Today the Idiot of the Day is definitely me. Why? Many reasons, most of which I’ll keep private. But here’s one reason ….

Question I have been giving some thought to lately … no answers … recent news concerning China includes reports you have all seen about tainted dog food, poisoned toothpaste, defective tires, tainted seafood. There was even a report recently in Variety that in some cities, tv and magazine censors have been taking bribes. And a recent report on the number of manhole covers stolen in Shanghai and sold for scrap metal. Slave children in a brick factory. The list just goes on and on.

Combine the above with something in today’s SCMP that the number of US dollar millionaires in China rose by 7.8 percent last year.

Deng said that to get rich is glorious. As far as I know, he didn’t qualify it with something like, “first do no harm.” Too bad.

I try to avoid stereotypes but these news reports are piling up daily. Every day there is a new scandal or outrage. I suspect that every day newspaper editors are reserving space in advance for suicide bomber of the day in Iraq and cutthroat get rich quick poisoner in China.

It sometimes seems that there are a large number of people in China who are intent on getting wealthy regardless of the consequences to those around them.

Why don’t ethics and morality come into the equation? Why is it seen as okay by so many that getting rich by any means possible and regardless of the consequences to others is acceptable behavior?

Here is the beginning of my theory. And I admit that my theory is completely insane and probably completely wrong. I have arrived at this theory not by doing any research, just by sitting around and thinking about it in my spare time.

Basically I’m an atheist. And I’m against organized religion on the basis that throughout history it has been exclusionary and often more a force more for evil than for good.

On the other hand, most religions do incorporate the concept of ultimate reward or punishment. You have the ten commandments, the golden rule, all of these things that define, often in great detail, social codes.

China, being officially Communist, where religion has been banned for decades, there is none of this instruction to the youth. Of course too large a percentage of the population receives little or no formal education. And for those hundreds of thousands, millions, who do, is it possible that they can go through 15 years of schooling with no attention paid to morals, ethics, philosophy?

Is it possible that the absence of religion, there really are generations of “godless Communists” who are not acquainted with empathy or the, ahem, “milk of human kindness?”

Clearly not, because most Chinese are also very focused on their families, love for their children and respect to their elders.

Is it merely a case that it’s the same everywhere around the world and with China having a population 5 times larger than most other places that there are simply 5 times more of these stories to report every day?

Probably so. After all, you have the warlords in Africa content to destroy entire populations to increase their own personal wealth. And similar examples all over the world.

The above has no point at all. I’m just procrastinating because I need to go out and get stuff done and I’m too lazy to put on my shoes.

Hongkie Town
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