Well... where do I begin? I often feel totally misunderstood and taken for granted, while trying to teach English in "modern" Asia. Because basically, in many ways, living in Asia is like living in the Middle Ages. Now... see... that automatically sounds bad and "racist," but "race" has absolutely nothing to do with it. In fact, the human race varies genetically in a whole lot of ways, but basically, we've all got compatible enough DNA (and sexual organs) to make us truly equal. Fair and square. But... of course, it seldom works like that. The way it should.
I mean, as a race, we're all able to propagate with one another. 'Cause you know, alligators and apes... THEY'RE DIFFERENT. You can't put the two species together and make an alli-ape baby. But humans have pretty much the same patterns of developmental history. The same brain size and learning capacity. However, that does not mean that all groups of people are at the same stage in their own societal development.
I mean, as a race, we're all able to propagate with one another. 'Cause you know, alligators and apes... THEY'RE DIFFERENT. You can't put the two species together and make an alli-ape baby. But humans have pretty much the same patterns of developmental history. The same brain size and learning capacity. However, that does not mean that all groups of people are at the same stage in their own societal development.
It's sort of like the first day of kindergarten. Some kids should or could have been there a year ahead of schedule, and some kids... just aren't ready. That doesn't mean anybody is inherently "better" than anybody else, of course. It simply means that everybody's different. For example, I've come to realize over the years, that I'm no dummy, but buddy, I was NOT READY for the first day of kindergarten myself! In fact, my mother had to bribe me with the promise of chocolate chip cookies! And need I retell the story of the tortoise and the hare? People learn at different rates and you should never count anybody out until "the race" is finally through.
At any rate, what does all this have to do with people not understanding me? Well, basically, most of "modern" Asia (despite the cell phones, cars and computer gadgetry) is still, culturally speaking, developmentally STUCK somewhere back in the medieval period that they never really got to finish. I'll try to shorten this as much as I can, but guns, germs and steel are not the only reason why Westerners were able to get so far ahead of so much of the rest of the world. The cold, hard truth is that we had some very important human societal developments occur in our shared Euro-American history that catapulted us so far ahead so quickly. DESPITE THE FACT THAT 1000 YEARS AGO, Asians (particularly the Chinese and the Persians) were leaps and bounds ahead of the still spear chucking and sword swinging whites in Europe and North Africa.
In short, we had the awe inspiring benefit of an Italian (and later northwest European) Renaissance. That's right, a true Age of Enlightenment, when science and REASON actually took precedence over mindless, servile religious doctrine and superstition. Then, the Magna Carta (the beginning of parliamentary government) went down in England. It was the monumentally... no,
It was truly, the beginning of our modern understanding of basic human rights and freedoms.
And with a new appreciation for true equality and the concept of egalitarianism comes real democracy. Not the kind the Greeks test drove in antiquity, mind you. I'm talking about freedom. Real freedom. Then, the French caught on next with their infamous blood soaked, severed head rolling revolution. Our American patriot fathers read Voltaire and other high minded fancy French books and, WHAMO! The next HUGE step in human societal evolution (the Declaration of Independence) hit the global societal fan like a ton of earth shattering bricks.
It was truly, the beginning of our modern understanding of basic human rights and freedoms.
And with a new appreciation for true equality and the concept of egalitarianism comes real democracy. Not the kind the Greeks test drove in antiquity, mind you. I'm talking about freedom. Real freedom. Then, the French caught on next with their infamous blood soaked, severed head rolling revolution. Our American patriot fathers read Voltaire and other high minded fancy French books and, WHAMO! The next HUGE step in human societal evolution (the Declaration of Independence) hit the global societal fan like a ton of earth shattering bricks.
People around the world are still copying that very American document, though certainly, the Declaration of Independence honestly would not exist if not for our forever bickering estranged parents; the French and the British. Neither of whom, sadly, even really care for us. Or ever did, for that matter. But then, I guess that's what it means to be a bastard child of the old European world. We're neither part of the British Commonwealth or "la Francophonie."
