http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/22/china-nation-cold-hearts
Interesting article on a nuanced subject, with the typical range of comments, from the knee-jerk generalisations to the genuinely informative. It was interesting to me that one of the commentators pointed out that the Chinese proverbs that were quoted to support non-involvement, were actually intended to be critical of that behaviour. I am reminded of an elderly acquaintance, who when asked by a neighbour to borrow a vacuum cleaner, declined with a weak excuse and then gave as her defence, "I have always lived my life by the Biblical precept - neither a lender nor a borrower be"! Not only am I doubtful that Shakespeare meant his quote to be taken that way, but Jesus' position can be summed up by his Golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do to you. It is human nature to choose self-interest over the needs of others, and this story is clearly a case of this, and examples can be found everywhere.
The author is carrying out an exercise that one can see in the press of any culture - the breast-beating that can occur when a nation's pride is dented. One only has to think of the Bulger case in the UK, incidents in the US of people breaking up fights getting shot and the staged muggings on the Paris Metro where no-one helped, to identify similar breast-beating exercises in the press about national character. However, there are clearly also some specific problems that Chinese culture is struggling with - one of avoiding "bad luck" from associating with unfortunate people and another of not getting involved for fear of personal problems. It is sad that it takes cases like these to force national debates, but it is good that the debate is happening. I hear echoes of Paul's cry - oh who will save me from this body of death?
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