"While lofty communist ideals might once have echoed in the halls of government, there can be no greater proof of the loss of innocence or the abandonment of the communal philosophy of socialism than the sad story of this poor little girl and the bystanders who did not lift a finger to help her."The story referred to in that quote can be seen in this video here.
That Mouton can write of "lofty communist ideals" without, apparently, any degree of compunction is something I can only regard with a hatred beyond contempt, given the track record of communist regimes: genocide, famine and totalitarian political persecution being only three of their "greatest hits".
And as for his claim, couched in such barbarically grandiose terms, that it was the abandonment of socialism which lay behind the fact that so many bystanders neglected to help that little girl... that is simply breathtaking: whether it was written in appalling naivity (or worse).
Does he for one moment think that similar such atrocities as the casual killing of children never occurred in China under its previously more "socialist" political leadership? Does he know nothing of the crimes of the PRC against the Chinese people under Mao? Or of the appalling track record of communist regimes whenever and wherever they have arisen in any part of the world, at all times?
The failure of strangers to help that little girl was certainly a moral failing which cannot be explained away by psychobabble such as "diffused responsibility", but it is not a moral failing that can be explained by a (wrongly) supposed absence of socialist philosophy behind PRC government policy. Such an explanation is absurd for it implies that people cannot act morally without either holding such a philosophy themselves or having it violently imposed upon them.
Jean-Paul Mouton is apparently a master's student at National Chiao Tung University. I've said it before: it is abject morons like him that supply ammunition for my argument that State funding of the Universities ought to be abolished.
Is it his assumption that Chinese don't "help their fellow man" due to the "social pollution" caused by "capitalism"--although China is not a capitalist country but rather a mixed economy with a state-owned sector that remains quite large by post-Cold War standards?
ReplyDeleteHe would be wise to read more concerning Chinese tradition. A survey of Chinese literature, some of which has been translated, would be helpful. He could observe some of this in Taiwan as well (although I'm assuming he'd blame it on "capitalism"). There is a reason why Chinese often do not help total, unrelated strangers but will open their homes to family members they've never even met before. And, as this is a long-time custom, it has nothing to do with his false sense of "capitalism." He mourns the loss of Confucian ideals (evidently), but then indirectly berates several of them while blaming "capitalism."
"Is it his assumption that Chinese don't "help their fellow man" due to the "social pollution" caused by "capitalism"..."
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say the answer to that is Yes.
These people are stewed in latent Marxist broth from their teens onwards, so it's no wonder they emerge as hard-boiled ignoramuses.
Yeah, that was asked ironically. Not the first time I've heard such utter . . . well, you know.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't say what the writer is focusing on or to what department over there at Chiao Tung. Probably better off that way.
Sorry Nathan, the communicative tones carried in to-and-fro of conversation are easily lost in written comment.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I don't mean to suggest that everything done in the Univeristies is worthless, just that much of it is. Whether the worthwhile stuff could be saved by being extracted from the State funding model and opened up to the market is another question. With the recession about to double dip, so many types of education will finally appear to be what they really are: expensive intellectual jewellry (I know I've got plenty already - it's a shame I can't sell it).
No reason to be sorry. I encounter similar arguments as the one(s) made by Mouton almost daily; that I do probably takes away from the clarity with which I write about it, since I assume those around me know this.
ReplyDeleteOne has to fit the proper mold in order to "sell it." That's something I learned a few years back. Sad, but true.