And let's face it, the United States has since taken the global driver's seat. And THAT, folks, is EXACTLY what pisses so many of our contemporaries off the very most, whether they realize it or not. British mum and French papa are sitting in the back seat nowadays, and grumpy as hell are they. And who wouldn't be? We go to war and all they can do is either throw a fit back there, bouncing around in the cramped confines of the rumble seat, or fall right in line and take ups arms with us. Talk about taxation without representation!
And let's face it, the United States has since taken the global driver's seat. And THAT, folks, is EXACTLY what pisses so many of our contemporaries off the very most, whether they realize it or not. British mum and French papa are sitting in the back seat nowadays, and grumpy as hell are they. And who wouldn't be? We go to war and all they can do is either throw a fit back there, bouncing around in the cramped confines of the rumble seat, or fall right in line and take ups arms with us. Talk about taxation without representation!
Anyway... because China (for only one example) NEVER EVER NEVER had a true renaissance (a rebirth of incredibly vital new ideas - though there actually was a very small "Chinese renaissance" started by Sun Yat Sen in 1910 - that is still being virtually ignored outside of Taiwan, by the majority Mainland Chinese), the vast majority of Chinese continue to take part in the perpetuation of an antiquated form of government that is based on old hierarchical tribalism (whether they label it a bogus "people's republic," a "Chinese democracy," or yet another incredibly inept attempt at true Marxism, or not). The kind of thing that supposedly built the Great Pyramids and very definitely the Great Wall of China, you know.
It is this mafia type, banana republic, antiquated, pseudo-"democratic" FACADE type bullshit that is still holding countries (and millions of human lives with it) like Red China, back. Forever back. You know the drill. They got the big god-king leader at the top of the triangle, with a very select few below him on the societal pyramid (the army, the clergy, whatever is in fashion at any given time) and everybody else, the huge bulk of the body of the pyramid itself, is made up of serfs, peasants, slaves. Dogs.
It is this mafia type, banana republic, antiquated, pseudo-"democratic" FACADE type bullshit that is still holding countries (and millions of human lives with it) like Red China, back. Forever back. You know the drill. They got the big god-king leader at the top of the triangle, with a very select few below him on the societal pyramid (the army, the clergy, whatever is in fashion at any given time) and everybody else, the huge bulk of the body of the pyramid itself, is made up of serfs, peasants, slaves. Dogs.
And everyone knows about the changing fortunes of the pets that human keep. In times of prosperity, the king and his people eat. In times of famine, people eat their dogs. In times of want, only the king lives a life of plenty. Even if it means sacrificing every last serf and/or slave to put the very last pound of human/dog flesh on the table in front of that gold hording dumb ass, ceremonial "kingly" fellow - who usually hasn't EVER NEVER EVER yet so much as deigned to tread the same muddy streets with the rest of his people, his entire self deluded and self indulged life.
And then you've got me. Will. Beyond simply being an American citizen, I'm an artist. With natural comedic skills, I'm amusing as hell to those around me most of the time, but yeah... my Celtic and Germanic ancestors probably did rise a bit to quickly to the apex of the world stage, riding the crimson tide of guns, germs and steel, so yeah... I've got an "Irish temper." Most of the time, nobody sees it, and it's yet again why I NEVER EVER NEVER drink or do any kind of drug that isn't for pain killing or something else with a very specific corrective function. But I do get pissed off occasionally. And you know what pisses me off more than anything in the whole wide world? This so called "racism," and lack of mutual respect that all humans fling at one another like handfuls of evolutionary excrement. In the end, all this shameless name calling and blame gaming amounts to a total lack of understanding of the basic precepts of equality and natural human freedom of self expression.
Because, let's face it, just because a given individual has the audacity to accuse someone of racism, an accusation does not a closed case make. But then... there I go again, being American enough to think that the idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is something that all that many people in the world even understand, much less truly embrace.
