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Russia: Bloggers Discuss James Watson

Veronica Khokhlova · 23:00

lingua → pt · zht · zhs

James Watson, an American Nobel Prize-winning geneticist, provoked international outrage when the following statements of his were quoted in the Oct. 14 profile in The Sunday Times:

He says that he is “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really”, and I know that this “hot potato” is going to be difficult to address. His hope is that everyone is equal, but he counters that “people who have to deal with black employees find this not true”. He says that you should not discriminate on the basis of colour, because “there are many people of colour who are very talented, but don’t promote them when they haven’t succeeded at the lower level”. He writes that “there is no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated in their evolution should prove to have evolved identically. Our wanting to reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity will not be enough to make it so”.

The news of the controversy has produced a certain stir in the Russian-language blogosphere, too.

U.S.-based LJ user karial recounted (RUS) meeting James Watson in person:

[…] I met Watson two weeks after 9/11. The first question he asked after introductions and hand-shaking was: “So, are we [the U.S.] going to Afghanistan now to finish off what you guys [the Soviets] haven't?”

[…]

I had been warned about Watson's habit of saying politically incorrect things. I had to sit with a microphone in my hands throughout his lecture, ready to stand up and say that the company that organized this seminar didn't share Mr. Watson's views. No, I don't find the role of a censor pleasant - I find it amazingly disgusting - and I really hoped to avoid becoming one. But, unfortunately, we could face a lawsuit otherwise.

I admit that a few times I did push the microphone's switch-on button - and was about to rise. And each time Watson would stop “on the verge.” But he always comes closer to the verge than anyone else on the celebrity lecture circuit, and it seemed to me that he was doing it with a bravado and even with something resembling Schadenfreude.

In the current situation - if you read the actual quote - he has also slowed down almost at the edge. But crossed the line a tiny little bit. And a lot of people were waiting for this moment.

Watson, despite his age, is a wonderful, very interesting lecturer. During the first half of his lecture, we had a feeling that he didn't really understand why he was invited to this seminar; he was beginning with different thoughts - then dropping them halfway through. He was using old slides, not even the transparencies of the early 90s, but slides in square frames. And then he easily, with a few phrases, connected all the lines that he had started and showed how they emphasize the seminar's main concept. So, at least six years ago, he was in his right mind and with solid memory, so to say. And all Watson's political incorrectness is conscious.

We can argue ad nauseam whether a star of his magnitude can allow himself to voice thoughts that [aren't PC]. Whether it's an impudent challenge of a free person to the system or a hole at the bottom of a boat that took much effort to build, a boat that ensures there's if not equality, then a state close to it. […]

Below are some of the comments (RUS) to this post:

doctor_iola:

Actually, I think it's a paradox that a country with such a level of freedom of speech or something has gotten itself so much of political correctness…

karial:

And thank God that there is political correctness. Or else you wouldn't have become a doctor. IQ tests at the turn of the century used to show that the IQ of East Europeans was lower than that of the native Americans. Would you like to fight every day to prove the opposite? Or keep hearing that women bigger than sixe 10 are neither sexy, nor satisfied with themselves?

drauk:

Still, I think that political correctness (especially, its today's, extreme, version) is not the same as equal rights and opportunities.

karial:

Unfortunately, these are really close notions. Because how can one talk about equal rights, when a certain group of people - based on race, ethnicity, sex, size - would permanently be tied to […] a certain quality? Say, all Russians are crooks. And yes, they'll invite you to a [job] interview, but they'll always assume that you are very likely to be stealing things.

And what's being said by the public print and broadcast media is what forms these perceptions. […]

puh:

So much noise because an old person has decided to say what he thinks (and, most likely, it is really the way he says it is)?

karial:

A person who is a public figure, especially in the world of science, has to understand that he can't “just say what he thinks” - it's not his kitchen, his words cause public response. […]

Moscow-based LJ user ivanov-petrov wrote (RUS):

[…] I'm a stranger, of course, and these problems seem rather remote to me. But if something like this happened in Russia, I'd be extremely upset. I know that things like this did happen in Russia, and even twice as bad, and many times worse. I'm not saying we've got something to be proud of. What I'm saying is that it kind of sucks.

