Comments on: Japan, Wikipedia and a Chinese identity crisis http://www.chrisamico.com/2006/12/13/japan-wikipedia-and-a-chinese-identity-crisis/ Dispatches from somewhere far away Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:38:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Chris http://www.chrisamico.com/2006/12/13/japan-wikipedia-and-a-chinese-identity-crisis/#comment-86 Chris Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:22:00 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/blog/2006/12/13/japan-wikipedia-and-a-chinese-identity-crisis/#comment-86 I'm certainly guilty of that myself. I asked a friend recently, "Do the Chinese actually care about each other?"<br /><br />"Don't underestimate the damage the Cultural Revolution did," she reminded me.<br /><br />Thirty years isn't so long, as I keep having to remind myself.<br /><br />Thanks as always for the insight. I’m certainly guilty of that myself. I asked a friend recently, “Do the Chinese actually care about each other?”

“Don’t underestimate the damage the Cultural Revolution did,” she reminded me.

Thirty years isn’t so long, as I keep having to remind myself.

Thanks as always for the insight.

]]> By: 花崗齋之愚公 http://www.chrisamico.com/2006/12/13/japan-wikipedia-and-a-chinese-identity-crisis/#comment-87 花崗齋之愚公 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 01:32:00 +0000 http://www.chrisamico.com/blog/2006/12/13/japan-wikipedia-and-a-chinese-identity-crisis/#comment-87 I think one explanation (and there are many factors of course) in the Chinese preference to not take a stand on sensitive issues is the continued legacy and memory of the Cultural Revolution. Even students too young to remember those horrible times have parents who do and those parents often warn their children about the dangers of speaking up and speaking out--being seen (or whispered about) as separate from the group. <br /><br />I knew of the GPCR before spending time in China, but I never really got a sense for the palpable sense of fear and mistrust that it left behind until I lived in Beijing. <br /><br />As I said, there are many factors at work here. This is but one, but it's one that is too often underestimated by westerners. I think one explanation (and there are many factors of course) in the Chinese preference to not take a stand on sensitive issues is the continued legacy and memory of the Cultural Revolution. Even students too young to remember those horrible times have parents who do and those parents often warn their children about the dangers of speaking up and speaking out–being seen (or whispered about) as separate from the group.

I knew of the GPCR before spending time in China, but I never really got a sense for the palpable sense of fear and mistrust that it left behind until I lived in Beijing.

As I said, there are many factors at work here. This is but one, but it’s one that is too often underestimated by westerners.

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