China & Democracy

Blogs in newspapers are very interesting. We keep comparing our lifestyle based on assets, most of which are owed through heavy debt loads. North Americans live a grand style, but take away our credit cards, social security, welfare, Canada Pension, Family Allowances, Workman's Compensation, Severance Packages, Company Pensions, Lotos, Inheritances, etc. we would be equal to the world's poorest.

We would have no homes, cars, fancy high tech equipment, nice furniture, vacations, country cottages, fancy duds, and over filled tummies. Everything is relative.

We had a visiting pastor from an African country not so long ago to Nova Scotia and says he cannot believe how well we live. He said it must be very hard to depend on God for daily sustenance because we seem to be living in Heaven at this moment. He said food is the common denominator for everyone and our major health problem is stuffing ourselves with all the goodies he sees in the super markets he visited. Imagine, he said, to simply reach out and have everything you want and in unlimited supply.

We took him out to a restaurant and when the waitress asked him what he wanted to eat, he asked if it was true that he could have what he wanted. He said if we visited him in his village and we asked what was for dinner, he would first have to check his garden to see if roaming animals had not eaten his little garden.

I am still so thankful I live in Canada. And it is so sad how mean and angry too many of us are regards to our country. Read the blogs in our local newspapers and see how severely our leaders like President Obama and our own Prime Minister Harper are ridiculed and subjected to vile comments. These anti-everything artists who have so much too often revile our way of life, and it can easily be changed, if they wish.

They can go and visit Africa and stay with that African Pastor who constantly needs new workers to replace those done away with by the wicked side of his society who do not like foreigners, especially those advocating human rights.

Sorry to have deviated from the main thrust of this subject. China with all its largesse has some very serious problems as well. They send approximately 40,000 students to get educated in Canadian Universities; and not so long ago began teaching English as a main language in their schools. They also invest heavily in international resources, but now have severe health problems with smoking which is a new phenomenon.

They also have serious gridlock on many highways; serious pollution in major cities as they keep churning out products to sustain their growing economy. They retain a growing gap between those who have and those who have not with another reported 100 million poor added to their low earning society who make less than one dollar per day; and last but not least have nurtured an ethical problem which in some areas have a noticeable drop of available ladies for family opportunities due to their focus on males being more desirable in their society. I too can go on and on, but must stop.

In conclusion, I have tremendous respect for Chinese people. They are very hard working, entrepreneurial, and kind-hearted. My mother worked in a Chinese restaurant for ten years and her boss, Mr. Woo, made sure we always had some food to eat, when things got tough in the 50's and 60's. But I worry about China losing its focus on peace and tranquility as they try to keep industrial pace with other societies.