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Not to be envied is the way China lies to its people and does not protect them. And then there's that little lack-of-freedom-of-speech issue they have.
Watch this short video of the chemical plant explosions in Tianjin in 2015, including a cyanide plant.
At the time, my daughter was living in Beijing, approximately 60 miles away. The US Embassy sent out warnings that if they went outside when it was raining, to shower and completely wash all clothing when they got back home. China, meanwhile, said everything was fine.
Of course, videos such as this one made their way out of the country. A few days after the explosions, an Indian news outlet posted photos of the river in Tianjin clogged with dead fish. The Chinese government statement on the photo was that when the explosions happened, the fire sucked all the oxygen out of the air, which in turn sucked all the oxygen out of the river, and the fish drowned.
A week later I saw a photo of Chinese residents holding signs protesting that the government wasn't doing anything to help the people affected by the explosions. I told my daughter that it was good to see that there were Chinese who were speaking up. She said, "Oh, Mom, the people in that photo are probably already in jail, or dead."
I think this all falls under the NOT ENVIABLE umbrella. Which, by the way, was one of the words that the Chinese government blocked from texting when she first got to China because the Hong Kong protests were going on and the protesters were telling people to take umbrellas to the protests to deflect the tear gas canisters. She got around it by using the Spanish word paraguas.
Not to be envied is the way China lies to its people and does not protect them. And then there's that little lack-of-freedom-of-speech issue they have.
Watch this short video of the chemical plant explosions in Tianjin in 2015, including a cyanide plant.
At the time, my daughter was living in Beijing, approximately 60 miles away. The US Embassy sent out warnings that if they went outside when it was raining, to shower and completely wash all clothing when they got back home. China, meanwhile, said everything was fine.
Of course, videos such as this one made their way out of the country. A few days after the explosions, an Indian news outlet posted photos of the river in Tianjin clogged with dead fish. The Chinese government statement on the photo was that when the explosions happened, the fire sucked all the oxygen out of the air, which in turn sucked all the oxygen out of the river, and the fish drowned.
A week later I saw a photo of Chinese residents holding signs protesting that the government wasn't doing anything to help the people affected by the explosions. I told my daughter that it was good to see that there were Chinese who were speaking up. She said, "Oh, Mom, the people in that photo are probably already in jail, or dead."
I think this all falls under the NOT ENVIABLE umbrella. Which, by the way, was one of the words that the Chinese government blocked from texting when she first got to China because the Hong Kong protests were going on and the protesters were telling people to take umbrellas to the protests to deflect the tear gas canisters. She got around it by using the Spanish word paraguas.
Wow, thanks for posting this, MQ. I would definitely not want to live in China, and I think that these "unenviable" examples far outweigh whatever falls into the "enviable" category.
I won't buy any dog food or pet products made in China that are sold over here. Not since the scandal awhile back that involved pets being poisoned by contaminated pet food from China. And it wasn't so long ago when humans were being poisoned by contaminated milk in China.
I think that we are spoiled here in the U.S., to the extent that some people actually complain about how inconvenienced they are by the agencies we have that protect the quality of our food, drinking water, work environments, and the natural environment. I'll take that inconvenience any day, over the alternative that we see in China. As a result, we have a far better quality of life here.
Wow, thanks for posting this, MQ. I would definitely not want to live in China, and I think that these "unenviable" examples far outweigh whatever falls into the "enviable" category.
I won't buy any dog food or pet products made in China that are sold over here. Not since the scandal awhile back that involved pets being poisoned by contaminated pet food from China. And it wasn't so long ago when humans were being poisoned by contaminated milk in China.
I think that we are spoiled here in the U.S., to the extent that some people actually complain about how inconvenienced they are by the agencies we have that protect the quality of our food, drinking water, work environments, and the natural environment. I'll take that inconvenience any day, over the alternative that we see in China. As a result, we have a far better quality of life here.
The first time my daughter went to China, to attend Szechuan University (on a scholarship provided by the Chinese government via the SUNY system, which we did appreciate), she lived in Chengdu. She reported that ALL the packaged food in the grocery store was expired. She learned to find little family-owned restaurants where you could eat for about the equivalent of a buck, and she first became a vegetarian when she was there.
She did say that China is the most capitalistic place she has ever been. They are all about making money. One practice, which made her angry, was that a rich person will come into a restaurant and order more food than they can possibly eat and leave it on the table, just to show how rich they are.
One practice, which made her angry, was that a rich person will come into a restaurant and order more food than they can possibly eat and leave it on the table, just to show how rich they are.
The questionable safety of food in China is not be envied. When I was visiting in 1991, I went on a tour, and included in that, was a small village, and the tour operator showed us a fish pond in the center of the village, and there were old bicycles dumped into that pond, polysterene floating on top of it, and a colored stream of water coming down from the hill into the pond, and? A fish pond? China is the biggest Tilapia producer in the world, and I won't eat any fish from China or SE Asia. Fry's offer Tilapia from Mexico and it has a lot more texture to and tastier. I had read once, in a particular part of China, the water was so polluted, they even discouraged people from washing their clothes in it!
But they are making great strides, and as usual, faster than when we were choking on air pollution in our country. During the worst smog days in L.A. (60's-80's) breathing in the air was the equivalent of smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I see they've reduced their Red Alert Days now down to less than a 100 a year, but why did it take so long? At one point in Pittsburgh, you couldn't even leave a window open, as everything in the house would get covered with a black film.
Last time I was there was in February 1996, my 3rd trip. As I watch Video's today of China, it's hard to believe my eyes how fast it's all happened!
