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kaiwen laitin

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Why can't I enjoy freedom? Because I am Chinese.

the chinese goverment cut down the line to the outside .it is a tragic as a chinese because i do not have freedom,how can i get through with others

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  • Joy Liu

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    TEDx Organizer
    Dec 8 2012: I am attracted by the title of this topic. It's good to hear Chinese voice in the international Internet community. The criticism to Chinese government maybe overstrong, but it serves as a warning and the sign of dissactisfaction or even resentment among the people in the nation. But freedom is a too broad issue and covers too many areas. Besides, there are still many nations in the world enjoy less freedom than China. You can also say, why can't I enjoy freedom? Because I am a North Korean... As for countries in Mid-East, the freedom can never be ensured since the state is chaotic. When mentioned of the revolution in Egypt, their freedom is even less than Chinese, the decision power is still in the hands of military ditactors.
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      Derek Young 30+

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      Dec 8 2012: I'm sure no two issues are of equal importance, but the systems are both different and both can be criticized, then improved upon. The way in which improvement is implemented after the critique is based entirely on the boundaries which the system of anything is drawn. In the case of dissenters of a government, it seems to be public awareness and/or public demonstration, but the extreme would be an abolishment or take down of the current government. If there was dialogue between the government and the people, then I don't see how such a high level of dissent would arise, but I don't really know the level of dissent, so I will add that this is just someones opinion and it wouldn't affect anyone if it weren't based on some type of reality in the first place, right?

      • Joy Liu

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        TEDx Organizer
        Dec 9 2012: No, the level of dissent is not that high as you perceived.
        By the way, I've checked out the link you left below about the different ways of Eastern and Western education, it's really very very interesting.
        I love the point that it talks about the intelligence and struggle taught to kids in different cultures. Western children are taught to due their success to their own intelligence, while the Asian kids are taught to concern about struggle. I never realize the differences in such light before.
        But it doesn't judge a culture as good or bad by these differences, so you can't say eastern education produces students of low creativity just based on this.

  • sakura Barack

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    Dec 4 2012: Many people know it, but most of them have no courage to do it. If they become rich enough they immediately immigrate to the developed countries for freedom or better education or for a better life when they get old. They have no idea how to make that change. What we accept in schools is always getting a high score in exams, and doing what teachers want you to do. They have washed our brains. All of these are just what I feel, personally. I dont know it is right or wrong, but I really want to out of here and see what outside looks like.
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      Derek Young 30+

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      Dec 4 2012: Try to read The Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu and The Prince Qualities of the Prince by Nicollo Machiavelli. They were very interesting writers that talked about different ways of governing. I was very intrigued by what the Tao te Ching talked about.

      Check this out:

      http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164793058/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning

      It says that Eastern education produces students that have low creativity, but the people who don't have formal education in China can make such fantastic art. Maybe it is the level of seriousness that doesn't allow Eastern Students to be as creatively express themselves as Western Education. Hope this was helpful. =)

      • kaiwen laitin

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        Dec 5 2012: you are so perfect!你竟然知道道德经和君主论，中西合并呀!You are a genius！i am so interested about you personality.how can i contact with you?
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          Derek Young 30+

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          Dec 5 2012: You can contact me through ted.com, through my profile page. I am just applying all my knowledge to your situation. I am just a curious and learning person, and you are as capable of gaining this knowledge as I am, but you just have to go out and search for more knowledge. =)

      • sakura Barack

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        Dec 5 2012: I am also interested in political and economy, and I have read Tao Te Ching, It is a great book, but I think the idea is not suitable for China now, We have much more to do to deal with the most serious contradiction between government and us ordinary people. Our society now is cold and most of us are busy in earning money and only take care of themselves. 5 boys died in a rubbish bin because of the cold weather, a girl was hit by a car and nobody helps. Finally she died. So many we are suffering now. Government only pays attention to GDP.
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          Derek Young 30+

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          Dec 7 2012: People need to step out of their comfort zones. I'm sure getting your first job interview was uncomfortable, but it must have felt rewarding afterwards. People should be the example they want to see in the world. Don't blame other people that others aren't doing any good in the world. Take responsibility of your own life and take action. If you see someone who needs help, help them. If you are working for a job you don't like or need, then find a new job.

