| This is my first time visiting this blog, but some strong points are being made. I think that regardless of how far the situation deteriorated, there are some basic points. First, the security guard is there to do a job. He is being paid to record entries and exits, not exert his opinion on anyone. If he hit the back of the car, then he had obviously already let them pass by. That should have been the end of it. We all have things we don't like about our jobs, people we deal with, but that doesn't mean we can physically harm others or their property. If the guard cannot handle this, then he is certainly in the wrong job. Second, this car is the driver's livelihood. If the guard attempted to damage his car, he has a right to be angry. He probably could've handled it better, but still has a right to be upset. He makes his money by driving people who are willing to pay him to drive. If that is a foreigner who pays him, the money spends the same way. The fact that people were willing to condemn the driver for making an honest living through foreign money is complete hypocrisy (and precisely what has no relevance to the specific situation). I am absolutely sure that every one of the people selling fruit or flowers would have turned around and sold as much as they could to the foreigner if he had asked, probably with a smile, a higher markup, and without a hint of irony. To be sure, foreign money and investment is one of the very reasons that China is seeing a revival in its economy and standard of living. Any of the newly international brands coming from China all benefited from foreign investment and/or technology. Opening doors to trade and investment helps all involved to better their life. (And I'm sure that avoiding queues was not a bargaining chip in investment negotiations. These are not the kinds of things that foreigners ask for, these are things their Chinese partners gave them. If anybody wants someone to resent, look to the people who insisted on this.) Regarding Stephen's comment about the Us vs. Them mentality that persists even "today when China is strong and rich", I would be willing to bet that China's strong and rich would have nothing to do with this incident. It seems more that the people shouting insults are rather the ones being left behind. Either way, the fact that they made it a foreign issue is wrong. China has a spectacular history that foreign cultures, to be frank, hold with a bit of awe. There is a long time of contributions of which to be proud. However, you can't be proud and pull out the Victim Card when it's convenient to do so. Either China will keep allowing unfortunate events to stunt her growth, or she will continue to expand as a world power and move forward as a true leader. |
Fight Between Foreigners and Local