[…]

I'm absolutely not sure that the guy is right. It's very important to know what and how exactly it was said. But it seems to me that it's all about an individual's right to say things - and the right of a group not to want to hear such things. And whose freedom is tougher… All else being equal, I'm rooting for the individual.

And here's one of the conversations that took place in the comments section to this post:

taichi_777:

Everyone agrees that [blacks] have a special kind of plasticity that Europeans lack, and they dominate in many types of sports, and the white aren't offended by this, as far as I know. I mean, if the guy's theory gets a scientific proof, there'd be nothing terrible for the Africans in it. Statistics aside, [Aleksandr Pushkin] did exist after all. :)

Who knows, maybe each race has its niche, each one has its own strengths.

[…]

alamar:

[…] For most people, statistics is a tricky thing, but it's a perfect basis for speculation.

taichi_777:

I can't but agree, especially when we're talking about intellectual skills statistics. Miracle often occur here even at the individual level here - I know D-students with high IQ :)

[…]

ajawa_took:

It's a very standard argument: let basketball and jazz be black, and science and business white, and no one would be offended. The problem is, the niche that you reserve for the blacks - it hasn't got enough money even for a small share of them.

Those who dreamed of becoming great scientists or businessmen, but failed to, they live in private houses and drive Lexuses, and their children continue to dream, knowing that if it doesn't work out for them, they'll be like their papas. And those who dreamed of becoming great musicians or athletes, but failed to, they live in black ghettos and are either surviving on unpleasant, low-paying jobs, or begging for money, or end up as criminals. And their children understand that they have no future in sports or music (or else I'll be like papa), and no one's calling them to science and business - there are only whites there.

taichi_777:

There's plenty of injustice in the world, and, moreover, something's telling me that the life of American jazz-playing blacks is no more horrible than the life of the Russian pensioners.

And one more injustice that we may lament: it's become fashionable in science to be politically correct instead of seeking the truth.

6 comments · »»

Tunisia: Breaking Censorship

Amira Al Hussaini · 17:18

lingua → es · ar

Tunisian blogger Sami ben Gharbia decides to beat the censors in their own game. He tells us how, in this post (Ar) I am translating from Arabic today.

تعني كلمة فرططـّو في الدارجة التونسية فراشة و أصل اللفظ بربري أو أمازيغي. أما فرططـّو هنا فهو الموقع العاكس لمدونتي “فكرة” التي تم حجبها في تونس منذ أربع سنوات.

“Fartattou means in the local Tunisian dialect butterfly, and the word is derived from Berber or Amazigh. This site is a mirror site to my blog Fikra (Thought), which has been blocked in Tunisia for four years,” explains Ben Gharbia.

لقد أشرت في تدوينة سابقة إلى فرططـّو، إلا أنني لم أجد الوقت و لا الجهد لإنهاء المشروع الذي كنت أنوي القيام به.
فرططـّو ليس نسخة طبق الأصل من ملفات مدونتي “فكرة” بل هو مرآتها أو قل نسخة إفتراضية أصلية لها تمكن مستخدمي الأنترنت في تونس من الوصول إلى محتويات مدونتي دون المرور بخادم البروكسي لتجاوز الحجب الذي تفرضه شرطة الشبكة هناك.

“I have mentioned Fartattou in a previous post but did not have enough time of effort to complete the project I was hoping to achieve. Fartattou is not an exact replica of my blog Fikra but is its mirror or an original virtual copy which will enable Internet users in Tunisia to access the contents of my blog without using a proxy server to circumnavigate the block imposted by the cyber police there,” he adds.

رططـّو هو الخطوة الثانية التي أخطوها قصد كسر الحجب المضروب على مدونتي و الذي بدأ قبل إنشاء هذا الموقع الخاص إذ حـُجبت قبل هذا مدونتي على بلوغر.

