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China has come along way with freedom of speech, you can pretty much say and do whatever you want other than protest and talk trash about the government. You will either be monitored or apprehended for questioning. But overall its a very free country.
China is loosing its historic culture rapidly with the new urban development going on these 10 or so years. It sad to see historic houses / temples/ and sites leveled to make way for new apartments or condos. There are so much land in China I fail to see why they need to erase their history.
I don't know much about Chinese history. I know a fair bit about Chinese present since I've been working here for the past four plus years. I guess freedom of speech has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. I don't think I would say any place is "a very free country" that doesn't allow its citizens to protest, question, or publicly disagree with their government. I can't read Chinese; so, I can't say what news/information Chinese citizens readily have access to. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that the overwhelmingly vast majority don't have proper access to what's really occurring, therefore wouldn't know what to protest even if they had the right.
In the school where I work, we have a list of subjects that are strictly forbidden. We can't fly the Taiwanese flag or celebrate Taiwan in any way. Many websites are blocked.
However, I don't necessarily disagree with the way things are run in China. Freedom of speech (and other such freedoms) can't be issued overnight to over a billion people who've never known it. The authorities are wisely handling everything cautiously.
I do know they're tearing down old hutongs in Beijing to make way for modern apartment and office buildings It does seem like a shame to me, too. Money seems to be winning out and the mindset is, out with the crumbling in with the contemporary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chacho_keva
Living in a predominantly Asian community in Southern California, I've lived amongst Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese for 16 years. I have grown to appreciate the Chinese culture, it's people and they're demeanor. I wish I understood more Mandarin beyond. . .ni hao ma.
If you really want to learn Mandarin, you should come live in China. There are many opportunities for people of many different professions to work here. Of course, you'll then get a much different appreciation for Chinese culture since it hasn't been interfered with by the American culture.
Taiwan is one part of China! This is not our government told us ,it's the history told us. just like a naughty boy ,leaved his monther when he is young, then grow himself to be a man. maybe no one can recoginize that he is the son of that mother ,but ,he just is. no one can change it.
However, when a boy grows to manhood he is responsible for his decisions and is in control of his life. His mother cannot control him anymore.
Reading the posts that defend China's communist government reminds me of the self-deluded, twisted logic one hears from religious fundamentalists when they try to defend some of their wackier beliefs (like the Earth being only 6,000 years old, etc.). It's the babbling nonsense of a person clinging to a belief system that is beyond irrelevant. There's a reason for why there are only five communist states in existence today: communism doesn't work in a free, well-informed society.
OP, you asked "how do u think of China," so I'll tell what I think. I think your people are no better or worse than any people anywhere, and you have the same potential for goodness that everyone else has. However, you've been lied to and sheltered by your government for so long that you have absolutely no clue about the rest of the world, which will cause you a lot of trouble and grief in the future as you begin to collide with the fact that not only does the vast majority of the world not respect your system of governance, it actually despises it.
The ironic thing is that we in the US face an opposite, yet all-too similar problem. Our unrestrained avarice has caused us to treat the world and its resources like our personal pig-trough, and we're slowly choking to death on our own excrement. I'm convinced that the reason most Americans are so disinterested in being educated in anything outside our "skill-set" is because we're like a morbidly obese person in deep denial about what our pathological gluttony is doing to us.
Unless we both outgrow our outdated, discredited political systems, we are both destined for failure. We can start by practicing some self-restraint for once, and taking responsibility for the damage we've caused. You can start by freeing Liu Xiaobo.
One last point: before you start bleating about how we're shoving our so-called "Western" values down your throat, don't forget that it is you that has asked to join in the global game. Nobody's forcing you, and you're free to retreat back behind your iron curtain whenever you like.
Last edited by elcoyoteloco; 10-10-2010 at 03:53 AM..
I hope "freedom" and "democracy" never come to China. Those two "wonderful" things ruined my country. I hope the Chinese never become so stupid to fall under the influence of American propaganda and ruin their country like my countrymen did in the 1990's.
I hope "freedom" and "democracy" never come to China. Those two "wonderful" things ruined my country. I hope the Chinese never become so stupid to fall under the influence of American propaganda and ruin their country like my countrymen did in the 1990's.
I hope "freedom" and "democracy" never come to China. Those two "wonderful" things ruined my country. I hope the Chinese never become so stupid to fall under the influence of American propaganda and ruin their country like my countrymen did in the 1990's.
He's from Croatia, apparently. It always saddens me when I run into someone who misses the "good old days" of the Soviet empire.
