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Q: What is your opinion about negative expats?
You can see what I am talking about by some of the responses to the Answers section here.
I am not referring to the western/Chinese debates we all have with one another. I am referring to the people who have a completely negative view of life, culture, society and government of China.
When we come to China, we begin the Culture Shock process. Some people get through it well. Others have a hard transition. I have to admit that I had a hard transition. But, it seems that some expats have never been able to move beyond the rejection and into native modes. They always complain about China. Refusing to try to understand, conform, or whatever you want to call it.
So, the question...Why do some expats have this negative mentality develop? Why do they want to stay in a country they apparently dislike? And, what might be some "cures" to go from negative to semi-positive thinking in China.
I have gotten a bit more jaded about things in China. I just do not want to get to the point of total conversion to a negative expat. Debate, dialog, and discussions are healthy I think. But, reverting to complete revolt of Chinese ways seems very dangerous and unhealthy to me.
I’m intensely cynical about Chinese society, culture and government. I’ll give you my opinion.
Culture shock has nothing to do with the negativity you describe. Culture shock is the feeling of displacement and vulnerability that some people experience when they first start acclimatising to a foreign culture. I experienced mild culture shock for a week or two not long after moving to China. It is a phenomenon that affects newcomers to a foreign culture, and does not in any way inform my negative opinions.
The first year I was in China I just had so much fun, and so many new experiences, that “problems” rarely entered my awareness. Once I settled into a routine, however, I started to realise the depth and complexity of social problems in China. I immediately became interested in talking to local people about their perspective.
In all other countries I have visited, people are all-too-willing to talk about their country’s issues (therefore one can gain knowledge and perspective very quickly). Most Chinese people, however, immediately retreat into nationalism and denial. “You are biased.” “It is the same everywhere.” “You don’t understand Chinese culture.” As a result of Chinese people’s preference for obfuscation instead of communication, I became interested in reading independent news sites (like SCMP), and researching Chinese history.
My opinions are critical and developed, not an emotional reflex due to not understanding my surroundings. Did you just choose a random phenomenon that you’ve heard of (culture shock), and use it to conveniently dismiss ALL criticisms of China?
Chinese society is squalid, and its inhabitants are complacent and indifferent. They do not value lucidity or reason, and they don’t acknowledge problems. As expats, we can either maintain a critical awareness or be assimilated. I fight a constant battle to avoid my soul being mired in filth and apathy.
This scene from The NeverEnding Story will serve as a metaphor: Artax!
If you don’t want to acknowledge or discuss the things you see with your own eyes, don’t. If you don’t want to know about the history or political situation of the country you live in, don’t. I would like my understanding of reality to be as honest as possible, but the reality is very dark.
Finally:
For EACH of the following phenomena, tell me A) what you think of it, and B) why it happens. And seeing as you disapprove of negativity, please keep the answers positive.
Spitting
Phlegm gargling
Littering
Public defecation
Pushing in front of others
Ignoring people in distress
Pointing and laughing at foreigners
Whispering and snickering at black people
Starting fights on planes
Shitting on planes
Opening cabin doors during take-off or landing
Defacing 3,000-year-old Egyptian temples
Unambiguous vocal support of genocide (against Japan)
Celebrating catastrophes in other countries (e.g. the Philippines)
Rat meat sold as lamb
Rotten meat repackaged and re-dated
Cancer-causing agents knowingly used in food
Animal cruelty
Tiger and elephant genocide
Acceptance of domestic violence and rape
Primary school student rape
Middle school students as mistresses
Frequent disappearance of female university students
Gender-selective abortions
Forced abortions
Forced demolitions
Forced confessions
Deaths in police custody
Chengguan brutality
Migrant worker pay disputes
Grand-scale (US $billions) charity fraud by government members
The Cultural Revolution
Public torture
Public executions
Mass-starvation
Cultural genocide
The use of tanks against student protesters
History denial
Censorship of information and the internet
Banning of books, movies and TV shows
Intellectual property theft
Military expansionism
Wealth disparity
Legal inequality
Non-accountability of official departments
Social and political apathy
Culture of lies
When you’ve finished, I’ll give you a new list.
ScotsAlan:
Dirty and apathetic... you described me perfectly
.
I totally agree with everything you said. But.... always a but.... I think many many people have been conditioned, brainwashed even. Every country, every political affiliation tries to brainwash. The brainwashed go forth and educate. They teach that their way is the right way.
