[Rhodes22-list] Leaving China

[brad haslett]

Dave,

Take no offense.  Leaving China with a sense of
"energy" is a common experience given the sheer volume
of activity, growth, and presence of construction
cranes visible in the most remote of locations.  Most
of our Chinese friends are here in the US, naturalized
citizens, and were in their 30's or older when they
left China.  Discussions about the Chinese government
can get pretty irreverent at our dinner table when
Party statistics surface.  For example, my wife
attended undergrad school in Wuhan, about the same
latitude as Memphis.  It gets hot as hell in Wuhan but
never above 34C according to the paper, still a source
of amusement at class reunions.  Had I been there for
that briefing and it was just prior to lunch, I'd have
auto-nodded with a smirk on my face.  After lunch (and
perhaps a few drinks) I'd have asked, "Sir, what is
the source of your numbers?" Having said that, I
understand what sitting through corporate meetings
with mixed nationalities is like, allowing your hosts
to "save face", and not asking uncomfortable
questions, ie, "is this hundred year plan something
like the 'Great Leap Forward'? China is both a
tremendous opportunity and a source of endless
frustration.  I love China and am amazed by their
progress, but it ain't the USA.  Is it ever great to
be home!  Now if I could just get to sleep.

Brad

--- "Bradley, David" <david.bradley at sap.com> wrote:

> To all, I'm sorry this stirred up a political
> debate.  It was not my
> intention to do so, and I gracefully bow out.  I was
> trying to share the
> energy I felt upon leaving China. 
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] 
> Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2005 10:56 PM
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Leaving China
> 
> This will be quick, I have to pack and have one last
> family dinner before catching United to ORD.  I'm
> ready to re-pollute my nose with Memphis pollen
> versus
> Beijing dust.
> 
> Ed, Dave, Shelly - you each got part of the puzzle
> right.  Ed - Never underestimate the power of Party
> to
> go nuts when threatened.  Shelly - couldn't agree
> more. If people think population control is such a
> bad
> thing, they should feed them.  Every time I have to
> drive through an abortion demonstration in Memphis I
> lose control, roll down the window and ask, "how
> many
> adopted children live in your household"? Dave -
> yes,
> there are lots of eager and talented young Chinese. 
> I
> hope your company didn't pay for the briefing from
> the
> Economist Intelligence Unit.  The Economist is a
> wonderful magazine but it seems they might have
> gotten
> a bit lazy in their research and need some new
> batteries for their calculator.  The number the EIU
> quoted is from a recent study by the Chinese Academy
> of Social Sciences (CASS).  CASS revised their
> previous estimate of "middle class" from 15% to less
> than 5%.  I'm all for correcting mistakes but that's
> an adjustment of 130 million people.  You quoted 12
> million "middle class".  Multiply 1.3 billion by 5%
> and tell me what number you get. Look at the new car
> sales figures intra-China for the last five years
> and
> tell me if those numbers add-up.  Me thinks the EIU
> may be reading the People's Daily a bit too much and
> not consistantly at that. The very definition of
> middle class is a sensitive subject with the Party
> and
> gets revised to suit the political concern "de
> jeur".
> Do you smell a rat?  It would have been difficult
> for
> me to have sat through that briefing without raising
> the bullshit flag.
> 
> Happy holiday, y'all.  
> 
> Brad
> 
> 
> 		
> __________________________________ 
> Yahoo! Mail for Mobile 
> Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your
> mobile phone. 
> http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail 
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> www.rhodes22.org/list
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com