modern city life & 'civilization'

Alien (3819 posts) • 0

I think many will see this as a cause for shame, but I would rather that those who were involved as 'bystanders' in this incident, and in all such incidents, learned to take their inaction as a matter of guilt, and those who had nothing to do with it as grounds for concern and reflection, at the very least. Punishment might be appropriate, although punishment alone, in consideration of justice, always misses the real point.


Napoleon (1185 posts) • 0

If I am going to make an informed opinion about a video then I think its necessary.

I've seen videos of people walking by those in need before so I wouldn't put it past this being another.

Then again, I've seen videos where people have skewed its contents to fit a narrative.

When it comes to Chinese people behind a wheel or Chinese women crossing a road, absolutely nothing should be dismissed, there is no standard.

Why was the woman on the road in the first place? Was she crossing when she shouldn't have been? Was she mowed down on a pedestrian crossing when other cars had stopped? That's an important part right there.

Seems odd that the website would give it so much coverage without featuring the video.

Alien (3819 posts) • 0

@Napoleon: OK, won't argue the point. My point is really that people apparently did nothing, but you're right: maybe they really did.

Napoleon (1185 posts) • -1

I can't dismiss anything.

I've seen Chinese people cross a road, I've seen them drive a car.

The possibility for stupidity and arrogance in either party is limitless without seeing the video.

AlexKMG (2361 posts) • 0

Blame the old people. There were enough stories of old people suing the first person that helped them and in many cases the innocent good samaritan was ordered by courts to take responsibility for the medical bills. That really messed with the china mindset with everyone thinking if I help that collapsed stranger on the street, will I end up paying tens of thousands of rmb for my efforts. This mentality is so deep now, that even the sight of a bleeding run over 2 year old child won't elicit aid.



Alien (3819 posts) • 0

Blaming the old people will not change much - better to blame those who choose not to 'take a chance' that 'old people' or somebody else might hold them accountable rather than to help someone dying in front of them. Fear of spurious accountability is no excuse - although I think there's an inheritance of fear of accountability from the Cultural R. and a fear of being subject to unethical and selfish manipulation, the former is a matter of recognizing causation and the latter a matter of the same selfishness in oneself, rather than an affirmation that the buck must stop here, and that all actions have consequences, not just those of others that lie in the complications of the past or the behaviour of others. That's what I meant about shame: it produces conformity; whereas guilt, and rational thinking, have a chance of actually producing a sense of responsibility.

Napoleon (1185 posts) • -1

If you did just walk past someone needed your help in an emergency, as we are presuming these people did, then you are the apsolute scum of this earth.

However, unless you are a doctor, should you see someone in this position, having been hit by a car, apart from dragging them to the side of the road and calling for an ambulance, not much more can be done. No one would have been expected to sow her back together with some thread from their shirt sleeve.

There was a similar video I saw of a Chinese boy in a swimming pool. Everyone swam past him, then crowded around when it was all too late. No one seemed to connect that the smallest of actions could have the biggest of effects.

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