17 days after a spectacular opening of the Beijing Games, we Chinese from the global Diaspora have been pivoted between East and West. And we see things which the established mainstream press, both Chinese and the West, don't see or want to report about.
Finally from our perch, straddled between two cultures, two civilizations, two sets of values, and from our 3rd space, i.e. Spatium Trientis, we are illuminated by the clarid revelations from these Games, not just by the competition of world athletes, but by how the WEST, and in particular, how the biased Western News Media, in particular in the anglophone world, have filtered, distorted, and fundamentally warped what would have been otherwise a grand opportunity to reach out and engage the citizens of the world in a honest dialogue, in consonance of the Beijing Games theme of "One World, One Harmony."
Many Europeans and Americans passed a grand opportunity to learn about not just China and the Chinese people, but the rest of the world, and instead got overwhelmed by their bigotry, narrow-mindedness, and white supremacy. As Fareed Zakaria, the editor of Newsweek International said, "The Rise of the Rest," i.e. non-West, is unstoppable. And Western nations and societies better take heed, or else. Europe and America will be left behind and it shows in their ossified and close-minded news media institutions.
Sadly, it is not to be, with some rare exceptions, which are lucid intervals of true sportsmanship of the truly Gold world champions.
First of all, lots of kudos have to extended to the over 1 million (some said over 1.5 million) Chinese citizen-volunteers, youths from the nations' schools, colleges and univerties, who have worked their hearts and souls out to make Beijing a very "user-friendly" and hospitable city. The world, and the Huaren community in the Chinese Diaspora, owe them our sincere thanks. Xie Xie.
In the spirit of the Sichuan Earthquake and the magnanimity and "big heartedness" of the ordinary laobaixing, China's citizen-volunteers at these Olympics Games, underscored and highlighted that fundamental fact about China, i.e. that its people still have jing, and still harbor a lot of good decent Confucian values of humanity, civility, courtesy, and reciprocity.
Something that many Gweillos can't understand and can't seem to fathom.
Despite of, inspite of, and notwithstanding the genuflection, the craven, suck-up, and downright supplicating of many Chinese officials in kowtowing to boorish, bullying, arrogant behavior from many in the West, among its heirarchy of public officials to its institionalized and ossified mainstream news media, carping, and relentlessly piling in the China-bashing, Chinese-demonizing , we have to chalk up one for China in that overall, the Chinese have eaten lots of bitterness ("qi-qu) from some of the utterly reckless and brutish behavior from the West.
CB and CD are here to stay. And we global Chinese will fight back. Come 2012, in London, it will be "payback" time, mark my words.
That said, I can accept the "yellow monkey" syndrome from some Chinese ..... especially those who are so naively enamored with a set of colonial baggage which seems to "worship" and "idolizes" anything "Western." They are dumb, and perhaps unexposed to the West in its blunt core reality, and they have been "brainwashed" by the drivel of Western propaganda, through its Hollywood and insidious pop culture.
This Western chic and enamoration is suffused with the mania that the "Western Gweillo farts smell more fragrant;" or the "Western Moon is absolutely rounder." It is very Hollywood. The white man always stay on top. and the yellow man is always the backdrop. Hollywood, anyone ?
Let those of us Huarens and Huayis who have lived in the West in the Chinese Diaspora provide some very sobering insights as to why China and the Chinese peoples inside China and Mainstream Greater China can and must do better than some of its "Yellow Monkeys" inside China who are the pliant and genuflecting officials at the top; the "compradores;" the "sell-outs" who are selling China's "self-dignity."
The Chinese laobaixing can and must do better !
If there is one athelete from the West that I would like to point out as the epitome of the West, and its boorishness and selfishness, it is our "Great White Hope", namely, Michael Phelps.
For one, I think what he did at the Cube was a superhuman, herculean feat, winning an unprecedented eight (8) Olympics gold in his feat.... swimming. No one can honestly take that away from this 22-year white boy. He was a magnificent swimmer.
Magnificent in the swimming pool, yes. But outside ? He lacks "li;" lacks manners; and vapid of any decency, humanity, and sense of commisceration, reciprocity for fellow human beings. He is, in short, a "gweillo" who is a crude, impolite brute, lacking in manners and politeness.
Off the swimming pool...in the demeanor and demonstration of "character," "li." "jing".... off the swimming competition, outside of his sports, I give Michael Phelps a "C" minus ! He is a selfish brute. He may be a fish. But we Chinese steam fish and eat 'em with ginger, scallions over soy sauce !
