Do we really know the poor?

There seems to be a wall in the society. People who have the right to speak are lack of some basic understanding for the real life of those low-income groups. Fashion, noble life styles are filling the newspapers, television and other media while not that much people are caring the poor.

We all know that the price of pork keeps rising, but do you know which part of the pig products rose on the most?

My mom told me that she went to buy meat the other day and the meat price rose another 50 fen, she could not help but complain: "why the price rises every other day?" The seller said, "We don’t want to do that as well. But the water, electricity and gas bills are going up; we can’t live if we don’t raise the meat price. Moreover, the meat is not raising the most." Another customer complained, "Isn’t it? It cost no more than 5 yuan per kilogram last year but now it costs 13 yuan. It has risen more than twice!" The meat seller said, "The pig fat was 2 yuan last year but now is 8 yuan per kilo. It has rose four times" The customers are a bit surprised. The seller kept speaking. "The poor can not afford to buy the lean pork but still they need some meat. The more people need, the more the product costs. It is a natural rule."

My mom said in her childhood, when people were buying meat they always requested “fat meat”. Pig fat is very popular at that time. Sometimes it was almost a symbol of a privilege. Later, as the improvement of people's living standard, people began to buy pure meat. Only some small restaurants buy pig fat meat to fry oil to cut the costs. What is unexpected is that 30 years later, pig fat meat became “popular” again.

There seems to be a wall in the society. People who have the right to speak are lack of some basic understanding for the real life of those low-income groups. Fashion, noble life styles are filling the newspapers, television and other media while not that much people are caring the poor, and the consequence is that when the government and people who sincerely wanted to help the weak, they are helpless for the ignorance.

Live Lives

In the afternoon of December 28, the wife of the famous host, Hu Ziwei, complained her husband’s affair at the scene of renaming CCTV Channel 5 to Olympic channel conference.

As we can see from the video later, if the scenes were staged in a county, it is estimated that the woman must have already rolling crying on the ground. But in the Beijing Shangri-La Hotel, it seems Hu Ziwei was fairly calm, although “it seems”.

From the various inspection reports, Hu Ziwei never unabashed of her love to her husband Zhang Bin. Hu Ziwei always has a big smile on her face in their pictures, while it appears that Zhang Bin is always trying to keep some distance.

It is not a short time for their marriage. It seems that everything is going right before this shocking moment. From the beginning of January 2007, you can see many interviews about Hu Ziwei in many newspapers, magazines on her family and job. They are all filled with happiness. But why this shocking moment happened so suddenly?

This may have something to do with the changes of Hu’s work. A few months ago, she left the “Shenbian” program which was founded by her own. She is no longer the producer and host. It is said that the reason is about her report about “the paper steamed bread” and her critic on the Haier. But only the Beijing TV Station would know the real answer - and it certainly would not tell.

Neither would Hu herself tell. The host lost the opportunities to be on the screen just as laid-off. It is needless to say the her frustration. The real problem will probably be seen when she become idle.

Someone has asked her whether she worry about her family as she is so busy. She said, “my husband is very busy too. I can be so busy just because I know my family is very stable. If there is something wrong with my family, then I would be broken down.”

It is said that Zhang Bin’s father is a senior official who served as secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee. If this is true, then this kind of thing does not seem to be in his possession. A child has such family background is generally low-key, modest and good at controlling the overall situation. However, when the thing happened, he was clearly unable to control the situation.

The ex-wife of Zhang Bin is also in the television field. When Hu Ziwei came to know Zhang Bin, he was still living with his ex-wife. After the big issue couple days ago, many people ridiculed Hu Ziwei saying that she herself was a third party before.

If you are an ordinary person, this kind of thing does not commit mass destruction, on the contrary can only prove that you are charming. However, Zhang Bin is a public figure, the public bear less moral standards of this, and the public may have addiction to the public figures’ private lives.

I think more embarrassing character in such event is CCTV. The scene was broadcasting live, and many bigwigs from CCTV, sports, and media were all there. The video on the CCTV website was soon deleted, and several other news on other websites were deleted later, but there are some preserved, then they spread to the whole world. By now, in addition to the rise of the video clicks, there are many overseas media have already reported it in details on this matter, while the original renaming Olympic Channel was not a big deal at all.

Unexpectedly in the last few days of 2007 we can still see such a scene which includes a set of lies, revenge and suspense…… No matter how brilliant the screen is, it would never be as interesting as life itself.

Whose's "Lust and Caution" should it be?

