May 24 2008
paul denlinger asks: “can’t we all just get along?”
Yes, the famous line from the Rodney King Riots in the 1990′s seems to apply today so well. I wanted to highlight a piece by Paul Denlinger at China Vortex this weekend, partially because I enjoyed it, and partially because it ignited a storm of comments on his blog. Frankly, I thought it worth the read. So here you have it, the weekend review piece:
Following the Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake, it has been very interesting to watch how the Chinese government and people have reacted, and how many western observers have reacted. For the first time in Chinese history, the Chinese government has ordered that Chinese flags have to be lowered to half-staff, for three days from May 19-21. What is most significant, is that this is the first time that the flag has been lowered for ordinary civilians in Chinese history, ever.
Unlike in Washington DC, where you can find war monuments to Americans killed in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, there are no war memorials to Chinese soldiers or civilians killed in these wars, or to any who died as a result of bad government policy decisions. For the most part, they have just become unknown individuals who died and are now forgotten.
This is why the decision to lower the Chinese flag for ordinary civilians is so different and marks a break with the past. For the first time in its history, the Chinese government is saying that it is OK to mourn for ordinary civilians. This did not happen during the Tangshan earthquake, which killed some 450,000 civilians in 1976, or in 1989, or even so much during the SARS crisis of 2003.
For the first time, a Chinese government has embraced the idea that any human life, even that of ordinary human lives, has value. Actually, this is a very western concept, and is a very important step on the road to democracy. Is this not a valuable change in China’s reforms and opening up? This will make it that much more difficult for any Chinese government to dismiss the value of any Chinese lives which are lost in the future, whether they are due to natural disaster, or war, or for political reasons.
I don’t disagree at all… and in fact, I think its a great thing. I am not necessarily pro-democracy like Paul here, though I am American and I do recognize its benefits over most other forms of government. But I digress.
What caught me is this statement: “Chinese government has embraced the idea that any human life, even that of ordinary human lives, has value.” I don’t know if you think about this too much, but this is the basis for many rights, freedoms, and privileges. The idea of the right to life (and the subsequent abortion debate) springs directly from this. The value of a human life also means the value of a human to express opinions and dialogue… or freedom of speech. I don’t think I need to carry on too much about this. But it’s an astounding concept that China has picked up from the west. Because this can be the beginning of a worldview change for the Chinese people. I don’t know it if actually will be, but this is the concept that shakes up all things.
It also means that the rule of law should become more important. Which is something I heavily favor in any society. Yes, law can be abused, no question. And it can be harsh. But in general, rule of law means that each person is treated equally under the eyes of law. Which has a host of implications, frankly. But as an advocate for the rule of law, this is one concept that leads directly to it. Because without inherent human dignity, it is hard to figure out why we want treat people equally.
Maybe I’m asking too much, but can some people, Americans especially, try to look at China through the eyes of the Chinese, and not always try to scare and frighten other Americans into asking what the “rise” of China means to the US and the west? Is it too much to think or ask that maybe, just maybe, Chinese don’t spend everyday plotting how to steal their jobs and turn America into a third-world economy? And that maybe, they are just ordinary people who are trying to get along in life, and raise their child and get him/her in a good school, and buy a house? And that the government is far from perfect, but it has allowed ordinary Chinese to have a much better standard of living than before, and is now, for the first time, beginning to care for and mourn the loss of ordinary civilian lives?
There’s a very simple rule: If you reach out and treat people like friends, they tend to act like friends, and if you treat them suspiciously, they become enemies.
I am with Paul on this one too. Getting information and displaying true sympathy and empathy will go a long way in bridging the cultural gap that exists between Americans and Chinese.
