Rise of The Sea Turtles

"...I'm a Chinese who grew up in Canada and moved to Shanghai 2 years ago. All I have to say is that I hate the Chinese government and I hate the Western government as well."

It's ironic how we Americans focus on the democratic elements of our government, but consistently fail to see the benefit and need for the socialized ones. For instance, law enforcement, disaster relief, healthcare, etc. Likewise, it would seem that Chinese citizens focus on their socialized central governing body, but overlook the many democratic forces at work in their country. For instance, you cannot be communist and capitalist, by definition they are mutually exclusive; yet, the PRC maintains a marxist philosophy on rule. Complaint filing is essentially a referendum syle of determing policy, yet we still view China as strictly authoritarian. America and China may approach these issues from a different ideological perspective, but the end result is actually two similarly functioning societies.

There are 6 billions people on earth, the West is not the only way.

to inissd:
well said. but one suggestion when i see you typping so much to a brain-washed american by biased western media. just ignore this kind of people,using your time to discuss with those looked enlightened..

Will Newsweek ever do an article exploring how Americans feel about other countries? The liberals who run this opinion journal are obsessed with telling us how much other countries don't like us.

My guess is that if anyone bothered to ask Americans they would find that we have as little regard for "the East", the EU and the rest of the world for us as they do for us.

Hi, I'm a Chinese who grew up in Canada and moved to Shanghai 2 years ago. All I have to say is that I hate the Chinese government and I hate the Western government as well.

In China, the rich people are too overpowered against the millions of working class people. If you join the communist party, you get high salaries. If you have money, everyone loves you. No one cares about you if you don't have money in China. Police and Governments officials are all corrupted. Corruptions and briberies are everywhere inside China. Due to a long-term of government corruptions, average working class Chinese unfortunately is not as lucky as most of us are. Most of them don't have good educations like most of us do. Even now, during the Olympics, the Chinese government tried to send away the poor people back to their hometown and try to keep those poor Chinese away from the Olympic areas. The Chinese government tries very hard to block all the bad news coverage therefore the Chinese knows only good things about their Governments.

I don't care much about the Tibet riot. The whole Tibet demonstrations are against the Chinese government, not against the Chinese people. I don't know why the Chinese are so emo about the protests. They need to stop crying. The carefour boy-cot thing is plain stupid because most of the items I found in carefour are labeled 'Made in China' or 'Product of China'. In western countries, there are always protests on their own governments and you don't see people crying about these protests?

As for the US Government, they should mind their own business. Bush need to mind his own business. There are protests against Bush in the US, we don???t see the Chinese, Russian coming to talk about it. How does it feel if Russian or China suddenly named Washington as Terriost, saying like 'Ya, you guys are terrorists because you guys invaded IRAQ?' I think Mr. Bush is just being an idiot trying to be a big boss to all other countries when he can???t even take care of his own country. Instead of using billions of dollars invading IRAQ, using billions of dollars building missile defense in Europe, Mr. Bush could have used those money to help the Americans, to help the Americans without jobs. Use money to help improve health care in the U.S. To help rebuild cities those were damage by flood. Use money to help NASA with funding.

Hi, I'm a Chinese who grew up in Canada and moved to Shanghai 2 years ago. All I have to say is that I hate the Chinese government and I hate the Western government as well.

In China, the rich people are too overpowered against the millions of working class people. If you join the communist party, you get high salaries. If you have money, everyone loves you. No one cares about you if you don't have money in China. Police and Governments officials are all corrupted. Corruptions and briberies are everywhere inside China. Due to a long-term of government corruptions, average working class Chinese unfortunately is not as lucky as most of us are. Most of them don't have good educations like most of us do. Even now, during the Olympics, the Chinese government tried to send away the poor people back to their hometown and try to keep those poor Chinese away from the Olympic areas. The Chinese government tries very hard to block all the bad news coverage therefore the Chinese knows only good things about their Governments.

I don't care much about the Tibet riot. The whole Tibet demonstrations are against the Chinese government, not against the Chinese people. I don't know why the Chinese are so emo about the protests. They need to stop crying. The carefour boy-cot thing is plain stupid because most of the items I found in carefour are labeled 'Made in China' or 'Product of China'. In western countries, there are always protests on their own governments and you don't see people crying about these protests?

As for the US Government, they should mind their own business. Bush need to mind his own business. There are protests against Bush in the US, we don???t see the Chinese, Russian coming to talk about it. How does it feel if Russian or China suddenly named Washington as Terriost, saying like 'Ya, you guys are terrorists because you guys invaded IRAQ?' I think Mr. Bush is just being an idiot trying to be a big boss to all other countries when he can???t even take care of his own country. Instead of using billions of dollars invading IRAQ, using billions of dollars building missile defense in Europe, Mr. Bush could have used those money to help the Americans, to help the Americans without jobs. Use money to help improve health care in the U.S. To help rebuild cities those were damage by flood. Use money to help NASA with funding.

There's one big difference between the American people and the Chinese,that is the Chinese know what ever they do,the government is always in control,so they admit it and deal with it while for the Americans,they somehow so strongly believe that they are in control of their government as the truth is they are really not.