The Golden Horse Prize finally announced the director Ang Lee's "Lust and Caution" won the best movie, best director, best actor and actress and other shortlisted 11 awards, there is no doubt that it is a great success for a movie like this. The sex scenes in the film left us a deep impression, and everyone is talking about it. But recently there is a set of photos being so hit on the internet- it is two children modifying the sex scenes in the film just in a corner of a residence block! In this the social environment of "no sex no show", we should really rethink about these adult films' influences on the innocent children. But what I am curious is, how can this movie affect the children? How can the children get access to this?

The two little children are kissing and touching each other in the joints and their behaviors are similar to some of the "indecent" scenes in "Lust and Caution". Being shocked, my heart is filled with misery. The children is growing without an ability of telling bad from good. Imitating is their nature. Whether their physical and mental growth is healthy or not is greatly depended on the things they imitate. When those sexy, violent, bloody scenes are filling the TVs, movies and the net, the general public, the media and the parents should act responsibly to protect the children from getting access to them. The innocent children should not be allowed to be injured. But nowadays, there are lots of film makers and media writers, who has been totally blinded by greedy minds, go crazy about the so-called "market-oriented pursuit", not even giving a little bit space to the children for their healthy growth but dragging them to muddy water. I think it is not only the children's tragedy, but also the whole society's.

Apart from analysing these photos are true or faked and whether they are made for fun or speculation, I think the one who took these photographs and openly displayed them on the internet is a shameless person. Why don't you put up a filming location, time and also your names and contact telephone number as someone offering 500,000 yuan to realize their "becoming famous overnight" dreams in the Spring Festival Party? This is obviously a despicable behavior hurting children, and what's more, it is possible directed by someone! Where is your moral conscience?!

We can't blame the children. What do you suppose that these two little children know? Is it every child's nature to satisfy their curiosity, to explore and they are good at imitating. The problem is, parents are the child's first teachers. In this situation, I can't help asking: where is our family education? Schools are bases for children's knowledge seeking. In this situation, I can't help asking: where is the school eduation? Society is the environment for the children's development. In this situation, I can't help asking: where is the social moral sense?

I have so many questions in my minds and I can't find the answers.

Children are the future of a country. No matter how we struggle in the madding society, how numbe we are in such a material world and how frustrated we are, please, just leave some space to let our children grow up happily and healthily!

Pigs and the government

From January 1, 2009 onwards, there will be a total ban on pig-raising in the city of Dongguan in Guangdong. According to the document released by the government, the existing pig farms must be closed before the end of next year. On the 4th, LI Xiaomei, vice mayor of Dongguan City disclosed this information in the city pollution and animal industry work conference. It is said that pig-raising industry will be seen as the main sources of pollution in Dongguan city. (from "Nanfang Daily", Dec-05-2007)

The official reason why Dongguan ban the pig-raising is: the pollution emissions made by the existing 750,000 pigs in Dongguan now are equivalent of 4.5 million population pollution emissions, and the emissions of chemical oxygen reached 18,000 tons per year. In order to effectively reduce the pollution made by the pig-raising industry, Dongguan have to build a new sewage treatment plants which can depurate 1.32 million tons of water per day. “Therefore, from the point of view of the development of production, pig farming is not worthy”.

It seems reasonable. But the logic behind is a bit strange. Clearly, the Dongguan city government only saw the “bad” side of the pig farming, but did not see the “good” side, or we can say they only “saw the pig manure, but no pork”. On this point, the relevant questions from the local people are already contradictory enough: If this argument can be established, then you can ban the chicken industry, also you can prohibite the establishment of the catering industry. Then maybe one day, you may also make a policy prohibiting Dongguan residents, because compared to the pig and chicken, humans are senior animals to the city and the natural world, and the pollution caused by humans are the most serious!

In addition, we can see another picture by following this logic. As you know, the use of the power of a society is not always beneficial. We all know the fact that in the era of extreme alienation, the power will cause endless disaster. In the period we are living in today, when the old order gradually break and the new one has not yet been fully established, social flaws exist everywhere. And some people take advantage of their powers as an opportunity to make money. However, can we deny the possibility of political power and business just because some people are not using them properly?

It is allowed for the government to keep their powerful rights, but not allowed for the society to raise pigs. Obviously, as a way of employment and industry, if there are problems with the pig-raising, we can solve them by making continuous improvement and adjusting the potential rules of the market. Even if the pigsty vanished one day in the future, it would be a spontaneous order, not destroyed by a piece of the document released by the government. If we can not prohibit the overall operation of government’s power because people are not using it properly, then how can Dongguan City prohibit the pig industry for the excuse of pollution made by it? From the taxpayer's point of view, since both of the government and the pigs have a negative impact, why we support the government, but not the pigs?

Dongguan government banned a local industry for a specious reason. Ostensibly, it expanded its power to the pigsties, but the inherent logic can be easily extended to the whole society- that is, the government makes its own decisions without thinking in the public’s shoes and is interfering the market economy and civil rights.

