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China Pete · Joined: 17 May 2003 Posts: 86 Location: Henan, China

"Mei guo shi da huai dan"
Has anyone heard that phrase recently? Yes, I know the meaning... literally translated "America is a big bad egg."
People have been saying that in reference to the war in Iraq, etc.
I was wondering if only people around here are saying it, or if people in other places in China say it also.
If I tell people I'm Canadian, they praise Canada for how easy it supposedly is to go there and mention Da Shan, if I say I'm from Russia, people say Russia has done well to oppose the war. But each time theres some new news about America's issues, I hear about it at least a dozen times in a day, followed by "Mei guo tai huai le!"
My guess is that a lot of places in China have the same response because 1) they all watch their comrade reporters on cctv and 2) "we're all one happy community, why wouldnt we all have the exact same response? This is bliss!"

Seth · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 575 Location: in exile

Yes, America went from tolerated to scorned after the Iraq war. At my school there was anti-US stuff posted all over the place and the children liked to draw pictures of planes flying into the WTC or of China bombing America. In some classes they filled out worksheets that had a picture of a scary looking George Bush saying something like 'I'm gonna getcha!' and then had a box underneath saying 'what would you say to President Bush if you had the chance?' Most of the kids wrote 'I hate you.' Of course, there was no Tony Blair or John Howard. Instead of saying 'Meiguo' for America people were starting to say 'Meigui', as in 'guilou.' I speak reasonably well Chinese so I could understand much of he chatter, and it wasn't pretty. Many times I cursed myself for studying Chinese. My coworkers were in blissful ignorance of what was being said. It got better after the war ended, but I'm sure the attitude is still there.

I can take a lot of criticism of the US, and dish out plenty myself, but in China it was bordering on the absurd.

China Pete · Joined: 17 May 2003 Posts: 86 Location: Henan, China

Same here, I never cursed myself for aquiring skills in this language, but I also dont take the comments personally. These people often follow what they are told. Thus all having the exact same answers for things- word for word in many many cases. Its almost laughable when i hear 5th grade students (even more funny when its a girl) spouting off random propaganda about the war and America this or that... especially when you heard the same exact speech from another 'xiao peng you' just moments before. And they all swear they didnt hear this from their teacher... sure. I know specifically that the teachers tell them all sorts of stuff that I dont like to hear. Everything from the iraqis actually liking sadam and sad that their national hero was stomped out, to the american dollar is dropping so fast that they will soon be out of the world market... my chinese little sister (11) has been swearing for almost a year now that the dollar is only worth 5 yuan, not 8.2 because her teacher says so.
I will give them one thing. When our towers in New York got hit, I got a ton of Chinese telling me their sympathies and condolences, and making sure I'm safe, etc. I dont think I heard once that people were glad it happened. One learned comment I heard (and he didnt mean me to understand) was that whether or not America deserved to be hit or to have a war on their own land, the way it was done was totally wrong, and the people who did it need to be nuked or tortured then nuked.
But in any case, I have always felt completely safe here, even during the military air distaster in southern China. There was a lot of negativity at that time, but i never felt in danger at all.
One more thing, I do love listening in on peoples conversations in Chinese. They think I dont understand so they talk freely. Then about 10 min into the conversation someone says, "what do you think" or something like that and sometimes I will give them my point of view, or just say "well, Not exactly." Boy are they surprised when I suddenly speak their language. So Fun!

yaco · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 473

Dear Seth

Please travel throughout the world and you will find out how unpopular America is throughout the world !!!!

Possibly the only country more unpopular is Israel !!!!!!!

Seth · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 575 Location: in exile

This is true, as I've lived in 4 different countries (5 if you consider Scotland to be it's own country), but in most countries they wouldn't have pictures posted on the wall of a classroom with 'I hate you' written on it by 7 year olds. Maybe in Korea.

Anyway, my philosophy on anti-Americanism would take a while to type out, and it's not that interesting!

MyTurnNow · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 860 Location: Outer Shanghai

I haven't encountered much in the way of anti-American backlash. I don't deal with kids at all; it's all adults.

But I do find near-universal opposition to the Iraq War and an opinion that we had no legitimate right or reason to do such a thing.
I also get near-unanimous voicing that George Bush II is an idiot and a menace.
These things don't bother me too much as I pretty much agree with them.

I have encountered a few staunchly pro-Bush Chinese adults. Could have knocked me over with a feather.

MT

killian · Posted: Sun May 18, 2003 10:19 pm Post subject: hey, china pete

i wouldn't take economic advice from a 5 year old but it wouldn't hurt anyone to take a look at a currency exchange website that tracks currency rates over time. one such is x-rates.com. fascinating stuff indeed. many nations purport to have unfixed currency that fluxuates based upon value. contrast the dollar-euro interaction to that of the RMB-US$ or the NT$-US$. it would seem that both the RMB and the NT$ are unofficially married to the US$ in that they trade in a small window of variance. the dearth of change is anomalous to say the least. china IS america's largest bond holder.

against "independent" currencies the dollar is down big time. against it co-conspirators, the dollar is stable. i guess it is up to each one of us to determine which sphere of currency they wish to deem more "honest".

China Pete · Joined: 17 May 2003 Posts: 86 Location: Henan, China

I have heard a lot of anti Bush and Bush II sentiment, but gain where do they all get their ideas? Why is it that they all like Clinton? When I got to China, the only real thing they had to say against the US was the bombing of the chinese embassy and the Taiwan deal.
Just recently I got the nerve to tell my friends- what has GW Bush done to China? Nothing directly? good. What did Clinton do? The Embassy Bombing... a few other things that I cant think of at the moment... I think Clinton was still in office at the time of the military air colision in S China... So where do they get their anti GWB sentiment? Again I think it comes back to who they listen to (big brother). What is it that makes chinese gov not want people to like bush? I dont know, we dont discuss politics in my classes. I cant say for sure, but could it be GWB's policies being up front and honest, or at least confronting the real issues and not skirting around issues? Whereas Clinton had brown all over his nose and face and ears and shoulders,..... I have heard arguements both ways about our president and I actually dont know.
I have heard someone say that clinton is just good at lying, and maybe Bush just doesnt waste his time making up stories...

yaco · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 473

The dislike of Americans is not a case of Bush vs Clinton.

It goes to the very heart of America using their military and economic superiority to dominate the world.

I have been lucky enough to travel to France, Spain, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Australia in the last 12 months and the anti-american feeling is overwhelming amongst locals and fellow travellers throughout the world.