Monday 9 June 2008

Duo-Liang Lin's Poem

When we were the Sick Man of Asia, We were called The Yellow Peril.
When we are billed to be the next Superpower, we are called The Threat.
When we closed our doors, you smuggled drugs to open markets.
When we embrace Free Trade, You blame us for taking away your jobs.
When we were falling apart, You marched in your troops and wanted your fair share.
When we tried to put the broken pieces back together again, Free Tibet you screamed, It Was an Invasion!

When tried Communism, you hated us for being Communist.
When we embrace Capitalism, you hate us for being Capitalist.
When we have a billion people, you said we were destroying the planet.
When we tried limiting our numbers, you said we abused human rights.
When we were poor, you thought we were dogs.
When we loan you cash, you blame us for your national debts.
When we build our industries, you call us Polluters.
When we sell you goods, you blame us for global warming.
When we buy oil, you call it exploitation and genocide.
When you go to war for oil, you call it liberation.
When we were lost in chaos and rampage, you demanded rules of law.

When we uphold law and order against violence, you call it violating human rights.
When we were silent, you said you wanted us to have free speech.
When we are silent no more, you say we are brainwashed-xenophobics.

Why do you hate us so much, we asked.
No, you answered, we don't hate you.
We don't hate you either,
But, do you understand us?
Of course we do, you said,

We have AFP, CNN and BBC's...
What do you really want from us?
Think hard first, then answer...
Because you only get so many chances.

Enough is Enough, Enough Hypocrisy for This One World.
We want One World, One Dream, and Peace on Earth.
This Big Blue Earth is Big Enough for all of Us.

************************************
Duo-Liang Lin, Ph. D.
Professor Emeritus of Physics
University at Buffalo
State University of New York
Buffalo, New York 14260-1500

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more!

The hell with the USA.

Anonymous said...

2008, China Stand Up!

2008, 中国,站起来!

Anonymous said...

This poet is obviously living in the US. Do you have any idea how the Chinese people are suffering in the past thounds of years. Do you have any idea your poem will be used by the stupid Chinese gov to brain wash the people????? why dont you move to China if you really feel so pity about Chinese government? Or you are just showing off your poem skills? - An ordinary Chinese

Anonymous said...

reply to the response from '- An ordinary Chinese'

I don't know whether you are really an ‘ordinary Chinese’ or not. But I am, and I am living overseas.

I'm a little pissed off by your response. But, actually, I am also a little confused by what's your main idea you want to say in your response.
are you trying to say this is a stupid poem from a stupid poet?
are you are saying, as an ordinary Chinese, you think what he said is not true?
or you are saying, although what he said is true but could be used by chinese gov, he shouldn’t have said so?
Anyway, I have some points to support that your response is so irrational so that anyone on earth - even deep down from their hearts of the ppl the poet is talking about, will feel you disgusting.
1. are the facts listed in poem somehow true?
2. does a poem about how Chinese are treated have anything to do with whether the writer is living in China or overseas? There are many reasons for ppl to live in other country. one main reason, better income. this may be due to many other reasons. The income the person's profession, the local job market, life style, culture, natural environment, and so on. To the worst, and I guess that’s what you want to say, the ppl going overseas is to run away from bad gov. Yes, the expatriates may not feel the suffering the ppl have in their mother country, but, does that or any of the reasons above means what they feel about how their mother country and the ppl are treated will surely be wrong?
3. the poem talks about how the Chinese ppl is treated. Does this have anything to do with what the Chinese gov is? one can disagree and even fight against one government, but one should love his ppl. If you really think you are unlucky for being born as a Chinese this life and hate yourself being as one, you can go kill yourself, or at least, as a brave man, you can say so directly.
I don’t thank any person would like such as a person like that. If you want to be a dog of western ppl, you can do so, but sorry to tell you, according to my experience, from their hearts they don’t love a dog like that.
4. I do hope you are not really one of our Chinese People. If you are, sorry, I feel ashamed to have among us – I guess every Chinese will be glad to know you claim yourself not a Chinese. Go ahead, do so. If you are not a Chinese, just claims so online…man, be brave, don’t be cheap shit….

Anonymous said...

one more point: 'Do you have any idea how the Chinese people are suffering in the past thounds of years.'

man, what are you talking about?
Chinese suffered in the past thousands of years? before 1840, china was at least among those contries at that time like the US today..

what are you against? the current chinese goverment? man, they came to reign in 1949, which is 61 years ago...

do some homework, man, study the history.

