Annals of the Security State: China vs. America Department
by James Fallows
MAY 6 2012, 11:45 AM ET
With a twist that may be enlightening for people on both sides.
A Chinese-citizen engineer recently came to the United States on a month-long business assignment. He was excited, and so was his company. For the company, this was the first-ever foreign installation of new robotic equipment, in a Florida juice-packing operation. For the engineer, it was a chance to be in a very nice part of America, enjoying for a while a lifestyle simply unavailable in his normal environs.
Just before the end of his stay, the engineer stopped to take this photo. Chinese readers may be able to guess why he took it. American readers may be able to guess what happened next.
To the Chinese engineer, what was fascinating and significant about the picture was its orderliness. The yellow school bus stopped, turned on its "do not pass" flashers, and extended its Stop signs. And -- the amazing part -- all surrounding traffic actually obeyed. Even those who are fans of the excitement and passion of Chinese life will agree that such a scene is hard to imagine in a big Chinese city. You'd have motorbikes cutting past on the sidewalk, cars veering into the opposite-direction lane to get around the obstacle, a cacophony of horns complaining about any vehicle that did slow down, and in general the creative-chaos that extends from many other parts of Chinese life to its roadways. (Where it can seem festive, but also dangerous: China's traffic-death rate per active motorist and per mile driven is several times higher than in North America or Europe.)
more (good read)
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/annals-of-the-security-state-china-vs-america-department/256778/
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