Jan 29 2008
chinese pm needs to apologize for weather?
CNN.com had an article today entitled “ Chinese PM apologizes for snow chaos” that piqued my interest. I am all for the Chinese government (and any government for that matter) admitting its mistakes with candor and frankness. Truth is always a good policy. But was this really necessary?
In a rare move for a Chinese politician, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao apologized Tuesday to the hundreds of thousands of people stranded in train stations across the country as the worst winter weather in half a century — combined with crippling power problems — nearly brought travel to a standstill for millions trying to go home for the Chinese New Year holiday.
“I apologize to you all,” said Wen, using a bullhorn to address stranded travelers at a train station in Hunan province. “We are currently trying our best to repair the system.
Chinese media replayed the apology several times. The unusual gesture is likely to go a long way in pacifying the anger and frustrations of the thousands stranded across the country, CNN’s Jaime Florcruz said.
It is also interesting to see that it is the central government that is making an apology whereas it is just as much the fault of the local authorities here. (Read between the lines: corrupt local authorities) We all know the central government in Beijing has come a long away and distanced itself from the local fiefdom mentality of the provincial authorities:
They’re also a signal to local officials to stop bickering over power usage. Provinces have been ordered to share power and energy sources so they can be diverted to where it’s most needed.
But I digress. Is this really the fault of the government? Yes, governments exist to serve the people. Governments should do their best to maintain infrastructure. And I am certain the Chinese government probably could have done better in this situation as hindsight is always 20-20. But even the most well-run government cannot prevent natural disasters and/or uncommonly bad weather. The government is not a deity. The article explains (emphasis added):
The weather couldn’t have come at a worse time: Millions of Chinese workers were trying to leave the cities where they work to travel home to their families for the Lunar New Year holiday, the Xinhua news agency reported, putting intense pressure on the country’s transportation network. The holiday, also known as the Spring Festival, falls on February 7.
Brutal winter weather has pounded China’s central, eastern and southern sections, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers ahead of the holiday.
Airports in at least 10 cities were closed temporarily Monday and, adding to the woes, seven of the eight highways connecting Guangdong and Hunan provinces have been cut off, Xinhua reported.
I close on this thought: the government should not apologize for something that it clearly cannot control. That is just plain strange to me. Bad weather and holidays don’t mix. But then again, life is just hard sometimes. Don’t apologize about that.
