纽约时报的JERÉ LONGMAN终于明白无误地说出了美国主流媒体评判FUN的基本标准。
1、应当允许运动员在比赛当中藐视别的运动员，并做出相应的喜剧性动作。BOLT很好，罗格的批评则是误人子弟。
2、效率太高真没劲，不能排队晒太阳聊天时人感到沮丧。
3、晚上没有夜总会，街上没有妓女搭讪，没有美国式的狂欢，无聊。
4、没有抗议示威，运动员们专注比赛不搞政治，搞示威的也被迅速镇压了，没看头。
5、没有人像美国一样取笑自己的领袖，搞个政治秀什么的，俗不可耐。
6、志愿者太多、服务太好、人太NICE，吵架、打架一概的没有，难以置信。
7、走到哪里，什么都觉得是假的，反正中国好的一面都不对劲，使设计出来对付美国记者的。
总之，没有看到自己想看到的，没有符合美国标准的，都不叫“自发的”“有趣的”。当然最重要的，还是这位JERÉ LONGMAN没有把自己真正融入到中国文化中去，“自发的”体验一下中国和世界从比赛中获得的乐趣。倒霉的是，纽约时报一再催稿，实在没什么可写的（根本不了解中国，也根本不想了解），只能按照编辑的指示写这样一篇没有任何FUN的文章了。
结论：真TMD可悲啊！
8/22/2008
China and India's different take on international sports
How many medals did China get from the Olympic Games this year? 89 so far and definitely more towards the end. How many for the Indians? 3 and probably no more. So which one is winning? Hard to say. Why? They have totally different attitude toward international sports.
As usual, western media indisputably blame the communist party for the achievement of the Chinese athletes and for their suffering during the training courses. But, hey, all the achievements and the sufferings are coming from the same source: the drive to become more like the West, in every way. Unfortunately, the Chinese are still very much in the process of redemption from the national shame to national pride, by ways of competition in the global arena. The logic is quite Darwinian and nationalistic as we see in this event: think about the "project 119"...
So why the Chinese athletes were trained in such a inhumane way? Because they are trying to win games that are essentially not theirs. When Li Xiang won the 110 hurdles, people thought that the genetic curse was magically broken. But sooner or later we will realize that he is a special case. Without harder and harsher exercise, Asians are inherently inferior in many games of the anciet Olympics, particularly men. However, it's a war that we must win to prove our worthiness in the world, not the advantage of communism like the old days, and we have a plan to win it. So there's the result of our military action, many gold medals that dar beyond our average national sports capacity(according to western standard). Then what happened? When we win the national games, the world has moved on to human rights games in which the number of medals doesn't matter that much any more.
One more thing needs to be addressed here. Chinese sports system is no longer a pure Soviet system. The system today is like the Chinese economic system, also a hybrid of state management and market operation. It is a rising industry involving billions of dollars. Athletes are not merely performing for their country, but also struggling for their large sum of commercial income. Liu Xiang and Yao Ming are both successful examples of this changing system. Li Ning is even more significant considering his career as a businessman. Of course there are large numbers of young athletes fail to advance into a higher level and face dire future, but that's a dark reality in the international sports industry, not just China.
India is drastically different from China in this respect. The fundamental divergence lies in the different philosophies approaching the modern world. From the thought of Gandi on, Indians belive that the real accomplishment is not how much you act like the modern West, but how much you are different from it. The uniqueness is the national pride of India and the gold medal of whatever western game simply doesn't matter. If we can do well, fine. If we cannot, fine. Indian culture doesn't promote competition with the West as the pillar to its nationalism, rather it encourages confluence. Why pursue such vanity when you can enjoy your life?
Again, China and India's seperate ways are logical consequence from their long civilizations and their modern encounters with the West. Today, many want to compare China and india in order to showcase either a government orchestrated economic explosion or a western praised third world democracy. In my view, just like their take on the international sports, none is wrong. However, neither is complete in terms of the improvement of national health and fitness. Like so many other aspects. Both nations are still on their way trying to figure out a better future.
