Reflective journal 4

Reflective Journal 4: Reflect on the societal problems faced by China and America. (Hint: you must definitely explain your responses to these societal problems. How can they be resolved? Who should be responsible for resolving these issues?)

Last year, I travelled to the city of Xi'an, China, for a holiday. During my visit there, I remembered a group of businessmen at a famous seafood restaurant ordering some of the most expensive items, amongst which was a large platter of pan-fried abalone. Later, after alighting from a coach ride to the countryside, I also recalled being repeatedly chased by groups of beggars trying to sell me something I have not even heard of,  for "just 1 Yuan!". In that short span of time, it was as if the societal problem of growing income disparity in China became visible. In my opinion, this is a problem because inequality fosters political instability, stemming from the resentment by people who are in the lower percentile.

However,  I do empathise with this group of discontented people.

In any modern society, rural workers earn less than their urban counterparts. Although this is normal as there is a need to differentiate the pay of these two groups of people, this difference should be minimised, since they are all part of the human race and should be treated similarly. Hence, it is saddening to learn that China is treating them so differently, to the point that urban workers get up to four times the pay of rural workers. Being humans, these rural workers have feelings. Instinctively, they want to enjoy the same privileges as everybody else, and as such, when they realise their incomes are so different from the rest, it only provokes their emotions, and it is understandable that this leads to social unrests. Nonetheless, this is a pressing societal challenge that requires immediate attention.

To solve this societal problem, I feel that China should make their tax gradient steeper, so that the rich face heavier taxes while the poor face reduced taxes. Based on my reasoning, this is because a large part of government expenditures are used to protect the people, such as law enforcement and the military. Therefore, those with the most to protect should pay their fair share for the protection.

However, the real problem which stifles its implementation actually arises from the poor reception of this policy by the elite who have the most power and say in corrupt China. If only the elite would stop thinking about personal benefits and spare a thought about the welfare of others, I believe this policy can be readily implemented to alleviate this problem. Therefore, I feel that resolving this problem is the responsibility of the elite as a whole.

Now,  let us shift our focus onto the societal problems faced by the country on the other side of the world. Last November, I entered the keywords "American violence" into the Google search engine out of curiosity. Exactly what would I find? It was not surprising really, as it was yet another article on how a victim, Ann-Marie McKittrick, suffered from an assault by her husband.

America is getting notorious for violence.

Studies prove my personal belief right; there is a strong correlation between a country’s reputation and people’s willingness to visit, invest, study, live, or work there. Violence in America is a societal problem because it strikes fear into the hearts and minds of the people, and more importantly, because it challenges the reputation of American society as the pinnacle of human achievement.

In my opinion, I feel that the prevalence of violence in America originates from the development of a materialistic mindset, and the philosophical abandonment by the intellectual elite of the late 20th Century. As American society becomes increasingly material centred, they spend less time on what researches indicates truly makes people happy, like family, friendship, and religion, which leads to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.  I feel that this state of mind is the main reason why crimes are committed.

However, unlike the previous solution to income disparity, societal violence cannot be eliminated by cosmetic societal changes or by quixotic political campaigns. This is because we are dealing with human emotions, motifs, and feelings that cannot be quantified or reasoned in its true essence. Try as one might, I feel it is impossible to create a reliable and effective method to instil values and morals into people. In fact, I feel that only the natural responsibility of the soul to listen to the voice of god can resolve these challenges. Therefore the only hope is in a radical change of heart by the individuals who make up their nation.

In both the American and Chinese societies, their societal problems are controversial issues which relates to the life and interaction of their people.

It affects a staggering 300 million people in America. It affects a whopping 1.3 billion people in China. Can anyone still afford to ignore it now?

(791 words)