I was born in Taiwan but grew up in a western country. My father was from mainland China. My parents would make me and my siblings kneel as a punishment. As a young adult I decided I would rather die than live on my knees. Get up stand up for your rights !
I feel that was a form of punishment in lieu of getting whipped. Your knees do get sore after 15mins. But kneeling to beg forgiveness lacks dignity, in my opinion.
It is their historical culture. When meeting with an authority such as emperor, Chinese ordinary people used to address themselves as 在下, literally means "at bottom" instead of usual "i and me".
One can say that getting down and begging on all 4 is a universal language of throwing one's dignity away because you're implying that you're beneath the other person you're begging.
As a singaporean of chinese descent, David's take on why chinese kneel is completely correct. it is the highest form of humiliation for a chinese. to kneel to someone else is a sign of ultimate desperation and the chinese who do im these videos have no other way to protest or appeal. protests are futile in china with the CCP controlling everything, and really do mean everything.
These poor people really are suffering. China's elites don't realize how dangerous that is for them. A desperate society has nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
They are not poor. The enjoy attention. If they really want to change their situation they would resort to a more productive means of resolution, whether it be moving elsewhere, or the siege p1ll.
You can't fight on your knees. Narcissists don't respect those who disrespect themselves. This kneeling tactic is a failure. Self humiliation is a failure. The citizens don't have arms.
@SucMaDicTillitcoem in the 75~80 my aunty goes to prison because she sleeping in the factory. and KGB call her spy of Japan imperialism. in the early 70th in Almaty a young woman always speak kazakh in home. a lot of people despise her for that. a russian police officer ***** her then send her husband and friend to Siberia. then come to her home daytime **** her and her daughter younger than 10 daytime. nobody can touch him, because his father was gru and mother works decide give car to pensioner high officials.@@SucMaDicTillitcoem
"To what extent the Chinese at large are what they are because of their inner racial spirit, and to what extent they are so because of long-continued hardships of environment, we cannot accurately measure. The two forces merge indistinguishably, and we can observe only the force of the combination. In the matter of environment, many centuries have passed in China since the average individual there had any significant control over his lot in life. When he emerges to existence, it is not to look upon choices, but to face forward along lines of narrow necessity, along a slim furrow of possible survival kept open by his family ancestors through the thicket of competing humanity. Into this he steps and toils until he dies. There is no escape, no means of reaching a status of relative comfort and security, whatever the effort. Experience teaches him that moderately intensive effort means perhaps enough to keep alive, less means starvation, and more futility. The principle applying to physical endeavors applies likewise to moral endeavors. Moderate goodness keeps him out of jail, a less amount risks penalties, and a greater amount sacrifices needlessly much that the might otherwise enjoy. The Chinese thus becomes the most coolly calculating materialist the world has ever known. He lives skeptically immune to moral enthusiasms, having long ago arrived at an opportune materialism whither some of our own gospel ministers tell us we are now rapidly drifting." - "Ways that are dark: The Truth About China" by Ralph Townsend (Former US Consul who lived in 1930s China)
This is just miserable; it only fuels the egos of those in power. I'm from a third-world country; we're not rich, but we never kneel just to ask for equal treatment from others.
Mr. Zhang, how is it possible that the regime hasn't sent you to heaven? You're exposing all its misery and asking the world not to support its economy and culture of human exploitation. You are a truly courageous man.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Also applies to people who have absolute power over people under them even if they're not on top of the hierarchy.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirsty for Justice, for they will be satisfied." Also implies: "Cursed are those who are filled and sated with inJustice, for they will go hungry and thirsty."
I enjoy your videos. Learned a lot. It doesn't help to beg a despot. They get joy out of seeing you grovel. "The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel", the Bible says.
This is one huge difference with east and west. This type of stuff wouldn't fly at all in Western cultures. Having someone get on their knees and beg is inhumane and the deepest form of disrespect. I understand that the eastern world is much different so this is a shock for my western eyes.
They are never out of options, many times they have proven that if they unite against the Government they can win, the issue is they don’t stand strong, they break easily. They are so strong when they stand together, the problem is they are so afraid they prefer to kneel
I feel terrible for the Chinese people. I wish a day would come when they can have a reasonable work week and a weekend and vacations and things like that. I wish they could have The Chinese Dream, a house and a car and a family and a pet, whatever makes them happy. But it seems the opposite is happening, and we're heading the direction China has gone. It's a scary time to be alive.
