The lead-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics has spun so totally out of whack that I believe they need to add a new sport to the Games – Puerile Ping Pong.
The event pits countries from across the globe against each other in a balls-out relay race to see who can reach absolute absurdity first, all the while volleying hypocritically mundane arguments back and forth. Athletes will be judged on their ability to leap without looking, speak without thinking and masterfully perform the ultimate Puerile Ping Pong move – the Downward Spiral of Stupidity.
Though traditionally China has dominated the semi-pro leagues in the sport, this year Western nations have made a strong showing, catching the Asian country off-guard and causing it to double its efforts to assure its place at the top of the Puerile podium come medal day.
I mean seriously, what the hell is going on – I can barely hear the free [*tib*] cries coming from YouTube over the constant SMS notifications my wife is receiving from patriotic dimwits demanding that she cease immediately any purchasing plans she may have had for Louis Vuitton gear. And should she choose to shop at Carrefour on or after the start of May, her Chinese bits will fall off and she’ll have to live the rest of her life as a laowai leper.
Could an American please stand up and educate these fine folks on how stupid you end up looking when you vilify the French without any real cause?
In all seriousness though, I couldn’t be happier about the impromptu boycott – if it’s a success, I may just be able to go shopping for a couple weeks without having to maim the elderly to get at the fruit and veg.
Here’s a thought: rather than boycotting Carrefour (having learned our lesson about boycotting businesses that employ a long tail of Chinese workers), what say we just go to our neighbour’s house and give ’em a sharp kick to the gnads. I mean, it’s very likely they work in some capacity for the evil French, German or American empires anyway – and this way we don’t have to give up affordable curry mixes and meat with expiry dates and they don’t have to give up their wages.
Hell, rather than all this boycotting of supermarkets and facial products, lets just boycott the damn Olympics. No, not in the way that Mia and her mob of morons are calling for, but by cutting out all nations that won’t benefit China with their attendance. I mean, this is China’s Olympics, right?
First, we’ll cut out members of the Eight Nation Alliance, as it’s about time they paid for their Crimes Against China. And lets nix all Muslim nations, as they’re just a bad seed for the current dissension in Xinjiang. Iceland’s out – bitch. Australia can stay home – its Chinese speaking PM is just mouthy, ditto the Canucks. S. Korea can come, we know how to play them, and need someone to beat on the high dive boards anyway. We’ll let India in as well – I mean, a nation with a billion people and they only netted a single medal in Athens (same as our little city to the south, HK), it’s more likely they’ll leave China lookin’ goOOod.
Oh, and we’ll have to change the name. “The Olympics” are so… well… Greek sounding, and what is this, 2004? Naw, how about The People’s Harmonious Sports Party – much nicer ring to it. And speaking of rings – multi-colour? Bah. Gold, gold and more gold baby!
Alright, got a bit carried away there. One does have to wonder though, if put to a vote, how much of that would the people of China prefer rather than having to deal, like the adult nation they want to be seen as, with the criticisms (right or wrong)Â they are receiving.
One question stands stark and sober through all of this – is buying fake LV bags and L’Oréal products still acceptable?
Love this post.
Been looking at the trajectory of the Carrefour boycott and (L)China love-in today and they’re pretty much running on the same meme track.
Interestingly, the story of “why” Carrefour needs to be boycotted has mutated thanks to the old telephone game effect. At first it was that Carrefour must be punished because an executive at LVMH Group, which owns stock in Carrefour, had given money to the Dalai Lama. But apparently the nationalists didn’t think that was good enough, so now they’re telling people that the president of Carrefour gave money to the Dalai Lama.
I hardly think they needed an angle, nationalism rarely does.
On a serious note though, I hope this starts to wind down soon, or I fear what will really happen once the games kick off and some protesters with visas show up. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Great writing!
Guys,
My opinion is simple:
As all this Political super powers didn’t feed the Chinese until now, they shouldn’t point the finger on China and try to babysit this people.
You might say that they gave business to China and this is how they helped. Totally wrong they came to China to get for free or should I say as cheap as possible.
Chinese people managed to grow this exploitation in their favor.
As China doesn’t temper with Global order, the other nations shouldn’t temper with China’s internal affairs either – that’s common sense.
As long as we the Lao Oai interfere this problem will grow bigger and flamboyant.
It’s a matter of respect to any country in the same position.
About Carrefour, do you really think this is a big service for China, or they will die without it?
Come on if necessary will be replaced overnight by a local competitor just by changing the doors signs.