When they do something in China it seems to be all done in a big way and fast, fast, fast as if the planet were to die tomorrow.
When they decided to put an Interstate Highway System in China, to rival ours, fast, fast and Done!
When they decided to put high speed rail lines around the country, again, fast, fast, and Done!
In a recent Economist magazine I was stunned at all the museums they have over there, and they plan to add hundreds of more museums in China!
What will they think up next? I'm pea green with envy, given we don't even have one high speed rail line in this country up and running.
I think one reason they can do things so fast, is not dealing with Nimby's and historical preservationists!
Yes, the air pollution, which they're working on, is certainly not to be envied.
Well, when you don't have freedom or democracy, it is easy for the government to do things. Without freedom and democracy, that same government can put minority groups into prison camps, too, as it does in China.
The US DOES have high-speed rail (the Acela, which goes up to 150 mph, faster than the fastest trains in many European countries). I'd like to have more, but I'm not willing to give government the power to build it without public input.
Chinese HSR is also heavily indebted, which is a looming mess. Amtrak is in much better financial shape than Chinese railways.
Well, when you don't have freedom or democracy, it is easy for the government to do things. Without freedom and democracy, that same government can put minority groups into prison camps, too, as it does in China.
The US DOES have high-speed rail (the Acela, which goes up to 150 mph, faster than the fastest trains in many European countries). I'd like to have more, but I'm not willing to give government the power to build it without public input.
Chinese HSR is also heavily indebted, which is a looming mess. Amtrak is in much better financial shape than Chinese railways.
Have you ever been on the Acela, or TGV, or other EU HSR?
Last time I was there was in February 1996, my 3rd trip. As I watch Video's today of China, it's hard to believe my eyes how fast it's all happened!
When they do something in China it seems to be all done in a big way and fast, fast, fast as if the planet were to die tomorrow.
When they decided to put an Interstate Highway System in China, to rival ours, fast, fast and Done! When they decided to put high speed rail lines around the country, again, fast, fast, and Done!
In a recent Economist magazine I was stunned at all the museums they have over there, and they plan to add hundreds of more museums in China!
What will they think up next? I'm pea green with envy, given we don't even have one high speed rail line in this country up and running.
I think one reason they can do things so fast, is not dealing with Nimby's and historical preservationists!
Yes, the air pollution, which they're working on, is certainly not to be envied.
I can't think of anything I would envy about China.
Your examples make me think you might have been a big admirer or Mussolini, making the trains run on time. And adding museums is meaningless, unless there's something to put in them. How many American museums have most Americans been to?
Not to be envied is the way China lies to its people and does not protect them. And then there's that little lack-of-freedom-of-speech issue they have.
Watch this short video of the chemical plant explosions in Tianjin in 2015, including a cyanide plant.
At the time, my daughter was living in Beijing, approximately 60 miles away. The US Embassy sent out warnings that if they went outside when it was raining, to shower and completely wash all clothing when they got back home. China, meanwhile, said everything was fine.
Of course, videos such as this one made their way out of the country. A few days after the explosions, an Indian news outlet posted photos of the river in Tianjin clogged with dead fish. The Chinese government statement on the photo was that when the explosions happened, the fire sucked all the oxygen out of the air, which in turn sucked all the oxygen out of the river, and the fish drowned.
A week later I saw a photo of Chinese residents holding signs protesting that the government wasn't doing anything to help the people affected by the explosions. I told my daughter that it was good to see that there were Chinese who were speaking up. She said, "Oh, Mom, the people in that photo are probably already in jail, or dead."
I think this all falls under the NOT ENVIABLE umbrella. Which, by the way, was one of the words that the Chinese government blocked from texting when she first got to China because the Hong Kong protests were going on and the protesters were telling people to take umbrellas to the protests to deflect the tear gas canisters. She got around it by using the Spanish word paraguas.
She is very astute.
Found the article below after a quick googling.
What happened to the business and warehouse that owned and stored the dangerous chemicals? https://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...led-corruption
China safety boss sacked over Tianjin blasts jailed for corruption
Yang Dongliang given 15-year prison term after he was convicted of taking bribes worth over US$4 million
Tianjin warehouse explosion 2015
22 Feb, 2017
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
The first time my daughter went to China, to attend Szechuan University (on a scholarship provided by the Chinese government via the SUNY system, which we did appreciate), she lived in Chengdu. She reported that ALL the packaged food in the grocery store was expired. She learned to find little family-owned restaurants where you could eat for about the equivalent of a buck, and she first became a vegetarian when she was there.
She did say that China is the most capitalistic place she has ever been. They are all about making money. One practice, which made her angry, was that a rich person will come into a restaurant and order more food than they can possibly eat and leave it on the table, just to show how rich they are.
I witnessed that in our local restaurants too, and then they skimped on tips. Some of them treated the servers (their own/ex-countrymen) badly.
China's han people have many subgroups. Coupled with that, those brought up during, after the Cultural Revolution, and after 2000s are different. That's why among themselves, they draw the line between those born after the 80s, 90s, 2000s ...
"Capitalistic" ~ your choice of word is extremely polite. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...s-mansions-and
The goddess: a Vancouver Valentine of love, lawsuits, mansions and millionaires
- A Chinese tycoon gave Peipei Li US$13 million and bigamously wed her in Las Vegas; four weeks later, another man knelt before Li to promise love and a Ferrari
- Li is now involved in a mountain of litigation with the men, but she says one tricked her into an illegal marriage and the other was a sexual harasser
14 Feb, 2020
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