A country with no guard rails
One can easily tell if one has been to China.
Within the first few minutes of conversation said person will quickly espouse,
"China needs a dictator......"
One would be surprised how many people in positions of power have never visited the Heavenly Kingdom. This particularly holds true for America, but probably within your nation too
For if any of our "know it all" politicians had actually been to China(rather than just dropping into Hong Kong like Ted Cruz apparently did recently), then surely their criticisms would have had a tad more nuance. A bit more sophistication.
Listening to ignorant people in America(usually our US Senators) talk about how bad China is, is quite embarrassing. Readers of this blog know I'm not a suck up to China, but neither do I go out of my way just to "piss on" China either.
However, I think a country as important as China doe merit visiting the place, before making the decision to carte blanche criticize it. And one way of my knowing that a critic of China has actually visited the place is hearing them if albeit somewhat wearily blurt out,
"China needs a strong leader".
If one recalls from an earlier post, Americans, including fire breathing evangelicals from the early 1800's, all noted rather quickly democracy be damned that China needed a strong hand. More than a few stated China was not suitable for democracy.
So why is India democratic and China not?
Why does China need a strong authority structure while India seems to be ok with its current state of affairs?
Alas, that is more food for thought than the subject of this post.
In my view, China needs an authoritarian structure simply because Chinese love to argue. Indeed, while I've never seen a culture more readily "put up" with life, nor have I seen a culture more readily argue with each other. Yes, if you recall the penchant for "face" is a strong impediment to compromise.
During this current American Disaster, we have a Chinese live in guest. Once when criticizing my daughter, and soon after realizing I was actually out of line, I apologized. Our guest quickly commented "My father never apologized to me".
I've said before if guns were freely allowed in China the population would drop in half overnight. And everyone would have one. Just imagine how bad off China would have been under Chiang Kai Shek if he'd won the Civil War. No, there would have been no Cultural Revolution. Very true. Nor a Vietnam War(as China would not have supplied Vietnam, it could not have possibly won).
But guns would be everywhere.
In my view there are two China's. No, not necessarily the "Cities" and the "Countryside", but those with 素质 and those that just don't give a damn. I made it out of China about two months before the Virus hit. While there I frequently rode the subway. Once in Guangzhou I saw a fellow obviously from the Countryside sitting on luggage. He was dark and lean. The couple standing next to him was pale, with a calm exterior. Suddenly the country bumpkin screamed at them in an uncaring snarl. My head turned around in their direction. They were talking to him. After a moment I realized this hick was sitting on their luggage! And when they told him to get off, he snapped at them.
"I've no where else to sit", he said. Very unapologetic. I was amused, and they were quietly disappointed. He stayed on their luggage.
Nevermind the elite leadership in China that apparently does play by it's own set of rules, China is very much like America; split up within two different societies. One is entrepreneurial, unapologetic,and squats when it shits. The other refined, can quote Confucius, may speak English and its concept of exercise is badminton.
And this penchant for incessant arguing I've come to believe must be buried in its DNA somewhere. For many of the Chinese here are very much like the Chinese "there". They love to argue with each other. And as many of the Chinese "here" are entrepreneurial, ie they made their money in China, and "bought" their Green Card to come here, don't believe for a second they've changed.
They still find ways to argue, especially with that other pasty looking group.
And now China Wife is being sued by one of them. She has done no wrong, and I expect her to win. However, the mere thought of China Wife, with her bookcases lined with the classics, forced to step into the ring with "one of them", annoys her to no end. She very much believes she is better than than this person. She has done no wrong, and the China Demon suing her can care less. She has the money and feels wronged. End of discussion.
China Wife is chagrined. She had an opportunity to make peace with this crazy bitch several months ago but Chinese females being Chinese females, "apologies" and concepts such as "let's clear the air" simply don't exist. China Wife has a tendency to see the good in people. China Bitch does not. Seeing this tendency in America play out the way it has was at first bemusing. Now it's tedious.
I can only shake my head at what China would look like if everyone were allowed to freely do as they please in the Heavenly Kingdom. China needs guard rails. A China without guard rails isn't even a country.
