Cui Weiping: My Humanity is Frozen and Numb
Professor Cui Weiping (崔卫平) teaches at the Beijing Film Academy. A literary and film critic and scholar, she is also known in Chinese intellectual circles for translating Václav Havel’s works into Chinese. She writes about her moral struggle over the Milk Powder Scandal in her blog, translated by CDT’s Linjun Fan:
“I need to write down slowly how I feel about the Baby Milk Powder Scandal. How horrible it is that more than ten thousand babies were hospitalized and many more harmed (by contaminated milk power)!
What can I say? What can we say? Am I waiting for other people to say what has not been said? Looking around, I find that many friends are as trapped in silence as I am. They are also tormented by speechlessness.
Are we too shocked to speak? Or have we already said what we should have said? Or is it because we can’t find any words to respond to such a cruel reality?
This kind of torment has actually existed for quite a long time. We are wearied by the struggle between remaining silent and speaking out. Often times we can’t find the right words and choose to remain silent. Will our conscience become numb and impassive if we stay silent for too long?I think it is quite possible. If that happens, it would signify the end of our morality and spirituality.
I have actually encountered similar situations many times. I want to tell you something terrible that I’ve heard about but didn’t do anything about. I feel that I’ve participated in concealing something horrible whenever I think about it.
It was during the spring festival of 2005. I met a cousin who lives in the countryside. She told me that the rice they grew that year was not edible because a deadly pesticide had been applied to the plants. Some pigs died after being fed with the chaff from the rice. So the farmers bought rice from elsewhere to eat — and they sold the poisonous rice they grew to people in Shanghai.
My cousin didn’t say whether her own pigs had been poisoned. She has a limited education and doesn’t know much of the world outside her village. I am not sure whether she got it right when she said that the poisonous rice had been sold to Shanghai. But one thing was known for sure: the farmers bought rice to eat, and secretively sold their contaminated rice to others. And it’s something that farmers around the area all knew about.
What could I do after I heard something like this? Where could I go to report the problem? I can’t think of any official in the vast country who would patiently listen to me and try to address the problem. Most officials would probably regard me as insane if I went to talk to them. They would glance at me arrogantly from behind their desk. I don’t think I could stand the humiliation for even a few minutes. Why should I seek this disgrace? “There are all kinds of things like this happening in the country. There’s nothing I can do about it, ” I said to myself, trying to appease my conscience.
How pitiful I am! I already know that my effort will be useless even before I take any action. Is there a devil who lives in our hearts and sneers at our actions all the time? His mission is to deprive us of the ability to respond, to smother our enthusiasm, and to paralyze our will to take action. I am caught in the same situation as the impassive official I imagined. Both of us are controled by a curse and have lost the ability to take appropriate action…
But why should I know about things like this? Who are the people that constantly put them in front of my eyes and keep me suffering from this feeling of powerlessness? I hate to hear about things that reflect the darkness of human nature which I can do nothing about…I have no choice but to live with it. I place my heart and conscience in a corner, as if they are frozen and numb.
However, my humanity has been hurt. The damage is immeasurable. Trapped in this kind of silence and not able to do anything about it, I feel bad about myself. I almost feel that I’ve become a pile of dogshit, or a slave who only knows work but not how to speak. I chat and joke with people around me, but I am not able to talk about the biggest bewilderment on my mind.
To speak, or not to speak, this is the question. This is a question that is hard for our judgment. But what we’ve lost is the ability to make basic moral judgments.”
POSTED COMMENTS: 18 Responses
[...] — Fred Fortin From Professor Cui Weiping who teaches at the Beijing Film Academy. (Thanks to China Digital Times) I need to write down slowly how I feel about the Baby Milk Powder Scandal. How horrible it is [...]
please speak out, please speak out, please speak out. something is seriously wrong with the Chinese society as a whole, and with its people. how can we harm our babies?! when more and more people speak out, the voice will be heard.
Wow,
This is a great great piece!!!
I truly believe that this is the way most people feel in China and not all the BS about nationalism.
Chinese people need to start standing up to that pathetic government and fight for their freedom once more. I also think that the more things that happen to them like this poison milk scandal will give the incentive to act.
The Chinese people deserve freedom of speech freedom of religion and open trails as well as all human rights!!
FREEDOM FOR BOTH CHINA AND TIBET NOW!!!
DIANE NEW YORK CITY
I tell you what, Chinese, if you do what they told you to, and call for the “freedom” they told you to call for, you’ll see your country split into China and Tibet and Mongol and Taiwan and East Turkestan, and then you can enjoy your freedom like Iraqis enjoy theirs.
Sister Weiping,
Thank you for your truthfullness. We as Chinese need to put down our pride and look at the mirror more often and see the darkness in us. You talked about a very important issue that most Chinese don’t understand – morality. There is nothing wrong with our government. We don’t need to change the government. It’s the lack of morality of the people that is the source of our crisis. Morality keeps a reign on our greed, corruption, pride, etc. If we don’t humble ourselves and learn to face this truth, the crisses we create will humble us. Either way we will need to learn take off this mask we call ‘face’. Humiliation is the price to pay for morality. It’s worth paying for.
@Quan.
You are right in your observation that there are 2 categories of people who react whenever China ( I mean its stupid leaders and a minority of unscrupulous Chines)does something wrong.
The first group, always the first to arrive on the scene in any anti-China blog , usually comprises a motley bunch of die-hard China-haters – among whom the majority are Tibetan exiles living it up in the West, some Indians ( obsessed with revenge for the humiliating defeat in the 1962/3 border war ) and Sharon Stone type Westerners who believe they have attained the highest consciousness in following the Dalai Lama but utterly heartless to the Red Indians suffering now more than ever ( the economic collapse will hit them more than anyone)in the desert reservations.
These people make no bones about their malicious glee, rejoicing, shouting and gloating over any of China’s ills, and they have only one agenda ( camouflaged by their call for more freedom in China): the destruction of China so that Tibet can be independent. Any sign of misfortune or wrongdoing of China will see them jumping up and down in glee , relishing the impending collapse of China.With such people, just ignore them and don’t entertain them. There are proper forums on Tibet or possible solutions to the issue within this CDT website and that is where they should empty their bile over China. This article is about ethics in business in China, and it should not be distracted by name-calling, sheer hatred and yo-yo jumping up and down glee ( with saliva dribbling down their relishing lips, after having taken packets of White Rabbit melanine -tainted sweets)calling for their gods for the destruction of China. After jumping so much, please make sure you drink a lot of water cos there might be stones in your kidneys, you know.