Secondly, your testimony of the behavior of foreign Chinese students is only half right. Sure Chinese students tend to gather around each other, but isn???t that natural. It???s evident in American culture that like people gravitate towards each other. That is why we have concentrations of Chinese, Jews, Indians and so forth. People like to be with people who are similar to them, and nothing says similar than having the same culture. However, the entire spiel of spying is ridiculous. Like Americans, most overseas Chinese students are financed either by US university scholarships or by their families. They do not have any obligations to spy on each other for the Chinese government. I have no idea who told you the things you wrote, but if you were sincere about it, you were freaking punk???d.

Third, your words may sound pretty, but they are woefully lacking in substance. Your last comment was some amazing fluff. You accuse us of being ???incapable of separating [ourselves] as individuals from the herd.??? If you are accusing us of being proud Chinese, well you are absolutely right. We have a history that we are very proud of. Aren???t Americans proud to be Americans? And what do you mean by ???[Chinese people] feel weak and inferior in the face of successful and power of individuals???? I do believe there are successful and powerful individuals in China. There has to be successful and powerful individuals in China because of the capitalist market that drives the Chinese economy. ???Stand naked and free as individuals??? sounds wonderful but that is already a reality. All Chinese are able to think for themselves. We align with certain political views because of the benefits to China. For example, while I deplore the actions of the pro-Beijing students, I support Tibet as a part of China. Americans really shouldn???t be hypocrites. America is a country that was created and expanded through the subjugation of Native Americans. America might have gained its independence from Britain, but the colonies were founded on Native American soil. Movies such as Dancing with Wolves depict the cruel realities of American expansion. The only difference is how much time has passed.

I was amused at the ???something really special and unique??? part of your comment. No one respects a person who is unsuccessful, powerless, poor, naked and imperfect. That is not even American culture. I live here as an American and from here I will speak as an American. We strive for perfection. Practice makes PERFECT. We all want to be rich or famous, preferably both. If we see imperfection in ourselves, we use money to correct it. Why else would we need so many breast implant, tummy tucks, and botox? We want to stand out as individuals when we are superior to others. No one wants the recognition of being a failure. We should not sit on our high horse and tell others that they should feel proud to be trodden upon.

Crap, its summer break and I had to spend my time writing an essay.

Why is it so difficult for Chinese to understand Americans?
Americans don???t hate Chinese people Americans hate the Chinese Government because Americans hate Government! Americans are anti-Government period. Americans hate the Chinese Government, Russian, British, German, Iranian, Israeli, French and most of all Americans hate the American Government. America is a nation based on the rejection of governmental authority. Americans believe it is the duty of each citizen to criticize, restrain even attack their own Government in order to prevent governments from abusing their power. Americans often fail at this but through democratic voting and freedom of the press Americans are constantly working.

I have studied with Chinese students at US Universities and they might as well be living in China. Chinese students daily share community meals (to save money), all live together, eat together, sleep together, study together, cheat together and always speak Chinese with each other. In every group some students are paid to spy on fellow students and Chinese teachers and report back to their Gov???t (I am serious I am not exaggerating in the least). Detailed profiles are created on each student which of course have a huge impact on their future success and the well being of their family back home. Every Chinese student knows they are being watched so they continue to conform to what is expected of them. Only the best of the best can afford to break out of the heard and find freedom to be individuals.

I have studied with Chinese students at US Universities and they might as well be living in China. Chinese students daily share community meals (to save money), all live together, eat together, sleep together, study together, cheat together and always speak Chinese with each other. In every group some students are paid to spy on fellow students and Chinese teachers and report back to their Gov???t (I am serious I am not exaggerating in the least). Detailed profiles are created on each student which of course have a huge impact on their future success and the well being of their family back home. Every Chinese student knows they are being watched so they continue to conform to what is expected of them. Only the best of the best can afford to break out of the heard and find freedom to be individuals.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26237583/

I just find it funny why the US condemns China for putting down pro-Tibet protesters while the US doesn't have a problem putting down Native Hawaiian protesters. Talking about double standards.

I think this is kind of common among other cultures, look at how much Spanish is in America, especially California and Texas, lot of Mexican tv, spanish translations on many signs in stores, etc, and Mexicans are proud of their culture, which there is nothing wrong with that, so if the Chinese are doing that too, it is not that unusual.

I was once called a racist by a Chinese man because I was wearing light-colored pants against my white skin. No other evidence whatsoever. I have come across a lot of chauvanism among Chinese. But what really gets me is the defensiveness many have for their dictatorship. Here is a proud people without the ability to select their own government. And the reason they acquiesce to that dictatorship is increasingly clear. They know from their history that China is in fact an empire of separate historical states, especially in the western and northern areas. Democracy could expose the will of more than just the Han peoples. And would they allow a referendum to those provinces, such as was extended to each of the 50 - 13 states before they were admitted to the US? Chinese self-doubt should not be turned in hostility toward others.

Nearly all the "sea turtle" entrepreneurs I profiled in Silicon Dragon, http://www.amazon.com/Silicon-Dragon-China-Winning-Tech/dp/0071494472, told me that their ambition comes from wanting to do something to improve China and not to get rich. Even more patriotic is the younger generation of entrepreneurs born and educated in China and not in the West. They are no longer copying ideas from the West, but looking to invent new things in their homeland. Sea turtle entrepreneurs such as Robin Li of search engine Baidu -- a Chinese Google--became a multi-millionaire from taking his startup public on Nasdaq. Many of the up-and-coming students at leading schools such as Tsinghua University in Beijing were inspired by him and want to follow in his footsteps. Just don't expect either the sea turtle or the new home-grown Chinese entrepreneurs to have such a me-me attitude as we have in the West.