Do They Dare to Care About Politics

Do They Dare to Care About Politics

In a crowded intersection, Shenzhen € ™ Dongmen Shopping Street, between KFC and McDonaldâ € ™, Liuzhong Qiu, 21, sitting on a white folding chairs, looks like a breakthrough and clasps his hands folded like a proselyte, whenever a passer throw money into his bucket.

His legs below the knee are swollen balloons, folds and mottled gray spot size. Below his feet poke out, useless, deformity, because if they fall, is stuck in the wrong. He crippled his disease, elephantiasis, has left, and in the persistent pain, his furrowed brow fleshy cheeks, eyebrows high, brown eyes above registration.

Disabled ISNA € ™ t one bad performance. A good Daya Ş traction than a thousand dollars ($ 160), and he told me when I stopped to chat. Some farmers reluctantly, in a month, I think. He must have caught my expression, because he added, it's just enough to cover his medications and support himself and his sister, who take care of him full time. In order to make money, he must be the circle around him gawkers, if he really is on display at an Elephant Man Victorian freak show.

Liu Emirates does not € ™ t watch party of the 18th National People's Congress (NPC) in November, to choose his country's new leader. He hadnâ t even heard of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which will swear they in March this year. He knew the name of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party, but not vice-premier Li Keqiang, Bo Xilai, Chinese media widely reported, but the details are diluted shame. He can not recite the full name of his state, people € ™ s Republic of China (China People gongheguo) Nora "in the field, leastâ €" he uttered a government's policies since he was born.

Why did he do? € favorite folksâ of "is not just the people € ™ Ş Republic", in his mind, he was not familiar enough with his country's politics. But when his troubles are visible, he weighed in his ankle, we face our bondage metaphors.

He expected his state owes him something, and seek to correct his expectations did not materialize, he was politicized. Therefore, he fully embodies his generation.

Unfortunately, he did not put his quietly. Rather than just grumble like elderly disabled beggar, he petitioned the local health department to compensate for his medical expensesâ "futile when the city administration police told him that he could only beg for two days a week in a shopping district three hours, Day after day he went to their office, complaining they are tired, and let him three days a week with a huge victory over the spot.

Liu is the most angry, he can not apply for benefits in Shenzhen, because he did not € ™ t have a local account, registration documents are still ONEA € ™ boon or bane for the Chinese. He moved south from his birthplace, in the cold northeastern Liaoning winter chill, because in his legs pain unbearable. Why did he need to be punished to find a warm place? Why his household define your own right now? Silently care injustice, but he published online forums, instant messaging services, as well as social media, he passed his extra free time.

I asked him if he thinks these actions are political. € Oeno â €? He says. â € œTheyâ of re problems.â €?

I think Liu marsh is political, even if he does not € ™ t. His actions from those who have the power to get results. He said he does not care about the big issues, but his overwhelming hukou broadcast unfair. He expected his state owes him something, and seek to correct his expectations did not materialize, he was politicized. Therefore, he fully embodies his generation.

China's early twenties, collectively referred to as "œposteightiesâ €?" Œpostninetiesâ €? Generations. Born in the era of reform and opening up, they are locals competition consumerism China, its economic growth and globalization are familiar to everyone. Their experiences are different from their parentsâ € ™ we are from our grand or great grandparentsâ € ™. They are also too many changes, summarized. This did not stop their elders from the feature selfish, irresponsible, empty, spoiledâ "" € œthe foolish generation, â €? In a intellectualâ € ™ own words. Kids these days!

What is generally true, is disturbing that young people in China out of their countryâ € ™ modern history. With no memory of Mao Zedong, they can collect Xiao Cong censorship environment. Textbooks are not used when the same party is responsible for the present. And their parents, by and large, Donna € ™ t talk about their experiencesâ "Why should the burden of your child, even if it is easy to talk about, when they live in a new world?

Chinese modern history of young people from their countryâ divorce. They can collect Xiao Cong censorship environment.

Walking in the Cultural Revolution poster exhibition in London last year, a Chinese friend twenties, I summed it up. "ŒItâ ™ as this is my recent â €? He said, pointing around us red slogan and image," œbut itâ € ™ or history, it € ™ is not something I have experienced. Itâ € ™ s fifty years ago, but it may have been a hundred years ago. Itâ € ™ s like a fairy tale, you tell your mother, when you re-three or four, and now you see the fairy tale again when you re older.â?

If young people do not deeply involved in or understanding of the past, what is this? Is common to assume a œyouth Donna care about € politicsâ? ? In any ground?

On the surface, it is rooted in an awful lot. Last fall, China's € ™ s first decade handover of power in a time when America's national elections. Educated Chinese people of my generation in the week when I spoke, I found in the latter's interest towards the front, and a general feeling detached indifference, mainly because of its entertainment value. A 27-year-old PhD in Linguistics at Peking University, China Oxford students use the same words to describe these two eventsâ € "â € œItâ € ™ is their business, not ours.â €??

United States in his early twenties, I think the risk of generalization, the more fired up their elections. Even those who did not vote € ™ t have a basic grasp of the key issues of equity, and the candidatesâ background. If Obama, as a teenager, was sent to the rural labor after his father was cleared, and tries to counter-revolutionary, they will understand. This is exactly what happened Xi Jinping, but many young Chinese people do not know.

This apparent reason behind the failure of four, apolitical past and present, it is worth mentioning that in our seemingly indifferent to ask meaningful participation can coexist.