| "People spit on the street do not spit in their home or on their bed. Why?" That simple statement is very revealing of the mentality of the people in China. If that way of thinking does not change, it will lead to an absolute environmental catastrophe, not to mention other economic and social problems. With its incredible recent growth, China has already headed down this dangerous path. Nobody owns the air or the rivers, so let's just dump our garbage there. I'm not saying individuals and corporations of developed nations are immuned to this type of action, but certainly as a whole, they have a much greater sense of responsibility toward "public goods". Sure, the government can introduce laws to control such behavior - and it may or may not be effective. But until the people understand why it is wrong and can change their way of thinking, the associated problems will continue to worsen. I hear people say that this new up and coming generation will be the catalyst for change, but unfortunately from what I've seen, I don't see it happening soon. This is from the perspective of a Chinese-Canadian who has lived in and traveled throughout China in the past 5 years. |
What's Wrong with China?