Two interesting editorials; their perspective I agree with, that the worship of money and status has gotten waaaay out of control in China. It is worrying, and sometimes I think the current "spiritual civilization" here is more dangerous and toxic than the polluted air.
'I can't give you anything but love': Get lost, Baby |
| By Wang Yong 2007-11-14 |
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200711/20071114/article_337985.htm
TO understand many people's preference for money over love in today's China would require a little tinkering with Hungarian Sandor Petofi's famous poem.
Here's the original: "Liberty and love, These two I must have. For my love I will sacrifice
My life.
For liberty I will sacrifice
My love.''
There're people in China who still hold onto Petofi's noble idea, but for many Chinese, the poem's last two lines should be turned around like this: "For money I will sacrifice my love.''
Southern Metropolitan News yesterday cited a survey among residents in Guangzhou as saying that "love" had slid all the way since 1990 down the ladder of value, and it came after "money" in 2000 for the first time.
This year "love" has slipped even lower down the value chain of most Guangzhou people, according to a survey by the Guangzhou Social Trend and Public Opinion Study Center. The center has conducted a survey each year since 1990, polling about 1,000 each time.
Another finding of the survey is that money has always meant more than love in the eyes of most women in Guangzhou. This means, the researchers said, that Guangzhou women are more and more independent-minded.
This conclusion doesn't follow. It assumes that independent-minded women would prefer money to love, that love cannot make a women independent and that only money can.
If anything, the survey can only show Guangzhou people's growing disillusionment, distrust or even dislike of love.
Many may challenge the validity of the survey, and it's certain that you can always find contrary examples. Such surveys are not perfect, but they do indicate a trend if the basis of the samples is large enough. One thousand respondents each year plus 18 years of continual study should not result in total nonsense.
And, at any rate, one does not need these latest "statistics" to find that love has become an underdog after money not just in Guangzhou, but nationwide over the past two decades.
So often you see or hear of girls marrying for money and men marrying for lust, either on TV, on the Internet, or during class reunions. Love is no longer an openly worshiped ideal, money is.
Daily discussions and observations often beat dry statistics and work wonders in illuminating what's going on.
Even about 10 years ago, many cities and communities elected "model families" every year and each family would get an award in the shape of a red paper, on which four Chinese characters were printed: wu hao jia ting (A family with five merits).
One of the merits was love and harmony between the husband and wife. Now you seldom see these red papers.
One day my wife attended the 20-year reunion of her class of '85 in Nanjing. To her surprise, most of her former classmates and roommates pressed her with the question of how much she earned a month - nothing else.
They never cared whether she had a happy marriage. No, it was all about money, a car and house, and if you didn't have a car, you were scorned.
The mockery of love happens not just in bars and brothels, it has also found its way into the hearts of many Chinese men and women who falsely believe that money, and nothing but money, can make them "free and independent."
The other day I chatted with a friend who is a magazine editor. She shook her head in disbelief that a friend of mine had never gone to bed with another woman in his 15 years of marriage.
And she was not the only person who expressed amazement at my friend's fidelity.
Worship of fast, easy wealth leads to contempt for work, modest means |
| 2007-11-16 |
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200711/20071116/article_338237.htm
RECENTLY, a girl born in the 90s created quite a sensation by circulating online a picture of herself grabbing thick wads of banknotes.
Striking a nauseating pose, she frankly ridiculed those poor folks not pampered by family wealth who have to fend for themselves.
There have been similar instances before.
A young woman driving an Accord boasted she had a small Chery car smashed after the modest domestic brand dared to overtake her imported car.
Another man became the center of attention by burning money to light a cigarette.
The Internet has become a stage for various eccentric people and strange things.
Such eccentricities are actually not abnormal in a society that views everything in terms of money.
Our society is full of eulogies for wealth and those possessing wealth.
Who still extols hard work?
There is even tacit contempt of those who have to support themselves by their own labor or those who cannot even support themselves with their work.
Work no longer earns, while the ability to obtain money effortlessly is everyone's envy.
Money suggests a successful career, comfortable life, sound personality and exceptional gifts.
Put it another way, money serves as a comprehensive proof of its owners' excellence.
In contrast, those who support themselves by their own labor are viewed as veritable failures.
It has become not only pathetic but also disgraceful to eke out a living by using one's hands.
The erstwhile respect for work is now replaced by worship for money.
Becoming rich has become an aim in itself.
The root cause of all this bizarre behavior is our new social norm of "getting rich is glorious and being poor disgraceful."
In a certain sense, the eccentrics are more deserving of our pity than our condemnation.
(Southern Metropolitan Daily)
