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China Asks: "What do you really want from us?"
China-based CNReviews author elliottng in a post entitled, "Is the West impossible to please?" proposes that "...we just take the time to try to understand the feeling expressed in the poem [following] and figure out how we can all take this feeling into account in our behavior with each other."
The poem, entitled "My Friends, What Do You Want From Us?", is in response to the protests against the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and is part of an original text entitled, "Chinese Grievances", by Robert Daly, Center for Global Chinese Affairs Director at University of Maryland.
What do you want from us?
When we were called “sick man of Asia”, we were called peril.
When we billed to be the next superpower, we’re called the threatWhen we closed our doors, you smuggled drugs to open markets.
when we embrace free trade, you blame us for taking away your jobs.when we’re falling apart, you marched in your troops and wanted your fair share.
when we’re putting the broken pieces together, “Free Tibet” you screamed! “it was invasion.”So we tried communism, you hated us for being communist.
So we embraced capitalism, you hate us for being capitalist,Then we have a billion people, you said we’re destroying the planet.
Then we limit our numbers, you said it was human rights abuses.When we were poor, you think we’re dogs,
When we loan you cash, you blamed us for your debts.When we build our industries, you called us polluters.
When we sell you goods, you blamed us for global warming,
When we buy oil, you called that exploitation and genocide.When we were lost in chaos and rampage, you wanted rule s of laws for us.
When we uphold law and order against violence, you called that violation of human rights.When we were silent, you said you want us to have free speech.
When we were silent no more, you say we were brainwashed.Why do you hate us so much? We asked. “No”. You answered, “we don’t hate you”.
We don’t hate you either Bud, do you understand us?? “of course we do”, you said, “We have CNN, BBC, and CBC”.But why, we still feel, your western people are not happy with us.
What do you really want from us??
My friend, What do you really want from us??
Perhaps, "the people [China] wanted to impress the most, the western media and the general public from the western countries, are impossible to please."
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Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States -
danesller0127
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia








Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (22)
at 15:15 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 15:28 on August 8th, 2008
danesller0127, thank you very much for the Flag and photos!
at 15:30 on August 8th, 2008
Thank you, John!
at 15:59 on August 8th, 2008
The XXIX Olympiad, costing an estimated $40 billion and shrouded by political controverses, burst into life Friday with a spectacular start to the opening ceremony...
Fireworks light up the sky above the National Stadium of China, also known as the "Bird's Nest" stadium, as the XXIX Olympic Games open, President Hu Jintao officially declared the Games open at 11:04 p.m. local time (1504GMT) on August 8, 2008, in front of 90,000 spectators and a worldwide television audience of up to four billion.
In the next 17 days, some 10,700 Olympians from all over the world, including 11 from the Philippines, will be competing in 302 events in 28 spots...
More than 100,000 security personnel have been called in to police the Games, amid fresh warnings of terror attacks from 'separatests' while Beijing airport was also closed just ahead of the start of the ceremony.
The streets were unusually quiet as many of the Chinese capital's 17 million residents stayed at home after the city government declared a public holiday.
at 16:04 on August 8th, 2008
Good stuff, Rhonda.
at 16:46 on August 8th, 2008
Thank you, Karen!
at 17:05 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 17:07 on August 8th, 2008
Thank you very much, Sanjay!
at 18:26 on August 8th, 2008
Luiz and Gh0s7, thanks for the Flags!
at 18:40 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Of course what we want is access to their markets ... that's really it. There's nothing particularly humanitarian about it or otherwise particularly nefarious going on - in those famous words of Don Vito Corleone, "It's only business."
at 18:46 on August 8th, 2008
Thank you for your comments and the Flag, Emilio! I think many would agree: "It's only business."
at 18:43 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:44 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:48 on August 8th, 2008
duo and Criticom, thank you for the Flags!
at 21:57 on August 8th, 2008
good stuff:
at 22:23 on August 8th, 2008
Thank you, ybbswc!
at 22:54 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
A great find!
at 22:56 on August 8th, 2008
Amy, thank you very much for your comment and the Flag!
at 01:48 on August 9th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. Like always charming challenging! China is the new Superpower, if we like it or not. Many chinese tourists I see at the Riviera this year. They are friendly, self-conscious, good dressed, well educated and interested in the Future. Sometimes they say we are a museum in Europe, they are right. We gave up to turn the wheel of live, lay back to much, america not leading the world culture any more, created a vaccum filled with Chinese advanced olympic architecture, clean Hydrogen buses and more. Let's enjoy it.
at 05:50 on August 9th, 2008
Solarlife, your comments and Flag are always deeply appreciated. Thank you!
at 23:35 on August 8th, 2008
Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Very good question, nice post! and I really like the conclusion, nice rap up!
at 05:52 on August 9th, 2008
Paschen, thank you very much for your comments and the Flag!