Spokesman: Jackie Chan comments out of context

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

Source: (AP)

HONG KONG - Jackie Chan's comments that freedom may not be good for China were taken out of context, his spokesman said Tuesday, while Facebook users and Chinese scholars condemned the veteran actor on the Internet in a spreading backlash.

The 55-year-old star of the " Rush Hour " action films caused a huge uproar after he told a business forum on Saturday that it may not be good for authoritarian China to become a free society .

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said Saturday, adding freedoms in his native Hong Kong and Taiwan made those societies "chaotic." Taiwan, which split from China in 1949, is democratic and Hong Kong , a separately ruled Chinese territory, enjoys some free elections.

"I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want," he said.


Read more: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/spokesman-jackie-chan-comments-out-context-ap

[jobycom]

1. I can't imagine politicians or activists deliberately taking something out of context

just to grind their own axes or slant public opinion in their favor. That's as unlikely as an entertainer saying something stupid now and then.

[Captain Hilts]

2. He's actually correct. A lot of folks don't want western-style freedom and can't handle it.

Why do people think Vladimir Putin is so popular in Russia? They were not ready for the responsibilities of Democracy and suffered from having no effective government under Yeltsin.

[izquierdista]

3. Western style "freedom" is overrated

There is a myth of American exceptionalism and it extends to the "freedoms" that Dubya maintained that other peoples "hate us for". To give an example, I pretty much accepted it hook, line, and sinker that Americans have the freedom to go hunting and own firearms to the exclusion of all others. Not being much of a hunter, I assumed it was true until I went traveling in the former Soviet Union. One Sunday morning, I woke up to find 4" of fresh snow, where the ground was bare the day before -- a perfect day to hunt for animals making tracks in the snow. As I drove on the highway that morning, I couldn't believe the number of hunters out with their shotguns and rifles -- it looked like the first day of deer season in the Midwest. So much for American exceptionalism.

The next time you hear someone crowing about freedoms, remember the words of Anatole France: "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." It extends to the freedom to do or say what you want; if you are rich, you can and if you are poor, you can't.

[Captain Hilts]

5. To many, 'Freedom' is a nice word for 'chaos' and 'opportunity' a nice word for 'risk'. nt

[9119495]

6. What about the freedom to collectively bargain...

things like wages, conditions, etc.? These are freedoms that Chinese people don't have and actually do want. I agree that freedom is a subjective thing...but remember that the OP of this could have been imprisioned in China for posting this. That to me seems wrong. Can we agree that freedom of thought and speech are at least desirable in all societies?

[izquierdista]

13. Can Americans do that?

There are a lot of Wal-Mart workers who would like to collectively bargain; that doesn't mean they can do it. As for not being imprisoned for what one writes, Americans may score a bit better in that regard, but only because the powers that be have figured out how to marginalize those of differing views into being ignored. Just ask Dennis Kucinich.

[damntexdem]

4. yeah, if not controlled, they might even engage in hitting one another.

And they'd probably call that some kind of art or something.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. .

:rofl:

[Ian David]

8. Jackie Chan thinks freedom shouldn't extend to the Chinese movie industry?

Putting it in context doesn't seem to help much, IMHO.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. The irony of it all. nt

[McCamy Taylor]

9. This is a very old, traditional Chinese attitude and should not be interpretted as love of

Communism. Individualism, particularly of the "rugged" western variety is not universally appreciated. Even in Europe, people willingly give up some civil liberties, like freedom of speech, in order to promote group harmony.

The US and Australia and Canada and some of the other New World colonies were founded by folks who could not abide authority back in their country of origin. And the presence of the colonies served a pressure release valve that enabled the Old World to remain traditionalist---since all the people who objected were free to leave. That is why part of the world embraces individualism and the other part scorns it.

[rollingrock]

11. This Chinese person doesn't agree with you Jackie

[Stellabella]

12. I hate that 'out of context' defense.

Put it IN context so the meaning is different. Nobody's been able to do that.

[rollingrock]

14. He's taken one too many blows to the head over the years

that's the only thing that could explain it.

[Zavulon]

15. "Out of context" usually means "quoted accurately." I'm betting it does here, too.

Since Chan didn't really say anything outrageous, what's the big fucking deal? Why the spin?

My office's IT department has two girls from mainland China and one from Taiwan. The girl from Taiwan said "what an asshole," but the girls from China didn't even blink.

[Forkboy]

16. I love the guys older movies, but he isn't the sharpest tack in the box.