Natural Disaster, But Also Human Catastrophe

As I am writing this, the death tolls of the tsunami catastrophe in South Asia has reached 40,000, and the number keeps rising. While the deadly force of nature does not discriminate, it is clear that often the poor and disadvantaged suffer the greatest from such catastrophe, not only when it occurred but also in the aftermath.

South Asia (around the arc of the Indian Ocean) still remains one of the poorer regions of the world. Governments in the region are relatively ill equipped in dealing with natural disasters, a factor that often adds to the destructive outcomes of such events. In this case, we now know that there is no tsunami warning system around the Indian Ocean. And the reasons of course are not hard to find.

While all of our efforts - individual, organizational and governmental - must now be given to the rescue and recovery work of the catastrophe, let us not forget that much needs to be done for people living in this region to ensure that human casualties will be reduced in future when nature strikes again.

The Supreme Court Has Spoken On Same Sex Marriage

I am pleased that finally the Supreme Court of Canada has given its opinion on same sex marriage. As expected, the Court indicates that human society has evolved to the point where we can no longer take away the rights of gay couples to marry.

Opponents of same sex marriage are clearly unhappy and some accuse the Liberal Party of using political means (appointing Supreme Court judges who support same sex marriage) to direct the ruling of the Court. This is pure non-sense, as several provincial Courts of Appeal have ruled supportively on same sex marriage, without any influence from the federal ruling party.

Opponents who fear that same sex marriage will destroy our social institutions are simply living in a dream world, and their fear should not be taken seriously.

The last stage of this drama will be the casting of votes by the MPs when the Liberal government takes the same sex marriage bill to the parliament. I am sure the opposing camp will pull their last forces together to stop the bill. Supporters of same sex marriage, therefore, must not be complacent.

Once in a while in human social evolution, we need to take a bold step, and the issue of gay marriage is such an occasion. Let's show the world that we are a civilized society and that we will use our best democratic institution to settle the dispute.

When will China be a"superpower"?

A few weeks ago, I was at a forum that discussed the question: Will China be the next superpower?

The 4 speakers in the panel were relatively positive about China's development in the last few decades, and were cautiously optimistic about China's future. The discussion focussed much on economic accomplishments, and touched on the military prowess and political development of China.

My own concern, however, was not addressed at this forum. To me, it's really not so important for China to become a "superpower" - often defined in economic and military terms, and to some extent in political terms, particularly in relation to democratic development. To me, it's more important that China becomes a country respected by the rest of the world - respected because China contributes to the common good and because Chinese people conduct themselves appropriately as "global citizens".

The economic achievements of China in the last few decades have been the result of overwhelming self-interests by the Chinese people, realized in the context of a more open market economy. Read CAPITALISM in its early stage.

Some argue that the economic self-interests in this rising country have developed rapidly into "selfishness". The evidence lies strongly in the expanding gap between the rich and the poor, the cities and rural hinterlands, and the elite minorities and ordinary majority. Incidents of malpractice, negligence, corruption, etc., in business and government affairs are just the symptoms of a much deeper problem.

A strong economy that is built on the suffering of its own people, or people in other economies, is not worth having. When a people's vision is limited to economic profits and self-interests, no matter how great their achievements have been, they do not yet deserve the respect of other peoples.

How can the Chinese people take on the role of responsible "world citizens"?