Google China Leader Speaks

This article reveals a very passionate and idealistic Chinese entrepreneur who sees the power of the internet changing peoples' lives, and society, in China.

However, they are not necessarily the kind of changes Americans would imagine.

Which reminds us that what we want for others, and what we think is best for them, is not always the same as what they want for themselves, and may not be the best solution for their situation.

"But as Lee and I talked about how the Internet was transforming China, he offered one opinion that seemed telling: the Chinese students he meets and employs, Lee said, do not hunger for democracy. 'People are actually quite free to talk about the subject,' he added, meaning democracy and human rights in China. 'I don't think they care that much. I think people would say: 'Hey, U.S. democracy, that's a good form of government. Chinese government, good and stable, that's a good form of government. Whatever, as long as I get to go to my favorite Web site, see my friends, live happily.' ' Certainly, he said, the idea of personal expression, of speaking out publicly, had become vastly more popular among young Chinese as the Internet had grown and as blogging and online chat had become widespread. 'But I don't think of this as a political statement at all,' Lee said. 'I think it's more people finding that they can express themselves and be heard, and they love to keep doing that.'"

Income Tax Day

Just completed my annual income tax filing ritual.

Time this year to complete all the forms: 9 mins 19 secs

I did it by phone in Singapore. What a country!

See, all I have to do is key in the amount of income I have and claim the deductions for my wife and two children. Then they do the rest! It took me a few extra minutes cause I was exploring other options on the phone which they politely informed me "I'm sorry, that option is not available to you."

In a few months they will tell me how much money I owe, and they will automatically start deducting it from my bank account in monthly installments. In fact, based on previous years, they have already estimated how much I will owe, and have started to deduct it. Later, they'll make the specific adjustments and inform me.

To show it is a government that understands its residents, the deduction for my spouse is compassionately called "wife relief."

China's Clash of Cultures in Cyberspace

Is there a "carefree digital generation" coming of age in China? There are certainly fewer boundaries in peoples' minds about what they are entitled to talk about.

"But in today's China, the freedom to speak one's mind is increasing, especially in cyberspace. More than 110 million Chinese surf the Internet, and an estimated 20 million have become registered bloggers, said Fang Xingdong, founder and chief executive of Beijing-based Boke.com, which boasts 8 million bloggers since it went online in 2002."

Shanghai Vanishing

This article presents a snapshot of the changes taking place in China's most international city. For Westerners, it is hard to comprehend the pace and extent of change going on in Third World cities. In China, cities seem to transform every 3-5 years.

"The reason you must come to Shanghai now, if cities remotely interest you, is that the work here not only constitutes one of the world’s great urban transformations, it also involves one of history’s great disappearing acts. An old city of organic communities, with intimate, walk-up buildings and extraordinarily rich street life, is being replaced, almost in the blink of an eye, by a new city of expensive high-rises, underground parking garages, and lifestyles based on sheltered, closed-door individualism."