Someone may say, the local government prohibited the pig-raising entirely because of the environmental considerations, their original intention is good. However, even for the environmental reasons, it should also follow the environmental ideas to solve environmental problems, such as looking for an ecological farming mode, but not interfere the rights of local residents to raise pigs. Moreover, compared to more serious industrial pollution, the pig industry seems actually more “green”- it is absolutely possible to control through a variety of environmental policy and regulation, ecological farming or other effective means.

On the other hand, the so-called saying “the rich go to school, while the poor raise the pigs” is familiarized by the Chinese community. Even a 9-year-old child knows that the people in the pig industry are almost all from the bottom of society, how could the Dongguan City government do not know about that? Yes, this is curious question- if they do not know, how could they serve the public? If they do know, then why did they make such a stupid decision?

How should we establish our national self-confidence?

This year's Nobel Prize Presentation Ceremony is coming soon, China will broadcast it for the first time. Although the broadcast is limited to Natural Science Award by the CCTV-science & education channel, in light of the significant impact of the Nobel Prize on the history of mankind, the fact that Chinese audiences finally to be witnesses of human wisdom and vision scene is, after all, a good news. But, at the same time, as we can see from the prevue, the style of this broadcasting plan is open to questions - I think it will make the ceremony an entertainment and show off event.

According to CCTV propaganda, on December 10 night, CCTV-science & education channel would broadcast a five-hour-long large special event “the Nobel Science Night”. During the five hours, in addition to the presentation live in Stockholm, CCTV also add some content mainly on two aspects: First, interludes with more entertainment programs- not only “the painters, singers, dancers, actors would do some performance- so arts and science will be perfect blend in this annual feast”, but also “fun staff about the 100 year Nobel Prize” with the aim “to enable the program easily gratifying”. Secondly, it would “emphasize China's scientific and technological achievements (including the manned space flight, orbiting the project, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, artificial sun, life outbreak theory, the human genome, the super hybrid rice, and other major scientific research achievements) to the general audience”.

Does it sound like another CCTV Chinese Spring Festival evening party? 　　

No matter how solemn, any ceremony should be allowed to be transformed into entertainment programs, even “making fun of it” is also a kind of freedom of expression. But it seems that such an incident should not be dominated by the country's scientific & educational television channel.

There may be controversy in each specific selection of Nobel Prize, however, indisputably, it represents the highest achievement of science, literature and peace ideals all over the world. Chinese people always feel regretful that there is not a local Chinese scientist or writer has been awarded by Nobel Prize yet. In each autumn, the traditional season for harvest, every Chinese, no matter professionals or ordinary people, reflect our national science development just as the media do. But what we see from the CCTV propaganda is, it is ignoring the public opinions but seizing the chance to show off. I think it is not only a kind of contempt of human wisdom, but also a everymockery on the public.

It is true that Nobel Prize is just a prize mainly awarded by the west countries. It is inevitable unfair because of the cultural differences, the lack of exchange or the political bias. We do not have to shoulder the burden for this. But should we treat it as a party time just for fun?

CCTV explained that their intension of the broadcast plan is to enhance “the Chinese audiences’ national self-confidence”. But I believe that the real national self-confidence should be built on the humble and honest basis. China's scientific community, literature, economic and academic circles have made fruitful achievements in the last couple of decades. We are very proud of that. But in the face of the Nobel Prize, we are still hoping to hear more autocritcal voices from the national television.

Reflection leads us to learn, honesty makes us progress. I think this should be the real way for us to establish our national self-confidence.

The poor can't afford the universities is because the fee is too low?

On November 27th, the president of Guanghua Management School (Beijing University) Zhang Weiying, attend the "2007 China Guangda high-end Economic Forum" in Zhengzhou. He said, the reason why the poor can not afford to go to university in China is because the fee is too low. "Studying in Beijing University as an undergraduate student cost 20,000 yuan per year, the tuition fee is about 4,000 yuan, and the remaining 16,000 yuan is subsidized by the government. It is the poor subsidizing the rich. I think a really good system is that you can charge highly, but you would spent 80 percent in scholarships, only in this way can the poor afford the universities."　
　
As a well-known economist, Professor Zhang Weiying's idea of using this economic means to put the solutions is a bit too ridiculous in my opinion. In the present China, it is not implemented. Professor Zhang's prescription obviously detached from the national conditions, is divorced from the reality.

To achieve the ideal purpose of Professor Zhang, there must be an important premise- there should be sufficient rich people to bear the high tuition fees, at the same time, we should make sure that all the poor students can receive adequate subsidies. That is to say, China should have sufficient proportion of high-income groups. For example, in the face of high fares, more than 50 per cent of students' families can easily bear the high tuition, 20 to 30 percent of them can barely bear, and the remaining 20 to 30 percent of the students complete their studies through various subsidies. Only in a ratio like this is there a possibility of Pro.Zhang's "really good system".