Nobody will lose their jobs, but Carrefour will lose 1.5 billions of possible customers.
We all know that all this happens due to the Olympics.
By the way how many Olympic foreigners have been bitten on the street by Chinese people?
I will be ashamed to face a Chinese person knowing that my compatriots did this to Chinese sportive running with the Olympic flame.
Or how come I hear that outside China, Chinese have been called to be unclean.
Oh come on we also have our own dirty pants, or are the Lao Oai borne in sugar cake?
This are the hardest working people I ever seen in my life and I have seen the world.
All the respect to them, they got a big competition between themselves, not like us social security provides our lazy asses with everything so we can pretend handicapped and stay home.
Don’t worry the 30% that actually are working will provide for the rest of the herd.
I have never been disrespected threatened or filing unsecure for my family going out during the night .
But I had to fence for myself on many European streets.
Or what the Chinese women are dirty? Then go fuck your own country ones.
But why not let’s support the fucking USA army to come fuck the things in Asia also they just finished the slaughter in Iraq.
This problem started defiantly with a lot of financial backup from outside.
If you respect your Chinese colleagues you shouldn’t throw shit on them, by disrespecting their country
Peace – I love China.
Yes I am a simple Romanian guy.
Freedom Fries for everybody!!
Cheer,
🙂
In all fairness, the Prime Minister had never intended to go to the opening ceremonies anyway. Truthfully, I think athletes should be permitted to compete but I don’t think China should have gotten the Olympics in the first place. Maybe that’s because I’m from Toronto and we were definately in the running. Nope, that’s not true…I think it’s more because I had relatives stuck behind the iron curtain for too many years and I simply don’t believe in totalitarian regimes. Me, I just simply will not watch them and I also read my labels when I purchase things. By the way, I don’t hate any race of people, I simply hate some regimes…ciao
“Sports + Politics” is not started by China and will not be stopped by China. Carrefour is a victim in China. But apparently it is an easy aim for “naive” Chinese to show their own angers, voices to the France, to the West Europe.
When the arrogant Jack Cafferty humilitated all Chinese on CNN, how to expect a normal Chinese keep calm, if the whole country goes to nationalism, who will be in charge of this?
Let me predict an end of this Olympic show:
After this show, the RMB is become more stronger against US Dollars, and then U.S will be happy.
After this show, the billions contract with France will continue and maybe get more, the French businessmen will be happy, using their power to influence their media and president, so they will be happy. The boycott-carrefour will be just a joke for Chinese.
After this show, Germany, their VW will sell more cars in China, they will be happy. Their inflation will be controlled.
After this show, the exile Tibetans lost their last Chance to show themslves to world, don’t know what will happen in future, free fighters, terrorists?
After this show, normal kind French, German, Americans… will forget the Tibetans, even lots of never know where is Tibet, and the name of Chinese president. They will conintue their normal life, parties what ever.
I like to check here because I thought laowai in China will read this country better than others who have never been to China, but maybe the language and culture barriers, rare laowai could really read the China.
Ultranationalism is no good for no country, no good for this world. I am really confused what the media’ role in the world, atractive and shocked truth? Everyday, when I get news from the western medias, I have to tell myself, calm down, they are just want to sell more newspapers, and just want to get more audiences, just want to show the truth with balance. With balance, they could ignore news that lots of pro-China protests in Europe right now.
This is a poem by a Chinese, I don’t want to offend anyone here, this poem maybe could show some confuse inside normal Chinese. I am sorry if someone will think me a nationalist, I am more prefering to be a internationalist, but I will not, coz I have lots of friends from different countries. I know it is wrong to the world. Lots of Chinese were touched by lots of Americans spontaneously protected the muslim Americans after the 9-11, it is one spirit keep U.S. strong.(If we were get the right news) Sorry to that if some thought it is annoying to post lots of stuff here. Have a nice trip/life in China.
===============================================
We were called Sick man of Asia, We were called The Peril.
　　When We are billed to be the next Superpower, We are called The threat.
　　When We were closed our doors, You smuggled Drugs to Open Markets.
　　When We Embrace Freed Trade, You blame us for Taking away your jobs.
　　When We were falling apart, You marched in your troops and wanted your “fair share”.
　　When We were putting the broken peices together again, “Free Tibet” you screamed, “it was an invasion!”
　　( When Woodrow Wilson Couldn’t give back Birth Place of Confucius back to Us,But He did bought a ticket for the Famine Relief Ball for us.)