One of the things I sugguest they do is to revive traditional games and create more games that are more attractive and suitable to their own people, so that no matter how many olympic medals they got from these western defined games, their people are still happy and joyful.
As usual, western media indisputably blame the communist party for the achievement of the Chinese athletes and for their suffering during the training courses. But, hey, all the achievements and the sufferings are coming from the same source: the drive to become more like the West, in every way. Unfortunately, the Chinese are still very much in the process of redemption from the national shame to national pride, by ways of competition in the global arena. The logic is quite Darwinian and nationalistic as we see in this event: think about the "project 119"...
So why the Chinese athletes were trained in such a inhumane way? Because they are trying to win games that are essentially not theirs. When Li Xiang won the 110 hurdles, people thought that the genetic curse was magically broken. But sooner or later we will realize that he is a special case. Without harder and harsher exercise, Asians are inherently inferior in many games of the anciet Olympics, particularly men. However, it's a war that we must win to prove our worthiness in the world, not the advantage of communism like the old days, and we have a plan to win it. So there's the result of our military action, many gold medals that dar beyond our average national sports capacity(according to western standard). Then what happened? When we win the national games, the world has moved on to human rights games in which the number of medals doesn't matter that much any more.
One more thing needs to be addressed here. Chinese sports system is no longer a pure Soviet system. The system today is like the Chinese economic system, also a hybrid of state management and market operation. It is a rising industry involving billions of dollars. Athletes are not merely performing for their country, but also struggling for their large sum of commercial income. Liu Xiang and Yao Ming are both successful examples of this changing system. Li Ning is even more significant considering his career as a businessman. Of course there are large numbers of young athletes fail to advance into a higher level and face dire future, but that's a dark reality in the international sports industry, not just China.
India is drastically different from China in this respect. The fundamental divergence lies in the different philosophies approaching the modern world. From the thought of Gandi on, Indians belive that the real accomplishment is not how much you act like the modern West, but how much you are different from it. The uniqueness is the national pride of India and the gold medal of whatever western game simply doesn't matter. If we can do well, fine. If we cannot, fine. Indian culture doesn't promote competition with the West as the pillar to its nationalism, rather it encourages confluence. Why pursue such vanity when you can enjoy your life?
Again, China and India's seperate ways are logical consequence from their long civilizations and their modern encounters with the West. Today, many want to compare China and india in order to showcase either a government orchestrated economic explosion or a western praised third world democracy. In my view, just like their take on the international sports, none is wrong. However, neither is complete in terms of the improvement of national health and fitness. Like so many other aspects. Both nations are still on their way trying to figure out a better future.
One of the things I sugguest they do is to revive traditional games and create more games that are more attractive and suitable to their own people, so that no matter how many olympic medals they got from these western defined games, their people are still happy and joyful.
8/21/2008
Russia-U.S. tension and the misleading media in the West
After China-bashing, here is Russia-bashing. Repeatedly, western media compared today's situation in Georgia with the 1968 "Prague Spring" and reignited people's fear and disgust against Russia. Some media, in order to discredit Russia's claim of genocide, even goes to say that Russia's discover of the number killed, more than a hundred, is far below what it believed, which is over a thousand. Once peace-lover and human rights defender, the western media now turned to care more about "Sovereignty" suddenly. Currently situation is very much like the Korean War reversed: Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, armed and encouraged by the West strongly convinced that he was capable of reuniting his country by force and Russia was neither able nor quick enough to respond to his bold attack. Unfortunately, "Russia could not afford inaction," as MIKHAIL GORBACHEV clearly stated. Mr. Gorbachev also call present western media misinformation "a propaganda attack against Russia, with the American news media leading the way."
Two things are missing in the media: 1. why did Saakashvili invade Ossetia in the first place? what did he prepare to achieve domestically and internatinally?
2. how do we restore peace and order on the ground again and make sure that a proper agreement will be put into place to ensure future peace relations in the region?