The second category comprises Chinese like us who are concerned for the ethical development of the Chinese people and nation, for the rooting out of the old ills of the Chinese ( and of all humankind too), like, for example, selfishness, greed for a quick buck, ignorance and lack of education, a lack of love and respect for the neighbour’s rights and the community’s interests,self-centredness and egoism, envy & jealousy, a mania for worldly things and achievements ( a product of modernisation and westernisation of China ), a pride in one’s own small business ( living in a cocoon ), lack of polieness & social etiquette ( me first, me first), lack of social cohesion & solidarity, lack of a sense of belonging to a nation, a lack of a culture and EDUCATION of respect for the rule of LAW, etc. etc.
( And these are the defects of any other nation or community, apart from the Chinese, but the problems are more pronounced in China because of her huge population, her late start in educational development compared to the West, her lack of media freedom and lack of a democratic tradition which in turn is related & caused by the low level of humanistic and holistic education based on the Western model.And above all, the minuscle presence and inexistent influence of Christian teachings and practice in all aspects of Chinese personal and societal lives. Democracy evolved from Christianity ; many people miss this crucial point.All Western democracies developed from the bedrock of Christianity : LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. A decline in Christian conviction and faith in the West today leads to a corruption and implosion of democracy, as you can see in USA now – soon it will be a Police and Fascist State , and to the decadence of the West, EU etc.today .)
Then there is the third category of Chinese who are just wankers ( and a bloody lot of them )who are not in the least concerned about what’s happening to others, to society, to the unforgiveable damage they do to the image of all the Chinese people and to the nation. As long as I can earn my living, sell my goods, provide for my family – that’s all that matters. Who cares what happens to others out there ? But when, MY CHILD has a kidney problem, WAH ! TA MA DE !! NI CAO NAI NAI DE !! ZHEN FU YAO XIA TAI !! SAN LU WAN BA DANG, BIAO ZI, FEN DANG !!! BUT THESE SAME PEOPLE ARE NOT ABOVE PUTTING SURREPTITIOUSLY small twigs and grass into Cordyceps or Ban Zhi Lian herbs to export to us overseas Chinese.
Then there is the real black sheep group, a minority which does not care at all if their products poison the entire nation or the world, and doesn’t even bother if their actions blacken the reputation and credibility of the entire Chinese people. A minority which feels nothing about adding ANYTHING into any thing that can be sold. AND A DAMNED HEARTLESS AND INHUMAN group which are generally businessmen, enjoying the complete freedom and economic democracy accorded by the undemocratic government to cheat at every turn to make a profit, to rise above the lean margins. Never mind if the additive is poison or even cyanide. As long as it can sell. Their god is money, money, profit, profit above the lean margins, Mammon the god of money. Not an iota of conscience or concern for the other Chinese ( Oh ! This attitude is very common among many Chinese. You don’t care about whether I die or starve to death, why should I care about you or the others ? Every man for himself. Take care of our own interests. Don’t care about other people. BU YAO GWAN BIE REN DE SHI . WO MEN ZHI GWAN ZIJI JIU HAO LE. AND SOME ARE CORPORATE PEOPLE IN SPANKING WESTERN TIES, TALKING DAMNED WESTERN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND WESTERN PROFIT-MAXIMISATION ECONOMIC MODELS. And some even are sitting in the boardroom with their Western managerial/Directoral partners. That’s some education -a flair with cost analysis models and Finance ( their Western MBA legacy) but a total illiteracy in Humanities, ethics, Legal Systems and especially in CHEMISTRY and BIOLOGY. Everything is predicated on BUSINESS, BUSINESS, Shangye, Maimai, Maoyi .THAT’S THE STINKING FREE MARKET SYSTEM OF THE WEST WHICH IS WARMLY EMBRACED BY THE STINKING MINORITY ANARCHIC SCUM OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE.
This group must be given the death penalty, or at least a life-sentence.
THIS IS WHAT THEY UNDERSTAND OF DEMOCRACY : THE FREEDOM TO DO ANYTHING THEY FANCY, AND THEY WANT MORE AND MORE OF THIS “DEMOCRACY”.
COME ON , YOU WEST, POUR MORE BLEEDING DEMOCRACY TO THESE STINKING UNEDUCATED CHINESE.
Finally, there is always this Ghost group, still clinging on the walls, looking for post-humous hero status in their impetuous and delusional/grandiose scheme to change China overnight in 1989. As if a gigantic 1.3 billion Chinese can be changed ( in her nature, morals and attitudes) overnight by just toppling the government WITHOUT a long grass-root educational process of an all-comprehensive and holistic education encompassing all branches of Humanities/Ethics and a Science Education PLUS, ABOVE ALL, A WIDESPREAD, EVEN COMPULSORY, MORAL AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION which inculcates and ingrains in the minds of the anarchic Chinese the fundamental precepts of Christianity – and of all religions for that matter : LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. EVERYONE IS A BROTHER AND SISTER UNTO THE OTHERS, AND EVERYONE ,great or small, is equal before God, ,and HAS TO ANSWER BEFORE GOD.) . This education of the masses would take at least 50-60 years , given the obdurate and cocooned/ignorant nature of the general population who have never studied or worked abroad and do not know the abysmal weaknesses of our society and people.
Their angry-youth and headstrong attempted coup d’etat has dashed all our hopes of AN ORDERLY, GRADUAL AND CONCERTED/PROGRESSIVE APPROACH to the transformation of the Chinese people and country, through a grass-rootlevel widespread education involving, first, a MORAL and SPIRITUAL CHANGE, accompanied by a comprehensive promotion of holistic Education ( both Sciences and Humanities) and through a gradual experimentation with local self-government in villages, urban districts, cities, counties, prefectures, regions, student union representations in universities, student -staff( academic ) organisations for change and policy discussions, pan-university academia bodies and think-thanks ( who will get the ear of Deng and other progressive members of the Politburo ),societies for consumerism and environmental awareness (not headed by confrontational hotheads, but by acadaemia who will play a welcome advisory and alerting role : problem-solving but not demonizing ), self-help
organisations ( informative and discussive roles), Agricultural, farmers , students’ and urban workers’ CO-OPERATIVES, working to cut costs and make profits for members – thereby learning the democratic process of participative decision-making and accountability,etc. etc.
There could have been a myriad of opportunities to slowly introduce the concepts and workings of democracy under the Deng regime.
