Are You Your Government?

March 9, 2010

Originally Published at Speak Without Interruption on February 16, 2010 by Bob Grant — publisher/editor for Speak Without Interruption. Posted on iLook China, 3/9/10 at 08:00

On October 1, 1949 the People’s Republic of China was formally established in a speech given by Mao Zedong from the Imperial Gate at Tiananmen Square. I stood at the very spot where Mao gave his speech and took the photo at the right.  From speaking with people – in China – who lived through his reign it was beyond believable.  What he put his people through is an unforgivable act of power and brutality.  However, it is images from Mao’s era that some – outside of China – still have of the Chinese people.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Mao Speech

I never met a Chinese government official – did not even see one at least that I can recall.  What I did meet were the people of China – the people with whom I had my business and personal interactions.  I did not ask them questions about their government nor did they ask questions of mine.  The only political statement that I ever heard was a reference that China’s policy would probably change when the younger generation came into power, someday. (for more on this topic read Changing the Guard at http://wp.me/pN4pY-e9 )

In meetings, over two years ago, I heard about the oil pipeline being built directly from Iran to China.  None of the people in that meeting expressed an opinion one way or the other regarding this pipeline.  It was a decision the Chinese government made.  Maybe my associates did not approve of dealing with Iran—maybe they did?  The point being here is their government made this decision—not my associates.

Whether the officials in power in the US are republican or democrat, they have all made decisions of which I don’t agree.  They did not consult me or ask my opinion—am I my government in these situations?

The point I am trying to make is that I found the Chinese people I met just like me in a lot of respects.  I enjoyed doing business with them – learning their culture – and becoming their friends.  No government – or its actions – is ever going to change that for me!

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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

Only a Name

February 27, 2010

I’ve heard and read that the United States has the greatest government on the earth.

I disagree.

It’s true that America is the wealthiest and most powerful country on the planet. But the most important difference is that the United States has a “Bill of Rights” designed to protect the citizens from government abuse. Remove the “Bill of Rights” and what do we have—a government that will get carried away with unrestricted powers like so many have in the past.

The Founding Father’s (at least the key players) understood that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. King George taught them that, so they developed a structure to limit that corruption so it would not spill over and hurt the citizens.

The sad thing is that the “Bill of Rights” doesn’t protect citizens from street gangs and drug dealers and all the other crazy things that go on in a country with the largest prison population on the planet. China has the second largest prison population and that is about half of those locked up in America while China has four times the population.

And many ignorant people in the United States believe China is a bad place to live because of a government with the word “Communist” in front of it. Words are words. There is little difference between the word Democrat (8 letters), Communist (9 letters) and Republican (10 letters).

See “China’s Modern Dynasty” at http://wp.me/pN4pY-9j

 

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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse