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Every time I open my NYTimes email subscription, there's an article about scary Chinese products, angry students brandishing their nationalist fundamentalism at a bunch of peaceful Tibet-lovers, or that special brand of Chinese pollution.
I admit, all these are huge problems in China right now, but man, can we be any more blatantly biased?
It strikes me how easy it is to read or watch the news, and not think critically about what we're told. I know, because I do that all the time. But more and more, I've been starting to see the way our media words things, or filters stories, so that by the time "the news" reaches Americans' ears, it's not so much "the news" anymore, as it is "the stuff a very select group of powerful, wealthy, and privileged people want us to know."
It pretty much blows.
I don't tend to like writing these kinds of posts, but this is the biggest soapbox I have, and it doesn't do any of us any good to nurse the irrational fear of China that our beloved media has been drumming up. So here goes.
Some tips:
1. When you read another article about China's fatal products, keep in mind that the Chinese don't just get on a boat, cross the Pacific, and secretly stow stashes of their products in store aisles all across America. Behind every Chinese product, there is a brand name company (Mattel), a retailer (Wal-mart), or a pharmaceutical company (God help us all) who gladly pursues the "economy" of Chinese manufacturing to increase profit margins. Hello, capitalism.
And who takes the risks involved? The average consumer. And how often are these companies held accountable for their choices? I have yet to see it happen. Often these companies are painted as victims, corporations who have nowhere else to go but China if they want to stay competitive in the global market. Excuse my French, but that's just cotton-headed-ninny-bull.
With the kind of capital we have, and the relative strength behind our market in the global economy (yes, even while heading into a recession), American companies could do a heck of a lot more to shoulder the costs of reducing the risk to consumers. Sure, it costs the companies money to monitor production processes and ensure fair and humane labor conditions (and where pharmaceuticals are involved, the FDA and its budget complicate things, too), but then when disaster strikes, surely the Chinese companies can't carry all the blame?
(On that note, the Chinese government doesn't do so hot when it gets defensive or tries to cover up these issues, but you get enough of that reading any news article, so I won't articulate those points here.)
2. Oh man, the Tibet issue. Just try to keep in mind that not all the Tibet protestors have been entirely peaceful. Did you see that picture of the protestor targeting the torch-runner in a wheelchair?
(hehe, you have to admit it's a little funny.)
Yes, I am sympathetic to the Tibetan cause (but again, you hear about that side enough in our media), but also to the Chinese interest of keeping their crap together before the Olympics. This is a BIG deal for China, a country who for a couple centuries now has been repeatedly marked as backward and ailing, and now finally gets a chance to show the world what it's capable of. This doesn't justify what they do, but it helps put things into perspective a little, no?
And Bay Area, I love you, but all you idiots walking around with "Free Tibet" signs who couldn't pick out Tibet on a map--after repeated tries...PUT DOWN YOUR SIGNS AND GO HOME!! who are you kidding? Oh man. You bunch of trend-chasing, self-righteous posers simultaneously cheapen Tibet's cause and inflame Chinese nationals. Could you be any more helpful?!
3. Pollution. Yes, China's pollution is absolutely terrible, especially because it is incredibly concentrated in certain cities and production zones, but in response I only have two things to say:
A) The U.S. still produces more CO2 emissions than China, even though we have a quarter of their population.
B) The U.S. has yet to ratify the UN's Kyoto Protocol.
For a country that tries to be a world leader in just about everything, when it comes to environmental issues, the US lags like a...um, like a one-legged torch bearer? So maybe on this one, this teapot should stop calling the kettle black.
That's about all I have to say for now. I didn't expect many of you to actually read this far. Mostly I just wanted to vent, and boy did that feel good. :P
I promise, next post will be more lighthearted and fun. :)
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| Sometimes people sit around at cafes or libraries doing work. Then, sometimes, those same people have to go to the bathroom. But they detest the idea of packing up their belongings, lugging them into the bathroom only to be sprayed by microfeces and ammonia, then returning to find a new seat or table.
This thought almost always leads them to the obvious alternative: turning to the nicest- and most trustworthy-looking stranger in the near vicinity, and asking them, "Excuse me, could you watch my stuff...?" while motioning towards the bathroom.
Nice and Trustworthy Stranger will usually nod and smile, then look over and take a conscientious catalog of the items newly under her responsibility. Upon the person's return, Stranger will look up with her eyes narrowed for half a second, then give a little head nod, as if to say, very seriously, "Yep, you're the same person who went to the bathroom two minutes ago. My duty is done."