The missing picture of Saakashvili's calculation and plans makes it impossible to evaluate the positions of both sides as well as future prospects of peace agreement. And the missing of the real solutions instead of rhetarics reflected how easy it is in the West to revive the old cold war nightmares than to figure out the political and security need of a democratic Russia as a state not an empire.
The expansion of NATO, the abolition of missile treaty, the agitation of independence in Kosove and the new missle defense installations in Eastern Europe signifies Washington's continuous treatment of Russia as the Soviet Union.The admission of Russia into G8 while G8 itself is loosing prestige in the world is not rewarding enough to offset Russia's disappointment after the cold war. Many American political analysts and scholars understand how important it is to give space and respect to the rising powers like China, India and sometimes Russia, but when the time comes for the west to show their respect and understanding, they are cought between their own interests and their rhetaric.
I am sure Russia is not going back to the cold war and Putin is no compare to Stalin. Russia will back off if an international agreement satisfying its request is reached. What the west should do is not pressuring Russia, but to clarify its intentions, and to dissude Georgia from a military solution. In the long run, the West will have to figure out a way to include Russia in a broader international community and play its rightful role while make sure that Russia also gives up military solutions for problems that could be prevented by a balanced international security regime. No one wants to see the return of tensions between the U.S. and Russia, except perhaps the oil speculators. Isolating Russia will be a disasterous policy.
It is especially bad for China in this situation. However, China could use its third party status to mediate an agreement and help to end the conflict in the region. Such a move will prove to the world that China has an intrinsic interest in the world peace process.
Two things are missing in the media: 1. why did Saakashvili invade Ossetia in the first place? what did he prepare to achieve domestically and internatinally?
2. how do we restore peace and order on the ground again and make sure that a proper agreement will be put into place to ensure future peace relations in the region?
The missing picture of Saakashvili's calculation and plans makes it impossible to evaluate the positions of both sides as well as future prospects of peace agreement. And the missing of the real solutions instead of rhetarics reflected how easy it is in the West to revive the old cold war nightmares than to figure out the political and security need of a democratic Russia as a state not an empire.
The expansion of NATO, the abolition of missile treaty, the agitation of independence in Kosove and the new missle defense installations in Eastern Europe signifies Washington's continuous treatment of Russia as the Soviet Union.The admission of Russia into G8 while G8 itself is loosing prestige in the world is not rewarding enough to offset Russia's disappointment after the cold war. Many American political analysts and scholars understand how important it is to give space and respect to the rising powers like China, India and sometimes Russia, but when the time comes for the west to show their respect and understanding, they are cought between their own interests and their rhetaric.
I am sure Russia is not going back to the cold war and Putin is no compare to Stalin. Russia will back off if an international agreement satisfying its request is reached. What the west should do is not pressuring Russia, but to clarify its intentions, and to dissude Georgia from a military solution. In the long run, the West will have to figure out a way to include Russia in a broader international community and play its rightful role while make sure that Russia also gives up military solutions for problems that could be prevented by a balanced international security regime. No one wants to see the return of tensions between the U.S. and Russia, except perhaps the oil speculators. Isolating Russia will be a disasterous policy.
It is especially bad for China in this situation. However, China could use its third party status to mediate an agreement and help to end the conflict in the region. Such a move will prove to the world that China has an intrinsic interest in the world peace process.