We all do this. I do it. Hulk does it. Scan does it. We all try to project our ideologies upon others. That's why we post here.
I firmly believe left wing liberal politics is the right thing. So I try to promote it. The right wing dismiss me as an apologist.
China, as a nation, is a massive social experiment on a scale never before seen on our blue spec of blue. Some people dismiss it as evil, offhand, because they have been taught that. They have been told what to think.
But, another but, most people posting on here are smart. They are open minded.
I should also add... I do like a good fight with a right winger. I know where they are coming from, I understand what they say. But they are wrong, because my conditioning dictates that
royceH:
Thanks Samsara, I appreciated that. All the stuff that we know but are too inarticulate to express.
The poster is a phony I reckon.
BTW, what's happened to your likeness?
And, @Scotsman......You're a BLOODY APOLOGIST!
ScotsAlan:
yup Royce. I am. But I wont back down from an arguement. And thats why this site is good. We have some good fights now and then...
Englteachted:
I'm gonna add brainwashing, yesterday I mentioned that in the US we have a 40 hour/ 5 day work week. The friend replied , that they it is the same in China. I pointed out that she works 6 days a week for a total of 54 hours. Her reply was yes but we have the same in China.
thedude:
Best post of the past year...I beg any of the wumao's out there to rationally argue this point.
You can't.
coineineagh:
plenty more you can add to that list. good one. just want to mention that the rat meat sold as lamb is probably an anti-xinjiang hoax to get people to stop buying their ethnic kebabs -still quite appalling, especially when you think of how many people believe the story without considering the practicalities and dangers of a minority raising, skinning and cooking rats to sell to xenophobic han when they could just sell real lamb. han might try it, thinking that if you cheat and hurt people, there must be profit. xinjiangren probably have more sense. oh, and that red cross guomeimei story was also concocted for publicity profits, if that's the charity embezzlement you referredto…
expatlife26:
Very well written, and a good point about culture shock.
Culture shock is going to Austria and realizing they have NO Sonic Drive in restaurants and all the stores close at 5. It's frustrating at first but you learn to build your routines around every Austrian being really really lazy and refusing to work after 5. You accept that it's their loss and that's why they don't have an empire anymore. Hard to hold onto Poland if your army guys all go home at 5.
But yeah culture shock is more about routines and preferences than things which can be objectively good or bad. It's frustrating stores don't stay open late, but it's nice that nobody expects you to work late either.
A lot of stuff here is just objectively bad. Refusing to stand in line is not a cultural thing because it's frustrating for everybody. If selfishness gets to be a cultural value than we get to start ranking cultures on objective traits.
You are naive in the extreme. All ex-pat sites are like this...bloggers will relate that they had a good day, a pleasant day, an okay day, etc. But sites like this garner the extreme views...we have our share of Pollyannas, those with rose-colored glasses, middle-of-the-road types, realists and negative-nancys.
You're certainly not the first to spout the "love-it-or-leave-it" nonsense nor will you be the last.
You just "joined" a short time ago yet you're a prolific poster. What's you're problem? No social life? Attention seeker? What's YOUR story?
ambivalentmace:
the strange thing you will notice is "the love or leave it" prophets usually leave first and the negatives stay in china longer, changing people's perception of reality is a waste of time in most cases, but why the idealist leave first or after short stays in china might be a good topic of discussion, i find few long term expats that have conformed, as much as i would like to break the que and rush to a door no matter who or how many are on the other side, i mean i might die on this side of the door instead of that side of the door.
MissA:
I love watching the newbie pollyanna types becoming jaded. The transition usually takes about 6 months
expatlife26:
He could be our new Union rep. We should check with The Leader
I am not a negative expat, I am merely reflecting what I observe.
ADULTS using the street as toilets, feeding people recycled "gutter oil", non-edible (read:TOXIC) food, poisonous baby formula, a population of zombies incapable of independent thought, lawless rich kids who think that they can do whatever they want, and a generation of spoiled rotten brats...
But no, I am the problem.
Sure, excessive negativity anywhere doesn't do a lot of good. There are positives and negatives in any situation and I would say that a person's disposition influences his outlook more than his circumstances. Being in China presents lots of positives and negatives and focusing only on the negatives won't make things any better.