Meanwhile, China is enjoying yet another total news blackout regarding Liu Xiaobo winning the Nobel Peace Prize. So, for you Chinese citizens who aren't aware of what your government gets up to in your name, here's a few examples.
As much as I sometimes get annoyed with the various forms of free-market democracies we have in the US, Canada, EU, Japan, etc., we're still lightyears ahead of anything the commies ever had to offer. I truly hope that someday the Chinese will have a government that trusts them to be able to think for themselves.
I hope "freedom" and "democracy" never come to China. Those two "wonderful" things ruined my country. I hope the Chinese never become so stupid to fall under the influence of American propaganda and ruin their country like my countrymen did in the 1990's.
Who says that? You hope freedom never comes to China? Why don't we let the Chinese people decide that. You can stay in your "freedomless democratic" nation; thanks to American "propoganda". What does that even mean?
Who says that? You hope freedom never comes to China? Why don't we let the Chinese people decide that. You can stay in your "freedomless democratic" nation; thanks to American "propoganda". What does that even mean?
I get what he's saying if he's referring to our consumer culture that puts material gain above all else. I think we (the US) and China are at opposites extremes, neither of which are good in the long run.
My personal opinion is that Canada, Sweden, Norway, and a few other nations seem to have struck a good balance of having a free (and free-market) society that still tries hard to take care of their citizens and get along with neighboring countries.
That said, as much as I respect some of the more "socialist" (I would say humanitarian) ideals as practiced in parts of the EU and elsewhere, I firmly believe that it has been proven again and again that Stalinist and Maoist communism are every bit as destructive and doomed for failure as are the fanatically religious fundamentalist states, like Iran.
China is a perfect example of this, really. It's only since they've begun to participate in our "decadent" free markets that they've been able to pull themselves into the modern world. Right now they're trying to have it both ways, but eventually they're going to have to abandon their more totalitarian policies if they want any real, long lasting success.
As we say here in Texas, "the horse has already left the barn," so their increasingly frantic efforts to keep their citizens in ignorance is just foolish. Their only other choice is to go back to being paranoid and isolationist, eventually ending up like Iran and North Korea, alone and rotting from the inside.
when talking about China, one great topic is culture, another will be the political problem. but seems a few people can really say: I like Chinese,Chinese people make our life better.
sometimes ,I'm really in a great dout whether we are right to change so quickly. from the year 1978,we open our door again ,to do business with foreigners, give them very good policy ,they really earn much money from China. but what's the result? environment be greatly harmed, resoused be too much used, labors always have very low salary to support the family, the most worse thing is ,our goods at last is famous of the low price ,the bad quality ,no brand value ,low profit.
Chinese seems to be a looser in the international trade.
but ,Chinese goods help many people to save money, have a better life.
we are always enjoy a surplus in in the international trade, especially with America, so ,we are a winner ? no ,I don't think so , we really earn a lot of US dollars ,but ,it's our government earn ,not our Chinese people earn. international trade don't give Chinese labors too much good except a job ,a job with very low salary ,continous over-time working ,no rest ,far away from family , bad health in very bad working condition.
and with the continious devalution of US dollars ,our government is also somehow a loser in the international trade.
now there are many problem in China, in my opinion ,it's very serious now.
house price too high ,extremely high , vegetable price continue increasing all the time, the price of everything is increasing , milk problem , food safely problem, environment problem ,no job for graduate colleges , serious corruption.
but ,it only happens in China? what's the cause for all that problems?
I think , it 's becuase we are too poor in the past 30years. when you americans can enjoy the the peace at home after the second world war, we are still suffering from
the civil war, after we at last have peace ,we then suffer from many stupid policies by our government. then ,the real time ,we begin to develop, is from year 1978.
what are you enjoying in your country in the year 1978? what we Chinese suffer, is still hungry. very hungry.
we are trying our best to develop , to avoid hungry in the future. even I'm wondering the way is right or not ,we are still developing from the better side.
if we don't develop, what will be the result in the world? we will be a great burden for all the world, like Africa, can you image?
in order to develop ,we lose many things ,many good values , but ,I still believe Chinese are diligent ,we are not living comfortable now ,but we are still in the process to live better.
I know ,we made many mistakes in the development process in the last 30 years. we are now begin to suffering from the mistakes. it's Chinese suffering the most.
about the Taiwan problem , let's go to politicians. it's in fact , a "family" problem . no one can judy a family problem clearly if you are not in that family.
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