You had so much permissive freedom then, in our eyes – the oversess Chinese. During Deng’s rule, you could read Shakespeare and any damned western or eastern author, can watch The Muppets ( Sesame street rights bought by the Chinese Gov’t ), you have all sorts of English enrichment programmes, media was not strictly censored that time and you have a proliferation , even mountains of glossy magazines & publications, all with scandals and scantily-covered females, you can watch porno as you like, Chai Ling (one Tienanmen student leader) can wear deliciously high miniskirts to titillate the western reporters, you had rock music and bands on the Tienanmen square , you can make out and hang out, Christianity was also flourishing, western TV channels were available, people were listening to BBC, people were all learning foreign languages and cultures ( especially English ),consumer culture was booming,….it was a heady time conducive to the gradual introduction of democratic concepts.
We were really envious of your freedom then: Try your freedoms here in South-East -Asia. The sale of a watered-down Playboy edition in Indonesia caused such religiou fury that it went underground, a coupleholding hands in a public garden was arrested by muslim religious authorities for a breach of decency laws, a person caught with a porno VCD/DVD in Malaysia and Singapore will be fined 10,000 dollars, in default a jail term.
See how much freedom you had then, and yet you wanted to destroy everything overnight.
What would have happened if Democracy (free-for-all anarchy)suddenly came into being with the abdication of Deng in 1989 ? Boy, apart from the Army and police units shooting at each other in a new power struggle, the student leaders would start to carve out their own fiefdoms and factions and 42 different new governments would be fighting with each other for the helm of the government. All charitable or christian consideration for others’ rights would be thrown to the wind.Imagine what the student leaders would do if they started their own business with this new democratic economic freedom.
Wu Er Kaixi will start his own fertiliser company and dose itliberally with his own urine to raise the nitrogen levels as in the Melanine milk scandal, to sell his products better. Wang Dan will add his own faecal pellets to his Organic Fertiliser Company products to sell well ( high nitrogen levels, you know)and Chai Ling could add Viagra to her Face Cream products to make the Western males go wild when they kiss their girls’ faces.
Ah, dear Sharon stone. Come in and partake of this wonderful Democracy in business. You’ll make a fortune in no time.
Joking aside,let’s come to the crux of this Melanine scandal.
Do you think only the leaders or the government officials are to blame?
Do you think that it is the lack of democracy that is to blame ?
Giving a simple “Yes” to the above 2 questions only indicates one’s absolutely shallow understanding of the immense complexities of the Chinese problem.
Educated overseas Chinese (like us) have seen lots of these shenanigans in our communities and we try to fight with legal suits and informative/preventive educational programmes, but without much success due to the lack of support from the non-Chinese governments and the general ignorance of the people. Only Singapore shines out as the singular success in upholding high standards in business ethics, sanitary and health requirements and product safety standards.
We see this scandal from a wider and DEEPER perspective. Not just a simple” Give them total democracy and everything will be alright immediately “.
Clearly this is not a problem of not enough democracy. In fact it is a problem of TOO MUCH DEMOCRACY in business and commerce, and this is exploited by the selfish and inconsiderate minority of the Chinese. The Chinese system now is one of dichotomies – total LAISSEZ-FAIRE unbridled freedom in business and production ( you have total democracy here ), but little or no democracy in governance and politics or public administration.
But giving total political and administrative democracy now will not stop this widespread problem of “ANYTHING GOES’ in food production or production of any non-comestible product.
These are two different parameters. While democracy in politics and governance is desirable,democracy( total freedom) in business and production of food and gadgets is DANGEROUS and a “NO-NO”.
That is why one has to be very careful when one espouses fervently, even fanatically,the imperativeness of forcing through Democracy AT ALL COSTS into China, into the masses, whose myopic view of democracy extends only to the freedom to protect and promote one’s own interests, one’s ability to SELL his products and ability to earn some money.
FOR THIS IS THE CHINESE CORRUPTION OF DEMOCRACY ( I mean only for those selfish uneducated ones. Not all Chinese are like that. ).
This is how a low-down Chinese thinks : HOW NICE DEMOCRACY IS FOE ME. I CAN DO WHAT I WANT -HEY !! IT’S PARADISE. I CAN SPIT, I CAN JUMP A QUEUE – I GOT BIG MUSCLES, YOU KNOW, I CAN SWIPE ANOTHER DRIVER’S LANE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY BY CUTTING IN AT THE LAST MOMENT, COS MY CAR IS A 4 WD, SUV, FORD RANGER, FEROZA, the others’ car is a miserable tortoise. Hey Gimme, Gimme Democracy, Damn you. If not, I will go to the Tienanmen Square and spit my bile at the government. You government officials have nice Ford cars, mine is a lousy Red Flag. Damn it, you are corrupt, corrupt. I overthrow you. But when I get home, hey, let me add some vinegar into the so-called Fresh Lemon Juice that I will sell at the school canteen tomorrow, so that it tastes like real sour lemon, plus add a bit of green colouring ( What is this chemical ? Malachite ? What the hell do I know, and why the heck should I bother ? after all I know nuthin’ ’bout Chemistry. )to give it the “green” look and flavour.
Now we will look at the cause and effect aspects of this scandal, for every issue has an underlying cause or reason, and the immediate effects felt by the victims and observers concerned.
We will try to find solutions to these two levels of the issue, but first let’s tackle the felt effects.
To China’s leaders, Hu Jin Tao and Wen Jia Bao, we have this to say to you.
Whoever is to blame, the image of all the Chinese over the world ( and particularly so in China) has been seriously damaged by this bloody scandal.
Given the hate-filled stereotyping of Chinese in the West,the culprits are giving them the FINAL and BEST chance ever to hammer in the FINAL NAIL in the coffin of Chinese credibility and economy. From now on , the word Chinese will be associated with a hilarious ” Ching Chong Toxic Contaminated Food ” all over the world. Nobody will want to buy your food products again and millions of chinese workers will lose their jobs.
AND YET YOU LEADERS ARE NOT TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY. MY GOD. THIS IS A MAKE-OR-BREAK SITUATION, AND IF YOU ARE SEEN HANDLING IT NONCHALANTLY AND LACKADAISICALLY ( which we are seeing ), THEN YOU ARE SEALING THE DEATH WARRANT OF CHINA’S ECONOMY. YOU WILL BE BLAMED BY THE FUTURE GENERATIONS IF NOT THE PRESENT.