That being said, there's nothing wrong with pointing about obvious flaws in something. From people spitting left and right to lack of rule of law, unsafe food, toxic air and uncivilized behavior there are numerous negatives about China. There are plenty of positives too like low cost of living, people making sacrifices for family members and an excellent high speed train network. But people don't go online to talk about how cool it is to take a train from Shenyang to Dalian in 3 hours. People use the internet to vent about the daily bullshit in their lives. I bet a lot of the negative posters on this site are relatively content day to day and keep their anger bottled up to be released online. It's thereapeutic really.
On another note, I share Sinobear's suspicions about the OP account. This new account has been posting an awful lot of questions recently that seem intended to bring out strong opinions. I don't want to jump to any accusations but it smells a little fishy.
People who post here are all at different phases of their "China experience".
I am in the positive phase at the moment, probably because I have not been personally affected by such things as corruption or discrimination yet. Other people have had that experience, and their view on China changes.
Why do people stay when they don't like much of what they see? Well, why not? If I was in the UK at the moment I would have nothing good to say about the present Government. But nobody would say to me "if you don't like it you can feck off".
Most of the really negative stuff about living in China comes from the CFTU. Not from the pages of this Q&A forum.
Yeah you have a lot of good points. However I think a lot of the venting that goes on is understandable. It is tiring living a foreign country, particularly a developing one. Even more so in China where they are a lot of things that grate more than other Asian countries. A lot of people love being in China, but feel the need to vent. Natural then to want to talk to people who are going through the same thing.
A good 60 to 70 percent of posters will say bad things about China in every post and never once say anything even slightly approaching complimentary. It is a bit tedious. They should go home. If somebody emigrates into your country, says I hate the weather, people food, culture, everything about it, nothing is good. You would say "why don't you go home". Completely reasonable, completely rational, utterly valid viewpoint.
ignore sinobear. People who look to get personal every time aren't worth the s**t on your shoe. Post as much as you want you have every right to. Your life will be better than his trust me
ScotsAlan:
I normally post positive comments. Because I am a socialist so I have a different take on China.
But I have to vent too at times. And lets not forget that many foreigners here live in places with no other foreigners.
Hotwater:
Then you must be the only socialist in China! I'm more of a unionist myself ;-)
ScotsAlan:
I describe myself as a socialist because communnist is too difficult to spell
Sinobear:
@dokken: It's ironic that you support a troll AND include an ad-hominem attack as well. I smell a sock-puppet!
expatlife26:
I think we all know the only true Union. Which shall remain nameless.
No trash & bash expats here.
AladinSane:
I already asked this in another thread - but is your username based on Don Dokken's band because that would rule. \M/
...And that brings me to one China-gripe I'm still not over - ain't no metalheads here!
dokken:
Yeah it is. I saw them play in music video for nightmare on elm street. They re very cheesy but cheesey good. I love the emotional fists when he reaches the high notes
I love how ppl new to this forum think they're the first to ask this question. Do a quick search, pretty sure most people have answered this question once or twice.
I’m intensely cynical about Chinese society, culture and government. I’ll give you my opinion.
Culture shock has nothing to do with the negativity you describe. Culture shock is the feeling of displacement and vulnerability that some people experience when they first start acclimatising to a foreign culture. I experienced mild culture shock for a week or two not long after moving to China. It is a phenomenon that affects newcomers to a foreign culture, and does not in any way inform my negative opinions.
The first year I was in China I just had so much fun, and so many new experiences, that “problems” rarely entered my awareness. Once I settled into a routine, however, I started to realise the depth and complexity of social problems in China. I immediately became interested in talking to local people about their perspective.
In all other countries I have visited, people are all-too-willing to talk about their country’s issues (therefore one can gain knowledge and perspective very quickly). Most Chinese people, however, immediately retreat into nationalism and denial. “You are biased.” “It is the same everywhere.” “You don’t understand Chinese culture.” As a result of Chinese people’s preference for obfuscation instead of communication, I became interested in reading independent news sites (like SCMP), and researching Chinese history.
My opinions are critical and developed, not an emotional reflex due to not understanding my surroundings. Did you just choose a random phenomenon that you’ve heard of (culture shock), and use it to conveniently dismiss ALL criticisms of China?
Chinese society is squalid, and its inhabitants are complacent and indifferent. They do not value lucidity or reason, and they don’t acknowledge problems. As expats, we can either maintain a critical awareness or be assimilated. I fight a constant battle to avoid my soul being mired in filth and apathy.
This scene from The NeverEnding Story will serve as a metaphor: Artax!
