Right now Montana Governor Steve Bullock and his entourage are in the Middle Kingdom.
Why do they call China the Middle Kingdom? There are two reasons for this: China was at the center of the world geographically, and China was at the center of the world in all other regards.
Both are true at many points throughout history. When you’re living in the Zhou Dynasty around 2200 BC, the world only has a circumference of a few miles, maybe 100 at the most.
Why do they call China the Middle Kingdom? There are two reasons for this: China was at the center of the world geographically, and China was at the center of the world in all other regards.
Both are true at many points throughout history. When you’re living in the Zhou Dynasty around 2200 BC, the world only has a circumference of a few miles, maybe 100 at the most.
Map of China showing provinces
It was a helluva lot less than that after the whole shithouse went up in flames, or as many historians call it, the fall of the Roman Empire. That started the Dark Ages, 500 years when no one really knows much of anything.
But they know a lot in China, because unlike Western history, China never had this huge gap where civilization went off the rails. Only in the West do we like to stand on the edge of the abyss long enough for the foundation to crumble and crack and give out beneath us.
In China they had more sense, although there are periods of history that we don’t know much about – the burning of the books by Emperor Qin Shi Huang around 213 BC is a fine example of this. And don’t forget that the history of China is so incredibly longer than that of the West, for to make any kind of comparison you can’t use a country or even a continent – you have to use an idea.
While civilization was just an idea in the West – something they managed to grab onto for long periods of time, but which often flitted away on the breeze as well – in China it went on, and on, and on.
The name ‘China’ comes about from ‘Qin,’ which was the first state to unify the country way back in 221 BC. To say that’s when the country started, however, is like the West saying everything from Jesus to today never happened.
Serious societies were around in 5000 BC and much earlier, although if you go back much further it starts to get a bit sketchy. Of course these Chinese people weren’t using iPods like they are today, but they were writing. If you want to compare the level of ignorance in the world, China’s been literate a lot longer than the West.
But what are they like today? I get asked this occasionally, and I could tell stories all night to people. Many would listen, too. So here are a few things I think of when I think of China today.
But they know a lot in China, because unlike Western history, China never had this huge gap where civilization went off the rails. Only in the West do we like to stand on the edge of the abyss long enough for the foundation to crumble and crack and give out beneath us.
In China they had more sense, although there are periods of history that we don’t know much about – the burning of the books by Emperor Qin Shi Huang around 213 BC is a fine example of this. And don’t forget that the history of China is so incredibly longer than that of the West, for to make any kind of comparison you can’t use a country or even a continent – you have to use an idea.
While civilization was just an idea in the West – something they managed to grab onto for long periods of time, but which often flitted away on the breeze as well – in China it went on, and on, and on.
The name ‘China’ comes about from ‘Qin,’ which was the first state to unify the country way back in 221 BC. To say that’s when the country started, however, is like the West saying everything from Jesus to today never happened.
Serious societies were around in 5000 BC and much earlier, although if you go back much further it starts to get a bit sketchy. Of course these Chinese people weren’t using iPods like they are today, but they were writing. If you want to compare the level of ignorance in the world, China’s been literate a lot longer than the West.
But what are they like today? I get asked this occasionally, and I could tell stories all night to people. Many would listen, too. So here are a few things I think of when I think of China today.
Toilets
Bathrooms in China stink. They smell like rotten eggs, and the reason for this is their plumbing. In China, contractors will cut corners at every opportunity so that they can cut costs. You saw this firsthand when all those schools collapsed in Sichuan in the 2008 earthquake. But the government would rather not have us in the West talk about that, and if you were Chinese you could be locked up.
An older public bathroom in China
In the West we use U-shaped plumbing pipes so that shit will move down a tube and get away from us. In Medieval castles in Europe the privy would have a shoot that often led down to the moat – something I learned from an ESL PowerPoint I made while in China.
Anyways, in China they use straight, flat pipes that just let that shit sit there and stink. It’s hot in southern China too, and boy, some of those bathrooms are bad.
If you’re a rich person you can’t avoid this. You could say that you’ll give an extra $10,000 to the contractor to play by the rules – hell, $1 million! – and the bastard would still cut corners. This is shady shit – and I’m not talking about what’s sitting in that pipe – and in the West we wouldn’t allow it. We’d stop it with our courts, but in China, you can pay those courts off, or officials, or whatever.
Anyways, in China they use straight, flat pipes that just let that shit sit there and stink. It’s hot in southern China too, and boy, some of those bathrooms are bad.