Your bland assurances that everything is now alright, that more has been invested in testing , and the mild slap-on-the-wrist speech by Hu on Party leaders needing to learn lessons from the scandal are patently insufficient and weak to be able to reassure the West and the world that you are taking it very seriously and acting vigorously.
The world want to see blood ,figuratively if not literally, to be reassured that you are putting a stop once and for all to this nonsense.
No excuses or weak explanations. The trials of those arrested must be publicised, open to all media, and THE STERNEST PUNISHMENT be handed down. Although we are tempted to call for the imposition of the death penalty ( and these bloody culprits do deserve it for the scale of the affliction nationwide), this will give the West another golden opportunity to stab you twice : First you are a slimy adulterator, and then you are an innate bloodthirsty killer.
But keeping silent and saying ” It will be alright” while giving a beaming smile ( Wen ) and giving an inscrutableBuddha-like look ( HU) is not going to cut any ice with anyone.
TAKE SERIOUS ACTION ON THESE CULPRITS – that will salvage your credibility to a large extent. GIVE THEM LIFE SENTENCES WITHOUT PAROLE FOR THE MOST GUILTY ONES, AND 25 YEAR TERMS FOR LESS GUILTY ONES.
Companies implicated should be closed ( like Sanlu and mengniu). The workers can find employment in new companies which will be established and under stringent and rigorous inspection from now on. A VERY STRONG THREATENING STAEMENT made in public to warn any one or business of dire consequences if they attempt such tricks again will go down well with the domestic and foreign audience.
We have noticed that individuals of all strata of the society have been caught cheating.This does not mean that every Chinese is cheating, but the West and the Tibetans will crow about it, saying ” See, See, this is the typical Chinese character. All of them are the same. ”
There are the farmers ( who know nothing about Melanine but gullibly follow middlemen’s advice to add it to increase their selling price), there are middlemen ( and these are perhaps the ones who deserve a serious punishment ), there are officers at collecting stations who perhaps know it, but above all the ones who should be sternly punished are the SANLU officers who are accomplices with the adulterators and the government officials who covered it up when the contamination was first known.All in all, there must be some 2000 people involved, but that does mean that all the Chinese share their crooked mentality.The massive public outrage against this tragdy shows that the majority of the Chinese are against such immoral actions.
If you don’t pass strict legislation with frightening fines and jail terms, you will see some more unscrupulous people attempting the easy short-cut of adulteration to make a quick buck.
Pass a whole raft of strict laws governing food production and health/sanitary requirements and announce them widely, loud and clear , and make sure you train enough personnel to enforce the checking and supervision seriously.
This is the time FOR ACTION, LEGISLATION , TRAINING, SUPERVISION, ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION plus continuing education of the public and food producers. Not for bland statements.
China leaders, if you cannot rule the country properly, THEN MOVE OVER AND LET SUITABLY QUALIFIED OVERSEAS CHINESE TAKE OVER AND RUN THE COUNTRY PROPERLY. We will intervene only to the extent of righting things that were previously in a mess, show you how to run a country by rule of LAW, by a system of Checks and Counter-checks, by a system of Accountability Bodies like the Anti- Corruption agencies with wide powers, like the Public Accounts Commitee to scrutinise government spending, Industrial Tribunals to protect consumers from big companies, by Parliamentary Debates and Select Investigative Commitees on abuse of powers by gov’t ministers,the separation of the 3 arms of the Government ( Judiciary, Executive and Legislative ), the Ombudsman system, the operation of English/australian and Commonwealth Law, protection and after retirement schemes to protect workers ( Malaysia’s EPF and SOCSO schemes, and Singapore’s CPF schemes are very good plans that take care of retired citizens’ financial needs,the almost free National Health Care system in Malaysia ) – all are good things that China can emulate. Once you have sufficient experience and practical exposure to these aspects, then the overseas Chinese will disappear and let you run your country yourselves.
Do not be afraid to learn from smaller countries like Singapore and Malaysia.Singapore occupies one of the top positions in the Transparency scale – meaning there is very little corruption in Singapore. And don’t forget to learn from Australia, their parliamentary debates, elections, policies and the freedom and power of their media in keeping abuse of power in check.
Why not send Lee Kuan Yew to China and learn from him how to run such a big country with an unruly population with anarchic tendencies ?
Learn from him how a gangster-ridden, faction-riven and communally-riven small state can slowly be transformed into the richest and most educated nation in south-East-Asia, boasting of world-reknowned pharmaceutical and biotech companies and the best Medical Facilities and Expertise in the region.In Asia, all Westerners prefer to have medical treatment in Singapore.And the food and product safety standards and requirements are not only very high but rigorously maintained. LEARN FROM SINGAPORE !! You ( China) are way behind Singapore in these standards.
Another measure to treat this obnoxiously regular surfacing of adulteration and contamination cases is the implementation of a compulsory intensive and in-depth education in CHEMISTRY, FOOD SCIENCE, Bilogy and Health and Environmental Sciences for ANY COMPANY OR BUSINESS involved in food production and handling.
We cannot emphasise this enough. Every food production company must have at least a qualified Chemist or Biochemist, and a supporting supervisory staff of at least a Diploma or Pre-Uni level qualification in Chemistry. Failing that, you will have a repeat of the Sanlu incident, with any Tom Dick and Harry adding any chemical compound into foods to either make them tastier or to preserve them longer. This is no joke, because where food is concerned, people’s lives are at stake, and Westerners don’t take any nonsense or lame excuses.
SO BUCK UP, CHINA, AND IMPOSE A MANDATORY QUALIFICATION IN CHEMISTRY FOR THE STAFF IN ANY FOOD PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE.
YOUR EDUCATIONAL LEVELS & SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE NEED AN URGENT REVAMP, UPGRADING , AND YOUR SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES/CURRICULUM NEED TO BE PUSHED, IMPLEMENTED, PROMOTED AND SPREAD TO ALL LEVELS OF THE SOCIETY,INCLUDING, YES, FARMERS, URBAN WORKERS WITH ONLY PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION, TO VENDORS, RESTAURANTEURS AND OPERATORS OF FOOD STALLS, TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS, TO PLANT AND FACTORY WORKERS.
yOU HAVE NO CHOICE AND YOU CAN’T AVOID IMPLEMENTING THIS ESSENTIAL EDUCATION IF YOU STILL WANT TO BE A MAJOR FOOD EXPORTER PLAYER IN THE WORLD MARKET.