“Fartattou is the second step I take to break the curfew on my blog, which started before this blog was set up as my blog on Blogger was banned too,” notes Ben Gharbia.

فبعد إعادة تصميم الموقع و اختيار هذا القالب البسيط الذي أخليته من الصور و السكريبتات التي كانت تحول دون مشاهدته في تونس، هأنذا أتمكن من “مراوغة” حائط النار التونسي و لو مؤقتا. إذ باستطاعتهم أن يحجبوا فرططـّو في تونس كما حجبوا فكرة. إلا أن سهولة تغيير عنوان الموقع التي اكتشفتها مؤخرا جعلت من مهمة كسر الحجب أسهل من كتابة هذه التدوينة. لهذا السبب لم أقم بهذه التجربة سابقا، إذ لم أكن مقتنعا بنجاحها، على عكس هذه المرة.

“After redesigning the site and selecting this simple template, which doesn't have photographs or scripts which can stop it from being seen in Tunisia, I am now able to ‘maneuver' the Tunisian firewall - if only temporarily as they can ban Fartattou in Tunisia, just as they have done with Fikra. However, changing the address of the site, which I have discovered lately, has made it easier for me to break the ban imposed on my blog than writing actual posts. For this reason, I did not take this route before, as I wasn't convinced it would work. This time the case is the opposite.”

1 comment · »»

African Bloggers Pay Tribute To Lucky Dube

Ndesanjo Macha · 15:32

lingua → zht · zhs

Lucky Dube album “Do you ever worry about your house being broken into / Do you ever worry about your car being taken away from you in broad daylight down Highway 54 / Do you ever worry about your wife becoming the woman in black / Do you ever worry about leaving home and coming back in a coffin, with a bullet through your head / So join us and fight this crime and corruption….”

These words are from the South African reggae star, Lucky Dube, who passed away on October 18, 2007 after being shot in Johannesburg, South Africa. African bloggers have responded with great sadness at the death of Africa’s greatest reggae artist, best known for his deeply touching songs about peace, justice and equality.

Adeola Aderounmu mourns his death with these words:

I join millions all over the world to mourn the death of Africa’s reggae legend, Lucky Dube. As a teenager, I listened to Lucky Dube’s I am a Slave. That was good music. There were several other good lyrics from him as well.
That he was gunned down on the streets of Johannesburg re-choes those years when Jo’burg was the most dangerous city to live in. But why a brother would kill an un-armed brother just to steal his car is not clear to me? What else is missing in the motive for this senseless killing? In how many ways is madness displayed globally?
I am deeply hurt by this precious life that has been wasted in South Africa and I sympathise with the children who saw their father being shot to death. What a trauma?
Lucky, you have been a hero and a legend. You have written your name indelibly in the sands of time.
We will not forget you!

Sokari writes: Lucky Dube R.I.P:

Thanks for all the happiness you gave us all with your beautiful music - you are gone but your spirit and music will live on. Bless.

My Afritude is totally devastated:

I am totally devastated that Lucky Dube was murdered this week…shocking… I’m so sad for his family, especially his small children who will now have to grow up without their dad…

How incredibly senseless. The question WHY comes to mind at times like this…..
His music has left a legacy though and as sad as this is, no amount of violence can ever take that away…VIVA LUCKY!

Malawian blogger Clement Nyirenda sees the death of Lucky Dube as an opportunity for the South African government to act on the crime wave:

Through his music, Dube helped in sensitizing the world about the hardships faced by black people in South Africa during the days of apartheid.Very sad indeed to note that the freedom that he firmly campaigned for has created “other freedoms” i.e.crime, abortion,same sex marriages, one of which (crime) has eventually led to his own demise.This just confirms that South Africa is not a safe place to stay, whether you are well-known or not.

His death came at a time when the whole world is watching South Africa as it prepares for the 2010 FIFA World Cup:

This is sending out wrong signals to the world as the country prepares to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.In reaction, President Thabo Mbeki made an appeal to South Africans to confront the scourge of crime together.