Because, let's face it, just because a given individual has the audacity to accuse someone of racism, an accusation does not a closed case make. But then... there I go again, being American enough to think that the idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is something that all that many people in the world even understand, much less truly embrace.
And what about how many Asians still go about parenting their children. Many Asian parents raise toddlers as if they are the fruit of their royal loins. And these kids often seem to grow up without a clue that they really are not the center of the whole damn universe. Which, sadly, makes them into pretty selfish and passive-aggressively rude adults too. Though that's a whole other topic for another blog entry, I suppose.
And South Korea in specific? Well, the country went through an incredibly bloody and self destructive civil war only about 60+ years ago. Then, since the war never technically ended in 1953, their system of government has changed not less than FIVE TIMES. That's an average of almost once per decade! One of their former presidents was even assassinated (shot point blank) by a high Korean government official. Why? Because this shameless strongman pretending to be "president" was corrupt as hell and was busy actin like the usual kind of petty king from past Asian dynasties of pseudo-glory. Same old story. Does it ever really change here?
Of course, the South Korean government (like the Chinese governments they so often emulate) certainly was corrupt at that time. And NOT because of their "race" or anything like that. It's because this society (and pretty much every country and region outside the Western world) was shock and awe catapulted from their own medieval stage of human development, directly into the hot and heady age of Western industrialism. All in the name of global progress.
And, because we are ALL still human, and we all have our spiffy apposable thumbs and all that good stuff, sure... whether their society is still hopelessly mired in the hierarchical mobster-esque horrors of medievalism, they can still learn real fast how to shovel filth burning19th century power sources like coal, and even be taught to build and man ultra modern factories and nuclear power plants (where they still skirt or even clandestinely flaunt Western safety rules whenever possible).
But make no mistake. The MINDSET... of the VAST MAJORITY OF HUMAN BEINGS ON THIS PLANET... is still somewhere back in the Middle Ages. In Shanghai, where I lived for a time (as long as I could humanly stand it), people still open their windows and toss waste water and garbage out onto the street, the way we learned in grade school that our western ancestors did way back in European Middle Ages. You know. Something like... four or five hundred years ago! Which, developmentally speaking, is where a lot of aspects of Chinese society still are, unfortunately.
But make no mistake. The MINDSET... of the VAST MAJORITY OF HUMAN BEINGS ON THIS PLANET... is still somewhere back in the Middle Ages. In Shanghai, where I lived for a time (as long as I could humanly stand it), people still open their windows and toss waste water and garbage out onto the street, the way we learned in grade school that our western ancestors did way back in European Middle Ages. You know. Something like... four or five hundred years ago! Which, developmentally speaking, is where a lot of aspects of Chinese society still are, unfortunately.
Even in considerably more civilized and progressive Taiwan, people drop trash in the streets at their feet - because nobody wants to pay the tax money it takes to put public garbage receptacles out - usually for fear that the general populace will abuse and overfill them. As they generally do. And trash floats around in the streets in South Korea because of similar reasons - though Koreans are admittedly a lot more mindful of cleanliness in general than the Chinese speaking populace (outside of ultra clean and almost fascist style tidy Singapore).
So societally speaking, the vast majority of Chinese (and a whole lot of the rest of the human race) are still not really living in the same world as the rest of us. They're mentally and societally still stuck somewhere back in their perceived "glorious past." Nowadays, they just wear modern, factory produced Western fashions. But they still are prone to very strict social hierarchies and cronyism, and as a result, corruption is usually coming out of their frick'n ears because... they simply haven't caught up quite yet. They simply need more time and even tutelage perhaps, to progress to a truly modern stage - where true egalitarianism can propagate, much less even be fully understood or appreciated.
