>>34
I do have four medals, you're missing the forest for the trees, and I can spell self esteem. Personally I'm not particularly proud of the medals, but most people accept them as having value, so I trot them out when I'm interacting with those who question my sense of civic duty. Now can we get back to issues and ideas, and leave the personalities and ad hominem attacks behind?
You believe that it was poverty that precipitated the incident on the road. It was certainly about money, but poor people in China don't drive cars. If there weren't a significant number of prominent citizens involved, it never would have gotten off the ground. One of the main points is that the people, contrary to the common misconception in America, hold their government accountable. It's not criticizing the governments actions that's taboo, it's challenging the government itself. The Chinese have a culture and social structures that predate the government, and they have, relatively recently, chosen the current one. In fact, many living citizens were involved building it. Let's contrast this with the United States. Our government predates our "culture", and, in fact, it is that system of government, it's laws, and its scant 230 year history that are the only things that bind us together. This is not a criticism. That people from other cultures from all over the world have been able to come together and build the most powerful and influential nation the world had ever known speaks for itself. But it is becoming clear to more and more Americans that something is missing. The first, and most obvious thing is the average American's understanding of our system. And how do we respond? By producing and watching TV shows like Judge Judy, Law and Order, and CSI. Why? Because the most revolutionary and egalitarian system of governance in the history of mankind has been tied to a destructive and inherently unethical economic system. Don't get me wrong; I'm no communist. What I am is a member of the society that has produced largest group of innovative, creative, and independent people who ever walked the face of the Earth. And therein lies the answer. We need to admit that things are not working the way they should, the way they can, and innovate the next step.
The best way to understand a thing is to contrast it with another similar thing. This is not an adversarial process, but when done honestly, it can be painful. Particularly when, as I stated before, and as few can disagree with as it can be statistically supported, every day the Chinese get a little richer and a little smarter, and everyday we get a little poorer, and a little dumber.