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Tingkai
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To find the Northwest Passage
Aug 2001
time: 13:34
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quote:
Originally posted by mindseye
Unless you can explain how all of these other speakers are also racists, I really do expect a public apology for a remark like that. In these two threads you have repeatedly accused me of being "arrogant", "blinded by hate" and a "racist". That's strong language that I take personally. So unless you can show where all the other writers I quoted are also racists, I hope you are man enough to apologize for those remarks. |
I read what those other expats said and they're making the same mistakes. It's a mistake that I often see and hear in Hong Kong. Instead of seeing individuals, they see a homogenous crowd. When they see 10 person behaving badly, they think everyone behaves badly. Instead of saying that person is an idiot, they talk about the locals. They rely on anecdotes that filter out the good and only look at the bad, or sometimes filter out the bad and only look at the good ( the latter when talking about themselves).
There are Chinese who are put profit above the public's welfare, there are Chinese who care nothing about money, and there are a range of people in between.
There are Chinese who eat civet cats, there are Chinese who are vegetarians, and there are a range of people in between.
There are Chinese who are extremely rude to everyone, there are Chinese who are extremely polite,and there are a range of people in between.
There are Chinese who laugh at others misfortunes, there are Chinese who will rush to a stranger's aid, and there are a range of people in between.
Are you a racist? I'd like to think not, and I hope you are not one, but as long as you make gross generalities and as long as you believe that Chinese are a homogeneous person, then I'd have to say you have racist ideas.
But I'll take back the bit about you being a hateful racist. You don't strike me as hateful.
EDIT: I'll also take back the comment about you being a racist, to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your belief about Chinese culture is a racist concept. So you're not be a racist even if you mistakenly believe in a racist idea.
Last edited by Tingkai on 21-06-2005 at 23:25
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Tingkai
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To find the Northwest Passage
Aug 2001
time: 13:34
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Having been to many areas in that photo, I can tell you that those areas are not deserts.
The photo is an area that is either farmland or urban.
Just because an area does not have forests, does not mean it's a desert.
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shawnmmcc
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OK - economic theory/behavioural theory time. 
There are many behaviors that benefit the group but not the individual. Some individuals will always "cheat", that is, not contribute to the group behavior, but still attempt to reap the benefits. As that behavior spreads, it reaches a tipping point, and the behavior beneficial to the group ends.
Thus groups find ways of policing/compelling/monitoring individuals to make sure that there are not too many individuals succeeding in cheating. In fact they recently found out that areas of the brain (it was in the WSJ this last month and I don¡¦t subscribe on-line ƒ¼ ) are stimulated in some individuals for busybody behavior ¡V as in the person who comments about the person who cuts in line ahead of those who have been waiting. I couldn¡¦t find the info quickly, but for an overall review Google ¡§rewards brain conformity enforcement site:.edu¡¨.
In the West, you have the Judeo/Christian/Moslem religious tradition of caring for the poor. Note this is often more observed in the breach rather than in practice (look at my posts about the appalling lack of care for the mentally ill in the US) but nonetheless as a minimum lip service is paid to the concept. Taoism also has the same idea, but with Buddhism it is only a peripheral concept, at best (I added that qualifier to satisfy nitpickers). I don¡¦t know about Confucism, so I¡¦d like some posts on that (from those of you in China and Hong Kong). What I am speculating is that, as Taoism is definitely a secondary religion in China, and Confucism is more concerned with authority and maintaining order in society, there is no similarly strong ¡§I am my brother¡¦s keeper¡¨ tradition in China.
Plus China has other social issues. Overpopulation (creating an attitude that human life is less than cheap) is coupled with several decades of Communism breaking down religious strictures on helping your fellow person, followed by a general reduction in Maoist indoctrination (eliminating both sources of altruistic conditioning ¡V look at the Soviet Union/Russia even with the weak Orthodox presence their). Globalization and corporate greed may be producing a similar trend in the corporate and leadership cadres in the United States, i.e. the Government should not be involved in helping those less capable individuals, but private/religious groups. Interestingly, this essentially eliminates those censures for those individuals who benefit from this (i.e. you are not attacked by the violently mentally ill street person ¡V worst case) but you pay no taxes for it.
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21-06-2005 22:17
followed by 
and declare victory. Getting all defensive only feeds the troll. 
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