The scientific knowledge levels of your people lag way behind that of the West and Singapore, even behind that of India, where Chemistry graduates and Biology graduates are in excess. You still lack chemistry graduates, let alone know the deleterious/mutagenic/carcinogenic side-effects of new compounds and chemicals sold on the western markets, and your English is not good enough to read the latest journals/publications on the findings of the toxicity of certain new or accepted chemical compounds.
Finally we come to the cause or underlying reason of this Sanlu Syndrome.
After underlining the need for a more responsible and accountable system of government ( where debates and checks and prosecutions must be allowed), and the need for a quantum change in the educational system where Life Sciences like Chemistry or Biochemistry must be made mandatory, we finally come to the core of the issue which is more important than stringent measures to treat the effects : THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL FACTOR.
Underlying this sickeningly familiar malaise of food and product scares is a deep systemic weakness/failure which is best termed as a SPIRITUAL VACUUM in the hearts of the bulk of the population.No amount of authoritarianism will eradicate this adulteration syndrome, nor even the most advanced and laudable promotion of Sciences among the student community ( though it helps of course when coupled with a dedicated environment to rigorous standards of morality, integrity and food safety ) and NOT EVEN A FULL BLOWN AND HEARTY ACCEPTANCE OF DEMOCRACY WILL ROOT OUT THIS OLD NATURE. It requires a new paradigm.
When you have no spiritual anchor, no strong reference code ( in terms of behaviour and morals) provided by a religion accepted by people, no firm Word or Teachings of God, no spiritual leader or community that you can look up to to draw guidance and inspiration, no life view or philosophy based on solid faith and convictions, you can only exist, carried away by the meaningless hustle and bustle of modern worker life, looking busy but with an aching emptiness in your hearts, finding meaning in external symbols of success – a car, a HD TV, an apartment, only to feel the weight of the emptiness sinking deeper as you sink down in the sofa , exhausted and empty after another endless day of drudgery. As the profit margins of every product, every enterprise, every service sold are very lean especially in China, and everyone is cutting the other’s throats ( ie underpricing, unfair means,offering incentives even at a loss ),why the hell would one give a second thought if he/she can sell a product better through ‘clever’ means ?
THE LACK OF BELIEF OF A REAL GOD, ALL-SEEING AND ALL-KNOWING , WHO IS AWARE OF YOUR EVERY PLAN AND MOVE, IS THE PRIME FACTOR BEHIND THIS COULDN’T-CARE-LESS ATTITUDE TO ADULTERATION AND SHODDINESS OF PRODUCTS.
After all, they reason, there is no God. Why should we abide rigidly by a setof morals when there isn’t any higher moral order ?
Therein lies the root of all these problems. When there is no God, it is free-for-all and everyone-looking-after-his-own-skin.
Yet, in everyone’s heart, and also among the Chinese,there is a yearning for an order, a system of values, a strong set of moral laws which can act as our reference point in times of doubt, disappointment, worry, guilt ,apprehension and fear.
China leaders, it is about time ( and high time indeed )you let the people open their empty hearts to God , let them come to God so that they will find their moral bearings and practise these moral values for the transformation and betterment of the Chinese society, for the eradication of the old evil habits and nature.
You ( CCP ) had your chance for many years to try to rule and change the people ( through authoritarianism and scientific education, and even thru democracy in business and commerce), but you have failed . It is not your fault. Anyone, any government would fail to bring about an honest and moral society if you do not allow God to play a transforming role in the hearts of the population.
Human systems cannot change their hearts. Only God can, and you should not hinder the work of God in their hearts.A wise ruler would in fact encourage the people to turn to God and uphold His moral teachings, especially if the religion is not a violent one, nor a cult like Fa Lun Gong or Moonie-ism.
I am talking about your need to allow Christianity to flourish and the need to stop persecuting christian House groups. They are not terrorist groups or FA Lun Gong.
What China needs very badly and first of all,is not more draconian government ( although you need to punish sternly all those implicated in the Melanine scandal ), not just Science education per se, not just academic studues of philosophy and humanities , not unfettered democracy just yet ( it will and must come later on ).
CHINA NEEDS CHRISTIANITY FIRST AND THEN DEMOCRACY WILL NATURALLY COME.
Christianity first because we need to CHANGE THE PEOPLE’S HEARTS FIRST BEFORE THEY CAN REALLY PRACTISE DEMOCRACY WITHOUT ABUSING IT.
Without the prior transformation of hearts by Christs teachings on humility, love and forgiveness, the sudden thrusting of democracy into the hands of the unruly Chinese will only see an explosion of factional fighting, exploiting democracy for personal vengeance, vendettas, schemings and intrigues under the name of democracy.
When their hearts, attitudes and Lebensanschauung ( Life-view)have been transformed from the previous selfish , vain and vengeful natures into one of humility, love and morality, then Democracy will be very welcome, and the country will have a better image and have more good friends.
Consider the following teachings of Christ and see whether they are not exactly what China needs at this moment of moral crisis and credibility crisis.
1. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF.
( Not less than yourselves. If you do not want to feed yourself poisons, then you should not feed others Melanine. This is what Jesus taught. If his teachings were more widely practised in China, there would not have been such a large scale melanine poisoning.)
And He goes on to teach that all human laws ( a whole myriad of them ; Law of Contract, Law of Torts, criminal Law etc.) are based on and are mere extensions of this Basic Law – ie to love others as ourselves.
Isn’t that exactly true and right in our modern complex lives ?
If you really love others as yourself, then you will not sell adulterated food or drinks, nor sell shoddy and dangerous gadgets to others ( domestic or abroad ).
By having a majority population of Christians, Chinese people will be more honest and moral, and China’s image will be much better among all nations.
2.Thou shalt not bear false winess.
( You cannot cheat or lie in all aspects of life, whether in politics, governance, business or in personal relationships. This will be a good guideline and admonition for corrupt party officials who cover up injustices and swindle farmers of their land.
3. In the Old Testament, God says , ” The cries of the widows and orphans cry up to the Heavens. Do not oppress them or cheat them of their lands. ”
See. Christianity is still relevant today and is exactly the moral bulwark that China’s lost citizens need.
4.Again, Christ taught: If you do this ( any kind act or any hurt ) to the least of your brethren ( ieincluding beggars, destitute people, homeless folks ), you are doing it to Me ( ie. God ).
