Very interesting reply, MINNOW. So a senile old man ordered troops to MASSACRE thousands of INNOCENT people because "..he was afraid too many people would get too rich too fast and too many others would be left behind". That's ok then. I'm glad we got that cleared up!
You ask " So is China in too much of a hurry to emerge now..."? and talk about "...so much crap on the market..." and businesses trying to get rich quick before there are too many regulations, inspectors etc, etc. You want to know my OPINION? It's GREED. Pure, unadulterated GREED.
Would you, or any person you know, KNOWINGLY, manufacture and sell baby milk, anti biotics, blood products, toxic toothpaste etc. etc. That would damage peoples health or KILL them?( I know you would NOT ). That's the problem HERE. Many Chinese people, in my opinion, simply DO NOT CARE about the consequences to others as long as they are making MONEY. Whether they are Industrialists, National or local Cadres, Owners or headmasters of Schools, Agents, shop keepers or poor farmers. THEY DON"T CARE. To them money is EVERYTHING and they will do anything to make it. LIE, CHEAT, CON and yes KILL.
You and others on this forum have given the impression that you believe that the problems FT's encounter here are of their own making and that they are fools, stupid or worse.( You talk of TRAPS. A trap is a device that is DELIBERATELY set to catch something or in this case SOMEONE. What sort of people set traps to catch people? and why do you defend them? ) This may be true in some very rare cases, but, many, many, intelligent, clever, honest and trusting FT's are victims of these LIARS, CHEATS and CON MEN ( and women ). They do ALL the checks that you and others suggest, they negotiate an acceptable contract and then find that once they are working their Bosses simply do NOT honour that contract BECAUSE THEY HAVE LIED! " It's a mistake " " We didn't mean that " " My English is not so good " etc. Are the usual excuses.
So the FT is left with a few choices. Give the notice required under the contract and face the real possibility of NOT being payed when they leave, do " a runner " and face problems when they apply for another Z visa because they have no release letter from their last employer, complain to the PSB or the arbitration board ( Would YOU trust them ) or " stick it out " until the contract expires and then warn other FT's on this and other forums about the people they have been working for. The employers hold the whip hand in EVERY way. Not an easy situation when they are thousands of miles from home and with very little or no experience of the culture they find themselves in.
I met a couple who had flown from London to China on the PROMISE of a job only to be told, on arrival, " Sorry we have NO JOB for you". They were simply abandoned on the pavement and left to their own devices. This was after many emails back and forth trying to ensure that all would be ok when they got here. They were LIED TO.
Recently I applied and was interviewed for a job that was advertised here on this site. 7500rmb for 20 hours the ad. said. They even sent me a copy of the contract, which also stated this figure, to look over before I went to see them. At the interview I was given a contract which stated I would recieve 5000rmb for 20 hours. When I queried this I was told the ad. was WRONG!( It has since been withdrawn but others remain from branches in other parts of China ) They are LIARS!!
I could give more examples but I will not here so as to keep this as brief as I can.
In the final part of your post you ask " What have you done to make a difference in China"? ( After a rather concieted statement that I am sure, on reflection, you now regret )Thats easy to answer. I have tried to help Educate China's children. I have tried to help them into a BETTER future. If they earn 1 yuan more over the course of their lifetime then I HAVE made a difference. It may be an insignificant difference, but a difference non the less.
Finally I believe that most of your arguements, that I have read here, are based on a rather hypocritical foundation. You seem to constantly defend the bad things in China by comparing them with the bad things that do, or more often HAVE happend, in the West. In one of your recent posts you used the example of Washington and Jefferson et al being slave owners and asked if that business practice changed overnight. Indeed it did NOT. But would you use that as an excuse to defend the SLAVERS who have recently been been caught operating brick kilns here, NOW, In China? Would you say "Washington and Jefferson did it when America was developing so it's ok if it happens in China now"? I hope not.
The Chinese Govt. ( and it's officials ) has the power to stop these and all other abuses NOW but refuse to do so until there is either a National or an International outcry. I wonder why that is? Please do not tell me that nobody knew that it was happening. They knew but they DID NOT CARE.
So thats it my dear little MINNOW. I have said my peice and will say no more, for now.

Think on
eng.teacher