8/18/2008
台湾民主之殇
陈水扁贪腐吗？现在看来这一点好像是确定无疑的了。在很多大陆人看来，这一次海外账户大暴露无非是证明了陈水扁这个台独死硬分子的“反动本质”，一个“数典忘祖”的东西又怎么会不“监守自盗”呢？如果仅从陈水扁的个人品质和道德修养的角度看问题，似乎太简单了一点。
表面上看起来，一切挺合乎逻辑。陈水扁借权力之便聚敛钱财，为了逃避下台后的法律制裁，把财富转往海外。可是试问，一个已经当过总统的人，真的会为了几千万美元从此以后流亡海外，遗臭万年？李登辉没少贪钱，搞到最后不是什么也没有证实？前总统的待遇不还是享受着？陈幸妤发表的讲话真的是无中生有的吗？整个民进党都清白就陈水扁一个人腐烂到底了？
事实是民进党始终没有走出在野党的穷困过去，尤其是执政以后非常害怕失去既得利益和资源，千方百计为下一次竞选“战斗”留后招，保存资源。国民党的党产一直没有理清楚，而国民党半个世纪以来经营的地方资源，让缺乏精英集团、商业财团支持的民进党很难打破。这使得在竞选过程中，一旦失去意识形态、国家定位、族群争斗等挑衅性议题的支撑，民进党就很难扩大战果，突破国民党的势力范围。虽然民进党的竞选机器非常犀利，手段高超，无奈资源的匮乏使他们总是有功亏一篑的感觉。尤其是陈水扁执政以后，政绩平平，支持率日渐衰微的情况下，民进党就更要预留出部分资源，以备不测。
那么有谁来预留，隐藏，支配，这些资源呢？当然是陈水扁。作为总统，台湾宪法的漏洞和缺失使陈水扁得以充分利用总统权力，掩盖其恶行。作为党主席和党内最大实权派，陈水扁有权力和义务为民进党的未来“操心”，也有必要把持资源作为未来操控民进党的筹码。但是为什么要转移这些钱出国呢？原因很简单，台湾岛内眼睛太多，爆料太频，纸里包不住火啊！金融系统内部，民进党的可靠人物不多，万一走漏风声，民进党必被牵连，“集体沦陷”。无奈之下铤而走险，把钱辗转放到了瑞士。谁料想，曾经守口如瓶的瑞士银行现在警惕性颇高，对洗钱犯罪毫不留情，揭了民进党的老底。
陈水扁，你人不认罪？不认，说出实情，民进党会被整体拖下水，收过选举赞助费的全要宣判政治死刑。认罪，全家背黑锅，搞不好蹲监狱，祖孙三代受牵连。陈水扁认赔，选择了后者，即使切割，先把民进党撇清，后面一走法律程序，没准又闹个证据不足，蒙混过关。陈幸妤还是嫩了点，受不了冤枉，急火攻心，把事情抖了出来，惹得民进党高层纷纷出来否认。最舒心的莫过于马英九，坐收渔利，挽救了他上任以来被经济衰退不断打击的支持率。
台湾的民主闹剧是民主之殇。国家定位模糊，选举制度漏洞，贪腐政客当道，但是在这一切背后确是美国式民主的深层危机。
台湾是世界上学习美国两党制选举民主最彻底的地区。美式民主的最大弊病就在竞选经费问题上。60年代以来，美国竞选经费支出日益增加，竞选技术突飞猛进，媒体和利益集团参与度也日益加深，把政治问题逐渐转化成了作秀技能的大比拼。如何掌握竞选经费资源往往是能否胜选的关键（充分非必要）。现在，竞选，尤其是国会选举，几乎成了拼钱的同义词。美国的竞选运作深刻的影响了民进党和台湾选举运作，使之有过之而无不及。台湾的媒体尤其乐此不疲。这也就难怪民进党挖地埋金，“为子孙后代计”了。
民进党败选，隐瞒申报，黑幕重重，短期内恐怕难有起色。国民党积重难返，也不是什么台湾救星。要紧的是，台湾的人民也该认清政治的丑恶本质，把他们“民主化”的歇斯底里降降温了。毕竟成熟的民主需要成熟的选民，而不是类似“红卫兵”“愤青”“深绿”之类被煽动起来的非理性人群。
表面上看起来，一切挺合乎逻辑。陈水扁借权力之便聚敛钱财，为了逃避下台后的法律制裁，把财富转往海外。可是试问，一个已经当过总统的人，真的会为了几千万美元从此以后流亡海外，遗臭万年？李登辉没少贪钱，搞到最后不是什么也没有证实？前总统的待遇不还是享受着？陈幸妤发表的讲话真的是无中生有的吗？整个民进党都清白就陈水扁一个人腐烂到底了？
事实是民进党始终没有走出在野党的穷困过去，尤其是执政以后非常害怕失去既得利益和资源，千方百计为下一次竞选“战斗”留后招，保存资源。国民党的党产一直没有理清楚，而国民党半个世纪以来经营的地方资源，让缺乏精英集团、商业财团支持的民进党很难打破。这使得在竞选过程中，一旦失去意识形态、国家定位、族群争斗等挑衅性议题的支撑，民进党就很难扩大战果，突破国民党的势力范围。虽然民进党的竞选机器非常犀利，手段高超，无奈资源的匮乏使他们总是有功亏一篑的感觉。尤其是陈水扁执政以后，政绩平平，支持率日渐衰微的情况下，民进党就更要预留出部分资源，以备不测。
