Souther Exposure – Part 2: Dress Code

I talked a little bit in my last post about how the Shanghai Expo is definitely not about cultural sensitivity.  But if I left any doubt, on day two of my expo adventure, my cousin told me the following story: I was walking through the entrance line like we did yesterday and approached the security check.  After passing through the metal detector, an Expo volunteer gave me the... Read More

Southern Exposure

I knew going into the Shanghai Expo that I would probably hate it.  No one—neither the critics who stayed at home nor the people who had actually went—said anything remotely positive to me about it.  They complained about the lines, the heat, and, most of all, the sheer number of people.  Now having been there, I can safely say that they were telling the truth. But I don’t... Read More

Shock Values

March 23: Unemployed community surgeon Zheng Minsheng attacks elementary school students with a knife in Nanping, Fujian, killing eight. April 9: Certified psychiatric patient hacks to death a grandmother and a student outside the gate of a school in Hepu, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. April 28: The same day that Zheng Minsheng is executed, Chen Kangbing, a former teacher,... Read More

There’s No Business Like…

Google’s ultimatum that they’ll leave China rather than continue to censor their search engine is an interesting case, and one in which I feel we haven’t been told the full story. Let’s be honest, not many corporations have qualms about doing business in China from a moral standpoint. The global recession has seen to that. Why Google would throw down the... Read More

Race Relations in China

Two things I saw this week made me think about prevailing race relations in China. First, the music video for American-made Chinese pop star Chloe Wang’s debut single “Uh Oh”. And secondly this headline article on CNN’s homepage about an aspiring mixed-race singer from Shanghai named Lou Jing. Chloe Wang, China's next big thing? Chloe Wang is an American in every sense... Read More

Approximating the Truth

We might never know the truth about the events of early June twenty years ago. The story might forever remain an unfocused tapestry of anecdotes, interviews, and the occasional memoir. But twenty years later, we gain new understanding in the form of a photograph of a familiar scene, taken from an unfamiliar angle, which reminds us that what is know is only a collection of points-of-view... Read More

What Makes a Democracy?

A few things recently have coalesced in my mind.   Thoughts on democracy, liberalism, and the future of China in both respects. Religion and History There’s no doubt that religion is responsible for some terrible things in history and has had destabilizing and polarizing effects on society. The question, however, is whether or not it’s had stabilizing and moralizing... Read More

Backsliding

The international financial crisis has brought the underlying tensions in Mainland China between strengthening the rule of law and fostering economic growth to the fore. The case of the export-driven economic powerhouse Guangdong Province illuminates the priorities of the Chinese government and the implications that the economic downturn may have for the rule of law across the... Read More

The Myth of the West: Part 4 – Wenming

A gowned scholar strides slowly into a room, eyes downcast. Sinking to his knees, he places the backs of his hands upon the floor and gently taps his head on the ground three times. Wafer-thin porcelain cups are used to drink steaming green liquid, while singing birds fill the air with sound. A filial son cuts off part of his own leg to make a soup for his starving parents. Bearded... Read More

The Myth of the West: Part 3 – Qiangda

An ancient civilization, rich in culture and steeped in corruption. Elaborate etiquette surrounds the gold panoply of cruel rulers hidden safely behind rings of high walls, while gangs of laborers work outside under the blazing hot sun. Perfumed maidens with elaborate coiffures secured with jade sway gently as they dance to the tune of plucked instruments. Spry old men perform fabulous... Read More