Clement concludes:

On the overall, the President, as a number one citizen, must accept that violent crime in South Africa is out of control, and that government's remedies to address this scourge have failed so far. The government must seriously start looking at new ways in its fight against crime. The Police force must be revamped. Relieve the current Police bosses of their duties. Bring in some new people who may come in with new ideas!

A Christian blogger in South Africa asks, “What do we do about it?” He also shares his own experience of violence in the streets of Johannesburg:

Please notice I'm not asking how we feel about the sad murder of Lucky Dube… I know how I feel about it.

I am asking what do we do about it?

Megan and I had only been living in Pretoria for about 3 months when we were involved in an attempted hijacking - thankfully we got away with our lives, but it was a traumatic experience for Megan, Courtney and I. We still don't stop at that set of traffic lights at night. Sadly, about a year later, Megan was a victim of a 'smash and grab' incident at the same busy intersection. In broad daylight a man simply walked up to her car window smashed the glass and grabbed her handbag and ran away..

I am sad and shocked that a nation as beautiful as ours should struggle with such violence and crime… Of course I understand why it takes place - the gap between those who have, and those who have not, is still huge! The damage done by Apartheid will be felt for many years to come…

What made me so sad about Lucky Dube's death today is that he was shot in front of his teenage son and daughter while three men tried to hijack his car… Then the police officials in the Johannesburg area report that they will not just put ‘any' policemen on this case, rather, they have appointed a ‘crack team' to solve this crime. Isn't it sad that you have to be famous to get good service from the police? What do people who are not famous do?

So, the question is what do we do? What do Christians do?

Gus notes that violent crime in South Africa has nothing to do with race nor class:

Today I feel sick because I know that the murder of Lucky Dube is just the tip of the iceberg of violent crime in this country. I know our history contributes to why we are so mean to each other. I don't think violent crime is racially motivated - or even class discriminative - I think it rests on our general disregard for the sacredness of all life.

Our people live in fear of one another, fear produces adrenalin and more violence; I feel it on the streets when we drive, when people knock on our doors, when loved ones travel home late at night, when I walk my dog in the park, when I activate the alarm system at church that'll call police with guns if anyone breaks in.

Senzeni na? (What have we done?)

The Holy Pigeon responds to his death with a post about the glory of the dead, “The Kurt Cobain Syndrome”:

Lucky Dube is now gone, and another South African entertainment icon falls, murdered, alongside Gito Baloi, Brett Goldin and Taliep Petersen. The ‘South African Bob Marley' was the face of the reggae genre for over 25 years, beginning with his ironically titled first album Rastas Never Die.
I've been thinking about the glory of the dead. The Kurt Cobain Syndrome. Everyone who's dead is immediately a legend. Because they're dead.

The solution to this madness, writes the Holy Pigeon, is mob justice:

But these things are not tragic for any reason other than that we allow them to happen through inaction. I refuse to grieve anyone but my own ignorant self.
The only way, human animals, is mob justice. Let's drop the negative stigma of the term. To you, the person who thinks with his hands (you know who you are): next time you feel led, calmly assemble an active group, try to get to those responsible before the authorities do, and whatever you do, make it public.

Ramadhani Msangi writes in Swahili:

Ni vigumu kuamini lakini ndivyo ilivyo, kuwa mmoja kati ya watu ambao huwa naamini ni wateule walioletwa duniani kwa ajili ya kuifanya dunia kuwa sehemu inayofaa kuishi na hata kupewa hadhi ya dunia, hatunaye tena.

It is hard to believe but that is the reality; that one of the people I believe have been chosen and sent in this world to make the world a better place is no longer with us.

