Diverse News 2007®

bank loans news with a different slant bank loans

July 9, 2007

China's Great Wall: A Media Double-Standard

PHILADELPHIA - Almost everyone's heard about it. A website called www.new7wonders.com announced that its results were in for their 'Global Election', where people from the internet cast their vote for the 'New 7 Wonders of the World'. The 'Great Wall' won.

Reuters did a story on it yesterday, titled, 'Great Wall wonder restores China's national pride' Wow, national pride. Imagine that.

So, what is 'The Great Wall of China"? The "Long Wall" of 10,000 Li (A Chinese measurement 1 Li = ~1 mile) as it's known in to the Chinese. The wall had been destroyed in sections, then rebuilt and realigned to protect China (a country) from intruders. Here is a decent [internet] Wikipedia article on it.

I remember being taught about the 'Great Wall of China' ever since I could remember. "One of the Seven Wonders of the World". It was never really mentioned why it was built - I mean, not from a protectionist point of view. I do remember reading about the Chinese versus the Mongols, and I guess that would include Genghis Khan. So, China, as a nation, had to protect itself from outsiders: non-Chinese. China, although I've never been there, appears to be ethically diverse, like the United States: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1% - World Factbook. Not as proportionate in the majority, mind you.

Something that troubled me, and I have never heard this viewpoint, until I was chatting with my new friend (and doctor) Pete, who brought it to my attention. That, hey, "what if we had a wall? How would the media portray that?", Pete said. I knew I had to do a story on it.

Well, unless you've been in a closet, the U.S. is trying to build one now-and is getting scolded for it. Can't the U.S. protect itself, like China? After all, the Wall is still up. Does China need to be more secular and "Take down this Wall"? Or at least open some gates so their neighboring countries disadvantaged peoples can enter. People who want to make a good life for themselves and their families? China is also a world power, like the United States and Russia.

I did my usual Google© search and found not one negative story on the 'Great Wall of China". Nothing of the poor, would-be immigrants who try or tried to enter. No poignant stories of a new, better life. I did (just now) find a few articles on the "Great Wall of Mexico', though.

So, if the U.S. builds it, how will it be taught and looked upon two thousand years from now? Or what if it never gets built?

Our media, I tell you...

Mark Smith,

Diverse News

terms and conditions