　　So, We Tried Communism, You hated us for being Communists
　　When We embrace Capitalism, You hate us for being Capitalist.
　　When We have a Billion People, you said we were destroying the planet.
　　When We are tried limited our numbers, you said It was human rights abuse.
When We were Poor, You think we are dogs.
　　When We Loan you cash, You blame us for your debts.
　　When We build our industries, You called us Polluters.
　　When we sell you goods, You blame us for global warming.
　　When We buy oil, You called that exploitation and Genocide.
　　When You fight for oil, You called that Liberation.
　　When We were lost in Chaos and rampage, You wanted Rules of Law for us.
　　When We uphold law and order against Violence, You called that Violating
　　Human Rights.
　　When We were silent, You said you want us to have Free Speech.
　　When We were silent no more, You say we were Brainwashed-Xenophoics.
　　Why do you hate us so much? We asked.
　　”No,” You Answered, “We don’t hate You.”
　　We don’t Hate You either,
　　But Do you understand us?
　　”Of course We do,” You said,
　　”We have AFP, CNN and BBCs…”
　　What do you really want from us?
　　Think Hard first, then Answer…
　　Because you only get so many chances,
　　Enough is Enough, Enough Hypocrisy for this one world.
　　We want One World, One Dream, And Peace On Earth.
　　- This Big Blue Earth is Big Enough for all of Us.
@Hao
I think many Chinese are so irate not because of unbiased coverage, but due to naivety. Let’s face it, they are used to biased news.
After hearing every single day about the glorious 2008 Olympics in local media and party run media (same), this probably is quite a shock. If you hear something everyday, you start to believe it. Even if you know the local media is biased, it still starts to effect you.
This is not a new thing. Although the US in recent years has been the kicking dog of world politics, China has always been right up there, especially since 8 9. Part of coming out to the world and being part of the world community is going to require this new skill of ignoring stupid people that do not think the same way as you.
As an American I have to do it every day. Canuks, Brits, Aussies, mainland Europeans, and about a billion other people criticize the US every day. Some justified, some not. It is a fact of life and you have to move on.
Some might say, “Well America’s fucked man! You guys are arrogant assholes!” My reply would be some are, but not all. You cannot stop going to Walmart because the owner gave money to someone you don’t like. How many companies, no matter where they are from, have done this kind of thing.
Internal politics left un-opined cannot exhist in a global economy. Everyone gets an opinion, thats how it works.
Confucianism blended with a century of imperialism does not help. Nationalism is on the rise and can not be ignored here in China.
IF I can give any advise i would say that one needs to learn from your own cultural heroes like Zhuge Liang. I do not see many Zhuge Liangs right now, but a bunch of Zhang Feis and Li Kuis bumbling around.
The end cannot define the means and two wrongs cannot make a right here. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take it. That is part of being a world citizen where everyone has a different world view.
Last, when you cry at your own birthday party, it only ends up hurting you. No one will want to come to your house again and everyone will think you are a baby.
Kids are mean, people are mean. We have to develop a thick skin and move on.
An aside,
Yes many foreigners do not understand China and never will, but that aside, China is showing a total lack of understanding right now of how free societies run as well.
Everyone is wrong.
I hope they boycott Carrefour. I want smaller crowds when I shop. Besides, it’ll force them to lower prices to keep customers coming back. I’ll save some money for once.
I do wonder where they’ll go in my neighborhood instead… Jusco, the giant Japanese store or Wal-Mart?
Before I start, I want to advise all that this is just an opinion and not meant to offend anyone reading this.
I find that all this turmoil is spinning out of control! The resolution is simple.. All the boycotting countries should stop acting like babies and enjoy the games. The Olympics was made to bring the world together, not boycott each other and point fingers. I mean, get a grip!
On the issue about carrefour. It’s just madness that people will stop shopping at a place just because of it’s nation of origin. again, stop acting like babies and go by your toilet paper and face paint.
Tibet,.. I know it’s a sensitive topic here, but China and Tibet really need to sit down and talk to each other. They’re avoidance to talk only keeps the water boiling.
One more thing,.. what is up with that China (L) thing on msn??
P.S. China is a great and safe place.. I hope it can stay that way even after the Olympics.
Why does this make me think of this song? http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTHENGLSH.html
A Shanghainese student I know who has lived here in London for the past few years just told me the boycott was because the French team were boycotting the opening ceremony – I did a double take and said that I hadn’t heard anything about any such decision, but she seemed pretty adamant. It seems some people will just believe anything – and the real reason for the whole ‘boycott Carrefour’ thing may be more to put some fear into western businesses as to what the true consequences of a boycott of the opening ceremony would be.