Borrowing from Lucky Dube’s words, Ray Hartley, the editor of The Times of South Africa, argues that his death will put to an end the belief that it is white South Africans who are victims of violence:

THE Times mourns the shocking death of reggae artist Lucky Dube, who was shot dead in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
Dube was one of this country’s greatest — and most popular artists.
He had a conscience and stood against racism. His song, Different colours, one people included the lines “Look at me you see BLACK/ I look at you I see WHITE/ Now is the time to kick that away.”
His tragic death will hopefully finally kick away the mistaken notion that it is white South Africans who are victims of crime.
On Thursday night, it was Lucky Dube. Tonight it could be anyone anywhere.

Mrembo fell in love with his music after she heard him on the radio Capital FM in Uganda:

His death is hitting me like I knew him personally. My heart weeps for his children. No child should have to see thier parent murdered.
I love his music. He used to tour in Uganda quiet often and was truly loved there. I started really liking him after one of his first visits to Uganda, when I heard him speak on a show called “Desert Island Disks” on Capital FM. I was struck by his intelligence which resonated through the raido waves and thus begun my true love affair with Lucky Dube. I introduced Big Al to him and since then we went on to collect /burn most of his CDs. When I left for the UK, the first tapes I bought to take with me were Lucky Dube tapes. I love his songs and music. My favourite Lucky song is “Exile”.
God bless his family and may He receive your Spirit. His untimely death has earned him a spot in the hall of AFRICAN LEGENDS.

Blog Music Chart starts with the report that his death was not an attempted robbery as it has been widely speculated:

It has since emerged that the cops investigating the murder of international reggae artist, Lucky Dube, believe and are handling the case on suspicions that it was a hit! reports Sunday World tabloid paper this morning. This is because the alleged robbers failed to rob him of anything, his car, phone, wallet… they just shot him and left. Gauteng’s top cop Perumal Naidoo and Charles Johnson (who cracked the high profile Leigh Matthews case) have been assigned to the job.
Rumours are spreading like wildfire that two people who are close ties to Dube are prime suspects at this stage, and will be taken in for questioning after the funeral.

Blog Music Chart concludes with lyrics from his song Crime and Corruption:

It is really sad that the man who has sang to passionately against crime in this country, his life was taken by it:
From the song Crime and Corruption:
Do you ever worry about your house being broken into,
Do you ever worry about your car being taken away from you in broad daylight down Highway 54,
Do you ever worry about your wife becoming the woman in black,
Do you ever worry about leaving home and coming back in a coffin, with a bullet through your head,
So join us and fight this crime and corruption.
I am still reeling from shock!!!

Lastly, Proudly South Africa reminds us of the beuty of his lyrics:

“how long shall you carry that burden on your shoulders? how long shall those tears keep running down your beautiful face? we all have troubles now and again, know what I’m saying? no matter how hard we try, trouble will find us one way or another. people had trouble since the pope was an alter boy. people had worries from when the dead sea was only critical. hear those drums rolling. listen to those guitars skanking. put a smile on your face. don’t let the troubles get you down.”

21 comments · »»

China: Heavy schooling fees and migrant workers

Meng Zhang · 06:08

lingua → pt · zht · zhs

“With the stepped-up developing of industrialization and urbanization in China, there’re more and more rural migrant workers in the cities. Consequently, the question that their children accept compulsory education comes out outstandingly. The report of the 17th CPC National Congress has clearly put forward that the equal rights to accept compulsory education of the migrant workers’ children should be guaranteed,” said Yuan Guiren, Chinese Vice Education Minister, at the CPC press conference last Saturday. Although Mr. Yuan has strongly emphasized the equal education rights for the migrant workers’ children, the tough reality which Netease blogger jzh8434 has depicted still makes some migrant parents worried if they can find an adequate school for their children next term.

