Yes, Fed Up I think you deserve an award for the most creative title of a post in this forum; albeit, what follows deserves few kudos if any. At any rate, thanks for the laugh.

Since you and your cohort, eng. teacher, have felt it ok to toss the word "apologist" into this discussion as if it had a special application here - and I don't mind laying aside the bantering tone in which you've used it - let's first address that issue.

So that we're on the same page, Wilkipedia defines the colloquial use as follows:
Today the term "apologist" is colloquially applied in a general manner to include groups and individuals systematically promoting causes, justifying orthodoxies, or denying certain events, even of crimes.

Well, I guess this is the first time I've been accused of being an apologist. But actually I don't mind, even though I'm not sure wherein you're placing me as far as the above definition goes. Probably something to do with denial because you seem to think I don't accept that there are problems that need dealing with in China for FT's and students alike. Not true. I am well aware of the problems. However, I seem to have a different approach. That is, I don't want to spend my time bemoaning the situation. I'd rather work from within, with as little complaining as possible, to help bring about the necessary changes.

It's true that I'm not always as sympathetic as some of you. That's probably because I've overcome a lot of obstacles in my life and haven't found that the "boo hoo, woe is me" approach does much good. Furthermore, I'm shocked that though there is a wealth of information to go along with just plain common sense, that so many teachers come off as the proverbial born every minute sucker.(Nevertheless, if I found myself in the actual situation where I could help an unfortunate soul who has blundered his way into calamity, I'm not so heartless as to turn away.)

So, I won't deny that there are problems and even outright criminal activity that needs to be addressed. Nor am I so naive as to believe that we're not living in a country that is seeped in corruption and greed. But here is where we seem to differ: I, though deeply aware of the problems, believe that change is inevitable and forthcoming; furthermore, I believe that the leaders are sincere in their desire to bring about a harmonious society, to weed out the corruption and to navigate this country out of the doldrums it has sailed into. Not a simple task. It's not just the residual effects of the last decades they're dealing with but also that of preceding dynasties. And therein lies the problem. They're dealing with mindsets developed over the millenniums and social systems that are archaic at best.

So in my opinion, rather than condemn them for what they have not achieved, they should be praised for what they have achieved. Sure there are many things that go on around me that downright piss me off. I've had to readjust my thinking in a lot of ways. Chief among them is becoming a bit more aggressive as opposed to being sufficiently assertive. On some days it takes a little will power to keep from going downright ballistic. However, if I'm going to consider myself a civilized, forward thinking individual, I must reign in the negativity as much as possible and try to see the positives. And there are many. Which brings to mind another of my problems with many of the posts here. So few of you have anything kind to say. It's all whining and, as I've said repeatedly, you don't even bring the cheese and crackers with that whine.

If I'm an apologist then, let me provide the following argument. Hu Jintao is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant leaders on this planet. But for all his brilliance and that of his cohorts, he faces a daunting task. Human nature has run amok in certain parts of China. And, though the Chinese are quite resilient in that they have overcome some serious hardships, that doesn't seem to have translated as care for their fellow human beings on a scale that we would hope from a civilized society. Will it happen eventually? Yes, I think so. Will all peoples of all nations, get over themselves and stop man's inhumanity to man? I certainly hope so. Probably won't happen in my lifetime, but I'm not going to cry about it - I'm going to do my part to set things right.

Which brings me to my final point because I'm loosing my own thread anyway. I'm often in opposition to what is written in these posts because the inevitable message is to stay away from China, when in reality the message should be quite the opposite. We need more right minded individuals here. More proper role models for these young people that hope for a brighter future. More qualified teachers that are not scared away by the whiners. To bring such people here we need more balance. Fish has tried to do so and has been condemned by many of you. Some of you have even gone so far as to label him a recruiter, which is not only the most absurd notion you could set forth but also suggests that you must grasp at straws when you can't properly set forth an argument of your own or respond intellectually to one that comes your way. When Fish is off to his favorite fishing holes, he'll be sorely missed - we need his voice of reason. USMC, though he can fan the flames a little more vehemently than can I, has an underlying substance to his posts that resonate with me and that should not be lightly set aside. Remove yourselves from emotional responses and you'll probably find some serious logic within his posts.