By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Is it all just an illusion?
The appearance of harmony in the midst of chaos?
The claim of freedom when little exists?
People lying about everything just to gain face when most of what they claim is BS?
The cleanliness and order of first tier city centers compared to the outskirts where you are in a different world?
The prevalence of push-up padded bras when we all know what appears when removed?
Factories touting superior products that are just cheap crap?
Safe high-speed trains? Bridges?
The economy?
Fake everything? (remember the fake eggs?)
The government?
The whole country?
Is it all just smoke and mirrors?
All the China expats think China's a giant house of cards, and everyone outside outside of China thinks they're the next superpower and will end up ruling us all.
Whoever is doing the PR for China is doing a bang up job!
Yes, but it's like one of those low-rent illusionists at the county fair or something. The trick they do is pretty good, but you can still see the string/hook/[insert instrument of illusion] that reveals the truth.
derek:
"We" can see the string.....most of the locals choose to ignore that.
I just read where a publicly traded Chinese pharmaceutical company was selling a widely used base ingredient (a binder, I think) in many types of drugs. However, they instead were replacing the FDA approved ingredient with... gutter oil. Yep, now you can get a little bit of gutter oil with every pill you take.
The company has already been fined over US$18 million and their stock has gone to almost zero. They will probably be out of business in a month.
Of course, since this is China, they will probably be back in business under a different name in 2 months.
crimochina:
this is exactly why other countries need to stop doing business with china until they change their cheating ways. lives are on the line.
mArtiAn:
Check out the movie Zeitgeist Addendum. One hour into the film there's an MSNBC news report about a company in the states called Bayer who absolutely, positively knew that a drug they had developed was infected with the AIDS virus; so they took it off the shelves in the US and dumped it in Europe, Asia and Latin America, resulting in the deaths of thousands of haemophiliacs, all under the complete knowledge of the US government and the FDA, and all just so they could turn a financial disaster into a profit.
It's money. The root of all evil. China's full of smoke and mirror fakery and corruption, but no more than back west, not as far as i'm concerned.
thedude:
mArtiAn...I knew you would chime in and give your typical response criticizing the west instead of defending China...good deflecting but avoiding the purpose of the question.
I am not a defender of the west...but when I ask a question about China I expect a response about China...not the west. Fault in government can be found all across the globe...but why when I ask a sensitive question about China...do you respond with an attack on the west???
mArtiAn:
I knew you'd predicted it, I just didn't want to let you down, that's all. Why do I respond with a comment about the west? Because if a bunch of people are wearing silly hats and someone points to one of them and says "That guy's wearing a silly hat," I can only assume they didn't spot the other fellas, so I point it out. Just seems fair.
giadrosich:
"The love of money is the root of all evil." That's the actual quote. Money itself is just a tool; the representation of an artificial value system. Loving it, and the desire of it above all other things, causes people to do the things they do (or not), because of what the tool can achieve.
Xpat.John:
Just because everyone is wearing silly hats does not mean that it is okay to wear silly hats or that they should not be pointed at and told, "Hey, you are wearing a silly hat."
Yes, every country and major corporation has done things that are reprehensible. But, as you failed to note, Bayer and the other companies involved in that scandal were sued by people around the world for almost half a Billion dollars, not to mention the hit their stock and reps took.
But the companies that cheat here in China? Maybe they will go out of business (just to reopen the doors under another name), maybe an officer or two of the company will reportably go to prison (only to show up on a beach in Brisbane dating some HK actress) and maybe there will be lawsuits that we will never know the result of (probably because they were all paid pennies on the dollar or intimidated into dropping the suit). Here, in China, the rule of thumb is that crime DOES pay, and it pays big.
mArtiAn:
I do agree entirely, one should always make a point of pointing out the silliness of the hats in this race of rats and fat cats that we call human. As Thomas Jefferson said, "All silly hats need to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Are the Chinese hats any sillier than any other? I am yet to be convinced.
giadrosich:
My hat is green and pink stripped, pointed, and has those foil streamers on top. It also has a cool elastic string that I can tuck under my chin when I ride my buffalo. 
I love my hat, and ain't givin' it up for nobody.
Xpat.John:
OOooh! Green hats are bad in China. (If someone tells you that X is wearing a green hat, it means that X's spouse is sleeping around and everyone knows it.)
giadrosich:
Okay, I painted it. It's now purple and pink. Much better contrast! I'm keeping the foil tassels, however! No way they're gonna go!!
Xpat.John:
Keeping the foil is a good choice. It helps keep the voices (and government mind control satellites) out of your head.
mArtiAn:
Nope, it doesn't, total myth, I can still hear them. Even get BBC Radio 3 sometimes.
