"The Chinese are one of the world's most selfish people" - Editorial

This is a re-post. Someone PMd me and asked me to send it again. It seems the original thread cannot be opened? China Post editorial from Monday - there may be errors as I scanned it.

[quote]What’s wrong with Taiwan?

SARS or severe acute respiratory syndrome is hitting Taiwan harder than ever, but the epidemic is wreaking havoc more than it should be. For that, the alarmist media has to take part of the responsibility.

Ever since SARS was first reported as a threat so Taiwan more than two months ago, the media have never let up and have hyped the epidemic out of all proportions. They have been playing on the people’s fear of the highly infectious disease. They have not given personal preventive measures sufficient coverage. They have not reported in full what people under SARS quarantine should not do. (Many of those quarantined honestly do not know what not so do.)

The press have not sold people the difference between bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics that cure any type of pneumonia caused by bacteria are of no use in treating virus-infected SARS. People have to be sold why. Up so now no news reports have quoted epidemiologists in defining what suspected and probable cases are. Ask a man in the street what sets a suspected case apart from a probable one, and he will just scratch his head.

On the other hand, the media has never sired of trying so outdo each other in scaring the public wish their reports on the severity of SARS outbreaks in Taiwan and elsewhere. They have enthusiastically covered protests - and one near-riot - against measures public health authorities have so far taken so control the spread of SARS. They have given more publicity than necessary to the ugly side of human nature, revealed in the face of the epidemic.

One ugly side, representative of the Chinese, is selfishness. Almost all the people in Taiwan wish the exception of aborigines, are ethnic and cultural Chinese, albeit there are some, including a horde of top leaders, who insist that they are not. The Chinese are one of the world’s most selfish peoples. It is no coincidence that the SARS epidemic seems to have spared non-Chinese people. Japan has yet so report a SARS case. Korea has been spared. So have the United Stases and European countries. Canada has suffered, but the spread mostly affected Toronto, where there is a large Chinese community. Chinese tend to care less that what they do may affect others. When a high fever makes him suspect he might be a SARS case, a Chinese person would go so see a doctor without giving any thought so any possible harm that his hospital visit may do people with whom he might come into contact. When under quarantine, selfish Chinese people would have little compunction in breaking it for their own personal convenience.

It is virtually impossible for the selfish Chinese so forgo their personal needs to be respectful of the other people in their community.
One example suffices. The health authorities have slapped a 10-day quarantine on anybody arriving from China, Hong Kong and other SARS-affected areas after April 28. Taiwan businessmen in China started coming back via a non-affected place, like Tokyo. They have to obey Taipei’s rules banning direct flight between Taiwan and China, that require them so return via Hong Kong or Macao or any other place outside Chinese territory. They used to stop over as Hong Kong, one of the hardest his areas. Now, they fly so Tokyo, stay there for a few more days, and come back so Taiwan to avoid the compulsory quarantine, which, in fact, has inconvenienced them for the good of the public.

One outstanding characteristic of any administration in Taiwan is “to convene a meeting, where no decision is taken, and do nothing even if a decision is made at that meeting.” This recurring characteristic has been manifested plainly and ever more vividly by the Democratic Progressive Party government in the way it is handling the SARS epidemic.

When is became known that the fatal illness might spread to Taiwan from Hong Kong, the government was not concerned, convinced that the healthy island was immune. No action was taken even after the SARS scare drove people in Taipei to run to pharmacies for protective masks. Statistics were compiled so show how many people had reported coming down wish SARS symptoms, but the Department of Health seemed almost complacent about the no-fatality record Taiwan had posted until after the first SARS death occurred in Taichung.

A seemingly endless series of meetings followed. President Chen Shui-bian himself chaired a few of them. A number of decisions were made. Some of them, like the quarantine imposed on arrivals from seriously affected areas, are harsh. A special budget of NT$50 billion was approved for the war against SARS. Laws were passed to define punishment for SARS-related felonies and misdemeanors ranging from hoarding masks to breaking quarantines to advertising quack medicine.

After decisions emerged from the meetings, the last part of the above saying came on stage. To be fair, the government cannot be characterized as one that does nothing after it has made some decisions. It has done something. But practically everything it has done has been done half-heartedly at best. Quarantined people, denied their promised government food rations, were told by their public health authorities to go out to buy boxed lunches at nearby convenience stores.

