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How unhappy is China? Criticism for ‘China’s Not Happy’

Mar 31, 2009 Edited and translated by eChinacities.com staff Source: Sina Blogs

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Photo: wikimedia

Last week saw the publication of a controversial new Chinese book entitled ‘China’s Not Happy (中国不高兴) by iFeng Publishing House. The book was the joint efforts of five Chinese nationalistic writers (Song Shaojun, Wang Xiaodong, Huang Jisu, Song Qiang and Liu Yang) and was written as a direct response to issues surrounding Tibet, the Olympic Torch upset in Paris and other incidents that angered many in China during the last year.

‘China’s Not Happy’ continues along the same lines as ‘China Can Say No’ (中国可以说不), the 1996 tome by Song Qiang, one of the five above mentioned authors. The book is mostly a 300 page rant about how, since 1840 and the Opium Wars, China has been bullied by Western powers and weaken by woolen headed liberal intellectuals at home. With constant reference to how ‘the Youth of modern China is angry’, I personally laughed out loud when I read Song Qiang describe how,

“If it weren’t for the police protecting you foreigners, young Chinese people would have taken to the streets had you all killed a long time ago!”

I don’t know which young people Song hangs around with, but eChinacities.com has never felt that the police are struggling to hold back hordes of crazed youth ready to pull foreigners limb from limb.

The following two short blogs form just some of the Chinese criticism of this controversial new book:

Photo: Baidu

Blog 1: Li Yinhe

I’ve read the web reports of ‘China’s Not Happy” but not yet read the book. I’ve just taken a look at the write-ups and seen that it is full of insults directed at Liberals and intellectuals, such as myself and Wang Xiaobo (a famous modern short story writer and social commentator). I have two things to say about this kind of Nationalism:

1. China has been bullied by the West since 1840 and we do need an element of Nationalism, we cannot just sit there and take it, China is our home. Afterall, our father’s fought the Japanese and tragically spilt their blood for China, we cannot just let that all go to waste and betray our nation. If a foreign country attacks China, then we must rally behind the flag of Nationalism.

However, Nationalism should have its limits. It should stop at defending China, and if that means attacking other counties then that is wrong. The book mentions that in order to make China stronger we need to claim more of the world’s resources and control more of the world. If this means invading other nations then that is a step too far.

2. Nationalism is one flag, yet so is Democracy, and we need both. If we only bang the drum of Nationalism whilst at the same time ignore Democracy, then we are no better than the Empress Dowager and the Boxers (the Boxer Rebellion in which peasant armies sponsored by the Qing court stormed major cities in China and murdered countless ‘foreign devils’ who were seen as the root of China’s current problems). With such a lack of a Democratic tradition in China that is all the more reason for Nationalists and intellectuals to work towards improving it, and not just stirring the flames of hate.

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Comments (18)

We Chinese should know that some of the foreigners here saying that we are crying about the past and that we should move ahead, are the same foreigners who are planning to destroy China or weaken China in many ways covertly and overtly. Yes, we are moving forward when we build our armies modern weapons to defend China and make then think more about attacking us again. If we listen to them , they will conquer us and fool us. one saying goes : "They came to our land with bibles and smiles , and in the end, we had the bibles and they have our land . " - think about it-

Aug 09, 2009 by Anonymous

One must learn from History so one does not repeat the same mistakes. Many are planning bad things for China as we speak so we need to learn history and unite against them and this book serves the purpose of reminding every Chinese to improve and protect China with the money and resources we never had before. They use their ill gotten money in the west to make weapons to rob other countries to take more money so we will use our money to make weapons to protect ourselves from these types of evil men who are planning to destroy China. They have stolen our gold, and other assests if not for people same as these authors who reminds us that our future depends on fighting the violent hypocrite western countries back with our allies Russia. Together we bring balance to the world of western Bullies. The neo cons, religouis crazies all want to divide China and weaken us.

Aug 09, 2009 by Anonymous

The article 91 of our Canadian constitution was clearly saying that the government had to create money without interest at the base because by adopting a system based on usury ,one day the governments would t be able to pay the debts,since the interests are never created.If this was done instead of trying to pay interests to the banks,people could receive dividents from automotion,since progress should not punish the individuals,but be our heritage.For the question of inflation let s say you produce 10 chairs and people buy 9 of these chairs.In the next term you could give a discount of 10% for the 10 chairs and the 10% missing for the producers could be giving by an office of credit.In this way all the countries could have more money and easily do business together.

Jun 16, 2009 by Claude

China is unhappy - Britain is unhappy - everywhere people are unhappy; It is the human condition. The issue is not whether a people or a country is unhappy, but whether they have a positive or negative point of view. Looking for scape-goats, which this book seems to be about, is negative. I don't know China - I have only been here five years - but the young people I meet are mostly insecure about their futures, this seems to me the biggest cause of unhappiness. Positive action on that front, seems to be happening, which would seem to indicate China is moving in the right direction. I am positive that China in its greatness will find a positive way forward - and leave the scape-goaters behind in their negativity.

Apr 22, 2009 by San Toi

Ignorance is bliss. Is it any wonder then?

Apr 13, 2009 by Enlighten

Jingoism as practised by GW is so blindingly patriotic and endangers no one?

Apr 13, 2009 by GWBush

Blind patriotism in any country endangers the world.

Apr 08, 2009 by Anonymous

Wrong translation, 'You’ve got money and you’re still not happy!' should be 'You don't have the power to be unhappy', which means China is not strong enough, or life is fair.

Apr 07, 2009 by Anonymous

Anyway, I am a Chinese but feel China is not a safe place either for foreigners or local. The government takes it all and they are always behind the scene. When they said CHINA is getting rich, it was all the corrupted government. We all are living here, we can see how it is in China. Of course, there are lots of improvement compare to the past. But still not a safe place to live as the logic is not there, the average mentality is not there. Wait till hundred years then we'll see.

Apr 05, 2009 by Anonymous

应为这是一个网站关于中国，这是完全适合使用中文 so when you talk about England, US, or other English speaking places you'll use English?

Apr 03, 2009 by Anonymous

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