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Posted November 1, 2001
Hybrid
I think you are doing a great job!
The demonstrations on streets stopped the Vietnam war. I guess twenty years from now, people will look back and say "the Internet stopped America's New War."
I am from Japan (live in the US) and still read Japanese magazines. The latest issue of Shukan Bunsyun magazine had a Toyota PR page. They have started selling "hybrid" minivans to the public. Hybrid cars use both oil and electricity. When you really think of what is going on right now (all this is for oil), this is a wonderful news.
I hope people in Japan support Toyota's effort. And maybe, eventually, car companies elsewhere in the world will want to start making them. I would like to believe that people in the world are smart enough to understand that this whole oil thing is just ludicrous.
A Friend Like Pakistan
In his article "With a Friend like Pakistan," Christopher Deliso seems to base all his arguments on an interview with the owner of a convenience store who emigrated to US back in mid-80's. Nothing against convenience store owners but...
Christopher Deliso replies:
Thanks for your comment. If you look closely at the article again, I think you will find that the elements of "local color" are counterbalanced with links to numerous other stories that support the contentions, which I could certainly have made on my own – however, local (and non-American) opinion is certainly interesting, isn't it?
Given the limiting factors on our articles (length and focus, chiefly), I was not able to include here other, dissenting voices. For example, some of the Afghans I interviewed loved Pakistan and have nothing but kind words about it. However, these opinions were related more to the personal experiences of individuals, not to broad governmental and policy issues. I hope that individual Pakistanis do not react harshly (as happened with the Turks in my previous article); in these articles, we are concerned with examining governmental policy – not slandering individuals based on their nationality.
Hysteria and Violence
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of October 22, "Noonan's Madness":]
Great article. However, somewhere, once in the article, it would have been appropriate to separate Noonan and other hysterical females from those women who are not hysterical. There are some. I agree women tend to see things in emotional terms. However, and this is a big however, many women can keep lunacy separate from emotional responses. I personally know that I feel strongly about everything that is going on (including a very real feminine response to the killing of innocents in Afghanistan – and other locales in the past – by my own government). I do know, though, that this is an appropriate emotional response to a tragedy. I also know that my typical emotional response to this madness has been to be even kinder to foreigners that I meet in general. I know how ostracized they must feel (and being a female) feel for them. This is the good, positive side of female emotional logic.
...[Justin Raimondo's] rant about women is accurate – but only to a point. His one-sided view of where the hysteria is coming from is dangerous, in my opinion. It doesn't touch on the more violent rantings of men nor does it mention that those "Mid Easterner types" killed following September 11 were most probably killed by men, not women.
Bad Jokes and Cartoons
I am frustrated with Jr.'s third grade vocabulary and his Orwell type statements. Not since World War II have I heard such gibberish. (Yeah, I've been around that long.) Bad jokes and cartoons about Hitler and the Japanese – now the Afghans or Iraqis.
Your site is great. Keep up the work. It should be required reading all.
I am a refugee from Silicon Valley now living in San Antonio. I worked for AMD for years. They moved me here and when I retired decided the valley just had to many people in it now.
When I first moved into Sunnyvale all the land around the airport was planted in tomatoes and hay.
Appreciate Different Cultures
I
resent Sascha Matuszak's recent article – "China's
Afghan Agenda," in which he practically
called all Chinese people liars. Being a native
Chinese, a naturalized American citizen and a
longtime consultant to multinationals on China's
market, I find some of Mr. Matuszak's observations
on China to be shallow....
While I am not a fan of the communists, I find
Mr. Matuszak's singling out of the Chinese government
as "the biggest liar" to be unfair and
hostile.
I
am repelled by the policy of Western countries
supporting and sheltering any group that is against
the Chinese government, ranging from Falungong,
to economic criminals like Lai Changxing who is
being sheltered in Canada; from separatists (terrorists
related to Bin Laden) in Xinjiang, to lawbreaking
American citizens in China.
Such actions will eventually bring fire to the
West itself – just like what happened with Saddam
Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. Weren't they friends
of the US before? Today Pakistan and the Northern
Alliance are friends of the US, I suspect that
they will turn into enemies soon too.
In addition, I am also surprised at Mr. Matuszak's
lack of understanding of Chinese culture when
he complained about hearing different answers
from people regarding anti-terrorism when he poses
as American and Turkish, respectively. I believe
all of the sentiments he heard exist among Chinese
people, but out of respect to him and desire to
give him "face," Chinese people he met
picked the sentiments that are more pleasing to
him depending on where he came from. Americans
must learn that people are different and cultures
are different, and they should learn to appreciate
different cultures rather than denouncing such
differences.
I also lived in China as an expatriate for a few
years and know how Western expatriates can be
spoiled there by living a much richer life among
people of lower living standards. I also know
how expatriates can become out of touch with the
local community and as a result find local people
around them telling them untrue feelings. A journalist,
however, should find ways to overcome these difficulties,
to report unbiased facts. One of the ways to find
honest true feelings from locals is by asking
the questions with local perspectives. A Western
style question will be met with a superficial
Western style answer.
~ James S.
Sascha Matuszak replies:
As in any country, I've met wonderful people and I've met bastards here in China. So my opinion of Chinese follows my opinion of any other race: its based on individual experiences. It's pretty difficult for a foreigner to understand Chinese culture, but I'm doing my best to comprehend this wonderful notion of "face" which leads someone to tell me what they think I want to hear and not what they really want to say. I call that lying, you call it respect. Hey, we're from different cultures, that's the way it is.
I'm sure you know exactly how it feels to have an entire city stare at you and talk about you openly, believing you don't understand, as you lived in China as an "expatriate." I've found that when people realize I understand what they say, they are much nicer and less inclined to express their true feelings. Must be that face thing again.
Anyway, my opinions of China and Chinese are pretty diverse, given the number of people I've met. For the most part, as soon as communication is established, every Chinese I have met has been pretty cool, given the strenuous relations between our countries. Enough on that, let's get to the article:
When I said the Chinese government is a liar, I meant it. They lie like hell. And right after that, I wrote that all governments should not be trusted. As for the biggest liar, I'm sure the US and China are neck and neck.
The point of the column was to point out that the biggest and most powerful country in the region that is under fire right now is being rather quiet about 1) its relationship to the parties involved (namely Pakistan and Afghanistan and 2) what it plans to do about an American-led war on its borders.
If the West is busy supporting criminals and separatists ... as you say, then I would assume that massive Western armies and separatist forces in the area would worry China a little bit. Forgive me if I am again wrong, but it seems Chinese will say only as much as necessary while keeping their true feelings and motives relatively hidden. I believe the Chinese government is keeping its true feelings and agenda hidden.
China and the US were not the best of friends up until 9/11 and as you yourself said, friends can become enemies real quick. So in my column I point out that any friend should be considered a fair-weather one. Lord knows the US is a fair-weather friend, why would anyone treat us any different?
China has kept itself out of international conflicts and it will probably keep itself out of this one (militarily that is), but what I am wondering is what China will do at all. I find it hard to believe that releasing a statement about the evils of terrorism and the need to protect civilians is all that China will do on this matter.
So. I'm interested in the real agenda. That's why I don't trust what anybody says, because in times like these, people worry about what you want to hear and not what the truth is.
And as for journalism and asking the right questions, if face is so vital, does it matter if I ask a "Western style question" (whatever that may be) or a "local style question"?
I'm not out to offend Chinese. Most of my other columns offended Americans because they thought I was supporting China. But I tell it like I see it – and here in China I see a lot of dissembling when it comes to anything foreign. Especially shopping haha. Thanks for the letter.