麼分化的地方》。
文章開篇寫道:簡直不可思議!西方帝國不斷地試圖毀掉擋住自己路的國家。在這個過程中,它竟沒有遇到任何抵抗!
伏爾切克在文中說,他走遍了地球的各個角落,發現所有的血腥衝突都是美國、英國或者法國煽動的。
不過,他要講的不僅是那些令很多人失去生命,毀了一個個村莊、城市、國家的血腥衝突。他更想說的是,在電視屏幕、報紙和互聯網上,這些反人類的罪行不是被刻意遺漏,就是被歪曲報道。以至於,世界各地的讀者和觀眾竟對自己和他人的苦難幾乎一無所知。
他舉例說,在2015年和2019年,他兩次坐下來與香港的「示威者」溝通,但兩次都讓他驚掉下巴。他回憶說,他們啥都不知道,對西方在阿富汗、敘利亞或者利比亞的罪行一無所知。
當他告訴香港「示威者」美國推翻了多少個拉美國家政權時,被他們嘲笑為瘋子:他們竟然不知道所謂的「善良」、「溫柔」、「民主」的西方其實殺害了幾百萬人,吮吸整個拉美大陸人的鮮血。然而,他們的學校不會教他們這些,BBC、CNN這些媒體都不會報道這些。
他說,他很認真地向香港「示威者」展示了自己在阿富汗、敘利亞拍攝的照片,他們肯定知道這些照片都是真實的一手資料。然而,他們卻一臉漠然,好像腦子裏無法處理這些信息。
伏爾切克指出,香港社會的撕裂程度令人匪夷所思。那些認為互聯網有助於改善香港局勢的人嚴重錯判了形勢。正因為缺乏正確的信息,香港社會的團結因素已消失。
伏爾切克說,不僅僅是香港,現在全世界,尤其是中東、拉美等地區都面臨這一情況。然而,一個殘酷的事實是,黎巴嫩的人根本不知道香港發生了什麼,香港人也不清楚黎巴嫩的動亂是因何而起,因為西方宣傳機器的報道已經模式化。
他舉例說,比如在香港,暴徒被包裝成「親民主的『示威者』」。這些殺人、放火、打人的暴徒成了西方宣傳機器眼裏的香餑餑。為什麼?除了因為他們可以惹怒美國的最大對手——中國,此外,也因為他們是西方親手創造和資助的工具。(記者張明編譯)
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紀 Andre Vltchek:
A letter to the young people of Hong Kong
Friday, January 03, 2020, 09:14
By Andre Vltchek
Now that your city has been in flames for more than six months, your families divided, and no end to the violence is in sight, I have decided to write this short essay, in the form of an open letter, to the young people of Hong Kong.
First of all, I want to ask: Why?
Why all this smoke and fire, anger and violence? Were your lives, before the so-called “protests”, or “riots”, really so dismal?
You have been living in one of the richest cities on Earth. Even according to Western evaluations, Hong Kong has one of the highest “freedom indexes”, higher than that of most of Western countries.
Water that comes from your taps is clean, the internet is extremely fast, and public transportation is cheap and one of the best in the world. You can enjoy an exciting cultural life, as well as great public spaces constructed along your impressive coasts.
Naturally, Hong Kong is not a perfect place, as there are no perfect places on this planet.
Your housing is some of the most expensive in the world. Job opportunities for college graduates are not really excellent. Some cities on the Chinese mainland are now more exciting places to live, to create, and to dream than “good old” Hong Kong. But still, it is a fascinating, solid city, with its own culture, mindset and complex history. And in many ways, it is a beautiful city; beautiful and unique.
So, why? What happened? Why suddenly such anger, and such frustration?
Should we talk? Please let’s.
When waving the UK flags, nostalgically recalling your British masters and their rule over Hong Kong, do you even think about some of the most monstrous crimes committed in the history of humankind?
I have worked in around 160 countries and territories, on all continents. I have written about and filmed many wars and conflicts. I have been covering revolutions and rebellions, but also terrible riots ignited by Western countries. You probably have heard about the so-called “color revolutions”, or the “Arab Spring”.