If you don’t want to acknowledge or discuss the things you see with your own eyes, don’t. If you don’t want to know about the history or political situation of the country you live in, don’t. I would like my understanding of reality to be as honest as possible, but the reality is very dark.
Finally:
For EACH of the following phenomena, tell me A) what you think of it, and B) why it happens. And seeing as you disapprove of negativity, please keep the answers positive.
Spitting
Phlegm gargling
Littering
Public defecation
Pushing in front of others
Ignoring people in distress
Pointing and laughing at foreigners
Whispering and snickering at black people
Starting fights on planes
Shitting on planes
Opening cabin doors during take-off or landing
Defacing 3,000-year-old Egyptian temples
Unambiguous vocal support of genocide (against Japan)
Celebrating catastrophes in other countries (e.g. the Philippines)
Rat meat sold as lamb
Rotten meat repackaged and re-dated
Cancer-causing agents knowingly used in food
Animal cruelty
Tiger and elephant genocide
Acceptance of domestic violence and rape
Primary school student rape
Middle school students as mistresses
Frequent disappearance of female university students
Gender-selective abortions
Forced abortions
Forced demolitions
Forced confessions
Deaths in police custody
Chengguan brutality
Migrant worker pay disputes
Grand-scale (US $billions) charity fraud by government members
The Cultural Revolution
Public torture
Public executions
Mass-starvation
Cultural genocide
The use of tanks against student protesters
History denial
Censorship of information and the internet
Banning of books, movies and TV shows
Intellectual property theft
Military expansionism
Wealth disparity
Legal inequality
Non-accountability of official departments
Social and political apathy
Culture of lies
When you’ve finished, I’ll give you a new list.
ScotsAlan:
Dirty and apathetic... you described me perfectly.
I totally agree with everything you said. But.... always a but.... I think many many people have been conditioned, brainwashed even. Every country, every political affiliation tries to brainwash. The brainwashed go forth and educate. They teach that their way is the right way.
We all do this. I do it. Hulk does it. Scan does it. We all try to project our ideologies upon others. That's why we post here.
I firmly believe left wing liberal politics is the right thing. So I try to promote it. The right wing dismiss me as an apologist.
China, as a nation, is a massive social experiment on a scale never before seen on our blue spec of blue. Some people dismiss it as evil, offhand, because they have been taught that. They have been told what to think.
But, another but, most people posting on here are smart. They are open minded.
I should also add... I do like a good fight with a right winger. I know where they are coming from, I understand what they say. But they are wrong, because my conditioning dictates that
royceH:
Thanks Samsara, I appreciated that. All the stuff that we know but are too inarticulate to express.
The poster is a phony I reckon.
BTW, what's happened to your likeness?
And, @Scotsman......You're a BLOODY APOLOGIST!
ScotsAlan:
yup Royce. I am. But I wont back down from an arguement. And thats why this site is good. We have some good fights now and then...
Englteachted:
I'm gonna add brainwashing, yesterday I mentioned that in the US we have a 40 hour/ 5 day work week. The friend replied , that they it is the same in China. I pointed out that she works 6 days a week for a total of 54 hours. Her reply was yes but we have the same in China.
thedude:
Best post of the past year...I beg any of the wumao's out there to rationally argue this point.
You can't.
coineineagh:
plenty more you can add to that list. good one. just want to mention that the rat meat sold as lamb is probably an anti-xinjiang hoax to get people to stop buying their ethnic kebabs -still quite appalling, especially when you think of how many people believe the story without considering the practicalities and dangers of a minority raising, skinning and cooking rats to sell to xenophobic han when they could just sell real lamb. han might try it, thinking that if you cheat and hurt people, there must be profit. xinjiangren probably have more sense. oh, and that red cross guomeimei story was also concocted for publicity profits, if that's the charity embezzlement you referredto…
expatlife26:
Very well written, and a good point about culture shock.
Culture shock is going to Austria and realizing they have NO Sonic Drive in restaurants and all the stores close at 5. It's frustrating at first but you learn to build your routines around every Austrian being really really lazy and refusing to work after 5. You accept that it's their loss and that's why they don't have an empire anymore. Hard to hold onto Poland if your army guys all go home at 5.
But yeah culture shock is more about routines and preferences than things which can be objectively good or bad. It's frustrating stores don't stay open late, but it's nice that nobody expects you to work late either.
A lot of stuff here is just objectively bad. Refusing to stand in line is not a cultural thing because it's frustrating for everybody. If selfishness gets to be a cultural value than we get to start ranking cultures on objective traits.
