ain't no lai

My thoughts on Daisey/This American Life

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 01:48:00 -0700

First, a bit of disclaimer:

I’m an Hong Kong born Chinese, and my parents were at one point in the fashion industry that involved production facilities in China. Granted this was more than 20 years ago, but I do feel that I have a first hand knowledge of how global companies operate in China, which I suspect hasn’t changed too much.
I’ve seen Mike Daisey’s one man monologue “The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” in the theater, and my reaction was that while it was great story telling, the monologue didn’t contain much that I couldn’t foresee on my own, nor suspected may be happening. Thus I didn’t think it was ground breaking; to me it was just good writing and performance.

My reaction after hearing the Retraction episode just now is firstly that I’m very impressed of the journalistic integrity that This American Life exhibited in handling this issue. To devote an entire show to copping up to the mistake, investigating what happened, interviewing Mike Daisey and putting him on the spot, and telling the audience what they *do* know about Apple/Foxconn is nothing short of exemplary. If all other journalistic or faux-journalistic entities will do the same, the world would be a better place. And I don’t mean just conservative outlets like Fox and AM Talk Radio, I mean you too, New York Times.

The second point is harder to make, but I think much of America, particularly progressives, *wanted* to believe the Mike Daisey story. In as much as This American Life is part of the progressive movement, they certainly thought this was a great moving story and perhaps threw their caution to the wind.

Our divided country has basically two views towards China, both based on fear, concern, and ignorance. The Tea Party (“America the Exceptional”) folks see China as a threat to our Super Power status. Their psychology is one of extreme insecurity, and with China owning $3 Trillion dollars of our national debt, and with the domestic manufacturing sector largely moved away to China, the Palins of the world were first in bashing China as an enemy threatening our Supreme positon in the world as God himself divined.

The group of China basher who’s less talked about, however, are the Progressives. I certainly see myself as part of the Progressive movement, albeit one who has a more nuanced view of China. Progressives don’t necessarily see China as a villain military power ready to crush America. But we do fancy ourselves as heros coming to the rescue of the Chinese people, fighting against all that’s unjust and suppressive against their undemocratic government, the government that has decided to lie with the evil global corporations in their thirst for power and money.

And so when Daisey constructed a dramatic story about how the shiniest example of the corporate world is profitting from the defenseless Chinese labor, we were all too ready to listen.

The fact of the matter is that the Chinese workers aren’t as naive or helpless as we’d like to believe. Conservative estimates have pegged the unemployed population at about 200 million. Compared that to the entire US population of 310 million, and imagine that as you drive across our country, two out of three people you see are unemployed and without an income, and you will come to realize the magnitude of the problem in China. Even though Chinese workers’ working conditions aren’t up to our western standard, we have to understand that having a job, income, and social mobility is a major advancement for the Chinese, who as recently as 40 years ago were struggling with famine and starvation.

And I’m glad that at the end of the Retraction episode, Ira and his guests gave a bit of perspective on these issues, such as the rule to limit work to 60 hours a week being not universally liked by the Chinese workers themselves.

It’s a complicated and rapidly evolving situation, and we ought to be careful in being too paternalistic (the soft kind) and simple-mindedly apply our western rubric to China or another country. We wouldn’t want to prove David Brooks right.

What's the worst that can happen to you?

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:12:00 -0800

When I was a wee one, I often went out on “urban adventure” with my buddy, Rick & Rick. We’d explore further and further away from home, sometimes finding ourselves way out in areas that we had no business being in, and with little idea or money on how to get home. And we’d get scared. One time when we were quite apprehensive about our adventure, one of the Ricks asked: “What’s the worst that can happen?” One of us replied: “Well, we can get lost and ask for help”. Another asked: “Well, what is the worst that can happen then?” “The stranger we ask may be a mass murderer.” “Ok, then what’s the worst at that point?” And so on and on we’ll go. Ultimately, the answer that can’t be further reduced is “I guess we’ll die.” And when we said that, it dawned on us that all the fear in the world comes down to just one thing: our own deaths.

I guess the moral of the story is: All the fear in the world is nothing if you are willing to confront your own mortality. And to this day, when I find myself cornered in a tough situation, I still mumble to myself “What’s the worst that can happen to me?”

