TIME: 03/29/2008 Saturday night 7:00PM-9:30PM.

PLACE: Arbor Village Apt. K282, 2027 Medford St. Ann Arbor, MI, 48104

Drinks and light snacks provided. Please contact Wei Huang by weihuang@eecs.umich.edu or 734-272-8857 if you need ride.

TOPIC this week:

Will China be a Simile of the U.S. as its Media wishes?

Some readings of mainstream American Media and 20 questions for discussion

Sui-Wah Chan, UM Professor

Today we would like to read some random samples of news articles from major American media to raise some simple questions and stimulate critical discussions based on findings in these articles. For the time being, we shall spare ourselves from going down the road of the sophists or the philosophers, thus avoid splitting the meanings of what is democracy and freedom and perhaps suspend the exploration of whose definitions we use and whose criteria we think we are using. These could very well be topics of another occasion. Meanwhile let us focus on the big puzzle of how we can begin to understand how American media seems to understand China today.

1. For if you believe Taiwan, Tibet and Sinkiang is part of China then why we find articles that promote their independence, freedom and separation from China?
2. If the newsmakers really believe in independence, freedom and separation for people of different cultures, heritages and races is it plausible to suggest autonomy for the Native Americans living in isolated reservations? 
3. If you think that U.S. is democratic and free, how can its media explain its invasion of Iraq? (S. Kinzer: ”Overthrow” of sovereign countries and states by U.S., 2006 )
4. If the American media let you believe that U.S. champions human rights, how can it also support the policies of torture and justify killings of innocent people everyday? 
5. If they tell you U.S. has rule of law and presumably China does not, then how is it possible that habeas corpus is abandoned in violation of the law.
6. If U.S. media criticize China for violation of human rights why can it allow its government spy on their own citizens without warrant and put people in jail without trial?
7. If you know the U.S. is the biggest polluter of the world for years how come it refuses to join the Kyoto agreement with the rest of the world?
8. While China does have huge challenges in protecting its environment does the U.S. media explain the basic fact that it has five times the population and one third the air pollution of the U.S.?
9. If U.S. indeed is the most advanced in science, especially on climate change, why and how can its administration tell the world it is not happening?
10. By the same token if the media is right about the supremacy of American technology how does it report on Detroit’s incompetence to compete with Toyota and produce a clean and oil efficient car?
11. Some academics even tell us that China is not innovative and it will take 15 to 20 years to become innovative without stealing other peoples technologies. (IPR)
12. If you know that the U.S. is holding 3000 nuclear weapons, hundreds of bases around the world and spends over $500 billion for the military, how come we read American news paper and even academic and think tank articles that China is the biggest and real danger to the U.S. and the world? (R. Kaplan: ”The Next Cold War” and B. Schwartz: “Managing China’s Rise” under Section “How we would fight China” in Atlantic Magazine 6/05)
13. If the reports say China like India is taking away American jobs and even presidential candidates complain about it why doesn’t the government seek to stop it?
14. If U.S. media wants us to believe the Chinese products are unsafe and of poor quality why do the people keep buying more?
15. If U.S. is pushing for free trade what do the media say about denying Chinese companies’ investment in American companies but keep mump about the fact that over 60% of Chinese imports are made by mostly American and European corporations?
16. When the media and government pressure China to raise its currency by 30% or more why does China move only gradually? (Nobel economist Stiglitz: ”Globalization” 2007 and calls it Chinese gradualism)
17. The media insist on free market principle and yet the administration and congress takes away peoples power to bargain with pharmaceutical companies for better prices for their prescription drugs? (British economist N. Hertz: “Silent Takeover: Global capitalism and the Death of Democracy” 2003)
18. The media complain about the challenges China’s rise bring in line with the Bush doctrine of American hegemony. (see National Security Policy: Unilateralism, Supremacy and Democratic Mission and FP: “China Rising” Jan/Feb 05)
19. The media has fantastic stories about air pollution in Beijing and how a runner might boycott the Olympics.
20. Finally the media keep telling China should have free press and free speech like America so how come 40 some millions of people in this richest country have no health insurance and suffer the indignity of no voice on their suffering. Sure they can say whatever they want but have no influence and justice still fail them.

Remark: This is one of talks held by China News Club which is orgnized by several Chinese students in University of Michigan.