Can Taiwan offset the effect of the root causes of its failure to stop SARS? There is a looming chance that Taiwan will be alone fighting SARS after the epidemic has come to an end everywhere else.[/quote]

Well, I imagine that you will get it in the neck for even posting something as “racist” as this.

Anyway, the government officials and their propensity to hold meetings, numerous and useless, is something I can definitely vouch for. I am not sure that is different from politicians or should I say politicoes in many other countries, but I will go out on a limb and say that it is probably the case that more meetings are held here with fewer discernible results. After all Dilbert is a U.S. cartoon no? Yet, I see daily examples so universal with important implications for “drive-by” leadership.

As to the selfish part, it really depends on selfish. Within “known” relationships, I would say that Chinese (Taiwanese) are extremely generous. I know several friends that would lend me NT$1 million no questions (well I am sure some) asked, but I really doubt that I could approach even a parent or sibling for a similar request so in that sense…

Also when it comes to paying or treating lunch, dinner, KTV or whatever. I am sure that over the years, I have been at the net side of receiving not giving.

Yet, I know how it is to have one’s point shanghaied so I will try to answer directly to the point. Chinese can be extremely “selfish” if you are looking at them in terms of “civic mindedness” so that explains how some visitors to our fair island are quick to notice the somewhat “unruly” aspects of island interactions (traffic, pushing in line, etc) though I would say this has been improving dramatically.

There are today fewer gridlocks (thanks to the subway) which has also by the way taught locals three important things: standing in line, second, though to a lesser degree of success, waiting until passengers necessarily get out of the train cars (elevators, off buses, out of taxis, stores, etc.), and third, moving to the right to let others pass on the left if walking faster. Okay, these are simple (perhaps Western social constructs) but given their adoption the world over, perhaps not a bad thing in making traffic, pedestrian movements more fluid.

As to the SARS thing, while I would agree that the problem has been mishandled, I really do believe that (as stated) most Taiwanese do not even know what they are supposed to do (or at least that was true in the beginning). Now that the government is getting a bit tougher, it has helped, but I remember with absolute disgust, contempt, disdain, whatever, the sight of doctors and nurses (who should know better) crying and wailing and making a fuss about the “unfairness” of the quarantine measures and I thought to myself, if they do not know what this is all about, how in the hell can the man on the street?

Oh yes, and it is important I think to realize the purpose of the editorial. Many (Western educated primarily) might look to the editorial and immediately jump all over it for its racist implications, but I think the type and style and tone is very Chinese.

Traditionally, something like this would be used to “shame” the people into the correct behavior (as determined by the school, government, etc.) so hang your head and learn your lesson.

Without understanding the cultural place of this type of approach, many might mistakenly see this as

a. justification of their racist views of Chinese/Taiwanese
b. cause to go P.C. apeshit over the writer of the editorial.

I’m Chinese to the bone and to the marrow and I confirm thee out of my own observation that Chinese Is the most selfish people in the world, unless one of you guys come up and say, “No, our people is even more selfish that Chinese.”

selfix|ax

This has nothing to dow ith not being selfish … this is to do with face…

Taiwanese people are selfish by my understanding… they are selfish to the well being of others around them since they only care for their family

:shock: Am I being racist? :shock:

This was written by (I assume from the syntax) a Chinese and appeared as an editorial in one of Taiwan’s newspapers. I offered no view on the matter, and my views don’t necessarily coincide with the content.

If you view it as racist, then may I suggest submit as much to the editors

Soddom:

No I would not say that it is “racist” hence the quotation marks, but I have found to my dismay that these kinds of threads immediately do become grist for said mills.

Also, I really do not believe that the Chinese are generous only out of a matter of face. I would say that they are much more into building long-term relationships. Okay, so friendship is a kind of investment, but I have learned to appreciate what I sense is a greater commitment to loyalty. In all fairness to our North American cousins, they seem to move around, shedding friends and even family members with what appears to be a greater ease. No?

Interesting point now that I think about it. I wonder how many of our ardent defenders of national reputations will rush to the fray now that Taiwan and China are being discussed.

Gosh, in a few more weeks I will be as bad as blueface.

I don’t think its right to say that “Chinese are selfish.” I don’t like applying characteristics like this to a whole race. I do note however, the following difference in recent reactions to the quarantining of hospital workers treating SARS patients:

In China: A nurse explains, tearfully, that she misses being able to go home to see her young son. But she is proud that she is doing the right thing for the country and is helping in the fight against SARS. she is sad but dignified.

