I agree with most of your comments. There is only one thing I want to remind you. According to BBC, there are over 84,000 protests ongoing in China each year. If the report is reliable, it means we are not people have only stand up for the government. As an oversea Chinese, I feel that this government is my ugly baby, it’s ok for me to criticize and make jokes, but it’s still my baby.

@stuart, thank you for the hosting of the party, although we were so busy in arguing and forgot to show more respects.

Okay, for the purpose of organization, I’ll respond to your comments as I read and subsequently considered them and try to put it all together in the end.

You said: “In my view, the protests were not totally irrational and it’s unfair just use labels like “nationalism”, “manipulated” without attempts to dig out the meaning behind”

I don’t know which protests you are referring to here, the protests in Paris or the retaliatory protests in China. But, in the end, if one protest is “not totally irrational,” then the other isn’t irrational either. Both are sacred rights we have a responsibility to use to convey a meaning of support or outrage about a situation. The manner in which we protest, however, is what we are addressing. In my estimation, we are digging out the meaning behind words such as “nationalism by having this discussion and by following Stuart’s blog.”

You said: “The first paragraph on this topic notices me that protests are not personal attacks, while the later one states your feeling about being insulted.”

Who said I felt insulted? I said I live with insults that come at me from every direction–but, I don’t take it personally and I especially don’t address those who insult the U.S. by insulting them back. Retaliation IS child’s play. The last time I did that was on the playground when I was five. As I stated, I understand the reasons for their insults to the U.S. (“because America is unpopular and has been immature in its global political game, we are a hated bunch. I don’t even support Bush and his cronies”), and I live with it.

You said: “Why do folks bother protesting merely for expressing?”

Well, because it is called the voice of the people and it must be heard. People in authority NEED to know and SHOULD know where the people stand on issues.

I guess we just disagree on whether it is personal or not, but as long as I’m not making the decisions in a political office, I just do my duty as a citizen, a father and a husband. That’s the only thing I take personally. Being a citizen of a country doesn’t mean that I have an obligation to fall in line with its official principles and policies. This is where the meaning of nationalism can be discussed. In my eyes, nationalism is just like patriotism, the love of one’s country, but that comes with a catch–a true nationalist or patriot will stand up TO his government (when it is making mistakes) as much as he will stand up FOR his government(in times of need).

Feelings that are grounded in the idea of defending the government or ruling institution just because you are told to do so or because you feel obligated is not nationalism–that’s servitude.

Finally, you want to know what I meant by “big boy?” For this purpose it means that China has grown up–It means that China isn’t a child that needs someone to hold its hand and tell it what to do. It can stand on its own feet and change the world with a single decision. More important for this discussion, because China is a “big boy” now, why get so offended by protests 8000 km away that have no bearing on the decision making process within your country that you mirror those with protests of your own? That’s retaliation and that’s for playgrounds, not politics.

Thank you for the criticism, but not 100% agree. In my first comment on this blog article, I tried to explain the rationale behind the “nationalism” protests. In my view, the protests were not totally irrational and it’s unfair just use labels like “nationalism”, “manipulated” without attempts to dig out the meaning behind. It’s merely prejudice to easily use these labels to Chinese Fenqing. I don’t think I merely express my childish anger since I defended for the “childish anger”.

About protests and personal attacking, your views are inconsistent. The first paragraph on this topic notices me that protests are not personal attacks, while the later one states your feeling about being insulted.

Anyway, you brought up an interesting topic. Frankly speaking it’s one thing I don’t understand. Why do folks bother protesting merely for expressing? Protests, in my view, are warnings with hidden words: “if you did not response to our feeling, we are going to take serious actions”. There is a clear roadmap: protests, strikes, riots, and organised violence.

And it’s always personal. Let’s be honest. Like the riots in Lhasa, it ended up with killing of real Han and Hui Chinese. And Jing Jing, who was attacked in Paris. And, French new paper used the title: “slap on face”.

About your last point, I want to know the meaning behind the words:” big boy”. Does it suggest someone is the father of the “international family”?

Pertaining to your last comment in response to Bill–

While you rightly suggest that we use argument as a defense rather than anger, you use the same form of “childish anger” in defending what these nationalists have done to the French flag in defense of those protesting the support of the Tibet cause in Paris!!

You are quoted, “In China, protesters drew Nazi symbols on French national flag. It reached the French bottom line.
From my view, it’s simple. French challenged our fundamental belief and it’s a reasonable exchange to return something they may not be happy with, although quite childish.”

Just because you called it “childish” doesn’t forgive that you are justifying what they’ve done! I suppose I can take a piss in Tiananmen Square in protest, and though it is childish, it reaches the Chinese bottome line (aka, it “rightly” insults them).

Let me just say this: When people in the world protest something, they are not PERSONALLY attacking you! Why do people here always react as though they’ve personally been beaten with a stick? As your status in the world continues to rise, you will face more and more scrutiny and you will hear more and more garbage spoken about your country. Get used to it.

As an American living overseas, I’m used to being insulted daily from people from EVERY conceivable country. 99.99% of the insults and/or negative comments about the U.S. comes from other western people!! The reason? Simply because America is unpopular and has been immature in its global political game, we are a hated bunch. I don’t even support Bush and his cronies, but I still have to live with the insults, the bitterness, the jealousy, hate, etc.

My point is, China’s a big boy now and needs to learn to live with the scrutiny that comes along with it. The people in Paris, London, SF, India, etc. were merely expressing their support of what THEY believe is right and just.