g'day all - dear Clark, 1st, I certainly do not mind people, especially people of your caliber, having a constructive criticism of China [or any other country, culture, civilization for that matter.]
I must agree that the official face of China isn't that funny - or fun - unless one has a twisted sense of humour. I mean, if one sees a PRC official smiling, one should be worried <vbg>! If one had a choice, maybe one should hang out with the tibetans instead! So, personally, I don't see a problem calling a spade a spade. Having said that, obviously, spades are not a full deck made. In case of your example about you offered to the Indian hedge fund manager, my guess is that waitering cuts across all cuisine lines, chinese restaurant or not chinese restaurant, especially if the table prior to yours just ran off with the check without paying! Of course, the chinese waiter usually has the last laugh when he has eaten 1/2 of your order of S&S Pork before serving it to you.
There is no doubt that China has a long way to go - and certainly it is in stack contrast with its civilization [ok, depending which of the 24 sets of history one is using <G>] However, the equal puzzlement applies, I suppose, to the split image between some of the sublimed cultural traces of Japanese and its behaviour in WWII [or even some of the preversities bubbling underneath the surface of modern Japan.] Or the native indians before they discovered casino in this country. Two wrongs don't make one right, I am not trying to justify bad behaviour with ideas like "the pot shouldn't call a kettle black." Personally, cynicism aside, I think we should be critical of injustice and absurdity regardless of its original. More important, armchair philosophizing without any follow thru probably does more harm than good. So, maybe it is a good start to bring opinions to the fore [even if this is a subtopic of an investment forum.] Of course, for people like yourself with insight and understanding, there are other venue like H Con Res 283 etc.
Good luck
best, Bosco |