In taiwan: A nurse petulantly stamps her feet like a child that is being denied an ice cream. She screams in a high-pitched whine that her basic human rights are being trampled on.

Surely, there comes a time when you have to put personal feelings aside and do what is right. I think in taiwan’s young democracy some people place too much emphasis on individual ‘rights’ without realising that with those rights comes 'responsibility."

but i don’t think it is a national or racial characteristic.

I’d go along with that, and add that it does seem to be an observable Taiwanese trait.

[quote=“imyourbiggestfan”]I don’t think its right to say that “Chinese are selfish.” I don’t like applying characteristics like this to a whole race. I do note however, the following difference in recent reactions to the quarantining of hospital workers treating SARS patients:

In China: A nurse explains, tearfully, that she misses being able to go home to see her young son. But she is proud that she is doing the right thing for the country and is helping in the fight against SARS. she is sad but dignified.

In Taiwan: A nurse petulantly stamps her feet like a child that is being denied an ice cream. She screams in a high-pitched whine that her basic human rights are being trampled on.

Surely, there comes a time when you have to put personal feelings aside and do what is right. I think in Taiwan’s young democracy some people place too much emphasis on individual ‘rights’ without realising that with those rights comes 'responsibility."

but I don’t think it is a national or racial characteristic.[/quote]

Maybe, but how many heroic doctors and nurses are there here that we don’t know about? You could attribute a lot of that to the media. In China the State-run media plays up the heroic nurse. In Taiwan the cockroaches put on the pinhead stamping her feet. depressingly a lot of morons lick it up.

Poor little nursie. She is going to be a great hero of the people stamping her foot bewailing the loss of her human rights in another 20 years. Then again, if she goes into politics, who will remember. After all that fiasco with Diane Lee (PFP) blasting the Health Minister for licking some guy’s ear did not end in her actually resigning or stepping down as she promised. I believe she is still there. Hurray for taking the moral high road! Diane Lee for president!

I agree that the media can influence a lot about how it was portrayed. However, I further note that the ‘petulant nurse’ was backed by a bunch of protesting coworkers and was holding herself out to the media. Thus, in this case, the chief motivating force would appear to have been the nurses’ desire to protest rather than the media’s desire to create a particular image.

Shall we split Chinese into smaller groups, as in:

  • Hakkanese
  • Hokkianese
  • Cantonese
  • Shanghainese

I’d much rather read this kind of editorial than yet another one of those “Oh if only we were part of WHO none of this would have happened” pieces.

We shall not. :sunglasses:

thanks, soddom, for reposting this, as I asked you in the PM last night. It is an interesting topic, and has been getting some good responses. Yes, it was written by a member of the CHINA POST editorial staff, a Taiwanese person, and it has already engendered 3 letters to the editor in the Post, two pro and one con, or maybe that was two con and one pro. And an editor’s note, defending the above editorial.

I just feel is was poorly poorly poorly written. Arrest that editorial writer!

For a better scoop on this, read today’s Taipei Times editorial on the very same subject, saying almost the very same things, but it a very erudite and well-written way. Maybe someone can post a link to the TT here:

Again, thanks, soddom for reposting. This has to be one of the all-time worst written worst argued editorials that sorry excuse for a newspaper has ever published. Just look at how much better the Times can say the very same thing!

It’s funny, because a few months ago, the POST published a much better and well-written editorial titled “What’s Right with Taiwan” – if anyone can find that and repost it, it would make a great antidote to the above one. Not that we have not seen some selfish behavior over this SARS thing, we sure have! But to call an entire race (race?) selfish, that is either self-loathing on the writer’s part, or self-hatred, or self-indulgence … or all three.

What are you talking about Poagao? Taiwan has had to valiantly fight the battle against SARS all by its little lonesome. It has received absolutely no information or assistance from any international organizations of any kind whatsoever. The SARS deaths in Taiwan can therefore be attributed soley to the evil Chinese for allowing the disease to spread by trying to pretend it was not there, as opposed to in Taiwan where everything has been dealth with in a responsible, professional, talented, regional operations center manner thus ensuring that all government agencies, business and academia jumped to attention to meet and discuss the issue while providing a 25-point plan to provide incentives to address the outbreak to ensure a timely and effective solution to the problem. So there!

AX:

That’s what’s called an “own goal.”
Game over.