Although it had been my impression from reading your previous posts that you were addressing the question of Western teachers needing a Western lifestyle in China, your most recent post seems to have shifted to the question of whether or not there are people here who would choose to remain poor. Well, actually, it was a statement not a question. Your statement then, paraphrased, is that few people in China would choose to remain poor. You seem to have made this rather broad statement in support of a rather naive assumption on your part that everyone in China wants a Western lifestyle. (I say broad statement by the way because there are more than a few people here who would rather lend their lives to spiritual pursuits vs. material ones.) Why is it that elevating one's position in life is so often equated to a Western lifestyle? Why is that the West is suddenly the model for civilization? - And I say suddenly in the sense of a very wide historical and chronological perspective. In fact there is a grass roots movement in China that might surprise you. What it involves is an attempt to disseminate the notion that this rush toward economic parity with the rest of the world is creating an ecological nightmare, and that China needs to........well, never mind, no time for all that. But here's an interesting link if anyone's interested: http://www.bjreview.com.cn/ (There is a great article there entitled, "Evolution of an Ecological Civilization." Not sure if you can find it there, but there is also a recent Editorial Opinion called, "Temptations of a Simple and Leasurely Lifestyle" that clearly shows that not everyone in China believes in a headlong rush toward "Westernism.")

Now, lest I be on the receiving end of your "chip on the shoulder" attitude, do let me add that I'm not suggesting that you alone share the above view. Let's just say that it has given me food for thought. But let me add categorically that not all Chinese are seeking a Western lifestyle. Chinese culture is alive and well. Affluence,by the way,is not strictly a Western concept. Granted there are problems; corruption, ignorance of the rule of law, ignorance of sound hygienic practices, and a seeming absence of ecological awareness - to name a few, but there is an effort being made and that effort should be respected, applauded and, when possible, nurtured.

You seem Heather to be someone with a lot of
"issues," so it is difficult to respond to your posts without asking of you to clearly outline what your position is, or more accurately perhaps, what your agenda is. I'd like to take to heart that your purpose here is to warn us about the evils of the internet. Okay, fair enough, I'll consider myself warned. But as I read between the lines I find something else there that's nearly undefinable. I don't really fault you for that - or maybe I do and am just treading lightly for obvious reasons, but I have this sense that you have an anti-China attitude. Many people do without any sound reasoning to back them up, so please satisfy my curiosity as to whether or not you are one of those people.

Fish and I have had an interesting ongoing discussion about the value and purpose of language as it equates to creative thought and communciation. In a recent post I suggested that we, as in the collective "we," tend often to spiral away from our original point and that more often than not we will never return to that point. Could that be what's happening here? Have you or we strayed from your original point? If it is we who have strayed, couldn't that be because it appears that your point needs some redefining? And I really must suggest that Fish's assertion applies here also. He suggests that clarity can be achieved through simplicity - what Leonardo da Vinci, who I quoted in another post calls the "sophistication of simplicity." In fact, I feel thankful that Fish had the desire and ability to stay with our conversation because I learned something from him while at the same time was able to communicate some of my own perceptions to someone that I grew to realize did not have a closed mind.

My question to you then is how much effort will you make to actually respond to some of the questions and/or responses you've received here in the forum? Or will you be weighted down by that chip that may perhaps become a heavy chunk of wood and ultimately may become a log. The choice is really yours Heather.