Too much freedom not good - Chan

[waichingliu81]

6 hours 54 mins ago

Action star Jackie Chan grew up in Hong Kong's freewheeling society, but he said that too much freedom isn't good and he's starting to think "we Chinese need to be controlled".

Chan's comments drew applause from an audience of business leaders on China's southern island province of Hainan.

The 55-year-old Hong Kong actor was participating in a panel at the annual Boao Forum when he was asked to discuss censorship and restrictions on filmmakers in China. He expanded his comments to include society in general.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said. "I'm really confused now. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic."

Chan added: "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090418...n-5f8abb3.html

[70s show watcher]

he must at least like some of the freedom that we have here for instance the freedom that people have to spend money to go see his awful rush hour movies

[waichingliu81]

i have lived in china and hong kong myself, and believe me when it comes to the words 'freedom' and 'human rights', in china they are non-existent. being a british born chinese, i have been accused of many things- for starters that because i wasn't born in china by some people, for them i am not a 'naturalised' chinese. i have two identities, chinese and british and yet i still know what is right and what is wrong. and what the communist regime is doing to people in countries like china is most certainly wrong.

i like most of jackie's movies- well not rush hour to name, but in terms of his political views, i beg to differ.

[TripperFan]

^ Just shows how people raised in that environment, get to the point where they don't know what to do when they can think freely for themselves.

We used to discuss this a lot in People and Politics (grade 12). That if we were able to get rid of communism, how the people raised in that environment would react. And that's the conclusion we came to - they actually would collaspe without being told what to do or there would be chaos. That doesn't mean that communism should be allowed, just it takes a lot more than meets the eye to adjust people to something when they've been born and raised into it - like these kids in the middle east being taught to hate westerners, etc..

And that's the only thing that bugs me about Iraq right now, it's like the U.S. went in to clean it up, but now they're not sure how to enstate a working government and society.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by TripperFan

^ Just shows how people raised in that environment, get to the point where they don't know what to do when they can think freely for themselves.

it is because in china there are no human rights- people do not have any freedom or right to do or say anything, in case it lands them a spell behind bars. in fact, in some non-western societies, there is no such thing as human rights. it is more of a big brother way of thinking where the government and those in power monitor everything people say and do. in china, also speaking out against the goverment often results in imprisonment.

i realise that people will say that because those who are chinese and were born and brought up outside china and hong kong in countries such as the UK, US, canada, australia etc are 'less' chinese than indigenous chinese. but at least with those who like myself do not support the communist government and far left, marxist politics, which controls the masses and leads to isolation and pandamonium amongst other things.

[robyrob]

they forced him to say that.

[waichingliu81]

robyrob, so you don't think that he actually said this then?

[TripperFan]

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

robyrob, so you don't think that he actually said this then?

No, I can tell that's Rob's sense of humour. LOL

I know it's sad though, we'll never know what it's like to be born and raised in countries like China, Russia, etc. (thankfully!!).

Really, it's amazing in this day and age that there are still as many countries as there are that don't have human rights. It's the main reason I'm all for Canada and the U.S. to continue the good fight in Afghanistan. As long as there are people being treated worse than animals, somebody HAS to stand up for them. I'm sure Jackie would feel differently if here were a Chinese woman.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by TripperFan

No, I can tell that's Rob's sense of humour. LOL

I know it's sad though, we'll never know what it's like to be born and raised in countries like China, Russia, etc. (thankfully!!).

Really, it's amazing in this day and age that there are still as many countries as there are that don't have human rights. It's the main reason I'm all for Canada and the U.S. to continue the good fight in Afghanistan. As long as there are people being treated worse than animals, somebody HAS to stand up for them. I'm sure Jackie would feel differently if here were a Chinese woman.

oh ok. i thought he was being serious for a moment but i could see the funny side to it. it is sad though that someone as famous as jackie chan has come up with these remarks, as well as supporting a regime that none us would like to live under ourselves. and i totally agree with you- though if it was his wife or daughter suffering, he probably wouldn't be saying the same thing anyway.