@Sean
Actually I do agree with you, and I believe that is one reason the democracy in China must be a gradual process. A democracy like U.S. in China right now will be a disaster. You are right, everyone is wrong, and everyone is right.
Normally, the Olympic game should be a chance for the host country to show good for the world, and world opens and embraces it. The media normally will broadcast lots of normal life of the host country. I noticed after the hysteric 2 weeks, the media from France and Germany seems now coming out some different nutrual voice. Even there is a program called “Peking am Morgen” in a German media to show some Beijing people’s daily life.
@Douglas
if your nickname on MSN have a “(L)”, it will be automatically changed to a picture, a red heart. so..:)
Hi, I just found my way here from a reuters.com article. A lot of Americans realize the media here is biased and mostly interested in ratings. Look at our last Democratic debate, it’s a joke. On the positive side, the stupidity of George W Bush is causing us to wake up. I wasn’t paying much attention to politics until our president started invading countries based on personal ambition. We’re working on it, really.
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This new information about Grace Wang at Duke University and the Communist party demanding a apology from an editorial segment on CNN is over the top.
This is clearly going too far and should be reigned in if they want the Olympics to go over well in a few months. Any effort to further fuel the already blazing flames of nationalism cannot, and will not, make the games come off without incident.
Disrespecting a person’s freedom of speech plays right into the western world’s perception of how Chinese cannot think independently or at least cannot accept public debate.
What are they thinking??? It seems to prove the notion that you can say catch phrases like,”Harmonious Society” a million times, but doing it is another thing all together.
In a previous post I made the analogy of a child crying at their birthday party, well it seems now that the child has gone into a full tantrum.
Let it go.
I envy those who have a clear view in this situation.
I for one feel really torn, both between stuff I’m hearing from British friends/media and stuff I’m hearing from Chinese friends/media. The fact that I am healthily sceptical about everything doesn’t make it any easier.
I can’t help feeling an immense sympathy with China. This initiation into the way the “West” does things can’t be pleasant, though they ought to be used to it. That the rest of us are “used to it” isn’t an especially strong argument for not being concerned that the journalistic ethics and morals of some (most?) of the worlds “finest” broadcasting institutions are low to non-existant. At the same time, China can hardly bemoan bias and lies in the “Western” media without looking hypocritcal.
I also can’t help being rather glad the Chinese are getting p1ssed off about it. There’s a part of me that feels we should be raging against the dying of the ethical light… every one of us… though I’m not sure that’s what they’re angry about.
@Sean I agree. The fact the the Chinese are dwelling on this CNN thing is doing them no favours.
A great article Ryan, I appreciate I’m being quiet on this stuff cos politics does my head in… but I’m reading it all and quietly absorbing it into my world view 🙂
@Sean
I really hate the behavior that put the Grace Wang’s information on public, actually lots of Chinese think the same way like me, on internet, people are saying to stop these kind of behavior. Even personally I really didn’t agree what she is saying, and the way she was mediating on that day. I bet she was not a good mediator on that day. Anyway, a girl said born for politics and with a high IQ definitely will do something to show difference.
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intresting debate or how to call it ^_^
in my oppinion all type of to great nationalistic exagerations just leads to an spiral of big problems . we have seen it here in Europe in the past and we still see it in difrent parts of the world. and i agree with sean that be able to take critism both if it is right or wrong is part of beeing grown up this is applied equaly on people as on countrys.
@ Hao,
Great poem. Could I repost it? I think a lot of people in the West should read it and try to think about these issues from the Chinese perspective. The poem certainly simplifies the various problems and the relationship between China and the West, but it is thought-provoking and could spur great discussions.
Feds, it’s not Hao’s poem to give. Like all of the boycott messages and rumors, it was created by someone else and spread without attribution. So take it if you want.
It is also an annoying and tedious poem insomuch as it peddles anachronisms and treats all of the “yous” as a single entity, when reality is that China’s critics are not monolithic at all.
Among other things, the poem makes reference to Westerners calling China “The Sick Man of Asia” as an attack, when in fact it was a comparison of China’s situation to that of the Ottoman Empire, both of which were being torn up by imperialist European powers.
I saw the same reference to the “Sick Man of Asia” in anti-Carrefour messages, which makes me wonder: are young Chinese being told that the West called China that name as criticism?
(Notice: I KNOW that Japanese also called China The Sick Man of Asia, but the Westerners said it for different reasons.)
