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Genaro Flores.
AnonymousKnowing world history unfortunately points out that both of those hypotheses coexist. It is tought when you are competing. You exploit what you have, at the expense of those in the way (the enclosure movement in England is alive and well in much of the developing world, fostered by the WTO and US efforts to protect its own agri-businesses). You also exploit the issues facing your competitors (The Japanese people told its people that the only product America still makes well is movies, as far back as the 80s). Now, it's China's turn.
The danger is the ignorance of the average person in say, the US, but it can be in any part of the world where corporate mass-media spews its information/disinformation, full of half-verified incongruities, stereotypes, and fear (it entertains (brings the viewers back), after all, no?). What kind of public opinion is it forming? Can people see efforts to remediate it? Do people want to go beyond their first impression?
China is a "big player" and has a growing media force of its own. I think it can dish out what it gets. As long as we keep it friendly?
Our job in the classroom is to get kids to want to look deeper, about Asia, or any other people. Good luck to us all.
AnonymousGiven the semi-isolationist internal political/economic approaches of the EU and the ineptitude, incompetence and ignorance of US foreign and domestic political and economic policies, it is not to be a surprise that China seeks to squeeze in between the two Western centers of international leadership (alas!) and try to replace them. Unfortunately China's approaches are not any better that the US'. China has been showing to be as irresponsible as the US in its economic/industrial development neglectful of nature's rights and human rights internally and as aggressive and insensitive to loal needs when involved in foreign lands. However, an emerging approach to socio-economic development seems to be coming forth from South America Venezuela appears to be the new visionary in its approach to general economic, social and political dynamics. This approach appears to hold that the people is the owner of all natural resources and as such all benefits derived therefrom belong to the people and not to individual or corporate ownership. Mr. Chavez, Venezuela's President, has been quite vociferous about the rights of the people. He has been implementing a new system whereby natural resources are used for the purpose of benefiting the people. There are, of course, a number of problems which are defolving from this approach, the least of which may not be his desire to continue to retain a hold on power for as long as possible. We shall have to see how his approach develoves. As for China, I believe it has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice its people for the greater, and blind, glory of the country in its economic growth and political, domestic and international, power.
Anonymous"Non-debatable, resigned, and trusting" do not appear to me to be complementary terms. Non-debatable indicates individual importance vis-a'-vis the police powers of the state. Resigned indicates acceptance and helplesness in front of an overwhelmingly powerful STATE. Trusting may be a most inappropriate term to describe what the Chinese people's thoughts are what respect to their governmental representatives. Are these terms used to describe the Chinese people any different from the ones we could be describing our own people as to what we think anout our own government? We do have, perhaps, a bit more leaway. But I truly am not so sure. When our government makes decisions to engage in certain conduct totally unwarranted by evidence or backed only by manafactured evidence, I doubt very much that our government, acting under the appearance of democracy, is any different or better than what you refer to as a "totalitarian" government when we we talk about China. At least, one could argue, the Chinese government is making decision relative to a specifically identified issue threatening the people's health and safety.
AnonymousIt's always easier to look at other countries' negatives than our own. Do you remember when on several occasion during 2005, 2006 several accidents where people were trapped and died in the coal mines of West Virginia and Kentuky? The conditions of coal miners in these some of the poorest and most wretched States of the United States are abominable and deplorable... You see trucks overloaded with coal driven through the streets of these States with coal dust floating in the air dense no different than the black air of Pittsburgh in the 1950s-60s-70s !! And we are a DEMOCRACY where we CARE for our PEOPLE !!! We too have become blind to our duties as citizens, we have become too content, too complacent with our lives to the point of hardly ever questioning our government's duties to its citizenry. The creation of a private, mercenary military force has allowed our government to enter into military conflicts wihtout any controls by our congress, unaffected by a dormant people who does not have to send its offspring off to war, unless by choice !!!
AnonymousWould you be surprised that the United States of America and China are the ONLY TWO COUNTRIES in the world which have REFUSED to sign the TOKIO Accord ? And the the European Union is considering to boycott the next meeting sponsored by the U.S. in the U.S. to counterbalance the recent global environmental accords presented in Manila (or such other place) ?? We should mobilize and rebel against the US' persisten conscious refusal to commit to a global program designed to reduce global pollution. But, this could understandable in view of the fact that American corporations are only interested in their executives' greed for more profit regardless of the cost to the local and global population.
