A truly Olympian quake response
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Chinese national pride, symbolized in the Olympic torch, has been the subject of considerable recent comment - in the papers, on television and on the internet - ostensible insults to which were the justification for an outbreak of fist-waving and finger-wagging.
This particular subject seems, however, to have been largely silenced by the massive and tragic earthquake in Sichuan.
Not being Chinese, pride in China and its accomplishments would be something of a fraught sentiment for me, in any case.
Pride in one's own achievements is akin to conceit; pride in the accomplishments of others seems like taking credit where none is due.
Pride seems best reserved for members of one's own "family," meant in the broadest sense, but as far as China is concerned, a term from which I feel I am largely excluded.
Admiration, on the other hand, especially admiration based on informed observation, is something one can, given sufficient cause, feel without reservation.
And there has been much to observe, and much to admire, in China's response to this sudden natural disaster. The country has, at all levels, from the official to the individual, risen to face this national challenge.
Premier Wen Jiabao was on an aircraft within hours - a sharp contrast to US President GeorgeW Bush's dithering when faced with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. And once at the scene, Wen didn't stand on ceremony: he got his hands dirty.
It is easy to be cynical about
politicians, but it's hard to dismiss statements that the search for survivors will continue "as long as there's a glimmer of hope" as just soundbites, and Wen's sloshing through the mud and climbing over rubble as mere photo-ops.
The government's reaction to foreign aid and assistance has hit a note between heartfelt gratitude and firm assurances that the government is in control.
Those officially charged with the rescue effort, from the army to various emergency services, give every indication of handling their jobs with urgency, professionalism and compassion. The PLA reportedly dispatched rescue troops within 15 minutes.
And, by no means least, the instances of individual heroism and self- sacrifice, often from individuals who have lost everything themselves, are too numerous to mention.
The Chinese people have opened their hearts and wallets. Hong Kong has reportedly donated a staggering amount, in excess of HK$1 billion.
We live in a political world, and so there are already questions being asked about the political significance of China's apparent new openness and how long it will last.
Perfection is impossible at the best of times, and these certainly weren't, so there will also be questions about whether some rescue operations might have been handled better or mobilized more quickly.
We will surely find that not all the reporting was entirely accurate, and that some of the heroism and self-sacrifice will be tarnished by time.
There will inevitably also be questions about possible shoddy construction or even the wisdom of breakneck development in an earthquake-prone region, questions - like those asked about the flood levees in New Orleans - which undoubtedly seem clearer with hindsight.
But it should not be forgotten that China has nevertheless acquitted itself admirably, at the very least in comparison with the US government's dismal response in Louisiana, admittedly not the best of benchmarks, but demonstrating that the level of economic development and available resources is not necessarily a good indicator of how well a country deals with the tasks at hand.
And the ultimate test of a people is not how they manage in good times, but how they come together when tested. President Hu Jintao had some justification when he said: "I truly believe that the heroic Chinese people will not yield to any difficulty."
Credit, then, where credit is due. If I were Chinese, I might well find pride mixed in with the other emotions of concern and compassion. Pride, that is, in what my countrymen have done in this instance and how they have done it.
I am not Chinese, so I have admiration instead.
Compared with this rescue effort, the Olympic torch is an oversized cigarette lighter, a mere bauble. It is China's response to the earthquake that is truly Olympian.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Chinese national pride, symbolized in the Olympic torch, has been the subject of considerable recent comment - in the papers, on television and on the internet - ostensible insults to which were the justification for an outbreak of fist-waving and finger-wagging.
This particular subject seems, however, to have been largely silenced by the massive and tragic earthquake in Sichuan.
Not being Chinese, pride in China and its accomplishments would be something of a fraught sentiment for me, in any case.
Pride in one's own achievements is akin to conceit; pride in the accomplishments of others seems like taking credit where none is due.
Pride seems best reserved for members of one's own "family," meant in the broadest sense, but as far as China is concerned, a term from which I feel I am largely excluded.
Admiration, on the other hand, especially admiration based on informed observation, is something one can, given sufficient cause, feel without reservation.
And there has been much to observe, and much to admire, in China's response to this sudden natural disaster. The country has, at all levels, from the official to the individual, risen to face this national challenge.
Premier Wen Jiabao was on an aircraft within hours - a sharp contrast to US President GeorgeW Bush's dithering when faced with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. And once at the scene, Wen didn't stand on ceremony: he got his hands dirty.
It is easy to be cynical about
The government's reaction to foreign aid and assistance has hit a note between heartfelt gratitude and firm assurances that the government is in control.
Those officially charged with the rescue effort, from the army to various emergency services, give every indication of handling their jobs with urgency, professionalism and compassion. The PLA reportedly dispatched rescue troops within 15 minutes.
And, by no means least, the instances of individual heroism and self- sacrifice, often from individuals who have lost everything themselves, are too numerous to mention.
The Chinese people have opened their hearts and wallets. Hong Kong has reportedly donated a staggering amount, in excess of HK$1 billion.
We live in a political world, and so there are already questions being asked about the political significance of China's apparent new openness and how long it will last.
Perfection is impossible at the best of times, and these certainly weren't, so there will also be questions about whether some rescue operations might have been handled better or mobilized more quickly.
We will surely find that not all the reporting was entirely accurate, and that some of the heroism and self-sacrifice will be tarnished by time.
There will inevitably also be questions about possible shoddy construction or even the wisdom of breakneck development in an earthquake-prone region, questions - like those asked about the flood levees in New Orleans - which undoubtedly seem clearer with hindsight.
But it should not be forgotten that China has nevertheless acquitted itself admirably, at the very least in comparison with the US government's dismal response in Louisiana, admittedly not the best of benchmarks, but demonstrating that the level of economic development and available resources is not necessarily a good indicator of how well a country deals with the tasks at hand.
And the ultimate test of a people is not how they manage in good times, but how they come together when tested. President Hu Jintao had some justification when he said: "I truly believe that the heroic Chinese people will not yield to any difficulty."
Credit, then, where credit is due. If I were Chinese, I might well find pride mixed in with the other emotions of concern and compassion. Pride, that is, in what my countrymen have done in this instance and how they have done it.
I am not Chinese, so I have admiration instead.
Compared with this rescue effort, the Olympic torch is an oversized cigarette lighter, a mere bauble. It is China's response to the earthquake that is truly Olympian.
