MP Ong: Even Ancient China embraced FT!

[sufferwell]

"Women with blonde hair and blue eyes working side by side with locals in taverns, serving drinks to and entertaining customers with songs and dances."

i think this dr. ong must be another chee hong

 

[SNAblog]

Blogger trashes Ong Seh Hong for his Tang dynasty illustration to defend FT policy

http://trulysingapore.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/cultural-diversity-in-ancient-china/

Cultural diversity in ancient China
By trulysingapore

Dear Dr Ong,

I refer to your comments in parliament as reported by Straits Times on 13 Mar 2010.

You pointed out the cosmopolitan atmosphere in the Tang dynasty capital of Chang An and the foreignness of one of China’s greatest poets, Li Bai to illustrate the importance of an open-door policy and of tolerance to a nation’s prosperity and the flourishing of its culture and economic development.

However, as cosmopolitan as Chang An was, it is doubtful that one third of its inhabitants was foreign like in the case of Singapore. So quoting the example of Chang An doesn’t justify the situation in Singapore where the percentage of foreigners is amazingly high. Also, while Li Bai’s place of birth lies in modern day Kyrgyzstan (rather than Kazakhstan), it was actually found within Chinese territory during the Tang dynasty. What’s more, Li Bai’s family originated from even closer within China. So quoting Li Bai’s place of birth also doesn’t justify a pro-foreigner stance since Li Bai wasn’t foreign born as far as the Tang dynasty is concerned.

While the Silk Road is a good example of the need to remain open to trade, it is not a good example to justify mass immigrations since the Silk Road was essentially a trade route, not a mass migration route.

You also pointed out the examples of the Ming and the Qing dynasties which ended up poorer for shutting up their doors. But those are examples that point to the danger of rejecting trade that has little if anything to do with cultural diversity or renaissance.

The most powerful example of how mass immigration changed a nation’s destiny is probably that of the Roman Empire which was subjected to mass immigrations towards the end of its five century dominion. The great numbers of Goth immigrants proved too great for the Romans to handle and when they finally rebelled, it marked the end of the once mighty Roman Empire.

We don’t have to look far back into history to understand how important immigrants are to a nation’s success. Modern day examples abound such as those of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Western Europe which show that prosperity and cultural efflorescence can take place without mass immigrations.

 

[Royalblood]

Here is another lesson from Chinese history. China shut its doors in the Ming dynasty and remained so till the Qing dynasty. China ended up poorer for it.

The faggot who wrote that crap talk as if he had lived in Tang dynasty before... damn good at spinning tales man.


China ended up so much poorer not because of its close door policy. The GDP/capita in the Qing dynasty still surpass that of Europe until the 19th century when the bloody anglo barbarians invaded China to force the Chinese to "trade" with them. Seeing the spoils the Anglo barbarians looted from China, other imperialist europeans subsequently hop on the bandits bandwagon and force China to "trade" with them. Since then China has gone down the drain....

Same shit different approach happening in Singapore now. Fucking barbarians are now invading our country (with the blessing of our million dollar government) working here, displacing locals and drawing massive amounts of resources out of our economy to their respective shit countries.

Foreigners have destroyed China, and they will do the same to Singapore!:oIo:

 

[tuagu]

and China also used the exam system heavuly for their imperial court recruitment....

 

[StonebridgeLeaner]

So is the Yuan Dynasty, where the useless Chinese were ruled by the filthy and genetically-inferior Mongol barbarians and where Marco Polo could also see Old Cathy for himself and also at the same time, illegally smuggle silkworms out and back to Italy after learning of this beautiful and precious cloth that only China in the world possessed.

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budget debate
Cultural diversity in ancient China

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DR ONG Seh Hong (Marine Parade GRC) yesterday described how China's Tang dynasty thrived because of its openness to talent. We produce here an extract of his speech:
'A city with people from China, Japan, Korea, India, Vietnam, Persia, central Asia and many other parts of the world. Places of worship for Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Women with blonde hair and blue eyes working side by side with locals in taverns, serving drinks to and entertaining customers with songs and dances.
Is this Singapore? No. This was a scene from the city of Chang An during the Tang dynasty more than 1,400 years ago.
The Tang Dynasty was the golden age of Chinese culture and economic development. It produced two of the greatest poets in Chinese history. One of them, Li Bai, was born in a town in Kazakhstan. Some historians even believe Li Bai was not a Han Chinese but a foreigner.
Why did the Tang dynasty prosper? I believe it was partly because of its open-door policy and tolerant attitude.
Through the sea trade route and Silk Road, Tang not only benefited from doing business with the world but also gained many new technologies, cultural practices, contemporary items and new ideas.
The infusion of foreign influence enriched China for more than 300 years.
Singapore today is a cosmopolitan city. More than one million foreigners live in Singapore. They come with rich cultures and traditions of their own. I believe they add to the richness and vibrancy of our colourful and diverse multiculturalism...
Can we afford to close ourselves up?
Here is another lesson from Chinese history. China shut its doors in the Ming dynasty and remained so till the Qing dynasty. China ended up poorer for it.
The isolationist policy of the Ming dynasty condemned Khotan (a key trading oasis in Xinjiang) to the desert elements, eventually buried by the sand.
Hence, Mica needs to have a policy of enhancing and tapping on our cultural diversity. (By doing so) we would be the ideal place for the start of a cultural Renaissance for the region.

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[StonebridgeLeaner]

and China also used the exam system heavuly for their imperial court recruitment....

Speaking about China alone in response to your statement this is good because at least they didn't make imperial court appointments applicable only to the children and relatives of the Emperor, which is fair.

They cannot let crude brutes with no education and knowledge of the classics in anyhow. That is wrong.

Academic excellence is key over fighting ability. This is the difference between Chinese and Japanese. Those inferior Jap barbarian extremists only believe more in using swords and violence to solve problems and to solve themselves too when they are convinced they are nothing but failures. Grace of language and characters are lost on them.

How are pearls appreciated by swines hmm?

 

[cunnosieur]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3G1EyvRZmOs?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

THE RISE OF CHINA IS THE HAN CHINESE SHARED IDENTITY...

 

[eatshitndie]

it's true. without t'ang china opening to the world over a thousand years ago, we would not have persians settling in the sleazy ghettos of chinese ports and border towns, no sino-persian descendants would have emigrated to sg, no rojak sino-persian-indo-malay copulation would have happened in sg, and we would not have sbf today. :p

 

[winnipegjets]

Aiyoh, why he so stupid one? History has shown that the Tang dynasty collapsed. So, his point of how great the Tang dynasty was because of their embrace of foreigners falls flat.
The PAP claims it has a monopoly of the top brains in the country ...yet so often these top brains show themselves to be bodohs.

 

[palden]

This ONG must join class 95 as a dj. Say only the good things. He cannot even do a proper analysis. No wonder Sinkapore needs FTs.

 

[chuckyworld]

Well he is trying the same thing as the Japan government wanting to do, revise history as in the government view, not as written in history.

You can't say he is dumb, just hypocrite should do.

School textbooks to be revised to reflect gov't view on history

National Nov. 17, 2013

TOKYO —

The Education Ministry is planning to implement school textbook reform to better reflect the government’s stance on topics such as history and island disputes.

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng replies: MP Ong, we are modern Singaporeans lah not ancient Chinese lah!