          The Tao Te Ching reminds me of a very free society, butt The Qualities of the Prince is about a very oppressive society. I think that seeing the two in contrast will reveal more about your own personal ideals of a better government.

          Don't wait for your government. Your government should wait for its people. Don't pity the situations of the world. Take action.

      • sakura Barack

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        Dec 9 2012: Thanks for your reply. Reading more books would help me to out of bad mood. And by the way, you come from USA, and could you tell me how to learn English well? My major is English Trade, and I could not speak it like your pronunciation and intonation, and it is difficult and boring to remember the words. How to learn it?

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Dec 5 2012: 你说的非常对。sakura Barack你很了解中国，你应该就是我同胞，我怎么能跟你联系上呢

      • sakura Barack

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        Dec 5 2012: I come from Guangzhou. Here is where we can contact with~~
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    Derek Young 30+

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    Dec 3 2012: You have free will or the power to control your own actions. If you see injustice, then find other people who agree with you and go forth and make change to your government. Have you read about the recent Egyptian Revolution? You can gather people who think like you and change your environment. Exercise your agency. Life is too short to feel unhappy. I am American, but I heard that the Chinese government restricts people from searching for certain information and words like 'freedom'?

    • sakura Barack

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      Dec 3 2012: if they do what you said, gathering people and change our environment, they will be put into the prison next day.
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        Derek Young 30+

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        Dec 3 2012: The American saying goes, you can easily squash one ant, but if all the ants gathered united, they could overcome most obstacles. Have you ever read or heard of Martin Luther King Jr? China has Tiananmen Square Massacre, but the problem is that the single incident ended horribly and no one would want to rise up again. I think that people need to find more outside help or possibly find more secretive modes of spreading information to people interested in revolting. If you get thrown into jail, that will happen. People will be punished or killed for their actions, but the people need to be knowingly walking into danger and accept that fact. The more attention from the media or others who want to unite, then there is a higher chance to make change. It didn't take one day to build the Great Wall of China, and changing an oppressive government is surely not an exception.
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    flamenqo Qin

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    Dec 3 2012: This is just a stupid topic.if you are not free,how can you start this stupid conversation on TED? shame on you.Before you judge your country,first love it, then can we find a solution together.

  • inha star

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    Dec 1 2012: I really hate your country.Why...why...? Becase China attacked Vietnam. Chinese are so greedy. I really hate it.

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Dec 1 2012: i know you feeling,there was a unhappy time between the two country。but history is only the past,we will lookfoward,isn't?

      • zh wust

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        Dec 2 2012: 你好，作为国人，我理解你的感受，我也同样痛恨某些网络的不自由，但你知道你在这种英文网站上发帖子意味着什么吗？只能是外国友人越来越讨厌我们国家，甚至于讨厌中国人，同样你会只能受到国人的批评。主席有句话说的好：人民内部矛盾要自己解决，不要总是想诉求于其他力量。欧美人与我们思维不一样，同样的抱怨，譬如你生气说“我要杀了你”，国人一笑而过，欧美着很严肃，很有可能报警。同样你说一些讽刺政府的话，国人会支持你，跟你一起吐糟，而欧美人士会认为我国政府独裁，专横，野蛮……希望你不要这么无知了。
        关于自由，我想说，欧美也不见得全自由，不要光看到他们光鲜的一面，制度不一样，国情不一样，不具可比性，你要理解……我爱我的国家，你还爱吗？

        • kaiwen laitin

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          Dec 3 2012: 是的，在我提出问题之后，遭到啦大量国人一致的批评，什么家丑不可外扬啊，但是外国人更多提出的是一种批判性的想法。很多人也提出他们国家的各种问题。但是我想说的是真正热爱国家并不是成天歌功颂德，而是在于提出他的问题，关注他的未来　记得这样一句话吗？　　　This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected

      • zh wust

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        Dec 4 2012: 我不知道你逛着种英文网站发这种帖子的目的是什么，学英语？探讨人类自由？如果是前者你可以换个话题，那样更有利于进步学习，如果是后者，我建议你去新浪腾讯之类的网站去讨论，那样会更有意思。这么做方便快捷，何必在非母语的网站上讨论着我们母语都不一定有讨论出结果的事情呢？

