@Geezer
I can read French poorly - but I have no clue what I'm reading.
@Peter
China may have "gone off the rails" for you - but during that time of "going off the rails", it sustainably eliminated poverty for over 800 million citizens, with roughly half the GDP of the entire USA - for which it was recognized and lauded by the UN.
That feat is worthy of being called the 8th wonder of the world - as it's never ever been done before in the recorded history of the world.
Most westerners and quite a few domestic Chinese gripe about the freedoms observed and enjoyed in more open societies - but they don't have that massive burden of responsibility for 1.4 billion people.
In fact - the world should be ecstatic that China controls it's population. Can you imagine 1 million Chinese uber/lfty drivers in any country in the world - that's true asphalt terrorism.
Or constantly, consistently, and persistently flooding markets with whatever's trendy today - fly-by-night Starbucks knockoffs - 10 per city block - saturating the market until everybody goes bankrupt?
The examples are plentiful.
The system isn't great - but it's not there for entertainment or to make people feel good.
If you're REALLY interested in China affairs and trying to understand this country and its development philosophy - try reading any of the national five year plans - they even publish them in English. ndrc.gov.cn
They are some of the finest and most professional project management documents I've ever seen, worthy of being called "world class".
The western media typically and traditionally ridicules these plans, but that merely shows their extreme ignorance of the scientific method of world-class project management processes and the intended purpose(s) of these specific documents.
Has ANY ambassador or consulate general EVER read China's Five Year Plan? That will show you the maturity and intent of that country's key in-country representatives.
China to phase out fossil fuel cars, boost domestic electric vehicle industry
Posted by@geezer
The first paragraph of that news sensationalist alarmist news article:
"...if coal was used to produce the electricity."
University in Yunnan requires students to run 240 kilometers for graduation
Posted by@asatirical
It's no prob...I was actually amused. The leadoff reminded me of Chevy Chase's famous news skits on SNL (Jane, you ignorant....). Apologies for goading you into a massive response. Out of respect, I read it all and concur - but...kids will be kids...sometimes, they just gotta learn things the hard way, in the real world.
As for the professional project management comment - I was commenting on the PM process, not the extraordinarily polarizing debatable aspects of mandatory PE for emerging adults. The university exhibited the core PM processes - which I find unusual with most government organizations and officials (to include USA - not familiar with the shenanigans of other governments, so no opinions there).
Urban re-greening effort to include 37 new Kunming parks
Posted byThis is a fantastic article. Thank you.
University in Yunnan requires students to run 240 kilometers for graduation
Posted byWell...I am after all a failure as a parent...stands to reason...
University in Yunnan requires students to run 240 kilometers for graduation
Posted byDear satyrical bloke
Perhaps it's the brevity of internet blogs - however thank you for broadly insinuating publicly I'm a failure as a parent, based on a singular vague and unimplemented opinion. I'm guessing my personal opinion must have been highly inflammatory to elicit such a highly inflammatory comment.
As a parental failure - I'll use any and all tools available to guide my children towards being self-sustaining, productive, ethical, moral, and responsible citizens of society. If the kids refuse to study at home, do their home chores, are addicted to their digital devices, disrespectful - I'll put them in boarding school jails, where they're forced to study under someone else's oppressive eye, digital devices are forbidden or destroyed, physical daily exercise is mandatory, and their every living and waking moment is controlled.
If university trained/prepared professional life isn't desirable to them, I'll try to guide them into sustainable vocational careers, to include military service.
As a parental failure, I'm also of the opinion that my primary duty is not to be my children's best friend, although perhaps that will come with time and maturity (from both parties - parent AND child) - but to prepare them for a responsible self sustainable life without me, fiscal, environmental, and social responsibility.
We never know how long we can breathe and wander the earth - so yes, I'm absolutely a chronic failure as a parent - better than some - worse than others. So I strive to "parent" with "a sense of urgency".
Incredibly astute of you to pick ascertain my chronic and pervasive failure as a parent, based on a singular, as yet unimplemented opinion of mandatory physical education with a stated and measurable performance metric.
On that note - the university was incredibly amazing in stating and implementing this specific requirement. It showed some potentially incredible project management skills as opposed to the typically vague management directives.