In The Disaster Zone

Following is a good English language blog with up to date information about the earthquake in Sichuan:

http://www.barking-at-the-sun.net/blog/

"There are also urban management officers who sit in their cars and appear to get all the rest they need. One man, the father of a boy who escaped from a collapsing school, said that the officers—who are something between police and meter maids—were reluctant to offer any help."

Aah, the notorious urban management officers, or 城管. An agency of corruption and a travesty of social justice during the best of times. No surprise how they would behave during crises like this. Agencies like these are the people that give government bad names. And yet people still want to call those soldiers goons and thugs or even murderers.

NPR just happens to also be in Chendu to do their All Things Considered program ahead of the Olympics. They have a blog called Chendu Diary. This is the gold standard for reporting - TIME readers will like NPR.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/chengdu/

Yes, PaZhuLian, the cheng guan, or city management officers have a terrible reputation in Beijing. I have personally noticed their laziness, ineptitude, corruption, and (often physical) mistreatment and harassment of migrants. From what I hear from friends, teachers, and coworkers, these guys are no less notorious in other parts of the country.
I am disheartened to learn that they act like this even now, in a time of serious crisis, when all other official organizations and the very top level leadership seem to be making every effort to help. I guess bad eggs are always bad eggs though.

That is why we always need our premier to come to the site. Those lazy and corrupted officials can only behave somehow properly when their top boss is whipping them.

I am a Chengdu-er. I know a lot of rumors and scandals of those officials in Sichuan. They are greedy no matter how poor their towns are.

Now we are focusing on the relief. But afterwards, we should sort those rats out and prosecute them.

Maybe this is just wishful thinking. TIC: This is China.

I bet those officials are right now busy selling out the business of the re-building to the bribing contractors.

兴，百姓苦；亡，百姓苦。

I am not surprised by such ugly behaviors of some city management officers. However, from my point of view, these events are less common in China than in western countries if given similar situation. Because traditionally, Chinese community is maintained by morality, not legislation system.

I feel the great sadness for the families divided, lost mothers, children without a home. So much suffering!
Its time for the whole world to pitch in and help, i've sent money to red cross chn...but it was not clear if it would go to Burma or China.

Also its important in these times to look at the causes (causality) and the cure (karma) so a catastrophe of this magnitude never happens again.

I've read many times the government has been doing its best, the Dalai Lama says the same...they are both right. I commend the government quick response, and the military's heroic action.

The CATCH 22 is if you believe in Causality its the bad karma of the chinese governments illegal take over of Tibet that caused the whole thing.

A friend wrote,

Earthquakes are symbolically ominous and are never just earthquakes but portents of strong upheavals to come. The area where the earthquake occurred is Sichuan province, a relatively recent fabrication that includes much of what had been the Tibetan province of Amdo prior to the Chinese invasion. That the earthquake took place on the traditional border between China and Tibet in the immediate wake of the Chinese carrying the Olympic torch to the top of Tibet's highest summit is a bit of symbolism that will not be lost on anyone in China or Tibet. The time and place of that fateful rupture could not have been more symbolically profound, and while no one should be foolish enough to expect any sudden change in Chinese policy, neither should anyone assume that nothing has changed as a result. It may not affect China's official policies or attitudes, but a bolt from the blue has stricken China at a time when their nationalist fervor was at its most feverish, and whatever happens from this point on will be at least subtly different as a result.

@mao tse tune

If you have not sent any money, save it. If you already did, let's hope it goes to Burma because they are in such a desperate situation.
As for China, they don't need your money nor your fake sympathy with this stupid karma string attached. It's tasteless and repulsive, to say the least, for you to say what you said in time of tragedy like this. Such abominable behavior of yours tells us that you don't really believe in this karma sh!t yourself.

This devastating earthquake is the third and worst major catastrophe in China the past several months, after the freak snow storm and the flood. The death toll has climbed up to near 20,000 (with tens of thousands more still missing), but the suffering of the mostly poor survivors (many of whom severely injured) is beyond description.

Premier Wen jumped to action at the very first news, mobilizing the rescue personnel, medical team and military forces immediately, thus helping to alleviate the situation and saving precious lives. He quickly flew to the spot to direct the post-quake recovery activities and comfort the victims. The world needs more people like Wen to provide the right kind of leadership.

With this spirit of genuine generous cooperation and support from all walks of life among the Chinese, the future of China cannot be anything else but brighter.
(Tan Boon Tee)

"The area where the earthquake occurred is Sichuan province, a relatively recent fabrication that includes much of what had been the Tibetan province of Amdo prior to the Chinese invasion."

Dear mao tse tune,

The invasion you talk about happened in late 19th century which was led by Fukangan. And that's Kham, not Amdo.

I am tired of your hatred in your comment. Please leave us alone in this catastrophe.

mao tse tune listen to yor lifestory. you came in last life as maggot in cow shed. you did good for universe for eating clean cow waste. Great father reward you to come back as human. Great father made mistake with DNA and turned you into ass. He saw mistake and gave you face as man, but inside no change. Because you still a ass, great father punish you to drop to earth when you fly on plane. When you see great father, he make you maggot once more in next life. This is your karma

mao tse tune this is your karma. you did not live good in early life. So great father make you magggot in cow barn. you ate all cow waste well so great father reward you to be man in life now. But great father made great mistake with DNA and you became ass. great father saw mistake and gave you human face. But inside still ass. When you fly in plane, bad karma happen and you fall to earth with no parachute. Great father make you maggot one more time in public toilet.

The president of CNN formally apologized to Chinese government recently, good sign to be more objective toward China issues.

@howard: "The president of CNN formally apologized to Chinese government recently, good sign to be more objective toward China issues."

Wow, stop the bulldozers. That is simply the best news yet that people, who are still buried under the rubble and/or those who have lost literally everything, have been waiting to hear for a long time. News like this will definitely keep them going for years. Keep them coming, howard.

@PaZhulian

It seems you don't like the apology that much, so you should protest against CNN president, rather than making a sarcastic statement here. If I misunderstand you, sorry about that.

@howard
I think a lot of people around here don't give a rat's A$$ if Mr. Parsons and Mr. Bewkes go to Chinese embassy and do a "three kneelings and nine head knockings (三跪九叩)" to Mr. Zhou. It's too little to late and people already moved on to more pressing matters.

Aah, well, I guess not everybody.

I'm VERY SORRY Austin if your chief editor gets an angry phone call from Mr. Parson's secretary regarding my disrepectful remarks above. But then again, he probably have heard worse things from shareholders during his tenure and especially of late.

I don't give a rat's A$$ about howard or mao tse tune or any others who lack basic human decency.

@allenyu howard and mao tse tune not in same category. mao tse tune is dirt and next karma cursed

@TF
I agree. Please do not lump them together and condemn them both. Well at least not before howard has finished his assignment. ;-)

"...Gauging people's compassion from donations by foreign governments is meaningless. Countries like US simply don't have as much flexibility in using tax-payers' money, except for waging war, as China. You probably better off get your measurement by looking at donations from individual private citizens, not institutions. So maybe howard can spend some time to dig up some data and build a spreadsheet for us on this?
Posted by PaZhuLian | May 15, 2008 12:17 PM"