Within the first few minutes of conversation said person will quickly espouse,
"China needs a dictator......"
One would be surprised how many people in positions of power have never visited the Heavenly Kingdom. This particularly holds true for America, but probably within your nation too
For if any of our "know it all" politicians had actually been to China(rather than just dropping into Hong Kong like Ted Cruz apparently did recently), then surely their criticisms would have had a tad more nuance. A bit more sophistication.
Listening to ignorant people in America(usually our US Senators) talk about how bad China is, is quite embarrassing. Readers of this blog know I'm not a suck up to China, but neither do I go out of my way just to "piss on" China either.
However, I think a country as important as China doe merit visiting the place, before making the decision to carte blanche criticize it. And one way of my knowing that a critic of China has actually visited the place is hearing them if albeit somewhat wearily blurt out,
"China needs a strong leader".
If one recalls from an earlier post, Americans, including fire breathing evangelicals from the early 1800's, all noted rather quickly democracy be damned that China needed a strong hand. More than a few stated China was not suitable for democracy.
So why is India democratic and China not?
Why does China need a strong authority structure while India seems to be ok with its current state of affairs?
Alas, that is more food for thought than the subject of this post.
In my view, China needs an authoritarian structure simply because Chinese love to argue. Indeed, while I've never seen a culture more readily "put up" with life, nor have I seen a culture more readily argue with each other. Yes, if you recall the penchant for "face" is a strong impediment to compromise.
During this current American Disaster, we have a Chinese live in guest. Once when criticizing my daughter, and soon after realizing I was actually out of line, I apologized. Our guest quickly commented "My father never apologized to me".
I've said before if guns were freely allowed in China the population would drop in half overnight. And everyone would have one. Just imagine how bad off China would have been under Chiang Kai Shek if he'd won the Civil War. No, there would have been no Cultural Revolution. Very true. Nor a Vietnam War(as China would not have supplied Vietnam, it could not have possibly won).
But guns would be everywhere.
In my view there are two China's. No, not necessarily the "Cities" and the "Countryside", but those with 素质 and those that just don't give a damn. I made it out of China about two months before the Virus hit. While there I frequently rode the subway. Once in Guangzhou I saw a fellow obviously from the Countryside sitting on luggage. He was dark and lean. The couple standing next to him was pale, with a calm exterior. Suddenly the country bumpkin screamed at them in an uncaring snarl. My head turned around in their direction. They were talking to him. After a moment I realized this hick was sitting on their luggage! And when they told him to get off, he snapped at them.
"I've no where else to sit", he said. Very unapologetic. I was amused, and they were quietly disappointed. He stayed on their luggage.
Nevermind the elite leadership in China that apparently does play by it's own set of rules, China is very much like America; split up within two different societies. One is entrepreneurial, unapologetic,and squats when it shits. The other refined, can quote Confucius, may speak English and its concept of exercise is badminton.
And this penchant for incessant arguing I've come to believe must be buried in its DNA somewhere. For many of the Chinese here are very much like the Chinese "there". They love to argue with each other. And as many of the Chinese "here" are entrepreneurial, ie they made their money in China, and "bought" their Green Card to come here, don't believe for a second they've changed.
They still find ways to argue, especially with that other pasty looking group.
And now China Wife is being sued by one of them. She has done no wrong, and I expect her to win. However, the mere thought of China Wife, with her bookcases lined with the classics, forced to step into the ring with "one of them", annoys her to no end. She very much believes she is better than than this person. She has done no wrong, and the China Demon suing her can care less. She has the money and feels wronged. End of discussion.
China Wife is chagrined. She had an opportunity to make peace with this crazy bitch several months ago but Chinese females being Chinese females, "apologies" and concepts such as "let's clear the air" simply don't exist. China Wife has a tendency to see the good in people. China Bitch does not. Seeing this tendency in America play out the way it has was at first bemusing. Now it's tedious.
I can only shake my head at what China would look like if everyone were allowed to freely do as they please in the Heavenly Kingdom. China needs guard rails. A China without guard rails isn't even a country.
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