那么有谁来预留，隐藏，支配，这些资源呢？当然是陈水扁。作为总统，台湾宪法的漏洞和缺失使陈水扁得以充分利用总统权力，掩盖其恶行。作为党主席和党内最大实权派，陈水扁有权力和义务为民进党的未来“操心”，也有必要把持资源作为未来操控民进党的筹码。但是为什么要转移这些钱出国呢？原因很简单，台湾岛内眼睛太多，爆料太频，纸里包不住火啊！金融系统内部，民进党的可靠人物不多，万一走漏风声，民进党必被牵连，“集体沦陷”。无奈之下铤而走险，把钱辗转放到了瑞士。谁料想，曾经守口如瓶的瑞士银行现在警惕性颇高，对洗钱犯罪毫不留情，揭了民进党的老底。
陈水扁，你人不认罪？不认，说出实情，民进党会被整体拖下水，收过选举赞助费的全要宣判政治死刑。认罪，全家背黑锅，搞不好蹲监狱，祖孙三代受牵连。陈水扁认赔，选择了后者，即使切割，先把民进党撇清，后面一走法律程序，没准又闹个证据不足，蒙混过关。陈幸妤还是嫩了点，受不了冤枉，急火攻心，把事情抖了出来，惹得民进党高层纷纷出来否认。最舒心的莫过于马英九，坐收渔利，挽救了他上任以来被经济衰退不断打击的支持率。
台湾的民主闹剧是民主之殇。国家定位模糊，选举制度漏洞，贪腐政客当道，但是在这一切背后确是美国式民主的深层危机。
台湾是世界上学习美国两党制选举民主最彻底的地区。美式民主的最大弊病就在竞选经费问题上。60年代以来，美国竞选经费支出日益增加，竞选技术突飞猛进，媒体和利益集团参与度也日益加深，把政治问题逐渐转化成了作秀技能的大比拼。如何掌握竞选经费资源往往是能否胜选的关键（充分非必要）。现在，竞选，尤其是国会选举，几乎成了拼钱的同义词。美国的竞选运作深刻的影响了民进党和台湾选举运作，使之有过之而无不及。台湾的媒体尤其乐此不疲。这也就难怪民进党挖地埋金，“为子孙后代计”了。
民进党败选，隐瞒申报，黑幕重重，短期内恐怕难有起色。国民党积重难返，也不是什么台湾救星。要紧的是，台湾的人民也该认清政治的丑恶本质，把他们“民主化”的歇斯底里降降温了。毕竟成熟的民主需要成熟的选民，而不是类似“红卫兵”“愤青”“深绿”之类被煽动起来的非理性人群。
8/13/2008
The End of American Economic Model and A New Era
The American economic model is near death. Note, I am not saying that American economic system is going to die. Capitalism, free market economy and entrepreneurship will continue to dominate world economic system for a long long time. However, the age of an extensive use of energy as the basis for economic growth is over. Maybe I am too late to point this out. The trend has started from the 1970s, not today. But the ramification was not clear until energy crisis was magnified by financial crisis as well as food crisis. None of the previous recession or crisis has such profound impact and deep interconnections, many thanks to globalization, financial engineering and technological advancement. Growing global coordination and governance was able to contain some of the crisis and straighten out abnormal economic abruptions, but apparently there are certain limits that nation-states are not ready to cross, as recent events of EU, WTO and G8 meetings showed to us.