  • Tom HU

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    Nov 29 2012: I am a Chinese, I love my country, but as I think, you feel it's a tragic because you are a Chinese? So why don't you move out of China. I know you don't like the Communist Party, but is this the reason you hate your own country? I only feel naive after I read your question. You have confused the concepts between country and government. I don't like the current Chinese government neither, but I still hold my faith that China will become better and better, not create hates. By the way, I think we can access many foreign websites, the truth is not so serious as you said. It's indeed a pity that we don't have the same extent of freedom as these Americans have, and we can do nothing to change this. But it's not a problem for me to keep love my country. Because I got birth in China, I grow up in China.

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Dec 1 2012: 不同的人想法不可能一样，我尊重你的观点，你可能误解了我的想法，我只是想跟更多人交换对自由的看法。
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    shangrila sky

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    Nov 29 2012: I can not understand your viewpoint...in other words ,i can't agree with you to some extent as a chinese person...

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 29 2012: what do you want to say?facebook is not allowed in the china don/t you know?we can have some further conversation.

  • dph dh

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    Nov 27 2012: Yes,Vietnam has been changed.It make life of people more better :)

  • dph dh

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    Nov 26 2012: sorry,i'm not chinese
    i'm living in Vietnam :)
    but i had read news about your countries,where the young have not had freedom to connect to the world

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 27 2012: i heared that vietnam 's democracy had made great process in recent years,isn't it/

  • yuntian xu

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    Nov 26 2012: every one is constrained in their own nation, most of people who talk about freedom who rarely know about freedom, in the other word, what you mean is right may not be correct in other place or in others' mind? what you think is wrong may not be wrong in the others' mind, how can you leave your idea on others, this topic is really stupid to me.

  • dph dh

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    Nov 26 2012: They does not allow their people use Facebook,Youtube,Twitter and Goggle etc.To replace it,Chinese use Baidu and a plenty of social network,which is created and used by Chinese.

  • Viv Revolucion

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    Nov 25 2012: Freedom is in the mind my friend, you can get it.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Nov 25 2012: After thinking a bit If you are in China and are Chinese. If you are a somewhat average educated person - Your diet and education are much better as are your opportunities. Isn't that the deal that the Chinese government made? As an American I will now keep my mouth shut. Besides my fatness If I am eating food might fall out. I don't mean to be unfair or unkind - but there are so many problems in the world that I can't imagine.

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 26 2012: yes,chinese goverment truly make big progess over the decades.but it still have a long way to go.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Nov 25 2012: There are always games, misdirection, false advertising, and thought control - Even in the Great Democracies. We are constrained in our lives by individuals and institutuions other than governments. Okay, I greatly prefer freedom;however, institutuions can change over time - If men were truly good rather than evil as Adam Smith told us Constant pressure by the good guys and gals can build a better World. However, don't ignore Maslow People move up the hierachy of needs.

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 26 2012: thankyou,i do not understand the worlds Constant pressure by the good guys and gals can build a better World means
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    Kate Blake 50+

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    Nov 25 2012: Freedom is a very subjective term. If you mean freedom to communicate with others, to access more objective world news then China may not be the ideal place to live.

    But I think true freedom lies in understanding ourselves, our mind and emotions better, deeper in order to have more sincere interactions with ourselves and others. This type of freedom is up to us to seek individually and no government or oppressor can limit or define that to us. In fact their interference could be used as a very useful lesson as we strive to know ourselves better.

    Just as the Tibetans are trying to use the heavy Chinese suppression to develop their compassion and tolerance. Of course with nearly 80 self-emolliations the lessons there are obviously very harsh!

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 26 2012: thank you,what you said really impress me.but the tibetans is a complicated issue
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    Jedrek Stepien 10+

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    Nov 25 2012: Neither you nor anybody else in this world is truly free. No one can really say what 'freedom' means, which, kind of, proves my point. There are only different types of serfdom, of which the Chinese seems to be more opressive than others.
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      Lejan . 30+

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      TED Translator
      Nov 25 2012: So why can't he/she enjoy a less opressive serfdom? Because he/she is Chinese.