The American Scholar: Solitude and Leadership - William Deresiewicz

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:27:15 -0800

The American Scholar: Solitude and Leadership - William Deresiewicz:

(via Instapaper)

Doug Wheeler Builds ‘Infinity Environment’ at David Zwirner - NYTimes.com

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:12:03 -0800

Doug Wheeler Builds ‘Infinity Environment’ at David Zwirner - NYTimes.com:

(via Instapaper)

Apple, America and a Squeezed Middle Class - NYTimes.com

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:01:52 -0800

Apple, America and a Squeezed Middle Class - NYTimes.com:

(via Instapaper)

Forget Makeup Sex; Riot Sex is where it’s at. (via Have we...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:46:21 -0700

Forget Makeup Sex; Riot Sex is where it’s at. (via Have we reached the era of the post-ironic riot? | HIPSTER RUNOFF)

"Uncivilized" is the dirtiest word in the English language

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:31:53 -0700

I am always dismayed by the words “Civilized” and “Uncivilized” whenever it’s uttered. This morning NPR was interviewing a Pakistani gentleman, talking about Pakistan’s frontier tribesman, but just as frequently (if not more) it comes from the lips of their former colonial masters.

Is there any word more offensive? Used by bigots everywhere, it demeans The Other and justifys all kinds of atrocity committed in the name of Imperialism. The most obvious example is the West and the Christian Church in forcing their belief system, its culture, and its way of life on the rest of the world. But they are certainly not alone: The majority Han Chinese uses “uncivilized” to describe the indigenous Tibetan culture, for example, and as an justification to “bring order and prosperity” to the Tibet.

Contrast it with the most popular contender on the dirtiest word category: Fuck. ”Fuck You” is often the most offensive thing we say to each other, but it implies a more involved personal relationship with The Other, for even aggressors (say a rapist) will not physically “fuck” someone whom he doesn’t want to touch. A Civilized person, on the other hand, often seeks to avoid interaction with an Uncivilized “thing.” Fuck as an insult is also more personal. One would have to acknowledge The Other as a human being in order to Fuck them, whereas “uncivilized” attributes a certain of amount of sub humanness to the target, and is in my opinion because it’s a collective degradation imposed by one culture or institution to an entire population.

- William, uncivilized and fucking proud of it.

Bloxes, via (goinvo.com)

Fri, 27 May 2011 10:45:56 -0700

Bloxes, via (goinvo.com)

Photo

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:48:55 -0700

Square Word Calligraphy, Xu Bing

Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:15 -0700

Square Word Calligraphy, Xu Bing

(via If we don’t, remember me.)

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:35:12 -0700

(via If we don’t, remember me.)

House in a suitcase: tiny home + 2 trunks of furniture (via...

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:09:22 -0800

House in a suitcase: tiny home + 2 trunks of furniture (via kirstendirksen)

The LightLine of Gotham (by seeper)

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:42:16 -0700

The LightLine of Gotham (by seeper)

Bondage Happens (2010) :: For the last 8 years, whenever my cell...

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:02:17 -0700

Bondage Happens (2010) :: For the last 8 years, whenever my cell phone received a call or text it would vibrate in my pocket. ‘Bondage Happens’ is a device I wear on my head that is connected to my cell phone. Whenever I receive a call or text the phone will vibrate and the device will inject a little bit of lemon juice into my mouth, thereby conditioning me to salivate when I get a phone call. I will wear the device for 2 weeks, starting Friday October 22nd. (via Bondage Happens (2010))

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‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing...

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:43 -0700

‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space. I am ‘injecting’ USB flash drives into walls, buildings and curbs accessible to anybody in public space. You are invited to go to these places (so far 5 in NYC) to drop or find files on a dead drop. Plug your laptop to a wall, house or pole to share your files and date.

KraftWork (by seeper)

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:04:22 -0700

KraftWork (by seeper)

Apple Store Marfa

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:00:12 -0700

Apple Store Marfa

facadeprinter.org - three stones (by Facadeprinter)

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:53:06 -0700

facadeprinter.org - three stones (by Facadeprinter)

stock tank pool

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:12:11 -0700

stock tank pool

Storm Drain Graffiti | DailyCognition.com

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:27:14 -0700

Storm Drain Graffiti | DailyCognition.com