China's acute paranoia

Google is quitting China because it, as with much of the rest of the world, is sick and tired of China's paranoia. The rest of us let things move, get on with life, and don't worry about inconsequential nonsense. If China is so afraid of information, how on earth is it to perform as a super power? We all know of China's fear of the truth. We sympathise with China's history for you have a lot to live down. You have suffered more than most. You live under polluted skies and you drink poisoned milk. But you are a lovely people and you have no need to be paralysed by the truth. This is why Google is sick of being perceived as being aligned with your paranoia..

China Daily
14 Jan 10

Local Government: A hisaway for Criminals

Relevance is dependent upon who controls the relationship. In the matter of Local Councils, relevance is determined by they who have control. The law itself is irrelevant. Local Councillors are a law unto themselves. They are far removed from Macquarie Street. Hence, they are not scrutinised as thoroughly as they should be.
Another aspect of this situation that screws with justice is that local law means exactly that: it's local. Everyone knows everyone else and, being local, personalities play heavily upon justice. There is a law for every situation, and each situation is governed by they who have control.
Kyogle Council is a prime example. Up here in the north of the state, we are far removed from Sydney. We have our own culture and our own politics and if someone is not 'in with the boys of the council' then they have not a hope in Hades of securing influence in local affairs. In fact, they can become targets for the bully boys of Council.
A paedophile ran for Council in our last elections.
A local person was fined for sleeping in his house.
There are umpteen number of dogs in this Shire yet the Ranger selects those dogs that the ranger considers to be acting contrary to local and state laws. This selection can be arbitrary, to say the least.
Yet when the matter of the paedophile and the dogs are brought to the attention of the ranger, guess what takes precedence?
No, local government is a curse and the sooner it is relegated to history, the better.

Daily Telegraph
13 Jan 10

China Nationalism tends towards Racism

This is a most disturbing article. Apart from the lousy English, and the attempt by the author to sound American [listen up!...don't mess with ...] with lower-end cliched buzz words, the author's trip into Uber-Nationalism reminds me of Hitler's rubbish talks to his faithful. Hitler separated Germans from the rest of the world by highlighting their 'us-ness', their Germanic qualities, and by ridiculing non-Germans. Although the subject matter is not of paramount importance in this article, the gist that laowai can never achieve oneness with their Chinese pengyoumen, is tantamount to insult and racism.
If I were to say that I was a Buddhist and that in my previous life I was Chinese, would the author refute me?

China Daily
13 Jan 10

Heroic victory for Oz cricketers but ...

Heroic victory by the team. All this pontificating by Ponting does not obfuscate the fact that the Australian cricket team has not endeared itself to the international cricket public. When we cheer for victory at all cost, we forget how much it really costs us as a cricketing nation.

Daily Telegraph
7 Jan 10

Trucks Kill

I contacted Bruce Baird when he was NSW Min for Transport in mid 80s. I brought to his attention the destructive power of trucks, the maniacal attitude of many truck drivers, especially at night along the Hume Hwy, toward smaller vehicles. These maniacs actually played 'games' with us car drivers. It was terrifying. Since then I refuse to travel at night along our highways.
What did Bruce Baird do? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Since then, hundreds of us have died in crashes involving trucks.
The solution? It's easy. Put people ahead of profit and speed. Don't simply keep on with the same dangerous game. If your child is playing a dangerous game and life is threatened, you take steps to stop it. Then why not take steps to stop this dangerous game on our highways. It's not the trucks at fault: it is we who should have the care and responsibility to stop the game of carnage on our highways.

Daily Telegraph
7 Jan 10

You'd have to be mad or high to smuggle drugs in China

A person would have to be insane or be high on drugs to try to smuggle drugs in China. Was the Briton high or was he insane? The court should have established this. If it did then the court had the moral right to obey China law.

China Daily Jan 2, 2010

If only the DPRK would stop being an adolescent dickhead

If the DPRK would stop behaving like an adolescent and begin to act like a mature and responsible adult, then the rest of us would take seriously its call for dialogue. Otherwise, it's the same old crap story, with ideology written all over it.

China Daily Jan 2, 2010