If you’re a rich person you can’t avoid this. You could say that you’ll give an extra $10,000 to the contractor to play by the rules – hell, $1 million! – and the bastard would still cut corners. This is shady shit – and I’m not talking about what’s sitting in that pipe – and in the West we wouldn’t allow it. We’d stop it with our courts, but in China, you can pay those courts off, or officials, or whatever.
Corruption
China is corrupt and just about everyone there is complicit in it. If you’re getting government benefits that only come about through corruption, does that make you complicit? Who knows…who cares? That’s the attitude in China. Mei Banfa – what can be done?
You see this a lot in business, which is the main source of the problem. Yep – capitalism. Don’t think for a second that this country is communist – it’s not. The Chinese call it “Communism with Chinese Characteristics.” Go read some of the poetry of Mao Zedong to learn where they come up with this amazing propaganda based on meaningless phrases.
You see this a lot in business, which is the main source of the problem. Yep – capitalism. Don’t think for a second that this country is communist – it’s not. The Chinese call it “Communism with Chinese Characteristics.” Go read some of the poetry of Mao Zedong to learn where they come up with this amazing propaganda based on meaningless phrases.
Morale boosters in China
Businesses typically want to cut corners – just like that contractor – and this often means cheating or stealing. They haven’t gotten to murder yet, well…don’t quote me on that.
Handbags are a fine example. I figured since I was writing this I’d go back and check out the Shenzhen Daily, which is the English-language newspaper in the city I used to live in. I was looking for a story on political corruption – which they report on sometimes – but instead I found one on fake Louis Vuitton handbags, $163 million worth of the damn things.
Handbags are a fine example. I figured since I was writing this I’d go back and check out the Shenzhen Daily, which is the English-language newspaper in the city I used to live in. I was looking for a story on political corruption – which they report on sometimes – but instead I found one on fake Louis Vuitton handbags, $163 million worth of the damn things.
China has lots of useless workers in their workforce
I’ve seen these sold on street corners, in bazaars, and even in trendy malls. Although in the malls they could be real…but then that Jack Daniels in the club could be real too, or it could just be fake but in a real bottle (bars have to collect old bottles or destroy them for this reason).
Those are just some of the things you’ll find in the richest city in the richest province in what’s quickly becoming the richest country in the world.
Those are just some of the things you’ll find in the richest city in the richest province in what’s quickly becoming the richest country in the world.
Shenzhen, China & GDP
Shenzhen got started in the early 1980s as one of Deng Xiaoping’s Special Economic Zones – early incubators for capitalism.
Map showing major cities in China's Guangdong Province
It’s since grown considerably, reaching a population of around 15 million. It had a Gross Domestic Product of $237 billion in 2013, in US Dollars. In comparison, Hong Kong had $233.7 billion, Seattle had $258.8 billion, Los Angeles had $765.7 billion and Tokyo had $1.9 trillion – the largest.
When you think of China today, think of this man - Deng Xiaoping - not the lunatic Mao Zedong
Shenzhen is in Guangdong Province, which is right on the South China Sea, making it one of the premier shipping ports, and where a lot of that crap in your house might be coming from. Hong Kong is also in that province, although it remains an Administrative Autonomous Region, something that should last until 2047…although their rights are being eroded steadily. Guangdong Province had a 2013 GDP of just over $1 trillion. America’s GDP is $17.528 trillion and China’s is $10.028 trillion…although they’ll surpass us in 2021.
Montana’s GDP in 2013 was $39.84 billion. I’m happy to see the governor go over to China, and he’s probably going to the right place. Beijing had a GDP of $318.1 billion in 2013. What’s more, that’s where the most corrupt members of the government are, the ones that can really help us get more business in Montana.
Montana’s GDP in 2013 was $39.84 billion. I’m happy to see the governor go over to China, and he’s probably going to the right place. Beijing had a GDP of $318.1 billion in 2013. What’s more, that’s where the most corrupt members of the government are, the ones that can really help us get more business in Montana.
What Else?
Lots of things:
I could write more, but I’ve already written 6 pages and should probably just write a book. Anyways, I hope you liked this post about China in the 21st century.
- Cars honk all the time;
- People constantly talk on their cell phone;
- Electric bikes and scooters dart about everywhere;
- Pollution is crazy;
- Food is really cheap;
- And more.
I could write more, but I’ve already written 6 pages and should probably just write a book. Anyways, I hope you liked this post about China in the 21st century.