I have witnessed, first hand, the fate of countries that have been occupied and then thoroughly destroyed by the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Afghanistan and Syria, Iraq and Colombia, to name just a few. I have seen millions of ruined lives in nations where the West overthrew left-wing governments, and then injected fascism: places like Indonesia (1965), and Chile (1973). Now there is nothing left of Indonesia; its nature is thoroughly ruined and the great majority lives in misery. In Chile, people have stood up, and are proudly fighting and dying for socialism which was stolen from them by Western governments and corporations.
I have lived and worked all over the African continent, the most devastated part of the world, colonized and terrorized first by Europe, and later by the US, for many centuries.
In Hong Kong, I see you waving flags of the US. You want that country to “save you from China” — from your own nation, in essence. I have read a translation of your school curriculum. It smears China, and it glorifies the West. Were you told, ever, that in the name of that flag, consisting of the stars and stripes, tens of millions of people, worldwide, were murdered, democracies raped, and freedom of expression horrendously oppressed? Or are you reading only what is brought to you by Reuters and other Western press agencies?
When waving the UK flags, nostalgically recalling your British masters and their rule over Hong Kong, do you even think about some of the most monstrous crimes committed in the history of humankind? On all continents of the world, the British Empire murdered, humiliated, violated and plundered hundreds of millions of people. Human beings were reduced to slaves. Their lives, identities were reduced to nothing.
Were you told this? Do you realize it? When you wave these flags, when your leaders are taking bribes from the US and the EU establishment, do you ever think what kind of money you are touching? Do you ever consider that this money is soaked in blood?
I saw several of you demanding “independence from China”. I even witnessed some of you calling China a “terrorist” state.
Have you ever, seriously, compared the Chinese political system to that so-called “democracy” of the West?
Let me give you a simple quiz: In the last decades, how many countries have been attacked by China, and how many by the West? Just do a simple calculation, please. It is so simple; so clear. How many countries have been bombed to the ground, and thoroughly ruined by China, and how many by the West?
And democracy? In China, the government listens to its people. In reality, democracy means nothing more than the direct translation from Greek — rule of the people. In the People’s Republic of China, the government is working to improve the lives of its citizens, while building a global infrastructure for all (the Belt and Road Initiative). Now, look at the West: Most of the citizens in North America and Europe hate their system, but cannot get rid of it. Some of you regularly travel to the West: Don’t you hear what the people are saying there?
In the last two decades, China has lifted up hundreds of millions out of poverty. In the West, the governments have buried billions of people in misery in all their colonies. Despite of the terrible plunder of the world, tens of millions are destitute at home, in both North America and Europe.
Despite of the not-too-high GDP per capita, China has almost no misery, while tens of millions of the US citizens are living in poverty. There are many more prisoners (per capita) in the US prisons, than in the Chinese ones.
Many US prisons are now privatized: It is a big business. The more that are held behind bars, the bigger the profit!
Is this a system in which you’d want to live? Is it, really?
I know the West very well. And I know China. These days, in Hong Kong, some of you are waving Western flags, while insulting Beijing.
The West has the most powerful propaganda on Earth. It has the ability to twist everything, to call black white, and vice versa.
But frankly, it is Beijing that has the ability and desire to help solve the problems of Hong Kong.
Do you really think that Washington, London or Berlin are genuinely interested in helping your city? I am convinced that they only want to break China, and to continue ruling over the world.
To conclude this letter, let me say what has to be said. After speaking to people that are now angrily waving black banners, as well as US and UK flags, I realized that they know very little about the state of the world. And, they do not want to listen to different points of view. When confronted intellectually, they become violent.
That is not a democratic approach; not at all.
I suggest we talk. Publicly. Let us debate the very definitions of democracy. Let us discuss who has done more harm to the world: China or the West? I am ready, anytime.
If the leaders of Hong Kong riots, or “protests”, are confident that they are correct, let us face each other, in front of microphones and cameras.
I love your city. I love Hong Kong. I love China. And I strongly believe that China and Hong Kong are one beautiful, inseparable entity.
I am ready to give my best proving that point.
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. He is the author of 20 books including“China’s Belt and Road Initiative”, and “China and Ecological Civilization".
https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/58/161/122/1578014479529.html
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