What comes to your mind if you think of China?

[SayMyName]

beautiful!

Yes, like anywhere, there are things that are beautiful. Like anywhere, there are things not so beautiful.

Unemployment among college graduates, now stands at nearly 50 percent, or about 30 million people. Imagine the desperation, having worked so hard and so long, and spending your families modest savings only to have no future.

Accidents. Though China is often cited as safe, it important to distinguish here the meaning. Accidents, or what would be considered negligent homicide in other countries, is so high that the Party congress addressed the issue at both sessions this year and last, ordering all police departments to address the issue. Currently, little or no action is taken when a person is killed by a sofa discarded over a balcony from a highrise building. So long as only one or two people are killed, police rarely if ever charge a driver for running a light and hitting pedestrians at a crosswalk. These are not random events, but are almost daily nationwide. People post the videos daily on Douyin, knowing in three or four minutes they will be seen by a few hundred thousand and copied and circulated again before the censors take them down. It is evident in the videos that it is the result of a callous disregard for others, even an intent to do harm in a way that can be excused by saying it was an accident. On top of that, everywhere you go you can see rage building throughout the society. In those incidents where numerous people have been killed by drivers, those perpetrators even exclaimed they did it with purpose for this or that reason. These days, I continuously look side to side when at a crosswalk, and try to stay away from walking too close under buildings.

Food safety? Andrew Bourdain once did a special on street food in China and I still remember the laughter in the office about that one. People who can afford it make meals at home or eat only in exclusive restaurants that buy from foreign supermarkets like Metro, or in their company diners. Street food and delivery...which most of the population consumes?...You never see a physician eating it.

Taiwan...if anything happens, it will happen by those there who are fifth columnists. Regardless the technological advances and attempts to copy every cool uniform gear piece from Call of Duty, it is flattery to call the PLA a paper tiger. They might rain down missiles on the island, but an invasion of the island would result in a horrendous defeat and loss of life that would collapse the government and society back to the warring states period. They already know that. Talk of invasion is nationalist rhetoric meant to keep the masses distracted.

Tariffs...they are having a devastating impact here.

Population. Many sources are questioning the 1.4 billion estimate. The distribution of water, electricity, and even an "accidental" release of a Public Security file all put the population at a little over 800 million. Villages in the countryside no longer issue death certificates. It would mean a reduction of shared central revenue if the population declines. As for big cities. Like the economic growth, they inflate their numbers yearly to secure central government favors and support for huge infrastructure projects. Anyone who has been to India can definitely see that there are far more people in that country.

There is a lot more, but I usually like sticking to what is "beautiful." Maybe I will add a few other juicy tidbits another time.

 

[gman]

Yes, like anywhere, there are things that are beautiful. Like anywhere, there are things not so beautiful.

Unemployment among college graduates, now stands at nearly 50 percent, or about 30 million people. Imagine the desperation, having worked so hard and so long, and spending your families modest savings only to have no future.

Accidents. Though China is often cited as safe, it important to distinguish here the meaning. Accidents, or what would be considered negligent homicide in other countries, is so high that the Party congress addressed the issue at both sessions this year and last, ordering all police departments to address the issue. Currently, little or no action is taken when a person is killed by a sofa discarded over a balcony from a highrise building. So long as only one or two people are killed, police rarely if ever charge a driver for running a light and hitting pedestrians at a crosswalk. These are not random events, but are almost daily nationwide. People post the videos daily on Douyin, knowing in three or four minutes they will be seen by a few hundred thousand and copied and circulated again before the censors take them down. It is evident in the videos that it is the result of a callous disregard for others, even an intent to do harm in a way that can be excused by saying it was an accident. On top of that, everywhere you go you can see rage building throughout the society. In those incidents where numerous people have been killed by drivers, those perpetrators even exclaimed they did it with purpose for this or that reason. These days, I continuously look side to side when at a crosswalk, and try to stay away from walking too close under buildings.

Food safety? Andrew Bourdain once did a special on street food in China and I still remember the laughter in the office about that one. People who can afford it make meals at home or eat only in exclusive restaurants that buy from foreign supermarkets like Metro, or in their company diners. Street food and delivery...which most of the population consumes?...You never see a physician eating it.

Taiwan...if anything happens, it will happen by those there who are fifth columnists. Regardless the technological advances and attempts to copy every cool uniform gear piece from Call of Duty, it is flattery to call the PLA a paper tiger. They might rain down missiles on the island, but an invasion of the island would result in a horrendous defeat and loss of life that would collapse the government and society back to the warring states period. They already know that. Talk of invasion is nationalist rhetoric meant to keep the masses distracted.

Tariffs...they are having a devastating impact here.

Population. Many sources are questioning the 1.4 billion estimate. The distribution of water, electricity, and even an "accidental" release of a Public Security file all put the population at a little over 800 million. Villages in the countryside no longer issue death certificates. It would mean a reduction of shared central revenue if the population declines. As for big cities. Like the economic growth, they inflate their numbers yearly to secure central government favors and support for huge infrastructure projects. Anyone who has been to India can definitely see that there are far more people in that country.

There is a lot more, but I usually like sticking to what is "beautiful." Maybe I will add a few other juicy tidbits another time.

Extremely interesting and fascinating . Thank you. The “Workers Paradise”

 

[bythoughts]

Unemployment among college graduates, now stands at nearly 50 percent, or about 30 million people. Imagine the desperation, having worked so hard and so long, and spending your families modest savings only to have no future.

The AI didn't like your numbers (or really anything in that post), but I did get it to create an alleged 'reconstruction' of Luo Huazhong's "Lying Flat is Justice"...

I used to believe in the ideals taught by society—that if you study hard, find a good job, marry, buy a house, and have children, you would be happy. But the truth I found was different. The harder I worked, the more exhausted I became. The more I chased, the further happiness seemed. Life, instead of being full of possibility, became a treadmill with no pause button.

Our society praises productivity and economic growth at the expense of human well-being. The “996” culture—working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week—is normalized and celebrated. But this is not sustainable; it crushes the spirit.

So I made a choice—to step off the treadmill. To say no to the rat race, to refuse the endless chase. I chose to lie flat.

The path isn’t paved with gold. It’s not about laziness or giving up, but about finding freedom through simplicity. I cut down what I consume. I do not buy a car, nor a house. I do not chase promotions or titles. My needs are few, my wants smaller.

Sometimes I rent a cheap room; sometimes I sleep outside. My bike carries the few things I own. I spend little but live fully by my own measure.

Some say I should be ashamed. That I am failing society. But I believe in reclaiming my time and my mind. Like the ancient sages who lived in harmony with nature, I seek peace in withdrawal and non-action.

The Tao teaches us about wu wei—doing through non-doing, living without struggle in accordance with the natural flow. This is my truth.

I am not alone. Many others feel trapped by impossible standards. We are not lazy; we are tired. We are reclaiming our lives by refusing to be cogs in a relentless machine.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring. But today, I am free.

I wonder if Tang ping could come to follow the trajectory of the ancient Daoists over time, and provide a source of spiritual inspiration?