@Feds
Sorry, Feds, Matthew is right, it is not mine, I think I mentioned that, and I just knew it is original from a Forum in France, created by a Chinese, reposted lots of places on line. I tried to find the original reference, but didn’t get it, can’t speak French. I have no means to post this poem to show some so called nationalism or proving the “evil west”, just a material for “laowai” to understand some points of Chinese perspective.
“boycott messages and rumors” – I don’t know who create these messages and what’s the aim. And who will get benefit from it. I was shocked also that how fast a message will be spreaded on the information society. And I believe the Beijing government will not want to see this too, it is like “play fire”.
I read some reports or articles arguing that it is first wanted to be using Tibet issues to create a color revolution in China, but seems it is not a good choice and all Chinese around the world are united right now, because separation is not a option for them. A German media revealed that a foundation support the tibet campaign and plan the whole thing before the “3.14”, and a entire protesting roadmap focusing on the Olympics.
@Matthew
the “messages and rumors” are not only spreaded in China. A German colleague asked me that why your government will force all foreign students to go back home when olympics, I told him it is a fake news, but this news is well reported on some German medias, and deleted after confirmed it is fake. But they are not in charge of telling my German colleague again. And I doubt how they will report the pro-China and supporting Olympics activities around the world on yesterday, April 19th. I knew around 3000 in Berlin.
I knew it is naive and totally wrong to yell all westerners evil or something, but it is also wrong to portray China that way also, even I know sometimes it is against the government not the people, but it is not fair.
As many Chinese living abroad, lots of them have the same feelings, almost 90% of news from western medias (CNN,BBC, RTL, Spiegel, ZDF) about China are negative, maybe lots of the news are true, but if a media only report the dark side of a country, I don’t think it is a fair assessment to a country.
Yes Hao, but there’s a difference here. When Westerners hear a rumor and spread it, then the rumor is repudiated, there’s a strong incentive to settle the issue and “kill” the rumor. That’s what’s happening to the “foreign students will be sent home” rumor you mention, which appeared on a few blogs, was sent around in messages, and has now been debunked and settled. As for the Carrefour thing, Chinese are still spreading the rumor that the “owners” of Carrefour gave money to the Dalai Lama, even though there’s no proof of it and several on-record denials.
As for the Western media and whether it reported the demonstrations, you can see accounts in the LA Times and France’s Liberation.
Yes Matthew, that is why I said a democracy in China is a process, could not be built in one day, a real democracy need most people in this country get well education.
“foreign students will be sent home†– this actually reported and quoted by some German medias.
Honestly, lots of Chinese people, especially leaving abroad, they really feel angry is about the prejudice, especially this time. I watch CNN and some German medias almost everyday, as a Chinese, mostly negative news. Someone told me, 10 years ago, in Germany, lots of good news about China, and China will be a so attractive huge market and oppotunities to Germany, even I think at that time human rights all these things are worse than right now. One of the deep problems is the globalization, the “made in China” make some lower level of people in Europe lost their jobs. They don’t know the “made in China” also make the local inflation lower. I understand them, just I understand actually lots of Chinese cheap labours only get 1/10 of a salary compared with a European workers. If they don’t accept it, the job goes to Vietnam, goes to Africa. That is my understanding of globalization and why the attitudes from the west are uncertain and varies right now. China now is a more attractive market to the world, but at the same time it is also a strong competitor.
@Hao: Regarding globalization – I absolutely agree that many N. American and European workers need some education on the benefits of a global marketplace. Someone needs to give these folks an abridged version of The World is Flat.
As for the media focusing on the negative – that’s not “China news” that’s all news. Sit down in any American city and watch the 6 o’clock news and you’ll be lucky to see a “good” story all hour.
Terrorism, crime, scandal, war… it’s all on tap and all being served with a shit-eating smile. That news out of China – that far off place that most Westerners still view as the other site of the world (in a 20th century sense, not a 21st) – is bound to fall subject to the same formula.
I think the real reason this is all coming to a head is that in the past the technology (and dispersion of Mainland students) wasn’t in place to give China (or any other country) such an intimate peek inside foreign media.
Couple that with the stark contrast of HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY media that gets played in China, and it was bound to ruffle feathers.
If you had asked your average Chinese person a year ago if they thought foreigners might feel China doesn’t “deserve” the Olympics – do you think a single one of them would ever had said “yeah, probably, China has its problems and internationally it doesn’t always have the best reputation – but we are improving as a country. We are proud and committed to making it a great place both domestically and internationally. Hopefully by hosting the Olympics we can illustrate we are taking positive steps in showing the world we’re here to foster greater understanding between cultures and let the international community we want to be an active, positive force in it.”
