Comments for The Comparativist

Comment on Letting China be China: Retelling a Tale of Two Storms by Paco

Paco — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 02:00:27 +0000

Agree with you completely. And if they can’t get themselves or their children out of the country, and least take out their money in bags of cash to buy up apartments in Hong Kong!

Comment on Lacking Danger in the South China Sea by malampaya

malampaya — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:08:18 +0000

Follow up comments:
You were trying to scores in a ridiculous way. The “BULLY-CHINESE” sends only Fishery Administrations Ship and Marine Surveillance Ships just to show they’re peace loving people, but the fact they’ve fully stained bloody hands, the world knows it with wide eyes open.

The Chinese government had never been arrested Filipino fishermen, you’re right. How come the Chinese will arrest the other countries’ fishermen right in their territories, that’s why it has never been happened. They knew that ever since, only recently the bellicose government became aggressive because of oil and other resources in West Philippine Sea, undermining the international law UNCLOS.

“BULLY-CHINESE” invented their own international law of the sea and implemented it, by BULLYING small countries.

Comment on Lacking Danger in the South China Sea by malampaya

malampaya — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:41:36 +0000

BRAVO, BRAVO!!! Whatever you says you can’t ever remove to the eyes of the world the BLOOD stained in your ”BULLY-CHINESE” government’s hands when they’d massacred the Vietnamese and robbed their Islands. Now you’re telling small armada? The BELLICOSE CHINESE has sent dozens of fishing vessels harvesting endangered species and corals, escorted by frigates with fully armed missiles and gunboats harassing by bumping the Filipino fishermen’s boats if not leaving, inside the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines which their territory,
“VERY FUNNY China.”

In 1995 the “BULLY-CHINESE” robbed the mischief reef which is few miles away from the main Island of Palawan obviously inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone. “SHAME ON YOU CHINESE”

Few weeks ago an heavily-armed frigate ran aground ridiculously for several days in Half moon Shoal due to incompetent of the Chinese Navy supported and assisted by 5 barbaric Chinese Navy frigates inside the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines. And it has been reported that fighter jets from greedy forces flying over in that area. Again that’s very close to the main Island of Palawan, What they’re doing there, patrolling to the Philippine territory? “Does it small armada your talking about?”

THE BARBARIANS WERE OFTEN READY TO SATISFY THEIR THIRST ON BLOOD….

In Scarborough Shoal, It’s a mandate to the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy to guard its territory against poachers or illegal entry which is inside the Philippine EEZ, so they deserved to arrest the alien. Now you’re telling the Philippines started the dispute? “GREEDY CHINESE”

CHINA IS NO ONE’S FRIEND, AND EVERYONE’S ENEMY.

Comment on Letting China be China: Retelling a Tale of Two Storms by Trey

Trey — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:56:01 +0000

My point was not to defend, bu to say we should expect these kind of things. Aside from the fenqing and comical Global Times op-ed writers and “hurt the feels” government PR guys , I haven’t met a lot of people who talk about the “Great Middle Kingdom.” Most are doing everything they can to send themselves or their children out of the country, if it’s possible. Most Chinese people see their country with even more cynical eyes than the resident expats, who are often myopically focused exclusively on human rights issues and the ever-annoying Great Firewall. The problems in China run much, much deeper than that and they will for decades to come.

For instance, point 1 – was it “face saving” or more run-of-the-mill contracter fraud/corruption?

Comment on Reflections on the Fourth Anniversary of the Sichuan Earthquake by Trey

Trey — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:48:07 +0000

hey – send me an email at trey333-at-g mail (remove space, etc). I’d be happy to help.

Comment on Letting China be China: Retelling a Tale of Two Storms by Paco

Paco — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:30:24 +0000

You raise some good points here. In short, is it any surprise that 37 people died from a massive rainstorm in a country with GDP per capita on par with Angola? Nope. (BTW, the official death toll has since risen to 77 though microbloggers are speculating numbers in the hundreds if one includes the countryside)

That said, I think your detailed explanation misses an important point.

If you look at the online discussions and public debates in the aftermath of the storm, much of the discontent was not really along the lines of “how could such a thing happen in the Great Middle Kingdom?” but rather focused on the shortcomings and hypocrisies of the Chinese social apparatus that this natural disaster has helped unveal.

For example –

1. Fake drainage systems! Microbloogers uncovered manhole covers in the capitol city with nothing but concrete underneath! No piping or “hole” at all!

2. Nearly all public services were shut down but road TOLL BOOTHS remained opened and operational around the city!

3. Police promptly issuing traffic tickets immediately following the storm to people who abandoned their cars along the road in order to seek shelter.

4. Unscrupulous hotels charging exorbitant rates for people seeking refuge, in addition to suddenly enacting ‘one-occupant-per-room’ type rules.

Regarding your point about SMS, one of the state carriers (China Mobile?) actually came out subequently to clarify that they did in fact have the technological capability to issue such mass alerts, and that network-wide broadcasts have in fact been used for government/official applications. They simply weren’t told to do anything in this particular case. Besides, when it comes to monitoring/surveillance activities like locating mobile users and broadcasting messages, China has technology that far supercedes its GDP peers.

Comment on Reflections on the Fourth Anniversary of the Sichuan Earthquake by Claire Beatley

Claire Beatley — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:08:10 +0000

Great article! I am actually interested in this topic for a Fulbright scholarship, which I had come up with before reading this post.
The more I research NGO work in post-Wenchuan earthquake aftermath, the harder it seems to be able to complete my research. Still, the more determined it makes me to go there and see NGO work there for myself. If possible, could you let me know which NGO you worked for, if you would know of mainland Chinese NGOs that worked on site as well, and if you had any academic affiliations in Sichuan I could establish contact with? My email is cbeatley@fordham.edu. Thanks!

Comment on Attractors, Goals, and Guns: Part II by Barrett Nahrstedt

Barrett Nahrstedt — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 04:07:11 +0000

Gun control laws should really be passed. There are just so many violent events that is happening these days because of loose firearms. I just hope that the government will be more strict when it comes to guns.”";*”

Hope This Helps!
http://www.healthmedicinelab.com“>

Comment on Attractors, Goals, and Guns: Part I by Trey

Trey — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:16:37 +0000

thanks, there’s also a Part II

Comment on Attractors, Goals, and Guns: Part I by Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:57:31 +0000

Great post Trey.