Election returns in Guangzhou

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OK, this entry has been way too long in coming, first it was that I haven’t had any time to take pictures, and then it was one thing or another. But this being Election Results day here in China I thought it worth writing some about my returns event experience.

As was true in 2008, the South China American Camber of Commerce sponsored a large event for expats and Chinese to watch the returns. I invited two of my students to join me and we arrived in a large ballroom at the new Hyatt hotel at around 8:30 AM China time, 7:30 PM EST. There were two huge projector type screens set up, tuned to the middle of the road CNN. Elaborate serving tables were filled with waffles, donuts (I audibly moaned when a student in front of me took the raspberry jam, obviously intended for the waffles, and spooned it on top of her rainbow sprinkled specimen), and beverages. At this time the room was quite empty but within an hour or so it had filled up with eager Chinese, many of them journalism students brought there by their British teacher. They had an assignment to interview Americans and I must have accommodated an easy dozen in helping them fulfill their task.



As always, I am struck by how well informed they are about the US (they always call it “America”, going for the geographic descriptor rather that the more political “US”, the Chinese word for America is Mei Guo, or beautiful country)



Isn’t it true that Romney will lower taxes for the rich and make the budget problems worse n the US?



With a divided Congress, will it be possible for Obama to make any progress on his agenda?



Do you think that Romney’s Mormon faith cost him votes, is it thought of as a cult?



Will Romney really take action to call China a “currency manipulator?



If there is a tie vote in the Electoral College, then the House will elect Romney and the Senate will elect Biden, what do you think? (Now how many of you know the provisions of the 12^th Amendment?

One theme that appeared, and has been noted in other venues during my two plus weeks here, is concern about Gay Rights. There is a vocal opposition to the move to equality that has taken place elsewhere in recent years (kudos to Maryland and Maine!) and it is usually based on so-called Christian ethos. I had quite a heated argument with a young woman this morning (I was heated, she was speechless) as she told me that her beliefs made homosexuality anathema. In this instance, and an earlier encounter I had at a lecture I gave last week, I tried to separate her beliefs from what was true; as we say in cognitive-behavioral therapy, “Just because you think it doesn’t make it true.” “If you don’t want to have sex with a woman”, I countered, “then don’t. Nothing about the extension of rights to others forces you to take any particular action.” I admit I enjoy stunning the young Chinese, who are so repressed, by talking openly about sex and sexual activity. I also reminded her that Obama was a Christian, Biden was a Christian and they both supported gay marriage; she was stunned.



At the same time, there is some discussion being conducted in society about the gay rights issue; a little weird since the notion of “rights” in a rule bound society is quite marginal. Nonetheless, absent a significant religious faction (the previous paragraph notwithstanding) it does seem as if there is some agreement that “equality” for gays ad lesbians is what it takes to be “modern”. On my way here I went to a gay rights exhibition in San Francisco’s Chinatown and I was surprised to see that much of the creative ad political activity around the issue is happening right here in Guangzhou.



One of the devices used at this event was to offer the Chinese an opportunity to “vote” their choice in the presidential race. The totals, announced near the end of the event was split 97%!O(MISSING)bama, 3%!R(MISSING)omney.



Recalling some of the subtle racist comments that were made about Obama four years ago (“Are you really gong to vote for that black guy?”) that issue did not come up this morning. There was a widespread sense that US history had progressed in the past 150 years and there was some wistful hopes that China could also put some its history to better use, rater than using it as a nationalistic cudgel, stirring up near xenophobic ire at the misdeeds of its conquerors and occupiers over the last 160 years.



I also initiated discussions about the Chinese “election” that is coming up tomorrow. No billions of dollars of campaign ads, no “ground war” tactics to get out the vote, but rather a closed door vote where the new leadership is to be anointed in what will be the second peaceful and orderly transition in China since 1992. My conversations finds these relatively privileged students skeptical of any change happening that will matter, while they understand the growing threat that serious inequality poses. If indeed China is caught in the “middle income trap” these young people, over 6,000,000 of whom will earn undergraduate degrees this ear, will be the first generation since the opening up to do worse than those who came before them. They grasp this possibility and it has them freaking out. One can see other evidence of this as the elite are furiously seeking second passports, sending their children overseas for higher education in the hopes that they will anchor the parents in their new country (preferably one of the Anglophone countries).



Of course those without such privilege are standing here, fighting for the rights as workers and peasants and opposing the voracious machine of neo-liberalism that threatens to destroy their well being, tenuous as it now is.



OK, I have just received a message from EDF requesting “wine, bread, cheese and thou” for dinner so that means I need to hop on my steed (a $60 bike) and hurry over to Carrefour’s for the fixings for an Election Night dinner.



In other matters, things here go well, Ellen is making great progress with her Chinese lessons, maintaining a reasonable level of involvement with students who seek out her expertise and balanced judgment, and as usual, making good use of the opportunities that present themselves.



I am getting going, have had a few lectures and consultations and things will begin in earnest next week. Our return plans have been modified; we go form here to Beijing for a few days (Conference for Ellen, meet up with Eli), then on to Japan for 10 days and then Hawaii for 12 days or so, just wanting to break up that long trip back home not too shabby. It looks like we have nailed down some accommodations in Ithaca from mid-February to mid-May, a retired Ithaca College professor who has relocated to Plainfield, VT!



As always, keep your comments and responses coming, would enjoy hearing from all of you (and next time I promise some pictures.)

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