Totally agree Dude, it is all one big illusion. It reminds me of the circus juggler adding more and more balls or whatever and you sit there watching thinking this guys ok and then he drops one and it all tumbles down. I think we are heading to that point here, what will happen when that ball falls in a country as big as this? Who knows but I do think we are heading there.
All the China expats think China's a giant house of cards, and everyone outside outside of China thinks they're the next superpower and will end up ruling us all.
Whoever is doing the PR for China is doing a bang up job!
I think you said it right......well said my friend...........not an illusion just one of those bad days
No more so than anywhere else, just cheaper special effects.
Great question, Dude. I've often wondered why this is. I've been in China long enough to see the "man behind the curtain," so to speak, and have realized that "he" is really doing his fellow countrymen and women a disservice.
Some will disagree, but here's the kicker: China could be a great country, with its beauty, natural resources, ethnic collection, and ancient heritage, but unfortunately, it will never be a world leader under current conditions. Why? Because at this time, it's xenophobia and pride is comparative to the blind leading the blind.
From the top on down, it is all about appearance, whether you are talking domestically or internationally, and, it's a facade which is unsustainable in the long run. Sooner or later, there has to be substance in order to survive or perpetuate sound ideas. However, the substance was sucked out long ago by a chain of events; which the end of has not been reached. In other words, the bill has yet to be paid.
Think of the effects on people when ethics are thrown out the window for allegiance. The after affects of the Cultural Revolution (and all the Great Leaps Forward) taught the people that only ideology matters, and that belongs to those in Beijing. Nothing else, not family, heritage, morals, or consequences had any bearing in those days. The purpose, of course, was to tear down existing ties and culture and replace it with "revolutionary thought." Mao believed in constant chaos as being the harbinger of true Communism, but all it resulted in was collective anarchy at the local levels. One cannot destroy the academic and artistic communities in a country and have anything good come out of it.
When Deng XiaoPing opened up the country, money became the new ideology, obtainable only when one operated within the framework of the old system. Economics, however, has no "soul." As a result, this has just contributed to the problem, in that it becomes capitalism devoid of conscience (predatory capitalism), which leads to many of the situations you pointed out. The goal becomes to make money, whatever the cost and whoever it costs.
No predictions, but in my opinion, China will be brutal when it finishes "waking up," because the only law is the one that it wants to enact at the time to serve its own end, and that constantly changes to fit the situation.
And that is the core of the illusion.
mArtiAn:
But isn't capitalism ultimately devoid of conscience? You did mean conscience, didn't you? I mean, the monetary system is one of inherent inequality, for we cannot all be rich, money would lose its value, so inbalance is built into the system itself, creating all manner of social problems, abhorent behaviour and corruption. The original saying may be 'The love of money is the root of all evil' but the more popularly know version is 'Money is the root of all evil' and I think it is right on the money. Ooh, right on the money, that's funny. I'm a poet, and I didn't even know it.
giadrosich:
"But your feet show it. They're Longfellows."
Yep. I did, and have edited it to reflect the change. Thanks. And yes, economics are not ethics, but there are ethical economics. But those ethics are infused into the system by people acting accordingly. The problem is not the system, it's people. Human nature, as it were. I forget who said it, but one of those founding father dudes who helped write the constitution said that representative democracy will only work if the people retain their morals. Accountability, sacrifice, and empathy are right up there on the list of things that have gone by the wayside in many of the industrialized nations, as here in China.
One of the problems facing China is the reinstitution of those three traits. Currently, on a local or national level, there is none.
Inequality is not inherently bad, but not having the chance to become "equal" is what drives people into desperation. Not always, but when someone loses hope in their ability to better themselves (due to upbringing, education, social pressure, or lost opportunity), they start to think a little crazy. Either that, or they just take what they can get.
Tomorrow, we could jettison the monetary system and replace it with, oh, let's say shells. It would still be the same; people wanting and desiring shells, loving shells for the things it could buy and the power it would give over those who don't have shells. So, the problems would still be the same. My love of shells would twist my ethics to fit my desire, because ultimately I would want that power and wealth that a lot of shells could buy.