这学还能上的起吗？
作者：我等你(jzh8434) 2007-09-19 13:08:39

如果现在说小孩子上学难问题，大家可能都在想，政府已经出台了很多政策对于减免中小学生的学杂费呀，等等之类的措施。所以对于现在上学应该不会有着什么问题，或者说很容易吧。可是事实并不是人们所想象的那样，真是上有政策下有对策哈。说说几件发生在自己身边的事情吧。

去年是我们同事他们为了给孩子找学校，真是费劲心思，找了好多学校结果理由都是一样的，学校不接收外地人，真的是纳闷为什么不收外地人呢？难道外地学生就不能在这读书了，真的是让人费解。最后还是我们部长关系好，拖关系找到一所学校的校长，最校长同意可以去学校报道，那时都已经开学了，因为他们的小孩都是上幼儿园，最大的也才上大班，听说学费是2200块一个学期，好像今年又涨到2400块了，但是本地人好像都没有这么多呀，真的是赚钱的好方法呀。

更郁闷的是今年我们主任的小孩子上小学一年级了，本想着应该没有多钱的学费了，谁知遇上了更大的问题，人家先给他一个账号，先存进去5400拿着汇款单或者转帐单在去学校报名吧，更可气的是回到学校还要签字，好像是关于这5400块是自愿的，应该意思是说不是学校强加性的收费。郁闷谁有毛病呀，没事给你5400还是自愿的，到头来发票都没。据说有的学校都是明码标价有8400块一个人，就那没关系光有钱还是不行地，也许有钱的人真的是多吧。下来在交学费吧又是2000多，这总共下来花了7000多块，和一名大学生一的的学费差不多了，真的是让这些打工者们怎么能承受的起呢？那天和房东无意中聊天聊到这个话题，他的女儿和我们厂同事的孩子在一个学校，我问他女儿报名费多钱，他说连生活费不到1000块，看看这个时候大家都看到差距了吧，外地人要比本地人交这么多钱真的是还有没有天理呢？

以前有借读费这一说，但这些基本都是明码标价，是多少就是多，现在好了借读费国家取消了，可是随之又无形中增加的费用远远高于交借读费的钱，他可以想要多少就要多少了，可以说现在是变更加利的加于这些外来打工者的身上。他们的关念是，现在托关系上学的人多了，他们也不在乎你这一个两个人。所以说费用基本上是学校说多少说是多少，没有可商量的余地。难道这样的问题真的没人管吗？真的是为这些人喊冤呀。也真的希望能有人来管管这些事情。本来学校是教书育人的地方，结果成了某些人赚钱的地方了，而且是赚的是那么地理直气壮和理所当然。

Can You Afford such schooling?

Author：Wo Dengni (jzh8434) 2007-09-19 13:08:39

Now if I talk about the difficulties that children go to school, people might think that the government has issued lots of policies on exemption from paying tuition and incidental fees etc, so there won’t be any problems to go to school, or at least it will be very easy. But the fact is not what people have imagined. It is really that the higher have policies while the lower own ways of getting around them. Let me talk about something happened around me.

Last year it’s our colleagues that looked for school for their kids. They had devoted all their efforts and visited a lot of schools, however, every time they turned them down for the same reason that the school didn’t receive migrants. I was really wondering why they didn’t receive migrants. Couldn’t the migrant workers’ children study here? It’s really difficult to understand. Finally, thanks to our company secretary’s good relation, he pulled strings with a school’s principal. At last, the principal allowed their children to register when the term had begun for a while. Although all of their kids only went to the kindergarten and the eldest one was just old enough to go to the top class, it is said the schooling fees came to 2200 RMB a term and it seemed to rise to 2400 RMB this year. However, it looked the locals didn’t have to pay so much. What a wonderful way to make money!

What’s more depressing, this year it’s time for our manager’s child to go to primary school and he thought the schooling fees wouldn’t cost him too much, but who knew he was faced a bigger problem. At first, the school gave him a bank account number. He had to deposit 5400 RMB in that account and then went to school to register with the money order or the account transfer memo. What’s more infuriating, the school asked the parents to sign an agreement which seemed to prove that the 5400 RMB was a voluntary contribution but not imposed on the parents. Who could be so silly to voluntarily give someone 5400 RMB and even without a receipt in the end? It’s said that some school had given the marked price like 8400 RMB one person, even though without pulling strings you couldn’t make it, neither. In addition to the tuition which was more than 2000 RMB, finally it cost our manager more than 7000 RMB which almost equaled to one-year tuition of a college student. How could we migrant workers afford so much money? The other day I accidently talked about that topic with my landlord. His daughter went to the same school with my colleagues’ children. When I asked him how much of his daughter’s register fees to the school, he said adding the subsistence expense it’s less than 1000 RMB. Now have a look at the difference. The migrant workers had to pay so much money more than the locals; is it ridiculous?