Here Jesus is teaching us to be kind to anyone, including those that society looks down on, for God will judge us. Likewise if we hurt anyone,even a leper, we will face God’s judgement.
How beautiful is this teaching for the people in China.
With the dizzy westernisation and modernisation of China, we must not neglect or demean the intrinsic value of every human being before God, even if he/she is a beggar or mentally retarded. We must not judge the value of a person based on the West’s artificial criteria of success – money, condominium, SUV etc.
4.Do not love the things of this world.
If you love the world more than Me ( God/Christ), then your heart is not with me.
Do not love the ( desires of the ) flesh. The flesh ( dirty worldly desires) kills, but the spirit ( spiritual life ) quickens -ie. gives one life.
You cannot have two Gods. You cannot love God and Mammon at the same time.
( Mammon = god of money ).
If the Chinese sincerely loves Christ and his teachings here, they will not stoop down to adding chemicals to food to earn more money.
5. Blessed are those who are humble, for they shall inherit the Earth.
And he taught too : In God’s Kingdom, the greatest ( among men-eg rulers ) will be the lowest and the lowest will be the highest. God hates proud people, Jesus says.
And, he teaches, if you are invited to a banquet, choose the lowest seatso that you will be called to a higher seat.Do not choose the highest seat first.
6. If you love me, look after my people. Feed my people.
Rulers, this is a very relevant guide to those in power.
China, you are now at the crossroads of your country’s destiny.
Many are asking in anguish, ” Why is this happening again and again ? ”
Rulers are also flabbergasted. They did a lot for the country and its people and still the same old nature exists.
The answer lies in this : In our basic human nature, we have an evil and good side. The evil side keeps winning even if we try our very best to be ‘good’.
Education, laws, threats, authoritarianism, and even democracy, still cannot change our basic evil nature. We make change 85 % thru heroic efforts but one day we fall back easily to sin again. Don’t we all know that ? Are we all TOTALLY honest, totally forgiving ( sure we sometimes retain some resentment against someone), totally pure in mind and heart ?? We know the honest answers ourselves.No one can totally & completely extirpate/root out elements of our evil nature, which are always lurking in our minds and hearts.
The SOLUTION is to let Jesus Christ come into our hearts and let him help to transform our evil old selves to a new heart. Of course we will fall down again sometime later, but He has promised to help us , to stand by us, and He asks us to study his Word/teachings deeply to draw solid guidelines and reassurance to go on the right and narrow path.
People of China, you cannot continue to be meaninglessly enveloped in your daily strivings, your struggling to keep up with the JOnesses, a flat meaningless rote of daily routine ( like the French say : Le metro, le boulot et le dodo – meaning the empty daily existence of catching the train to work, the drudgery of a day’s work and falling into bed at the end of the day. )
Open your hearts up to Jesus Christ, join a vibrant Church ( evangelical or protestant ), accept Jesus as your Lord and the Way to God the Father, then you will experience a deep peace that your solaceless and restless empty soul has been yearning for a long time, and you will begin to be less self-centred and begin to love others more, you will also become more humble and find the things of this world ( money, name, power, qualifications, titles,jewels, gold, condominiums, flashy cars, sexy girls, concubines, sexy & virile men, good looks and makeup, property, lots of friends and popularity etc. ) NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL. You will begin to appreciate a simple, honest life, family ties and warmth, good solid values like honesty, lack of envy or jealousy, charity, love and compassion, humility and purity of the heart, forgiveness and lack of hatred or resentment and a lack of pettiness and meanness.
Good luck, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Dear Pastor Singdhee,
First of all We are not RED INDIANS. We are Native Americans. Before trying to spread your Jesus stuff in China you need lesson in sensivity of racial discrimination. Just for your information it is racial slur to call North American Native a Red Indian.
@Tenor
What difference does a name make, when the heart does not harbour any ill-will or superiority or hypocrisy towards anyone of any race or ethnic group?
All the books and articles that we read in high school used that term and nobody cared to correct us, not even our American or English teachers.
It’s their fault, if people want finger-pointing. And western media at that time.
( DO PLEASE READ MY APOLOGY if you are a real native american AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY WITH ME AS YOU READ ALONG.
THE HOT SALSA COMES FIRST AND THE COOLING MINT COMES TOWARDS THE END.
Ha ha, please don’t take it to heart – the language of my post below.)
If you are quibbling over semantics and words, instead of understanding Christ’s love in my article , you are a fake , not a real Native American.
Frankly I think you are either a white American or a Tibetan who just hates Chinese.
I have real Native American friends ( I’m exchanging e-mails with them all the time )and they never make any fuss over the name Red Indian. None of them has ever felt offended when we use this term and none of them has pointed this out to me. They value my heart more than just mere words or semantics.How the hell are we to know that it is a racial slur in YOUR AMERICAN RACIST SOCIETY ? The white society there is so full of complexes, hypocritical attitudes, condescension, hidden prejudices , sub-conscious racial stereotyping etc. etc. ( CHINA THREAT, CHINA THREAT, isn’t that one ??), that it is best not to talk with you people.
A simple, innocent conversation is deliberately twisted to connote this and that, ACTUALLY TO REFLECT YOUR OWN PREJUDICES and HYPOCRISY.
Have you ever heard of the concept : PROJECTION OF GUILT ???
If you are a real native American ( Blame it on the Western education and media – they used this term in all books ; How the heck is a Chinese 10,000 miles away going to understand the innuendos of your sarcastic and hypocritical society ), would you jump that quickly in accusing me of ” racial discrimination ? ”
If you are a real native,YOU ARE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE .
YOU ARE NOT A NATIVE AMERICAN, BUT A WHITE OR TIBETAN WHO JUST DOESN’T LIKE CHINESE.
When did we Chinese ever discriminate against you native americans ? We only know one thing : that we feel sympathy with you peoples and anger with the hypocrisy of sections of the mainstream white society who can shed tears over Tibetans and Albanians in Kosovo, but cannot feel anything for the Native americans in the reservations, and for the remaining Serbs in Kosovo who are terrorized now by the Albanians.a situation created by USA & NATO. See YouTube videos on Kosovo, Stolen Kosovo,Hot4Truth, ECMatrix videos on how the Albanians are kidnapping and selling young Serb girls into prostitution slavery, churches are burnt, civilians are killed. Carla Del Ponte ( Chief judge at Hague ICTY Court, has written a book on how the albanian Mafia in Kosovo are kidnapping young Serbs to slice off their organs to sell in the black market.
