I found the question, " how did you keep your mental stability during those 6 years of such hardship?". Hope was the key. He had a strong sense of curiosity,. "I thought if someday an opportunity comes to me, I should be prepared." Really fascinating man. He also certainly makes the case for NOT paying for higher education. If you want someone to covert something, make it harder to attain. That is an immortal truth that too many politicians and parents cannot seem to wrap their heads around. You value you want you sacrifice for.
Mr. Shan is intelligent, percipient and kind. His rich, dichotomous life experience has provided him even more lenses and angles to exam this complicated world. But I do not agree with his comments that China bears more responsibility for current trade situation. Mr. Shan's blind spot, I suspect, is today's so called free and democratic U.S. government and society. Coming from the disastrous communist China to the wonderful USA, has Mr. Shan been able to take off his rosy glasses and take a real look at the west?
Incredible but a sad story of survival. The West has failed to appreciate the mindset of politicians including that of President Xi whose family members suffered so badly during the Cultural Revolution. Consequently, the Communist Party has changed drastically over the past 4 decades. Why is the West still so impatient? Ignorance may well be the main reason. Any 'change' won't be Western because China was the most developed nation for thousands of years past. Renewed nationalism seems to be a major growth promoter for the coming decades. There isn't any need to have a separate 'nationalist' government based in Taipei. People on both sides of the Straits share exact ancestry with common ambitions to serve the needs of mankind around the globe.
Talking about cultural revolution or Mao is not taboo in China. There are plenty of books, movies, and documentaries telling stories of that period's history. The nation reflected hard, there is even a genre in Chinese literature called "scar literature" (伤痕文学 if translate word for word), and it specifically refers to novels, poets etc. relating to the Cultural revolution. It was a deep wound on the psychic of the society, especially for the generation who had been through those turmoils. But I have to say, nowadays not many people talking about cultural revolution anymore, it's in the past and the younger generation can't relate themselves to those stories. Even the generation who experienced the cultural revolution who are now probably in their 60s and 70s had come to terms with that part of their lives. There are plenty of theme restaurants that have cultural revolution as background, objects that have significant meaning during that period of time are now sold at tourist locations for novelty value. It is good that the cultural revolution is now a distant memory, and the healing has completed a long time ago, but I hope the younger generations can still learn from textbooks about that history, and understand more about the nation's past and the mistakes we made.
Very insightful recollection of cultural revolution and more importantly I can't agree more on his comments that we should never forget that parr of history to prevent it ever happening again particularly of today's China.
'The sure way to avoid repeating the history, is to remember it.' It is so true! And China WILL repeat its tragic history! It is just a matter of time.
I found the question, " how did you keep your mental stability during those 6 years of such hardship?". Hope was the key. He had a strong sense of curiosity,. "I thought if someday an opportunity comes to me, I should be prepared." Really fascinating man. He also certainly makes the case for NOT paying for higher education. If you want someone to covert something, make it harder to attain. That is an immortal truth that too many politicians and parents cannot seem to wrap their heads around. You value you want you sacrifice for.
Mr. Shan is intelligent, percipient and kind. His rich, dichotomous life experience has provided him even more lenses and angles to exam this complicated world. But I do not agree with his comments that China bears more responsibility for current trade situation. Mr. Shan's blind spot, I suspect, is today's so called free and democratic U.S. government and society. Coming from the disastrous communist China to the wonderful USA, has Mr. Shan been able to take off his rosy glasses and take a real look at the west?
Incredible but a sad story of survival. The West has failed to appreciate the mindset of politicians including that of President Xi whose family members suffered so badly during the Cultural Revolution. Consequently, the Communist Party has changed drastically over the past 4 decades. Why is the West still so impatient? Ignorance may well be the main reason. Any 'change' won't be Western because China was the most developed nation for thousands of years past. Renewed nationalism seems to be a major growth promoter for the coming decades. There isn't any need to have a separate 'nationalist' government based in Taipei. People on both sides of the Straits share exact ancestry with common ambitions to serve the needs of mankind around the globe.
My father experienced the same as Mr Shan, and my father's life story and future career success was very very similar to Mr Shan's as well!
Such an intelligent and wise man. I love all his answers as well as his life story.
Talking about cultural revolution or Mao is not taboo in China. There are plenty of books, movies, and documentaries telling stories of that period's history. The nation reflected hard, there is even a genre in Chinese literature called "scar literature" (伤痕文学 if translate word for word), and it specifically refers to novels, poets etc. relating to the Cultural revolution. It was a deep wound on the psychic of the society, especially for the generation who had been through those turmoils. But I have to say, nowadays not many people talking about cultural revolution anymore, it's in the past and the younger generation can't relate themselves to those stories. Even the generation who experienced the cultural revolution who are now probably in their 60s and 70s had come to terms with that part of their lives. There are plenty of theme restaurants that have cultural revolution as background, objects that have significant meaning during that period of time are now sold at tourist locations for novelty value.
It is good that the cultural revolution is now a distant memory, and the healing has completed a long time ago, but I hope the younger generations can still learn from textbooks about that history, and understand more about the nation's past and the mistakes we made.
Remarkable story. Watched the video then bought the book.
Tom Friedman is best journalist the US has ever produced. I wish Friedman will become the next President.
Very insightful recollection of cultural revolution and more importantly I can't agree more on his comments that we should never forget that parr of history to prevent it ever happening again particularly of today's China.
Thus we appreciate the opportunity we have and make the best of it, serving and educate the world.
Amazing story.
very good talk. Buying the book!
'The sure way to avoid repeating the history, is to remember it.' It is so true! And China WILL repeat its tragic history! It is just a matter of time.
The real tragic history is invading , looting , killing from the west & japan that cannot let it happen again.
Thomas, the first question should be asked is the role US played in the China civil war post world war 2...