We're all children
Since I’ve been here, there has been one topic that has inevitably come up in practically every late night drinking session I’ve found myself in with other expats. The location changes occasionally; in someone’s apartment, at a bar, or yelling over the music at a night club. The people change as well; friends, coworkers, or people I’ve just met. But every conversation, no matter where it starts, eventually touches upon one thing: everyone’s government vs. China’s.
This topic is obvious since most expats come from Western, at least somewhat democratic countries and we see many staunch differences between our collective motherlands and our new home. Early on, I came up with an analogy that, at least generally, fits the differences that I see between the American and Chinese governments.
We’re all children.
In America, we’re not allowed to go outside because our parents are way too concerned about the many things out there that might physically hurt us or cause us to get in trouble. To keep that from happening, we have to stay indoors. While we’re inside, we can watch whatever we want on TV and have free reign on the internet. We have access to a lot of information and it’s up to us to decide how to use it.
Our Chinese friends' parents have the same amount of rules, but their rules are different. Their parents have full control over the TV and internet and only want their kids to learn specific things about certain subjects. The kids are allowed to play outside, though. Their parents have more faith that they will make the right decisions and don’t over-think many of the potential problems that could arise outside.
We're both free and we're both controlled.
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politics
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