On Tue, 2005-09-13 at 19:07 -0700, Jonathan Ellis wrote: > Your ignorance of how things work in a totalitarian state is disturbing. > > Please start with "The Aquariums of Pyongyang."
I work frequently with students from the PRC. They are, of course, the cream of the crop, but generally speaking the Chinese have *very* impressive knowledge and capabilities. Whether they are inventing something themselves or merely cloning western technology (for example their space rockets which are russian design), they do a good job at it. They are great imitators. They take what we do and do it just as well or better, and have 10 people for every one person here with those skills. My impression is that their government is *far* more technologically savvy than we think. The chinese are very shrewd people. Sometimes we get the impression that they are slow or less intelligent somehow, and they are shrewd enough to not try to alter this perception as it keeps them off the proverbial radar screen. I know some PRC students that know just enough english to suit their purpose on a given day. So anyway there is tremendous talent and it is being channeled for good and bad by the forces of the free market, but also the totalitarian regime. For a truly worrisome story, google for "Titan Rain." > > -Jonathan > /* > PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net > Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug > Don't fear the penguin. > */ -- Michael Torrie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
