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Fundamentally flawed argument

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-28 08:06

Comment on "Move over West, Asia is here", (China Daily, Dec 23)

There is a fundamental flaw in the author's argument because it is based on terminology (East versus West, Asian versus Western) and concepts (intellectual ownership and innovation), which themselves are in transition.

Take me as an example. I live in Australia, and have Japanese ancestry on my mother's side and Irish and Aboriginal heritage on my father's side. Hence, it is hard to say whether I belong to the East or the West. Cases like mine may be rare in China, but such mixed ancestry is now common in Australia.

Second, more often than not many or multinational players are involved in inventions and innovations today, and their ownership is not straightforward. Trying to pitch the East against the West does not make sense. And nonsense leads to disorder, disharmony and chaos.

To say we are going through deeply insecure times is an understatement. This deep sense of insecurity is probably why nationalism is sweeping across the globe. But we should realize that we live on the same planet, we are the same species and we are more deeply interconnected now than ever before.

Grace, on China Daily Website

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