Anonymous said...

reply to the previous response.

I don't think U.S is any better than China though. I agree that chinese had suffered for thousands of year, and the culture revolution is a violation of human right. However, "Americans" had steal other's land and kill thousands of native American, and also people from other nations. Isn't that a violation of human right too? Before you judge other's wrongdoing, why can you look at what you had done?

edwardco said...

This poem is a very applicable to each and every Chinese- overseas or not. The West wants China to remain poor so that China will continue adhering to what the West says.
Good work Duo Liang Lin. China, go ahead. Show the world what stuff we are made of. Actually, China is one of the world's great civilization. I do not know why the west want China to be at the bottom!!! Chinese all over the world, Stand Up!!!!

Unknown said...

"- An ordinary Chinese' was clearly against "the stupid Chinese gov".
"But I am, and I am living overseas" tried to make it against Chinese ppl. What a shame.

I shall give the Poem Annotation to show you what I feel.

When we were the Sick Man of Asia, We were called The Yellow Peril. (Not sick, they were Hun and Mongol, who said?)
When we are billed to be the next Superpower, we are called The Threat. (30 years from 1% to 5% of World GDP now, a long way to go.)
When we closed our doors, you smuggled drugs to open markets. (Great trade imbalance, Japan buy battleship, China buy opium.)

When we embrace Free Trade, You blame us for taking away your jobs. (Only when Democrat opposes government policy.)
When we were falling apart, You marched in your troops and wanted your fair share. (Only when you invaded Korea, Vietnam & try others.)
When we tried to put the broken pieces back together again, Free Tibet you screamed, It Was an Invasion! (Not free, more freedom.)
When tried Communism, you hated us for being Communist. (Hate what communist had done to human being,, don't you?)

When we embrace Capitalism, you hate us for being Capitalist. (No, you are still communist drive a Mercedes.)
When we have a billion people, you said we were destroying the planet. (Never heard of it, but you are destroying the planet.)
When we tried limiting our numbers, you said we abused human rights. (Talking about cut up people, selling their organs for profits? 1 bird for 2 stones, shame.)
When we were poor, you thought we were dogs. (Hate people do that too. Can you borrow me some money?)

When we loan you cash, you blame us for your national debts. (Talking about trade imbalance again?)
When we build our industries, you call us Polluters. (Yeah, have to do them both; otherwise you wouldn't look like the big developing countries in their 20's-50's.)
When we sell you goods, you blame us for global warming. (Democrat's talks, I am worrying about global cooling.)
When we buy oil, you call it exploitation and genocide. (Ah. You forgot selling arms, knowing well they are murderers.)

When you go to war for oil, you call it liberation. (Why go to war for oil if you can buy it the same price as everyone else?)
When we were lost in chaos and rampage, you demanded rules of law. (You create the chaos by unlawful to your people, so rules of law are in order.)
When we uphold law and order against violence, you call it violating human rights. (Have never been upholding law therefore no order.)

When we were silent, you said you wanted us to have free speech. (Not silent, being shut up.)
When we are silent no more, you say we are brainwashed-xenophobics. (You have never been silent for that matter.)
Why do you hate us so much, we asked. (Why?)
No, you answered, we don't hate you. (No, We don't hate you, we wary of you, your people should hate you, and then you block the history & shut them up.)

We don't hate you either, (I know, you don't have reason to, but you just create some in thin air)
But, do you understand us? (Yes, you want to keep your people under wraps forever, and others when stronger.)
Of course we do, you said, (Yes, I said it.)
We have AFP, CNN and BBC's... (Exchange for CCTV and 20 others more, just pay $10.00 we could have it all. It is not silence.)
What do you really want from us? (You know what we want, don't pretend.)

Think hard first, then answer... (Don't need to think hard, and you know it, one…two words, "Real Democracy".)
Because you only get so many chances. (I only said it once.)
Enough is Enough, Enough Hypocrisy for This One World. (I know, I know.)
We want One World, One Dream, and Peace on Earth. (You want one stinking Communist World.)
This Big Blue Earth is Big Enough for all of Us. (Think hard, what if you can communization the other planets?)

Anonymous said...

What human organ?

You should ask that cult Falun Gong who made that ridiculous accusation! They were even encouraging people to burn themselves!