Conform???????? So I should go out and take a shit in the streets?
This guy is a troll. ignore him.
Some people on echinacities have been at Grandad's bottle of grumpy pills. Some people just love being unhappy I guess. I guess they picked the right country to live in then. Lord knows if they moved back to Foreignland then they wouldn't have anything to bitch about.
laowaigentleman:
Like all of the people on the dole in NZ who're perfectly capable of working, haha 
Although this question is no less tedious than the constant China hate, I do share some of the views. I dont understand why people stay if they hate everything so bad.
90% of posters here use it to rant and vent and thats cool. If you dont wanna rant sometimes then something is wrong with you.
My problem comes from people like samsara. People that have never once formed a unbiased opinion. Just pure hate.
It bugs me that people are so in love with his style of writing. Hes good i get it. But hes an evil dude. I imagine he was working in propaganda for the SS in a former life. Replace Chinese with Jews and hes much less enjoyable.
In my opinion, if your going to dump on the place, at least try to sneak something positive in there once in a while. Even if you dont mean it.
I also dont like how people seem to forget all of their travels and experiences and their own freaking hometowns when they bitch about China. When this is brought up, excuses are made.
I have been to Africa , south america and many places and my most vivid memory of Ethiopia is a group of women on the side of the highway hiking up their dresses shitting on the road. Your gonna tell me that none of you have looked around to see whos looking and ran to piss against a pole or building?? Doesnt matter if your drunk. A piss is a piss.
Macchu Picchu is covered in graffiti. But i cant recall seing chinese characters there. Perhaps they wrote english to cover their tracks??
Im not a China apologist at all, but we should at least try to check ourselves a little when we complain that Chinese are souless pricks for demanding money at the slightest trouble ( my quote) but also remember that it was the States that invented asking for hot coffee then sueing because its too hot.
royceH:
I'm a Samsara fan, gotta admit it. When I read his stuff I chubby up.
He doesn't strike me as a China hater, just someone who hates the things that go on and are accepted as normal.
I'm a Mike fan too, though. You say what you want and I don't recall ever being affronted by it.
Discussion of Chinese topics sure isn't possible in real life. The locals aren't capable of it. So we let it all hang out here.
That's cool.
dongbeiren:
I really don't understand the logic of the statement about replacing Chinese with Jews- SamSara is obviously a talented writer and an intelligent person. Any talented person could use his talents to cause harm. I mean is it fair to say that a brilliant American rocket scientist is an evil dude because he COULD be working for the North Koreans instead? What if?
mike695ca:
You are correct. But i think he IS doing harm. There is always room for fair arguments in every topoc but i feel 100% of what he sais is pure racist. Hes what I call a " life english teacher" only using English as a tool to spread his real message that everything in this country is shit and his students are doing everything wrong. I have not seen him teach of course, but i know the type, and everyone else that uses this place for ranting shares at least a few other tid-bits as well.
Samsara:
Goodness gracious.
You have created quite a persona for me, Mike. You know what they say about resorting to Nazi comparisons in argument though.
The only thing I have in common with the SS is that I am usually well dressed.
Unlike the SS, however, I am anti-authoritarian, do not believe any race is genetically superior, consider ideological control to be the chief cause of all problems rather than the solution, despise violence, value the exchange of information, and would like Chinese people to be given more assistance, good things, rights and privileges by the state (as opposed to exterminated).
Regarding my students:
They're wonderful. I think there's a huge difference between them and their parents' generation (in terms of awareness and behaviour). What result Xi Jinping's vendetta against Western values will have, who knows?
"He's what I call a 'life english teacher'. "
And you are the only person I've ever suspected of being genetically inferior.
gouxiong:
Well I also agree that using SS argument is going a bit too far. I am also not Budhist and therefore whatever I or anybody else did in former life I find irrelevant as even Budhisthell makes sure to wipe person's memory before releasing the person to the world. But other than that I pretty much agree with Mike695ca statement. I am also surprised at the amount of very passive expat "masochists" who apparently do not like majority of things they face here but rather than doing something about it simply endlessly complain. There is nothing wrong with the fact that these people like their own values and apparently believe it would be good idea if other people follow them too. However the shear arrogance which leads to the conclusion that other people and culture MUST follow them is shocking. But apparently this situation is not going to change anytime soon as the amount of such people, as visible also here, is not decreasing ...