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 26 2012: I do not understand what the world serfdom means in you comment.but i am so happy to see you leave some words on my talk because it is the first time i contact with outside.it really take me a few hours .

  • dph dh

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    Nov 25 2012: i know it.i think it make you fell uncomfortable and you do have any objective information about the world

    • kaiwen laitin

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      Nov 26 2012: you really konw me.good! may i ask you a personal question？are you a chinese or you have came to china.
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    Lejan . 30+

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    TED Translator
    Nov 25 2012: Hello Kaiwen,

    I am a bit confused by your question and not certain if I understand you right.

    If 'the chinese goverment cut down the line to the outside' how did you manage to post your question here on TED to 'get through with others'?

    Are you located in China or did you write this from outside?

    Maybe you can help to clarify my understanding. Thank you.

    • dph dh

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      Nov 25 2012: i think he/she is traveling or using another method to connect to the world
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        Lejan . 30+

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        TED Translator
        Nov 25 2012: That could be. Still it would help to know about the given circumstances to answer his/hers question in that context.

        I simply don't know how deep Chinese censorship penetrates.

        • kaiwen laitin

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          Nov 26 2012: if you are in a democratic country you can not image it.

        • Jesse Buell

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          Dec 9 2012: I'm in China right now. The censorship is really obnoxious. The obvious websites, like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter are all blocked, but sometimes you can't use Google, and CNN pages won't load. I haven't tried any other news pages, but I've been told that it's more or less the same.

          I have a VPN now, and I can chat with family and friends back home. Last year I didn't have one, and it was annoying on a level that's really impossible to understand if you're from a country that does not have this kind of censorship.
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        Lejan . 30+

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        TED Translator
        Dec 9 2012: @ Jesse Buell

        Even though my country, Germany, isn't blocking websites I think it is not to difficult to imagine how the internet would be, if all major websites of foreign news channels would be blocked. It would be a desaster for me, as the best news I can get even about my own country is the news from abroad.

        Any media is biased, that's the way it just is. So to get the best possible view on my nation, I usually look on different sites in the USA, the UK, France, Russia and others, because their view is different to the media in Germany, just by its nature.

        So if this would not be possible anymore due to censorship, my view would certainly narrow down to become nothing but blurry and uncertain.

        I like to hear independent voices from different sources, so that my view clears up, and my understanding gets more broad in detail and opinions.

        That's why censorship is evil, in general, and regardles the name of the country which is doing it!

    • 行健 郭

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      Dec 8 2012: "cut down the line to the outside"? That's the DPRK's method of censorship. Costly. Ineffective. Easy to cause resent. No, it's not how censorship works in China, if you just take it literally.
      Actually, there's an interesting TED talk which I think best illustrate the condition here in China.

      http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/michael_anti_behind_the_great_firewall_of_china.html

      So censorship in China is not that horrible anyway... As is mentioned in the talk, you can always bypass censorship and voice you opinion by using all these wonderful tricks invented by creative Chinese netizens. I should also like to add that it's even easier to get information from the outside, namely, you just grab a decent VPN at a cost of a few bucks a month (There's actually commercial sites specially dedicated to this purpose, both abroad and, most amazingly, in Mainland China. I guess the government figured out that if you're clever enough to consider a VPN, there will virtually be no means to stop you, so why not just let'm make that purchase and make some contributions to GDP?)
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        Lejan . 30+

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        TED Translator
        Dec 8 2012: 'So censorship in China is not that horrible anyway...'

        If internet censorship in China is not 'that horrible' and as easy to bypass as you said, what do you think is the reason for its existence?

        To me, censorship in any country, mine included, is one of the worst mechanism of 'mind control' a government can inflict on its citizens. Someone decides what is 'allowed' and what not. Who is this someone? A higher spiritual being knowing the real truth? Whatever these censor think they are, they are not and it is about time, that China and all other censorship countries start to act accordingly.

        It might be fun to bypass and to outsmart internet censorship, especially for generations who are 'digitally literate' enough to do so, yet this does not compensate the fact for censorship to exist in the first place. It is like speed limits on the highway. We all drive faster than the signs are telling us, but when the police get's us, we have to pay...
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