by Rod Edwards on January 18, 2011
Err, personally, I think Joel Kotkin has fallen into the same populist trap that seems to ensnare fiction writers and serious journalists alike, roughly every decade – a somewhat unknown but economically prominent non-American, non-European race is targeted as the lurking enemy that will surely ruin us [the west]. Japan is the most notable of these erstwhile enemies of the state – remember Michael Crichton’s “Rising Sun” from 1992? Kotkin’s article borrow’s liberally from the anti-Japanese tropes of 20 years ago, codifying our own economic insecurity, and reinforcing the tribalism that he himself decries.
With China’s new prominence in global affairs, the Han race, which constitutes 90 percent of the Chinese population, is suddenly the most dominant cohesive ethnic group in the world — and it is seeking to remain that way through strategic alliances, aggressive trade policy, and attacks on racial minorities within the country’s boundaries. The less tribally cohesive, more fragmented West is, meanwhile, losing out.
via Rise of the Hans – By Joel Kotkin | Foreign Policy.
by Rod Edwards on January 10, 2011
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it’s math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction.
via Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior – WSJ.com.
I have to imagine (as a non-parent) that there other factors that contribute to a child’s “success.” The definition of “success” for example, or the peer groups that they are exposed to. Nonetheless, an interesting perspective on a key psychological difference between two societies.