We all vent, China is obviously far from perfect. I could make a huge list of things I don't like a smaller list of things I do but... that is just human nature. Venting and fuming is human nature.
The most annoying thing is hearing someone CONSTANTLY complain without doing anything about it. Yeah, your job sucks... Chinese management sucks... your living quarters suck... let's plan a way out of it and have a beer.
It is embarrassing to me when a foreigner decides I am going to agree with 100% of what he/she says while totally insulting China around a large group of Chinese people around them (like at a bar or something). Best to pack up and leave or DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT if it bothers you to the point all you do is spit venom.
I did.
The trolls are out in force for this one.
Going to a country in an area where there are no public restrooms and seeing people take a dump off the side of the road does not compare to people taking a dump in the middle of the side walk in a mall when there are a shitload of public toilets. Comparing a drunk taking a public piss with the normal habit of taking a public piss is foolish because of the sheer volume.
How the fuck can anyone knock Samsara? He states clear facts.Both positive and negative.
The freedom and will to complain is how countries improve. 5 years ago I never saw Chinese people line up for anything. Now I slowly see more and more areas where Chinese are forced to line up. Look at the ad campaigns that are run by the government, trying to teach Chinese to let elderly , pregnant women get a seat on public transportation. Look at cities like Guangzhou tryng to punish people for spitting , shitting on the streets.
Why do you think that is? Why do you think there is an effort to clean up Beijing's air? It all started with compliant.
The retarded infantile idea that we don't complain in our home countries shows how stupid and uneducated you are. When I look at America, I see the worst example of Democracy in existence. But problems are slowly being solved like Healthcare and though it still needs work it is progress.
Talk to people who are smarter than me, they'll tell you when a country starts to limit free speech and the flow of information it is a sign that things will get worse. Because countries where people don't have the ability to complain are the shittiest countries to live and they remain the same.
People love to talk about how better HK is when compared to mainland. Why do you think that is? If something is wrong, they complain about it.
Spitting - *see below
Phlegm gargling - Keeps China in First Place as grossest people of planet
Littering - employs street-sweepers
Public defecation - feeds stray dogs
Pushing in front of others - develops mobility and dexterity
Ignoring people in distress - helps develop 119 response
Pointing and laughing at foreigners - so they don’t feel ignored / alone
Whispering and snickering at black people - *same
Starting fights on planes - provides real-world training for aircrew
Shitting on planes - reduces wait for toilet facilities
Opening cabin doors during take-off or landing - tests aircraft emergency systems
Defacing 3,000-year-old Egyptian temples - helps archaeologists up their game
Unambiguous vocal support of genocide (against Japan) - reinforces concept of population control by population extermination
Celebrating catastrophes in other countries (e.g. the Philippines) - helps legitamize the whines of the UN
Rat meat sold as lamb - saves cute lambs
Rotten meat repackaged and re-dated - decreases waste
Cancer-causing agents knowingly used in food - provides research population for cancer research
Animal cruelty - helps establish dominance of Homo Sapien
Tiger and elephant genocide - decrease extremely dangerous animal population
Acceptance of domestic violence and rape -
Primary school student rape - real-world SexEd
Middle school students as mistresses - real-world EconomicsEd
Frequent disappearance of female university students - reduces classroom size
Gender-selective abortions - makes it easier for ugly girl to get date
Forced abortions - now mother doesn’t have to feel guilty about choice
Forced demolitions - removes dangerous structures
Forced confessions - saves court time
Deaths in police custody - see above
Chengguan brutality - practice to control Japanese dogs
Migrant worker pay disputes - develops their negotiating skills
Grand-scale (US $billions) charity fraud by government members -
The Cultural Revolution - public got to practice calligraphy
Public torture - makes execution desirable
Public executions - reduces overpopulation
Mass-starvation - reduces overpopulation
Cultural genocide - reinforces populations choice of White=Best
The use of tanks against student protesters - was just going to offer him a ride home
History denial - less stress on students
Censorship of information and the internet - keeps population happy because they are exposed to happy thoughts
Banning of books, movies and TV shows - gives population more time to be at work so they have higher earnings
Intellectual property theft - actually sharing is caring
Military expansionism - military shit looks cool !
Wealth disparity - makes getting rich a goal
Legal inequality - makes being powerful a goal
Non-accountability of official departments - rewards for becoming powerful
Social and political apathy - who cares?
Culture of lies - who, me?