In the past, there’s the so called temporary studying fees (a kind of schooling fees only for the migrants’ children), but almost all of them were marked price which was fixed. Now it’s nice for the government to cancel the temporary studying fees, but subsequently the other new incidental fees have become much higher than the past temporary studying fees because the schools can ask for as much money as they want. We can say the schools have imposed much more schooling fees on the migrant workers now. The school authorities believe there have been a large number of people that have to pull strings to help their children go to school, so they don’t have to care one or two people’s problems. In a word, the schooling fees are all decided by the schools and there’s no leeway that can be discussed. Really there is no one in charge of such kind of questions? I really call for a grievance for the migrant workers and do hope someone can deal with those problems. Actually the school is the place for imparting knowledge and educating people but in fact it has become someone’s tool to make money and it’s so bold and just for them to do that.

The article which was copied from jzh8434’s blog has caused lots of people’s discussions on the Netease’s network community. Here are some of the comments:

作者：guest 2007-09-20 10:40:35

好象不送孩子就毕不了业。为什么每次教改都是成功的，可为什么年年要教改呢？

Author: Guest 2007-09-20 10:40:35

It seems if you don’t send your children (to the key school), they can’t graduate. If every educational reform was successful, why did the government start educational reform every year?

作者：(gaohongfei007) 2007-09-20 13:36:09

中国的经济发展慢了,福利事业跟不上,在国外上学住院都是免费的

Author: (gaohongfei007) 2007-09-20 13:36:09

China’s economy increasing has slowed down and the welfare projects can’t catch up. It is all free to go to school and hospital abroad.

作者：(zinsser32) 2007-09-20 17:11:58
现在的孩子生不起啊

Author: (zinsser32) 2007-09-20 17:11:58

Now it’s hardly to afford a child.

作者：穷山恶水(qingshanlushui73) 2007-09-20 17:55:06
…
人生最大的悲哀不在于自身的愚蠢。而在于我们看到了不该看的我们认为不公平的事，又莫可耐何。这才是最大的悲哀。

Author: Qiongshan Eshui(qingshanlushui73) 2007-09-20 17:55:06
…
The greatest grief does not lie in one's own foolishness in life, but when we see the wrong and unfair things we can do nothing. That is the greatest grief.

作者：(wsszzh1a)2007-09-20 21:03:18
【在jzh8434的大作中提到：】
: 如果现在说小孩子上学难问题，大家可能都在想，政府已经出台了很多政策对于减免中小学生的学杂费呀
: ……

政令畅通无阻了吗??????饱汉不知饿汉饥唷!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!有权有钱的哪能体验到?又哪能会去想这些!哪会去触及这类的??只能怪怨没权没钱的~~~~~~~~群落没这能量~~~~~~~~~~来改变这势也!!!!!!!!!!!

Author: (wsszzh1a)2007-09-20 21:03:18

【jzh8434 mentioned in the article：】
“Now if I talk about the difficulties that children go to school, people might think that the government has issued lots of policies on exemption from paying tuition and incidental fees”

The policies coming from the top can be carried out smoothly?????? The well-fed don't know how the starving suffer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can the rich and the official experience it? Or even think about the problems?! Or touch such kind of problems?? You can only complain the group without money and official power can’t change the unhealthy tendency!!!!!!!!!!!

