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Q: What changes do you envisage over the next ten/twenty years?
I've asked this question before but here it is again, i'm curious to hear your changing answers. For a start there's the influence of the ever growing western population that is already making changes to the existing Chinese culture. Westerners like yourselves who've lived with freedom of speech and wish to continue exercising it. This is bound to make huge changes in society over the course of time. I'm not much with understanding economics but there's a question there to ponder in itself. Also what of the relationship between westerners and the Chinese that is still very much in it's honeymoon period? How do you see that changing over the years? And of course any other predictions you wish to make. Here's your chance. Do kindly knock yourself out.
As for your comment on "freedom of speech". I doubt there is any actual influence. For immigrants to have an actual impact on a culture, you need a certain percentage. "We" are far too few.
I sadly think China will be on a death spiral into the goo of nationalism. Then a new revolution, then some years of chaos that will go down in history as "pretty decent government" and then a new half assed attempt in creating a "government with Chinese characteristics" The West WILL be blamed for this, even though at this point, even a Foxconn employee skipping off the roof of a factory, would not be fair to blame on Apple. China, the PRC is how it wants to be. The end of it, is how it is destined by its leaders.
While everything goes to hell. There will be a short lived wave of environmentalism. It will die out as people realize they have to give up their fancy shit and that an apartment built to be green will cost double.
I dream of a coalition of nations, no longer buying the Chinese message of non-interference-for-the-sake-of-harmony, coming here to pull the greedy little bullies away from their playground. "Little Mao, you've been naughty, it's time out for you. Let the other kids play in peace."
The other kids of course know nothing else to do than bully each other, so the 'parents' will have to step in to force them to behave. Yes, I'm an arrogant western imperialist. I wasn't like this before I saw China, you know.
Still waiting for the parents to come. Did they already decide these kids aren't worth the hassle? Look, the kids are attacking your friends Japan and the Philippines, picking fights with almost every neigbour around. Breaking international laws with fleets of illegal drift-net fishermen. They look up to rolemodel America with the giddy anticipation that things will be set straight for them.
But no parents are coming. Slowly, the terrifying realization sets in that we are all adults, and must fix the mess we created ourselves. What a lot of work... Better to feign ignorance and continue being selfish. Let our kids sort out the mess. We sent them to grannie, so surely they'll have a strong countryside work ethic..?
What's this? Kindness? No, that won't help me. Compassion? It will just be exploited. Consideration of others? We're starving farmers - we don't have time for fancy Western values. Non-monetary values and ethics? What kind of useless ivory-tower nonsense is this! Am I to be scolded for pointing and laughing at people who are different or poor? What purpose could that possibly serve? I want to preserve my privileges, not take responsibility like an adult.
That 2500-year-old manuscript by Confucius is the key! It's as relevant today as it was back then. And it's a Chinese philosopher's work. Facesaving, doctrine-of-the-mean, the 5 interactions, abuse your family, honour ancestors and all that. Only by being Chinese can we get what we want. Let's starve our own people, break their remaining spirit, put them to work in factories, and generally mistreat them so that a few at the top can theoretically be happy if they only remembered how.
What do I envision for the future? More punishments for nosy laowai who are offering social commentary. More hostility towards those who are different, as they are the only ones who could possibly have caused the problems that plague our infallible neotenized race. More "cultural differences" and international issues that fall under this category, precluding fair discussions. More problems, more pressure, more censorship, more iPhones.
Three words, slow domestic implosion. It's already beginning now.
China is suffering from the "Emperor for a day" syndrome. The impact on it will be dramatic. The time will prove it rather sooner than later, rather surprisingly than expected. China is not what it pretends to be not because of the West but because of itself. That's why nobody will ever admire but laugh at its new clothing, at the Emperor's new clothing. This laugh will come from the inside, the very generation today and the following, as well from the outside of China. That child telling the truth about the nakedness of the Emperor it represents this generation that will tell the truth about themselves.
