“The MayLays aren’t Going to Help You – They Don’t Have Any Money” – Bill O’Reily

 

So, Why Do We Borrow Money from Peasants?

Back when I was at school in England, there was a common joke that the Americans didn’t get sarcasm or irony. The example that we liked to use was the case of walking into a random bar and complimenting someone on their shirt. In America, the guy would be happy. In England you’d get beaten up because the guy would think you’re “taking the p***.” In America, the guy would assume you genuinely meant it.

This stereotype, like all stereotypes isn’t completely accurate. American media content does have some wonderful bouts of sarcasm. The Simpsons comes to mind. However, thanks to the current “trade war” between the USA and China has shown that there’s a major element in the truth that Americans don’t get sarcasm or irony.

It started from the top. American Vice-President, JD Vance explained the “virtuous economic” cycle, which had China lending America money, which America then spent on goods made in China. Mr. Vance, however, explained in a more “insulting” manner when he talked about “borrowing money” from “Chinese peasants,” and buying goods made by those “Chinese peasants.”

This created a storm in the Chinese part of cyberspace, with China’s keyboard warriors mocking the Trump Administration with a series of memes.

This was, however, very minor to what came next. When President Xi Jin Peng went on a tour of Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia), to shore up trade deals, conservative commentator, Bill O’ Reily, decided to launch a tirade about how these nations were not going to be able to help China in the trade war because they had “no money,” unlike America. His line of “The May Lays aren’t going to help you – they don’t have any money,” earned him a rebuke from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk, Sri Anwar Ibrahim, who said that his remarks stemmed from an “Outdated Colonialist Mindset.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLQj6TXYXa4

 

 

Mr. O’ Reily has since doubled down and talked about how Malaysia’s GDP per capita is only US$5,000 A YEAR and then made some remarks about how people were “barely eating,” in Malaysia.

Anyone, who has been to Malaysia will realise that food is readily available. Malaysia is a “foodie paradise,” and given that I am Singaporean, that’s saying a lot. So, its clear that Mr. O’ Reily is demonstrating a knowledge of the world equivalent to that of the average White American who has never left his home town or the average Singaporean who never left their Junior College common room.

Mr. O’Reily is being picked apart for his inability to do basic couch surfing in the Malaysian part of cyberspace, so I’ll leave my Malaysian friends to continue doing the necessary.

I will, however, talk about irony and sarcasm, which the “conservative” element of the American media seems to have missed altogether. In their efforts to show how America is brow beating the rest of the world into understanding the greatness of America or to punish the rest of the world for “taking advantage,” of America, they’ve revealed a mindset that is woefully unprepared for the world as it is.

If you look at the comments made by both Mr. Vance and Mr. O’Reily, the question is, why does America need to borrow money from peasants? Mr. O’ Reily in particular is trying to show that the USA has the money to support Chinese exports when compared to places like Malaysia but forgets that his Vice-President has admitted that the USA is borrowing money from peasants in China.

Why would someone or some nation that claims to have so much power and money need to borrow from “peasants?” In the Singapore context, its saying that I have more money than your average HDB dweller but I borrow money from Bangladeshi construction workers.”

This attitude towards knowing the outside world isn’t good in as much it’s a case of underestimating the “enemy.” Who is to say that China can’t and won’t lend money to other places to buy their goods? Sure, hearing Mr. O’Reily’s dazzling knowledge of the world may make one feel good about one’s situation but does it make one ready to take on the rest of the world and prosper?

Talking about the peasants in China or the “May Lays” with no money might work like Viagra on ones failing manhood but will it actually solve the underlying issues that made ones manhood fail in the first place?