So societally speaking, the vast majority of Chinese (and a whole lot of the rest of the human race) are still not really living in the same world as the rest of us. They're mentally and societally still stuck somewhere back in their perceived "glorious past." Nowadays, they just wear modern, factory produced Western fashions. But they still are prone to very strict social hierarchies and cronyism, and as a result, corruption is usually coming out of their frick'n ears because... they simply haven't caught up quite yet. They simply need more time and even tutelage perhaps, to progress to a truly modern stage - where true egalitarianism can propagate, much less even be fully understood or appreciated.
And it has even been harder for Native Americans, Middle Easterners and various African peoples, because they mostly came from societies that were in various stages of medievalism or even pre-medievalism before Europeans started carving up their lands and calling the gun powder fueled shots.
So... yeah. I work in an office where my supervisor kisses her buddy the vice principal's butt in an almost tribal, clearly Medieval way because... she knows which side her bread is buttered on. But she's USING, even controlling the man with her studied pomp and circumstance... and he doesn't even seem to realize it. And let's face it, it's all either of them knows. It's their hopelessly hierarchical "culture," which is actually far, far behind in terms of human development. Not that you don't also find this behavior in societal pockets of Europe and North America in abundance too - because in the end, we're all still quite EQUALLY HUMAN.
So... yeah. I work in an office where my supervisor kisses her buddy the vice principal's butt in an almost tribal, clearly Medieval way because... she knows which side her bread is buttered on. But she's USING, even controlling the man with her studied pomp and circumstance... and he doesn't even seem to realize it. And let's face it, it's all either of them knows. It's their hopelessly hierarchical "culture," which is actually far, far behind in terms of human development. Not that you don't also find this behavior in societal pockets of Europe and North America in abundance too - because in the end, we're all still quite EQUALLY HUMAN.
Problem is, that the old empire building ways are going the way of the dodo (except in the military and the private business sector, of course). Hierarchical tribalism is rapidly becoming a thing of the past in the truly modern world. Even younger Koreans don't go for that crap quite so readily because they are growing up in a much larger, "multi-cultural" world than this lady supervisor did. A world in which her parents mostly survived because of American military surplus and aid, at a time when people were lucky if they had a single shriveled up sweet potato and a bowl of rice for the entire day (or week...).
I hate no one. I am no "racist" (any more than anybody else with the same hypocritical, witch hunt, McCarthyism mentality that it takes to accuse others of racism left and right is, that is) and the simple minded folks who run about, tossing such misguided terminology around like it was so much bodily fluid, should mostly just be slapped repeatedly for their pure ignorance and lack of a true grasp on anything remotely resembling reality. 'Cause... sorry... I'm just too damn versed in global human history to buy the whole "it's our culture" bullshit excuse. So yeah, basically, white rednecks ('cause believe me, China is packed to the rafters with Chinese rednecks) don't even begin to understand me in the American Midwest. So how the hell are so many of the still medieval thinking bozos in South Korea (most of them from the older generation) going to have even the slightest clue about any of the above?
And unfortunately, you can't teach 'em. Old dogs. New tricks. You know the drill. They're just too old and programmed for that. Their brains have already been hard wired with ancient, lopsided bullshit. A Lord of the Flies mentality that time and time again, leads to tribal hierarchy and the widespread societal chaos and stagnation that always, always, always... inevitably ensues. Sort of like the Taliban in forever at war Afghan society. A place where 21st century human beings still "honor" wedding guests with celebratory gunfire! CELABRATORY GUNFIRE!!! Ain't nothing like a Chinese or Russian made AK-47 to accidentally kill or maim the bride or other miscellaneous relatives with, now is there? But even in legally gun-less, modern and rapidly progressing South Korea, there are still an over-abundance of old fart types, packing their rigid "culture" of intolerance and multi-cultural ignorance. And they use it to frightening effect, shooting it off at "uncooperative foreigners" at will.
The kids in South Korea are learning, of course. In fact, as proof of what I believe about true human equality, you can adopt a kid out of anywhere in the world and raise them in a mostly modern, truly democratic country, and that kid will THRIVE, because they have the FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE to do so. That's what America... and Will are all about. And now you hopefully know and understand me just a little better.