However, the current level of our national income is far unable to bear a heavier burden of education. Statistics show that the poverty ratio in national key institutions exceeds 20% currently, and it is as high as 35 percent in study fields like agriculture, forestry, Normal and underdeveloped areas in West China Universities. What’s more, the "poor students" I am referring here, is basically the one who rely on relief, grants and other financial support to continue their studies and does not include other students who are facing economic difficulties. If the tuition increase five-fold, then what would the ratio be? 50%? 60% ? 70%? or even more? How many families are able to afford school fees?

Apparently, in the actual circumstances of national income (many of the income statistics are "averaged" by the wealthy) with such a large low-income groups in China, we can only increase the "fair distribution of the first" to solve the problem, that is to say, lower the tuition fee as much as possible, because only in this way can the majority of students' families bear the cost. If divorced from the reality of national income, just one-sided emphasis on use of economic means to solve the problem of poor students going to school might arouse the suspicion of the speaker's motivation - after all, the first beneficiary of the increasing tuition is the university, not others.

Who killed the young pregnant woman?

November 21, because a Hunan man Zhijun Xiao refused to sign the permission for doing a Caesarean section, it led his 22-year-old pregnant wife and his child died. In Chinese society, it caused enormous repercussions. Can a person's life depends on another person's signature ? Should the hospital ignore legal restrictions to heal the sick? Is there any problem with the current medical legal system ? What is the reason caused two people died in front of more than 30 medical staff?

At 16:00 on November 21, a 41-week pregnant woman Li-Yun Li was in a critical condition because of dystocia. Her husband Zhijun Xiao sent her to Chaoyang Hospital. Li-Yun Li was diagnosed as "full-term pregnancy, severe pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, acute heart failure," and an immediate need for Caesarean section. According to the rules, any surgery, patients or their families must be agreed for the signing. As Li-Yun Li has been in a coma, Zhijun Xiao become the only person entitled to a signature. When the doctor passed the surgery agreement to Zhijun Xiao, an unexpected situation emerged - Zhijun Xiao rejected. The reason he rejected was that "the only job you should do is trying to cure her disease, she will be fine!" "We are here for just a cold, not for a birth to a child, she won't do that in a month." "My wife is just suffering a cold, just give her some medicine", "Don't do the surgery, otherwise we will not be able to have a second child in the future."

After 3-hour-long argument between the husband and the hospital, the tragedy is inevitable. At 7:20PM, the 22-year-old Li-Yun Li died because of a serious respiratory, heart and lung failure. According to the report posted by on November 23, during the three hours, despite numerous doctor's earnest advice, Zhijun Xiao ignored until the doctors announced his wife's deadth.

It is anomal that Zhijun Xiao refused to sign, but also, it is a certain inevitable. The fact is that Zhijun Xiao is very poor. He was wearing a dark blue old T-shirt, shoes full of mud, he was wearing a huge cheap electronic watches on his wrists. He said that it is his wife's desire going to Beijing as "she said it would be easier to find a job in big city." When they firstly arrived in Beijing last December, he worked as a security with a 750 yuan monthly wage. This year, in November, he went to a hotel in west Beijing washing dishes, the monthly wage is 700 yuan. "No savings, spend a whole." Xiao said even his wife's pregnant, she has never been seen with specialized maternity hospitals. Just because his wife's flu, they visited two small clinics. The pressure of life make them drift as a wireless kite in the city. Their hearts are full of frustration and despair for living in a big city with a low income. Facing the unexpected pressure, the economic distress, the loss feelings of social care, the trouble couples almost crumble, which lead a greater tragedy finally.

In my opinion, just use the words like "selfish", "insensitive", "the lack of medical knowledge" to condemn Xiao is obviously not enough. No one can be so relentless is front of the imminent loss of his wife and child. So, why Xiao refused to sign? The answer seems cruel and simple. Xiao said: "My wife is just suffering from a flu, drug treatment will make her better, and they can give the birth to their children by themselves. I would also like to have a second child in the future. If I sign, the hospital would not give her pills. I have no money." Obviously, Xiao's fear of poverty made his blindly resistance, and ultimately let the young pregnant woman lose her life.

On the other side, just imagine, if the hospital is more humanitarian and to do everything possible to work on, perhaps the pregnant women would not be killed. "If families do not signed, not surgery." If everyone mechanical implementates the rules, or unwilling to play a responsibility, this kind of tragedy will surely be difficult to avoid. I think, this should be the most profound warning of this case.