Smart people learn very early on to have no dreams and only focus on goals that can be attained in a very short period of time, like hours and days, and generally take what they can get as opposed to striving endlessly for an ideal goal that may never come to fruition.
Even beggars in India will not do that for money. In India they will either take the punishment or pay the fine, but they will not kneel down. In India we kneel down only before our parents or parent like father / mother figures - out of respect - that too on auspicious occasions & festivals, in return the elders bless us, sometimes give gifts or money to children. Women receive turmeric & kum kum from elders.
Indians kneel in front of temples, godly statues, majdids, during prayers, during yoga, beggars when they beg, during school class punishments… oh please!
Bet you never jump before, God created you to be happy not to bend your knee to him. Learn to be happy that what all creator want for their creation. Even if someone didn't follow God, do not shame them God give people will for them to choose. Btw I dont believe in God, but learning their ideal is good enough for me
That shows that it's not necessarily the behaviour of someone who's absolutely desperate (like those in the video), sometimes it's just a manipulation tactic toward authorities they perceive as soft or lenient. How is a fine that they can obviously afford, worth more than their dignity?
This is so pathetic. I understand the cultural aspect, but its pathetic regardless. It reflects horribly on the State, not the people living under the CCP.
In places where they are not free but, the state grants them freedom. Thats why they are like this, they beg because they believe the state gives them those rights.
I talked 2 a chineese person from china last week, n i expressed how terrible their situation is and he was like 'huh?!' So i showed him different videos on my phone, he was just not willing to believe these things wer happening. That was just sad😮😢😮
Yea, the people who are able to leave china and hang out in other countries are usually the rich ones. They don't see whats happening to the less fortunate in their society.
Same culture believe in Vietnam as the saying go our knees are coated with gold. We will never kneel down to anyone but our parents or giving thanks to benefactor life saving grace. This show that people life are really on the line when they are desperately kneeling like that. I'm not see any cowardice here all I see are parent and grand parents trying to feed their family.
Lol, irony vietnam has the same type of government as china. The only different between them is vietnam do not have a great leader that centerline power since their founder. (More then half vietnam top leader got charge with corruption rhe faction war in cvp is crazy).
I had so much respect for the chinese culture when i was a kid, it's just sad to see what they've become, i had them for people with honor and intelect
If a person forces someone to kneel down before them, then the shame and dishonor is on them. There are things they cannot steal no matter how hard they try. Truth, honor, and true dignity are just a few. Don't let yourself be deceived.
When we were in Disneyland Hong Kong, there was this mother who pointed her finger at us while talking to her very young daughter. Then the little girl started to kneel in front of us so her family can take our seats. During that time, Hong Kong was very hot because it was Summer, and the girl was in the sun for a long time. We can't just give up our seats because I was accompanying seniors during that time, and if we did give up our seats, they would think that they are doing the right thing. I can't just imagine there are people like them, letting there daughter kneel under the sun while they cover themselves from the heat.
@LaplacianFourier They were sitting fine and told the child to beg for a seat from the OP and their group instead of sharing or waiting/paying for more seats. (Edit: not very clear not sure if they were in seats but also not in seats but in the shade.. what? Lol they just wanted free stuff i assume and sent the young one to beg at foreigners)
I read a lot of comments saying "They are used to kneeling down for thousands of years" or something like that. And after noticing this kneeling culture for a long time now, I can only agree. It's sad but true. They've never tasted real democratic values but have had an Emperor in each dynasty.
But they will not kneel to japanese, even if they're in the wrong and powerless and facing death or in need of immediate emergency help. They put their pride and honor in the wrong place.
There is one posture that is even more degrading than kow tow, and that is called prostration. That is when the person is so lowly that he has to completely lower his entire body to the ground in order to show total submission. This is usually used when one is literally begging for one's life.
The people haven't given up hope yet. In order to start to fight back effectively, all hope will have to be discarded first. The black pll followed by the siege pll.
How different it is from a dogeza in Japan. Although it is the same begging in some case, the japanese Version still feel dignified instead of miserable
Nah, been like this for millenia. And not just China but generally worldwide. 98% of any population are complacent. 2% are dangerous and self sufficient and capable of doing some things and these 2% try to limit their interactions with society as much as possible.
Kneeling won’t make the situation better at all. I know it’s easier said than done, but if everyone who was kneeling fought back instead what could they do?
