Forcing the Chinese to live up to Western expectations, when the West can’t decide what it wants

Thanks to China Esquire and Silicon Hutong for showing we’re not the only ones who’ve been thinking this. While many have no hesitation in criticizing Chinese business ethics, few are willing to admit that the West is not much better. Whatever pretensions to moral superiority Westerners may have had in the past are becoming more and more ridiculous in light of today’s corporate and social cultures.

Quoting Fareed Zakaria, our bloggers highlight the trend in recent corporate history:

“Most of what happened over the past decade across the world was legal. Bankers did what they were allowed to do under the law. Politicians did what they thought the system asked of them. Bureaucrats were not exchanging cash for favors. But very few people acted responsibly, honorably or nobly (the very word sounds odd today).”

I agree. The fact that America and Europe have long-ceased to operate out of morality and personal conscience is Read the rest of this entry »