( Certainly the Serbs have done bad things in Bosnia and no Christian would support them in that aspect and the Balkan War is NOT A RELIGIOUS WAR BUT A NATIONALIST ONE, but Lord Owen and UN & Canadian generals say that every party in the conflict has commited atrocities. No one side is pure. And it is wrong to encourage revenge against Serbs or anyone in Kosovo now. Reconciliation is NOT being promoted by NATO or US.)
Where is the American great heart of justice ?
USA & NATO pretended to love the muslims in the Balkans ( they call it “Humanitarian Bombing ” of Serbia,) but in their hearts they all hate muslims.
See their hatred of Islam & muslims in YouTube videos – hundreds of them.
Talk to them personally.
Likewise, you pretend to be an offended native american who cares so much for semantics and quibblings/cavillings on words ( without any intent of racial stereotyping ), BUT DO YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE NATIVES LANGUISHING IN THE RESERVATION ?
YOU ARE JUST JUMPING ON THIS SORT OF RACIAL CARD THING JUST TO SCORE A POINT AND TO TRIP ME, COS YOU DON’T LIKE ME EXPOSING YOUR society’s HYPOCRISY WHERE YOU CAN CRY SO LOUDLY FOR THE MUSLIMS IN BALKANS AND THE TIBETANS, WHILE YOU DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE NATIVE AMERICANS IN USA AND CANADA AND THE ABORIGINES in Australia) – anyone going to find objection to this term (aborigines) again ?? If someone does so, it just shows the racist fertility of some white minds ( not all ) which sees a racial connotation in any innocent word , COS THEIR MINDS ARE FULL OF RACIST CIRCUMLOCUTIONS AND PREJUDICES. A PROJECTION OF GUILT ! )
Like they say, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.
If the westerners really love oppressed peoples and muslims so much (actually you call them Islamo-fascists and even staged the 9/11 incident to make people hate them ), why are you so quiet over the crying Kashmiris in India, the muslims in Southern Phillipines and in Southern Thailand ? They are all fighting for independence.
Now where is your professed love for muslims ?
Here, you don’t care about them because India, Phillipines and Thailand are your allies.
IF YOU ARE A REAL NATIVE AMERICAN, YOU WOULD BE BUSY SHOUTING FOR RESTITUTION, REPARATIONS, MORE POLITICAL POWER AND MORE CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION, MORE LANDS AND RESOURCES WHICH WERE RIGHTFULLY YOURS, FOR INDEPENDENCE FOR THE LAKOTA INDIANS ( EVEN PUTIN SECONDED THIS MOVEMENT, BUT YOU KEEP QUIET : REAL SUSPICIOUS ! ), RATHER THAN BANGING ON AN UNKNOWN CHINESE 10,000 MILES AWAY WHO HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED YOUR PEOPLE’S RIGHTS IN MOST OF MY POSTS IN BLOGS AND FORUMS EVERYWHERE.
I DON’T THINK YOU ARE A NATIVE AMERICAN.
Western societies MAY BE POLITICALLY CORRECT, in their choice of words and external behaviour, BUT THE HEARTS OF SOME ARE REALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE IMAGE THEY PROJECT.
SO YOU ARE ALSO INTO THIS ” POLITICALLY CORRECT” HYPOCRITICAL FACADE. MY, YOU REALLY DISAPPOINT ME, IF YOU ARE A NATIVE AMERICAN.
BUT YOU ARE NOT, JUST SOME OTHER NON-NATIVE MASQUERADING AS A ” WOUNDED ‘ NATIVE.
IF WE CHINESE WERE YOU, WE WOULD BE FIGHTING A REAL GUERRILLA WAR AGAINST THE REAL ” WOUNDED KNEE ” INCIDENT.
Sometimes we wonder why you are so weak – cannot even fight for your rights. Now I know the reason. You prefer to cavil and split hairs over words, but dare not stand up and fight for your rights to good land, resources, monetary reparations and assistance and educational and training opportunities, CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION. Yet you have the energy to find imaginary faults with some Chinese who has always supported you people.
I wonder if you have ever read “The Song of Haiwatha” in Grade 3 primary school like I did, or “The Last of the Mohicans ” in my 6th grade primary school, or written a University dissertation on US white prejudice against native americans in American novels, like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, for example, which I did.
If you are more concerned for formalities and “politically correct’ language and gestures rather than what is in another person’s heart and his feelings ,HAVE YOUR CHOICE. HAVE A GOOD TIME YOURSELF AND TATA. WHO WANTS TO CARE ABOUT anyone WHEN his/her REACTION IS ONE OF RESENTMENT. I’LL HAVE A FAR NICER TIME WITHOUT BOTHERING ABOUT anyone.
Your use of the word “Pastor” is a bit sarcastic and so is your term ” Jesus stuff “. ( But maybe you don’t mean to be so and I may have misread it. )
PERHAPS YOU THINK ALL CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE YOUR FRIGGING PRESIDENT BUSH WHO IS, IN OUR EYES, ONLY A FALSE CHRISTIAN, MUCH ADO ABOUT RELIGION BUT THE HEART IS FULL OF EVIL, WHO PRETENDS TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND ONLY MAKES OTHER PEOPLE HATE CHRISTIANS THROUGH HIS WARS, POLICIES AND ECONOMIC DISASTERS AND LIES, LIES..Real Christians do not have the slightest desire to invade Iraq or Afghanistan, do not have any desire to be the dominant power or the policeman of the world. They only care whether their daily lives and behaviour is acceptable to God or not. The whole Neo-Con gang up there are controlled by satanic forces which we Christians have always predicted. Your government IS the ANTI-CHRIST. NONE OF YOUR NEO-CONS AND not-so-con leaders and representatives are real Christians. Many are false Christians.
Don’t equate us ( Asian Christians ) with your western false and demonic counterparts. They are the real evil.
And certainly we are not the type to tear young natives frm their parents to force them to adopt western culture and religion in notorious boarding schools.
Christ said all human beings are brothers and sisters. Is that very wrong and disagreeable to you ?
Well you must be a funny person . Maybe you like the caste system and the racial stereotyping of western societies. ( I don’t mean that ALL whites are bad or racist.Quite a few of them are, not all.The best whites I have ever met in western countries are the true Christians.)
And my brother in law is an black living in a Western country. ( Is anyone going to find fault again with this term ‘black’ ??).My bro-in-law doesn’t give a damn about names or terminologies. He just cares for our hearts, that’s all. We Chinese accept him as one of our family, and for your information too, my best friends are Africans and Iranians now and during my university years in the West.