I find this exchange amusing, mostly because I always picture what would happen if a bandit came and tried to make off with someone's MacBook and hardback version of Sister Brother: Gertrude and Leo Stein.* In this instance, the common and harmless "Excuse me, will you watch my stuff?" becomes:
"Excuse me, will you please make sure that no one other than me comes back and packs up my belongings and hastily exits the premises; and in the unlikely event that this occurs, are you prepared to call security and chase down the bandit, either to retrieve my belongings or keep careful tabs on the whereabouts of said bandit so that campus security or the police can apprehend the brigand and thereby retrieve my belongings? In other words, for the next three to five minutes, will you assume full responsibility for the nearly $2000 worth of items I have so haplessly scattered about this table? In fact, maybe I should have you sign a contract..."
Whoa, whoa--that's asking a lot, buddy.
Once we think through what we might be asking a perfect stranger to do, the whole thing looks kind of silly. Really, it's just a nominal way for us to rationalize leaving a pile of expensive stuff in a public place for someone else's taking. That way, when we're in the bathroom we can relax (and we all know how important that is). And since I for one value relaxed bathroom trips, and not introducing millions of tiny poo particles onto my new backpack, I must confess that I will probably continue to participate in this admittedly absurd practice.
*Book title retrieved by Googling "cliche academic book." Not quite what I expected, but it'll do.
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Maybe I'm jaded or something, but the descriptions of these beautys' "purposes" in a sub-category of the the recent Miss World 2007 competition struck me as comical. From the wikipedia entry (I know, serves me right to go there for information):
Beauty With A Purpose
Winners: (tie)
- Ecuador : Valeska Saab helps people with a terrible generic skin condition called ichthyosis.
- Hong Kong China : Kayi Cheung helps old people and regularly works at retirement homes. She also has strong ties with UNICEF.
Finalists:
- Indonesia : Kamidia Radisti helps less fortunate children with home schooling, free medical services for babies and young children.
- Jamaica : Yendi Phillips helped people recover from a hurricane which hit the island by organising a fashion show and music event.
- Sweden : Annie Oliv
has for the last two years worked with a disabled person who has always
been in a wheelchair and unable to do anything for herself.
Note the vague references to things that can sorta count as charity work, and the mild exaggerations of the conditions of those less fortunate.
I'm not trying to be mean (does it sound like I am? I'm really not...), and I bet there is plenty these women do to help people around them. I just couldn't help but notice that whoever wrote those descriptions didn't really do the girls a favor. Kinda sounds like material scrapped from the Zoolander screenplay.
OK, enough poking fun. As for me and Josh, the crazy weather (snow, lots of snow, followed by rain, and then probably more snow, and temperatures as low as the mid teens...and I'm told it gets worse!!!!) makes everything an adventure. Yesterday we went to grab dinner and I was driving 25 mph on the main roads because I was being a scaredy cat. And, at an intersection close to our house there were two cars pulled over on either side of the street, one of them facing the wrong direction! Crazy, huh?
Also, Josh had an interview with an advertising agency in town this past week, and we're still waiting to hear from them. It's been so long that I'm almost numb to that feeling of panic we used to get about the job search here. The economy is just this bad, huh? *sigh* Waiting for things to happen is never easy, and if it's been hard for me, I try to imagine how much harder it must be for Josh. Sure, he gets to play games and Guitar Hero, and sit around in his pajamas all day, but that can really wear on a person. :) Ok, so I was referring more to his inner turmoil than his leisurely lifestyle. I'm proud of him though...he's been a good sport about all of this. Every once in awhile, I apologize for dragging him here, and he's nice enough to remind me that he's happy we're here. What a nice man. Anyway, thanks everyone for your continued support. We go to bed at night reminding ourselves what amazing friends and family we have.
Other than that, I haven't been updating a whole lot because school's been kinda crazy. Though I do have some pictures from Andrew's visit over Thanksgiving that I'd been meaning to share. It was fun having him here...I miss him. :P
OK, I should get back to work. Happy holidays everyone, and to all you students out there...good luck. :)
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| Let's take a look at the forecast...
I'm freaking out!!!! Winter is coming!!! :P I'll let you guys know how we weak sauce Californians survive our first snow in the Midwest. When I tell people that I grew up in Southern California, and have yet to experience winter here, they look at me with this delicious gleam in their eyes, like somehow watching me suffer will make the winter that much more gratifying.
I have to admit, I am a little excited. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning to see a light blanket of snow on the ground. How cozy. Plus, it's the perfect weather for curling up on the couch with a good book and some Ovaltine. Wow, I sound like a grandma. Anyway, point being...I guess despite the freezing cold, my recent lack of sleep, and the Most Depressing Job Market On the Face of the Earth, we've actually got a good little life going here. :)
Anyway, just thought I'd alert everyone about the impending dangers Josh and I will be facing. If you don't hear from us, you might have to send one of those guys on those snowmobiles after us. And maybe a St. Bernard, preferably one with one of those big barrels around its neck. I like those guys.
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