Shanghaiist: Maglev protest videos

nanheyangrouchuan

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:41:31 +0800

@ global citizen: Is that "world beat" crap messing with your head? You are judging us with your statement.

James Creegan

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:02:30 +0800

global citizen- you're talking shite. What if a local population decided that underground water pipes would cause them to sprout two heads. Should a) the government dig up all of the underground pipes, so that the ignorant can sleep soundly in their beds or b) the citizens learn the facts? The right we have to criticise their opinions stems from the fact that it's not a matter of opinion but of fact. So have that.

global citizen

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:33:06 +0800

Let me get this clear right from the start. I do not live in China, nor have I ever lived in China, in fact, I have never even been to China, but nonetheless felt moved to reply to something I have read on the internet for the very first time! No matter whether you live in China, have lived in China, have visited China, just interested in China or don't even give a damn about China the same rules should apply. Who are we to judge the local community on their beliefs? Whether we consider these protestors ignorant, ill informed, easily led or even just plain stupid, what gives us the right to criticise their opinions? Although most assuredly not a Christian, a Christian phrase springs to mind, quoted from the King James Bible: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not ... judge not others, because then you yourselves shall not be judged; (Luke 6:37 biblebrowser.com/luke/6-37.html). I ask just that you ponder this.

Ny

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:28:30 +0800

I meant to say: "....a compass needle placed nearby (say a meter or two away) will probably be affected......"

Ny

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:58:30 +0800

The ignorant protesters should be educated that there is no harmful effect on living creatures including humans near the maglev line. The government can demonstrate by a simple experiment. It is non-sense to liken people as being cooked in a microwave oven. If you put a living creature such as a cockroach inside a microwave which is on, the cockroach will be cooked to death; and if you put the cockroach just one or two inches outside the microwave and witch it on, the cockroach will immediately run away; but if you put the cockroach far away (say a few meters away) and then switch on the microwave, the cockroach will stay put, proving that the microwave has no effect on the roach. Furthermore, the maglev line doesn't generate microwave; it uses magnetic field to propel the train forward; a compass needle placed nearby (say a meter or two away) will properly affect the compass; but if the compass needle is placed far away (say 90 meters away), then most probably the compass is not affected at all.

Ny

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:55:52 +0800

Government is there to lead; the shanghai government must stick to its decision to build the maglev train despite the protest. The population of Shanghai is 16 million; a few hundred or even a few thousand protesters doesn't represent the majority.

chinaprimer

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:24:51 +0800

To be fair, the people to whom you're referring haven't paid for those apartments. The government gave them apartments; it's the government's prerogative to move them. Besides, I doubt that the same people were complaining when some village was leveled in order to make way for the factory that produces the color TVs they bought. The average Shanghai resident is more alarmed by the displacement of the people who have paid market prices for their apartments, as it triggers thoughts of "There but for the grace of God go I." It's a valid point, and it is important for the government to compensate such people fairly. Re whether my comment is selfish, I am always amused by Westerners who come here, but then talk an anti-Western rhetoric. I mean, if you want a place that's "keeping it real", why not live in Shaan Xi Province? Or why not live in countries with declining living standards, such as North Korea or Zimbabwe? Anyway, you miss the point of what I wrote. On a human level, I feel for these people. However, the greater good is served by building this train.

nanheyangrouchuan

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:44:15 +0800

Well isn't that a bit selfish chinaprimer. You are not a local and neither are the rest of the expats no matter how long they've lived there. Many of the locals that are being displaced have lived in those apartments for a long time, since before Shanghai was "cool". Typical yangguizi arrogance and that is why the expat community is such crap.

chinaprimer

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:04:17 +0800

Labelling the Maglev a "death train" is a bit extreme. For most of us, the maglev extension is a major improvement. Having a rapid train that connects the international airport with the city center brings Shanghai a step closer to being a world class business center. Moreover, the ability to transit the distance between Hangzhou and Shanghai in as little as 30 minutes is unprecedented. This could change urban / suburban living patterns radically (probably some changes won't be welcome, but some will be). Let's face it - as foreigners, we didn't come to Shanghai to watch the city stand still. We came to witness this amazing transformation. No growth of this speed or scale is without side effects. There have been, and will continue to be, people who bear a disproportionate brunt of the change. The good news is that the government is getting better about actually compensating people. As for the people living closest to the tracks, do we trust that the government is keeping them a safe distance? The truth is probably that you cannot find science that's conclusive either way. The same is true of cell phones though. If China really wanted to do something to improve life expectancy, rather than limiting the growth of the Maglev, it could focus on the smoking rates!

shangpudi

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:06:20 +0800

Having a "scientific basis" here in China can be the sociological equivalent of the Friend of a Friend (FOAF) scenario, in which someone spreads beguiling rumors to a friend/spouse/family/acquaintance/stranger/etc. who thereby believes what was said because it "sounds just about right" from the individual who made the comment (usually as an argumental tipping point). Not to target China, because this kind of stuff happens all over the world, but hearing and believing are two things best not to assume have a correlational value. Careful followup analysis can conclude such FOAF verbatim, however, most individuals are too busy to think about it beyond hearing what was said and simply jump on the bandwagon. Examples i've run across here in China: Eating fish eyeballs helps me see. . . . . Tiger hair grained into my TCM is healthy. . . . . . Eating human baby placenta boosts my immune system. . . . . Smoking cigarettes and drinking makes you a man. . . . . If you sleep with your legs strait you will grow taller. . . . . Chairman Mao was the best leader of all time because he only "served the people" by doing (fill in the blank). . . . . Granted, this is just one argument about how "scientific basis" can be interpreted.

James Creegan

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:43:59 +0800

it's good to see people power, just a shame that there's absolutely no scientific basis for what they're protesting about.

nanheyangrouchuan

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:22:22 +0800

Ah, yes. The sense of property rights and individual rights isn't just a bunch of rumors in the countryside, the Chinese middle class in a major urban center is now standing up to be heard. This is the kind of stuff that spurred the US Founding Fathers to pen the third amendment.