Yay! I'm so smart~ 
Samsara:
Oh my god, that was amazing. I read this on my phone when I woke up this morning (at midday) and had tears coming out of my eyes. I think the highlights were "Saves cute lambs" and "Real world EconomicsEd".
Phenomenal answer.
philbravery:
LMAO You should write for the Australian Government
they could do with a good Spin Doctor
I just look at them and shake my head. I really laugh when someone thinks they are a king and better as a person and better than they were in their own country. It's just sick!
Sinobear:
Have you watched 'Kingdom of Heaven'? One of the great quotes from the movie, "
Interesting comments here. For myself, I took the OPs advice and left. I consider myself a fairly adaptable and open person, but living in China just wasn't worth the shit.
It's sad in a way because I'd lived in a few developing countries before I met MrA and loved them. China was meant to be the first leg of a grand plan of working and travelling around the world together. But our time in China was such a disappointment that it's put him off the developing world entirely.
Withthat said, a "love it or f*ck off attitude" is in itself entirely unhelpful and negative, whereas being willing to use your brain to engage with the country you're living in ("being negative") is actually a good thing.
philbravery:
But mister A is a Scott
He dosen't know what a Developing world is unless he is really a pom
lol
Before having a negative opinion about someone, I listen that person for a while and try to see where all the bad vibes come from... China society is quite special and grinding, it's not only due to the "developing country" aspect : the social climate itself (I lived and worked in other, way poorer countries, under local contracts, China is special). Once you feel the grind, you might as well leave. But leaving is not easy if you have a spouse, kids, the duty to ensure a proper life for your family. It takes time, while you are stuck in the grinder. When you force on yourself a balance of positive and negative, you lying to yourself, you are in delusion. You are not a better person by deluding yourself, you are just protecting yourself.
Some people just thrive under strife and are amazing when under stress. For these kinds of people they see negative things and all their brain can do is focus on solving these issues. Some people just wallow in them.
Yet, you take that same person and give them calm and peace and they just sit there doing nothing because it is too serene.
You know who you are. Some of us just feed off Chaos.
Here is how I see it.
Pros of China:
-Cheaper than back home (less and less true, especially in first tier cities)
-Close to Southeast Asia and Japan.
-There are still good opportunities to make big money.
-Get in troubles? Just say "Tingbudong" and get away with it, works even with cops.
-Local ladies are hot and easy (well easy for foreigners, local guys struggle).
Cons of China:
-Lack of civil society, people lack concern for others and their surroundings.
-No rule of law, rich or influent people get away with murder and rape all the time.
-Rich people pollute here then send their family abroad.
-Polluters remain unpunished for ruining China's ecosystem.
-The country is a wasteland, very little wildlife to be found except in very remote areas.
-Hazardous quantities of cadmium in soils, ends up in the food that you eat.
-Pollution is terrible and getting worse each year.
-People have money but still think and behave like greedy peasants.
-Uncivilized, rude behaviors are commonplace.
-Foreigners are harassed on a daily basis by uneducated peasants.
-Harassment of foreigners being seen as normal, not racist at all.
-Random attacks on Foreign men with Chinese ladies, unpunished by law.
-Chinese are apathetic to political and social issues.
-Denial of history and blind nationalism.
-The "Chinese bodies are different", blissful ignorance of reject of basic science.
... and so on.
I hate that
sorrel:
other posters have gone into explanations of their opinions, please share yours too.
not getting reasons for things (like 'no why') is one of the most frustrating things i find in China
I guess the problem can be connected with a lot of mainly young people 'save the world' way of thinking. Marx in his youth followed neohegel philosophy and Stalin studied the seminar in order to become a pope.
Few people realise that firstly different is not necessarily wrong and secondly that every society has certain phases.
I am afraid the big portion of by you described 'negativity' is coming out of desillusions that own 'well intended and correct' advices are not accepted with 'open mind'.
We could see it already with Christian missionaries who were in majority of the world, quite rightfully, not accepted too well because they also new the 'correct' reply to all the questions ...
However the humbleness is unfortunately not the most widespread human being quality so I do not expect any big change in foreseeable future ... 
I have said it before, and I say it again.... "Normal" people stay at home. The nutters go somewhere else. You need to be a nutter if you chose to live here. Its not a case of positive or negative, its down to survival in an alien culture. Some can hack it, others cant. We all develop differnt ways to deal with mad China.
My opinion about negative expats is, I think they are negative for a reason.