Funny, my African friends never feel offended or bothered with any of the connotative aspects of words or politically correct terminology .They know who is real or not . Some of my bro-in-law’s white colleagues ( again I don’t mean or believe that all whites are like that : in fact I have many life-long frienships with western Christians and non-Christian varsity coursemates and american Peace corps members ) who are really polite and ‘politically correct’ during the daytime suddenly reveal their hidden racism at night when they are drunk and say to him, ” Take your black hands off me !”
So much for your political correctness.
He knows who his real friends are.
And my african friends too know who is their real friend when I stood by a group of African students , ready to lay down my life too with them, when a carload of supremacists punks in a western country yelled “Niggers ” at them repeatedly.
Words mean nothing. The heart matters.
I do not need any lessons in sensitivity of racial discrimination because such things like race and discrimination have never entered my mind.( Perhaps you may mean that one needs to be careful of the cultural faux-pas or niceties of a different country that we may not be aware of.) For me, in God’s eyes , there are only good and bad persons . Only 2 categories with Him. And even the bad can also be gently guided to change.
I am not interested in this racial thing, whatever you call it.
Look at the fact that even though I am a Chinese, it does not stop me from using very strong language against the selfish minority of my race if they hurt people through their selfishness and egoism.
Why don’t you bang really hard the Western education system and media which popularized the term ” Red Indian ” ? We are just innocent readers of your twisted western literature forced down our throats by your subtly manipulative media.
I suspect strongly that you are a white person harbouring secret beliefs of your colour-based superiority, very aware of your condescension to other ethnic peoples but trying to cover it up or deny it by projecting your guilt on me, by flashing this “politically correct language” card at me .
Don’t we all know about these freudian sub-conscious tricks ??
But if you are a real native american, then I do wish you the best and hope your peoples will regain most of your rights due to you for a long long time already.
I do not need to apologize because the intent to hurt was never there, the feeling of superiority was never there and this concept about this thing called race is something that I can never imagine.
What is this thing called ‘race’ ?
My wife is a non-Chinese, from a native tribe in the mountains of a South East asian nation, far far away from China. I don’t even look Chinese.
As they say, look at the Substance ( heart) , not at the Form, full of political correctness.
But I do apologize for the intemperate language I use in this post. I hope you will take the whole ” flaming” article goodnaturedly and ignore the strong language that I use due to possible misreading of your intent and semantics.
I guess you meant just to inform me cos I am not familiar with american culture, as I am not living there. I spent many years in europe and the rest of Asia. If I have misread your intention and if you are a genuine native american, I heartily apologize for my hastiness in jumping to conclusions.But if you are a non-native in disguise,I’ll retract my apology.
I am in the process of helping a few native americans to come over to my country, help them find land and settle here. But, if they are as sensitive as you, I think I might want to put my plans on hold for a while.
My main concern: trying to change the old selfish nature in the hearts of a minority of the Chinese population . I have no desire nor time to mind other people’s business .
[...] a forceful and moving address, Cui Weiping, a prominent intellectual who has translated Havel, Ivan Klima and other dissident writers into [...]
[...] melamine levels in its products. Professor Cui Weiping, of the Beijing Film Academy, wrote, “I hate to hear about things that reflect the darkness of human nature which I can do nothing about… I have no [...]
Let China have freedom…so that every provincial lord will fight against one another…let Tibet be “freed” away, let Taiwan and Hongkong be independent.
And let the U.S. monster lead the “free nations” gobble up China once again like the past.
Pastor??? B.Singhdee,
I am a Catholic from Singapore. Good to preach the Gospel, but please do it at the right place and forum.
Lee Kuan Yew and God Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong are NOT Christians. They are all leaders with very high moral standards! Do not despise people who are not Christians, or are atheist and agnostic. Somehow, God lives. Most Chinese people have “Heaven-God”(tian, laotianye) deep in their psyche even if they are not conscious of it; even if they do not have any theology of it; even if they don’t pray as much as you or read scripures like you.
“Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong are NOT Christians.”
Goh, not God. Correction.
They are/were the Prime Ministers of Singapore. At one time, people jokingly called them The Father, The Son and the Holy Goh.
Well you forgot Goh Keng Swee, Ong Teng Cheong,Ong Pang Boon, Rajaratnam, All of them are men of high integrity and capable minister
Any Institution you see today in Singapore whether Army, MAS, Singapore Airline, Jurong indutrial Park, Ministry of Education are brain child of Dr Goh Keng Swee. Remarkable person for a Malaca peranakan who speak Malay. He was personally requested by then foreign minister Wu Xue Tian to come to China and set up SEZ heralding the remarkable transformation of China. He stay for some years in China with his team of Singapore pioneer.
No, I didn’t forget them. But I was not sure whether our DeputyPM and Defence Minister is Christian or not. Goodness, I can’t recall his name.
Hello Professor Cui Weiping,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I have learned a little bit more today.
Moral dilemmas presented on your blog, unfortunately are not only Chinese prevalent phenomena. Numerous examples of all kinds of unethical and dishonest behaviors, processes and events happened in the others parts of the world that you may appear free for these kinds of defects. I would be very happy to share some of them with you and discuss in greater details if you would please contact me at writer21@rogers.com; or add me to your msn list campfire3@hotmail.com and we can discuss them.
I deeply sympathize with every human being whose dignity is under the sole of his boss, teacher, parent, government or any other authority how undermines it.
With deepest respect sincerely yours
Mark M.
Toronto, CANADA.
The Pastor’s got a few problems, man. Tenor may have made the mistake of speaking for all Indians but if it’s his opinion that the Red Indian moniker sounds offensive (considering its close sounding relative “redskin”) then it’s understandable why he or she felt the need to express that view. Secondly, there ARE Indians who sympathize with Tibetans since they’re undergoing a situation not unlike what most Indians have gone through. I’d like to add that I’ve received some pretty insulting insights from my share of ultra nationalistic Chinese or Chinese descendants who tend to view Indians as though we’re their children and owe a great deal to them. Whether it’s the oh-so-convenient Chinese crossing the Bering Strait (even though there were no such nations back then) or the Zheng He craze, they’ve made it their point to come across as though we are their possessions. That’s pretty offensive right there. Personally, I side with the Tibetans and I’m Quechuan/K’iche to boot.
Very encouraging human perspective from Cui Weiping!