Naw – it would have been “ä¸å¯èƒ½ï¼” Not an ounce of Olympic conflict reached the news here, and never would. Everything was internalized and RA RA RA. So when that pep rally hit the streets in foreign lands and those protests fell on the eyes of Chinese (unlike yourself) who hadn’t any idea that there were folks who felt China shouldn’t have the Olympics, it was like a cold slap to the face.
And we all know how China feels about face.
as I read more comments here,I start liking this place,I dont really like beijing host the olympic game from the start,coz I would like my goverment spend some money on develop the education and hospital,but I hate bring politic into sport,I am anti-goverment person,I think there is no innoicent goverment in the world,every politacians are gulty about something,and they use their power to collect money for themselves.people are always the victims,like in this torch relay thing,chinese people are bacome victims as well as the westners,coz we all only know one side of the story and start attacking each other for no reason,some westerners dont even know where tibet is,and some chinese people dont even know why tibet protest,but we still make it look like we know more than the other.
why people have to hate each other?why we have to be controled by politics?
like war,people hate war,but the war never stop,some people hate american,some people hate muslim,they all blam each other for causing the war,but I would like to say,every war caused by some evil politicians,and they use people to earn their own goods,we kill for them,we die for them,we lost our family for them,is this mean humen right?
I think the big issue here is not about humen right and freedom,its about goverment and people.
and how much power we should give to the goverment and how much truth the media should tell?
this is not only to the chinese goverment,also for the so-called capitalism goverment,especially amerian goverment.
if one day,all politicians died and all the goverment destrayed,I think the whole world can become a peaceful place,and I love to see that happens.but I dont think I could live til that day.
so you can see my point here,this whole thing just a properganda,please dont say chinese people are stupid or brain washed,so do you,but we just have to try give each other some respect and think before we do what the politacians tells us,give a hand to help not insulting.
by the way,me and my husband gonna move back to china very soon,he is british-british,but he hate his goverment so much,and I hate my goverment very much too,there is nothing wrong if we hate our own goverment coz if they are not good on their jobs,we have the right to hate them,and ask them go,I think this is the main thing bothers me about China, people mixed up “love China “with “Love goverment”,and I never feel shamed about telling people I hate chinese goverment,but some friends say I am not a good person coz I should not hate my own goverment,and some english friends think I dont love China,so I have to keep telling them I love China very very much its my homeland but I hate the goverment coz they are just bunch of w***ks,and now I deside to move back to there,becoz even there have so many problems but the life is better quality than UK,and I feel happier there than in UK,everyday I am day dreaming about I go back to DALIAN(my hometown)and having dinner with my family in a nice big resterand,so lovely!:)
@EATHOY
I pretty like here too. Most of the “LAOWAI” here maybe everyone are in China or have been to. So they have more rights to make comments on China, no matter positive or negative comments. And there are lots of good points from laowai here. Prejudice seems a human’s character, hope more communication between people from different countries, areas will reduce the misunderstanding. For the Tibet issues, lots of people in west know them from “7 years in Tibet” or some news, rare of them try to know it from academic articles. It is normal, will you care about the history about England and Scotland before you went to UK? Lots of people judge it by the “Brave Heart”, a English told me it is totally fake, far from the truth.
BTW, Dalian is really beautiful place, it is my second hometown.
@Laowai
There is a website called blogchina(www.blogchina.com), there are lots of Chinese people(some are really famous ones) publish their ideas there, actually now in China, lots of things could be discussed publicly online, anyone who could read Chinese may check this website.
@Ryan
I think you pretty much have it. I was here when Beijing was awarded and the next day I asked students the question you posted. They thought I was crazy.
I continued to ask the question every semester when students with starry eyes would ask me if I was going to attend the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I would also say that there were going to be problems and they should be prepared for such things. They would laugh and think I was crazy.
Media is an amazing thing.
I have been reading Wang Xiaofeng for years, (in Chinese) so I know not everyone feels the same, but I hardly think his opinion is the majority.
This Olympics game will definitely be writen in history. Let the history judge the whole thing. The problems just started, hope at least there will be less violence and a peaceful game.
The popularization of internet change this country a lot, the different voices are more easily to access by normal Chinese.
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Yeah, I don’t need to buy LV for my GF anymore.
Saving a lot of money.