The expanding disconcert among international actors is largely due to changing dynamics of global economic power as well as natural resource possessions. Aggregated demand for energy from developing countries, particularly China which followed American industrial model closely, has finally surpass supply in the 21st century, inflating energy prices to a breaking point. While on the other hand, sellers of energy, oil especially, are either despotic or unstable politically, adding so called security premium to the price. Higher than ever energy prices endangered global economy: U.S. and China in particular. These two countries are working together as the engine of global trade and development, while China offering low price consumer products to Americans and low interest money to finance the purchase at the same time. The Chinese cheap labors and American greedy consumers are at the center of this cycling model.
However, when we celebrated the dazzling speed of Chinese economic development and the increasing wealth of American corporate profits, we missed two fatal weaknesses of it: no matter how low the interest is, you’ve got to pay it back and no matter how low the energy price is, there will be a day of total depletion. So the party is over now as we all know how it happened. Politically, some call it “the return of history”. Other than a new game of great power struggle, what’s at the bottom is a new competition for energy security.
There is only one way to avoid war and safely transfer to a new model of economy: a true sustainable and renewable economy. But the pain is too acute and the transition is too long to bear for many in the U.S. and China. Democracy and harmonious society require sophisticated and smart political skill to navigate through these perilous waters. If not handled well, a pro-environment government could be voted out of office for ignoring people’s suffering and a pro-industry upgrade group could be silenced for sacrificing jobs or social stability.
Once realizing the impasse of American model today, China has a better chance of altering its course toward a greener future. New buildings could be more energy efficient, new factories could be more environmental friendly, new transportation system could be emission free, if the government put in a set of regulations that make sense economically and pragmatically. After all, riding buses and bicycles isn’t as bad as we thought.
P.S. I love all the small cars running around on the American roads now. Feels like Europe sometimes, haha….
The expanding disconcert among international actors is largely due to changing dynamics of global economic power as well as natural resource possessions. Aggregated demand for energy from developing countries, particularly China which followed American industrial model closely, has finally surpass supply in the 21st century, inflating energy prices to a breaking point. While on the other hand, sellers of energy, oil especially, are either despotic or unstable politically, adding so called security premium to the price. Higher than ever energy prices endangered global economy: U.S. and China in particular. These two countries are working together as the engine of global trade and development, while China offering low price consumer products to Americans and low interest money to finance the purchase at the same time. The Chinese cheap labors and American greedy consumers are at the center of this cycling model.
However, when we celebrated the dazzling speed of Chinese economic development and the increasing wealth of American corporate profits, we missed two fatal weaknesses of it: no matter how low the interest is, you’ve got to pay it back and no matter how low the energy price is, there will be a day of total depletion. So the party is over now as we all know how it happened. Politically, some call it “the return of history”. Other than a new game of great power struggle, what’s at the bottom is a new competition for energy security.
There is only one way to avoid war and safely transfer to a new model of economy: a true sustainable and renewable economy. But the pain is too acute and the transition is too long to bear for many in the U.S. and China. Democracy and harmonious society require sophisticated and smart political skill to navigate through these perilous waters. If not handled well, a pro-environment government could be voted out of office for ignoring people’s suffering and a pro-industry upgrade group could be silenced for sacrificing jobs or social stability.
Once realizing the impasse of American model today, China has a better chance of altering its course toward a greener future. New buildings could be more energy efficient, new factories could be more environmental friendly, new transportation system could be emission free, if the government put in a set of regulations that make sense economically and pragmatically. After all, riding buses and bicycles isn’t as bad as we thought.
P.S. I love all the small cars running around on the American roads now. Feels like Europe sometimes, haha….
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