作者：(t.x.j) ]2007-09-21 15:31:24
【在jzh8434的大作中提到：】
: 如果现在说小孩子上学难问题，大家可能都在想，政府已经出台了很多政策对于减免中小学生的学杂费呀
: ……
非本地生，一般是这样的，毕竞政府资源只能相对当地的而言的。
其实很多家长望子成龙，非要把孩子送到好的学校或是而你户口又不在本地，如果便宜了，大家都来了，那么本地附近的孩子怎么办，政府资源不足，谁来补贴呢？
我们为了自己的利益，别人也要为了自己的利益的。
不管是教育还是什么。
谈论到国家的福利，大家都希望国家的福利无限好，但谁又愿意站出来献出自己的利益呢？
且不说大家的政治热情，就是你们待过且过的态度，个个都想安稳过日子，那么谁出来努力改造社会，让社会进步呢？如果都不愿意那就只有这样过日子了，有时候不是别人骑在我们头上的问题，而是我们愿意让别人骑在我们头上的问题。
唉，不说了。
一句话，人性问题！

Author: (t.x.j) ]2007-09-21 15:31:24
【jzh8434 mentioned in the article：】
“Now if I talk about the difficulties that children go to school, people might think that the government has issued lots of policies on exemption from paying tuition and incidental fees”

Migrants, in general, the government property relatively matches the local conditions.
In fact a lot of parents long to see their sons or daughters succeed in life, so they try their best to send their children to the key school even they are not locals. If the schools only asked a low price to the migrants and all the migrants brought their children here, how would you deal with the locals’ children and who would replenish the government’s lack of resources?
We work for our own interests while others also work for their own interests.
No matter the education or something else,
once related to the national welfare, everybody hopes the national welfare can cater for their needs, but who would like to stand out to dedicate his own interests?
Not talking about everyone’s political enthusiasm, if all of you hold such a selfish attitude and everyone wants to live a easy life, who is willing to reform and develop the society? If everyone is unwilling to, we can only live like now. Sometimes it’s not a question that others ride roughshod over our head, but we are willing to be ridden.
uh-huh, that’s it.
In a word, moral question!

作者：rockszq(rockszq) 2007-09-21 16:11:43
子女教育，医疗保险
就是因为这两大块，中国人才不敢贷款，才不敢花钱。
都消费了，有个万一。。死都不知道怎么死的

Author: rockszq(rockszq) 2007-09-21 16:11:43

Children’s education, medical insurance
Because of the two problems, the Chinese dare not grant a loan, and use money.
If you spend all your savings, in case there’s something unlucky…you even won’t know how to die.

作者：Guest 2007-09-22 12:04:34
现在的教育就是这样了没有办法了啊，也不能怪人家，中国就是这样的，谁说中国法律和规章秩序是很健全的，可实际上是对那些有钱人说的，那些没有钱的人是跟本享受不到这样的待遇的，所以我们只能是任命了，在怎么不说我们是斗不过国家的，

Author: Guest
Now the education is just like this. You can’t do anything and don’t blame those people (the school authorities) because it’s China’s reality. Who says China’s laws and legal rules are very sound? In fact, the laws only work for the rich and those people without money can’t enjoy the rights and the preferential treatment at all, so we can only accept the fate. Anyway we can never struggle with the country.

作者：(zb00z) 2007-09-22 19:14:25
我表弟上初中的时候交了３万块．我们是本地户口，学校是本地学校，考是考上了，你交不交呢？你不交后边Ｎ多人拿钱在等，谁叫人家是省重点呢～没办法啊，我上校那会，上初中才１００多块啊～上个大学１年也就８０００块，
社会向钱看，人心向钱看啊！
给个建议，玩（丁克）了，这不～我２５了也不没结婚呢

Author: (zb00z) 2007-09-22 19:14:25
When my cousin went to the middle school, his family spent 30,000 RMB. Although we were locals who went to the local school and had passed the middle school entrance examination, would you hand in your money? If you didn’t, there would be N (a large number of) people waiting behind you with money. It’s a key high school ~ you can do nothing. When I was a child, it only cost 100 RMB to go to middle school ~ the tuition in the university was only 8000 RMB a year.
The society puts money above all; the person puts money above all!
Giving a suggestion, Play (DINK). See~ I’m still not married though I have been 25 years old.