There is no perfect system, just as there are no perfect people.
mArtiAn:
There's a bloke called Jaques Fresco who, I think, founded a group / organization / thing called the Venus Project. His idea is to have a resource based economy, whereby all nations share their resources, and technology is the focus. According to this guy we have the resources and the technology to house, feed and supply everyone the world over with all that they could wish for. If you want the luxury of a yacht there would be library type places where you could get one, cars would work in a similar way, abundance and the luxury of wealth would be available to everyone. People would need to muck in to some extent but since technology is so far in advance of the level at which it is currently being utilized, 70% of the world's workforce would be able to quit taking positions that could just as easily be automated and just sit on their arses and vegetate and watch soap operas all day. Without the imagined need for money; crime, war and the like would vanish because people wouldn't need to worry about putting food on the table or killing each other to do so. It would all just be a great big Utopia where people dressed in togas and gave occasional sacrifices of beautiful young women to the Ewoks who would take them down into the tunnels they live in under the Earth. And Darth Vader and Luke would be able to patch things up and all would be hunky dory. Utterly naive of course, those two will never see eye to eye, but it made me think. You'd really have to take a look at those Zeitgeist movies I mentioned to get a real idea of what he's about, as I do 'not' do justice to his vision. Worth a watch.
giadrosich:
K. I'll look them up, and if I can't view them, at least read up about it on the web! Sounds interesting.
mArtiAn:
I found them all online easily enough. I find itudou good for stuff like that. The second and third ones are the ones to watch, the first is a bit more 'conspiracy theorist' type fodder. Didn't bother me, i'm a conspiracy theorist, just not everyone's cup of tea, that's all. Still interesting though.
The economic numbers are forged, the second tier cities are overextended with debt, Myanmar and Vietnam are starting to steal their business. Meanwhile the gap between poor and rich has gotten bigger.
When China crashes in 2016, it's gonna be nasty.
Hugh.G.Rection:
Why 2016? I thought the world was coming to an end this December?
nevermind:
Economists are predicting a massive Chinese reckoning in 2015.
derek:
When it happens their government will blame the "foreigners" or build a facade to continue the harmonious society. They won't know what hit them.
I think we should have "Year End Awards". Just for some fun. We could vote.
You know, like the Grammys. We could call our awards the "eChineys"......anyways..I would nominate this question as Question of the Year in the Culture Category.
What do you think AdminCat?
The stock market is the latest chapter in the book of illusions. I feel sorry for the poor working class families that were conned by their government to mortgage their homes to gamble on the (sure thing) stock market. Don't they know that the house always wins in the end?
Especially when their million yuan condos become worth half what they paid for them as the magicians bubble finally bursts.
It is all one giant holographic simulation, according to recent theories.
http://www.nature.com/news/simulations-back-up-theory-that-universe-is-a...
http://m.phys.org/news/2015-04-universe-hologram.html
http://www.iflscience.com/physics/universe-hologram
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/universe-hologram-math_n_716341...
The fact is, illusions work. Especially in backwards countries like China. Let me explain.
When China was first opening up and saw the rest of the developing world for the first time, they could see the large gulf between them and "us". But as we know the Chinese are a proud people. They immediately sought to narrow that gap. The government uses this to keep it's authority. It offers the people the illusion of being great. This works because people want to believe the illusion. It isn't difficult for Beijing to enforce the 7% growth target because everyone involved really wants to believe they are on course for a soft economic landing.
Of course illusions can't change the facts, but it has been effectively used as an opium for the masses to help prevent civil unrest.
Iron12:
It's often overlooked that the CCP started as a form of rejection of China's own backwardness. They wanted so badly to join the modernized world, that they were convinced their own culture was holding them back (possibly true). The CCP systematically destroyed so many aspects of China's culture, history, legacy and heritage.... leaving behind only the worst parts of China's culture (the ones that were likely the problem): Lack of trust(worthiness) and low confidence, which leads to all the Starving-Farmersy behaviours with Chinese characteristics we see today.
It's the age-old truism that our technology outpaces our values and ethics. Even the West is lagging behind in cultural development, struggling to keep up with technological advancements that we witnessed unfolding in our own hands. China is trying to leapfrog from feudalism to the information age. So, the inevitable results are online threats, revenge porn, wumaos, firewalls, human flesh hunts, misinformation & propaganda, deceptions and scams. Real life versions are the chengguang, tuhao, green tea bitches, hired thugs, poisoned-food-sellers and real estate mafia.
Some of the stuff China is facing, was prevalent in the west just decades ago (in moderate form). China is essentially a juvenile country with a lot of growing up to do. My opinion on whether they deserve some slack for this, differs case by case. Children are also known to abuse their position.
It is all just industry smoke and fashion mirrors. But so is a lot of what happens in the west. How much of what people really do, actually constitutes useful contributions? If so little of it is actually real, I discovered, I have no problem putting on a 3-piece suit and making full use of my appearances. It may actually take me somewhere.