AnonymousIn the Jan 7th, 2008, Newsweek Magazine there is an article called "The People Who Will Change China". Among a few business men are men and women who seem to be standing up to the government. There is a woman who lost her son in Tianamen and a man who spent 2 years in jail for standing up for housing grievances. This is both inspiring as well as frightening. Even in the face of immense obstacles and possible 'reeducation' people are still willing to fight.
AnonymousI just can't imagine how hard it would be for Chinese worker families not to be able to celebrate the much awaited Chinese New Year geographically apart due to the worsening snow storm. I have read today's Los Angeles Times story on the latest development about the worst weather in half a century. Millions are stranded. About 50 people have died as an offshoot of the bad weather. What is satisfying though, even for the Chinese themselves is Premier Wen Jiabao visit to a train station in Central Hunan province where he apologized to the stranded farmers for getting stuck in their place of work due to the snow storm. Nothing can be more gratifying to a suffering citizen to see his leader visible in times of trouble assuring the citizenry of government support. I just wish and pray that the worst weather improves earlier than expected so that those workers can get home to their families and celebrate New Year.
AnonymousI feel bad for all the travelers too. It makes my Thanksgiving trek home look like nothing. I heard the weather is going to get worse before it gets better. I hope that isnt the case.
AnonymousI read with interest about the visit of a Chinese delegation who gave a symposium at USCI. The message was contained in the Talking Points. Specifically, Mr. Li, who spoke and entertained questions talked about the ongoing developments in China, including the effects of the worsening snowstorm on China's economy and on the people, especially the traveling workers and their family. Li also discussed about the prospects of China's becoming a "moderately" prosperous nation by 2020 and how the ongoing economic development in China might affect its relationship with America on the one hand, and America with its Asian allies, on the other. To subscribe to this very informative and educational forum, you can
check http://china.usc.edu/subscribe.aspx.
clay dubeThe Wang Jian Shuo blog offers two clever tours (2003-4) of Starbucks.
Starbucks in Shanghai:
http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/20031122_starbucks_in_a_day.htm
And in Beijing:
http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/20040805_starbucks_in_a_day_beijing_version.htm
I would love to see some teacher or student write about a tour of Chinese restaurants in a particular US destination....
clay dubeNoel mentioned the visit of Li Zhongjie. Here's a link to a story with photos. About 20 of us meet with Li.
AnonymousI read the article and saw the picture. It's interesting how China has evolved to what it's now. What I appreciate is PROC gov't's addressing of the problem of corruption and the way it's moving towards a more egalitarian way of treating its citizenry. I can't blame others for making the observation that China seems to be veering towards democracy. On the development of China as a superpower, I think it can be an economic tiger sooner than expected or predicted. If the government continues to listen and redress the grievances of the citizenry, as it seems to be doing now, such development will be felt and enjoyed by the people as early as before the end of this decade. I certainly wished I didn't miss Li's lecture.
AnonymousDonald Tang,Vice Chairman of Bears Stearns shared some interesting insights on finance and development. He described the US as a playground for investment due to its transparency and opportunities. However, American ingeninuity will be needed to address the sub-prime crisis and sovereign wealth funds. He seems optimistic that the financial industry can create new rules for these challenges without government interference. But didn't the reforms in the hedge funds, the S&L, and the Enron scandal take some prodding and imagination from the SEC and Washington D.C.? And are not strong institutions necessary for economic developement? What is unfortunate is that good credit risks now cannot obtain loans for growth and developement,particularly small and medium enterprises---hence the players are limited to certain play areas.
The triangular model of control, flexibility and gradualism is the approach the Chinese Central Bank or Committee is now following, according to Tang. Again, he is quite a promoter of China and its development. The parodox of development reflects a diabolical edge-- when you gain total control of the market or if you are the market there is no upswing in profits. In other words, the game ceases.
Scale was also addressed as it was in a previous conference I attended. We are speaking of a scale of exteme proportions . Where will all the talent come from? Maybe , it will come from the US where young talent will migrate to China as the new playgound. It all makes you wonder , What is happiness and its quotient, and can it be found in free markets?[Edit by="jcsmyth on Mar 6, 9:26:33 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousI didnt go to the talk with Donald Tang, but any thoughts on what he might think now that Bear Stearns needed to be financially supported by the Fed and Chase? It was the first large investment firm in the nation that needed support since the great depression. Without it, Bear Stearns would have gone bankrupt. It lost a majority of its value in one day on the market.
AnonymousWe've all been watching the news about the devastation in China. I hope anyone who has family in that area has received news and they are safe. Along with the disaster in Burma, it seems that East and SouthEast Asia is having a bad season.