Why and what is Michael Phelps deficient in, pray tell ? Because he has no sense of misceration, manners, decency, and politeness, first and foremost, of thanking the Chinese people, and his Beijing Olympics Games hosts.... the peoples of China, for making it possible for him to win his eight (8) golds at the Cube.
What did he do right after his wins ? Instead of being polite, he has now focused on nothing but greed, unbriddled greed to capitalize on his fame and glory. It is all about commercial greed, endorsements, and hyping up his herculean feats in the pool for the kaching of $$$$$$$.
For me, that is not a true Olympian, a true champion who acts graciously and courteously. He can have his Gold. And he can have his gazillions in peddling Speedos and whatever else he might want to peddle, like a good ole American hustler. It is all about $$$$$$$$.
For me, he is a typical white boy who lacks basic, fundamental manners of li, jing, especially grace, class, and refinement. He is, in short, a "jerk."
Even a poor Jamaican from a lumpen background, namely Usain Bolt, the Lightning from the sports of the sprinting at track and field, is posssessed of the unique trait of "humanity," "li," "jing." Usain Bolt touched my heart profusely because he had the basic decency, humanity to thank China as host for these Olympics Games, and had the humanity to contribute US$ 50,000 to the victimized kids traumatised by the April, 2008 Sichuan Earthquake.
That showed a "bigness" of heart, despite of, inspite of, and notwithstanding his track antics, such as "thumping his chest," drawing the ire of World Olympics Federation chief Jacgues Rogge.
But Phelps is a lower creature in my book. As soon as he counted his eight (8) Gold Medals, he and his PR machine in America started ramping up the hype, and cash in onto the cash register. It is all about "me," "me," "me."
To boot, instead of graciously showing up at the closing ceremonies, to thank his Chinese hosts, especially the over 1 million Chinese youths who worked so hard to provide the selfless background support for the success of these Games, Michael Phelps jetted off to London to be with his white boys and girls from London.
I gotta give it to Olympians Shawn Johnson, the U.S. Gold Olympian who so graciously and humbly showed up at the closing ceremonies, together with other Gold Olympians.
I was impressed by the decency of Yao Ming, who showed up, despite of the fact that he did not need to, as did many of the Sports Stars of America's Dream Team in basketball.
Yao Ming, like his fellow basketball counterparts from the NBA, could have just zooted off to his 6-star hotel, and skip the closing ceremonies.
But he showed "face."
And Shawn Johnson of the U.S. Gymnastics Team showed "face." She was polite, humble, and truly civil in her loss, and gracious in her win. An exceptional American.
And most important, the Ethiopian Gold Olympian who won the 25-mile marathon showed face. For a small country like Ethiopia, granted an economically poor country, at least their Olympics Team showed respect, civility, and some basic fundamental "li."
And where are some of the Team USA Olympians with their Gold ? They are so selfish in their glorified win that they are thinking more about the kaching in the cash register..... the $$$$$ that can be reaped.
America..... the citadel of boorish, impolite, selfish, self-centered, behavior. Hambug. Hubris, and Chutzpah. Jerks.
And to think Michael Phelps' mother is an educator ? A school principal who failed to inculcate basic manners, civility, and "li" in her acknowledged very talented and amazingly great child ? What's with responsible parenting in America ?
When is the right time to teach your child how to say "Thank You;" how to say "Xie Xie."
What can I say about those "pit bulls" from the mainstream Western news media, who are equally dogged, ill-manned, and vapid of any basic decency, civility, and politeness.
We Chinese must jettison that "yellow monkey" syndrome. We can and must do better than the Gweillos.
And how best to spot-on the difference than when the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, took over the Olympics flag and London put on their show at the closing ceremonies.
Talk about British vapidity, and its fast eroding society.
If the best they can put up is another fading "Great White Hope," a soccer celebrity vapid of any basic manners and politeness, David Beckham..... how do you think the Brits will do come 2012 ?
Clearly, if sports were a microcosm of a country's culture and values, these Games demonstrated that we Chinese can and must do better than the West and the Westerners.
China must jettison its colonial mentality; it must not ape the Western perverse values. It must jettison the "yellow monkey" syndrome.
Let the West and Westerners wallow in their own banality, obscenity, and eroding society vapid of decency, humanity, and civility.
And their "pit bulls" in the news media showed it.
China "jia you" "jia you" "jia you."
