FOREWARD
Introduction
“In a sharp escalation of tensions between the two superpowers, China announced on Tuesday that it would expel American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.” This was the beginning of an article in the New York Times in March of 2020 and described one of many low points in the relationship between China and the USA. The Author was determined to continue reporting what was happening in China. The Author took advantage of a rare opportunity . . . scooping the NY Times, Washington Journal, and the Wall Street Journal. The www.tourguizhou.com website kept reporting through the Pandemic, even though the major news media in the west had lost their “boots on the ground”. Conflict was nothing new between China and the West. Western countries have been building relationships in Chinese lands for 400 years, starting with Portugal in Macau , leading to a lot of trading and wealth accumulation. Then the Taiping Rebellion had a lasting effect on China and it’s relationship with the West. It is the Author’s idea that technology and culture clash drove the conflict set the stage for two civil wars in developing worlds at the same time: The Amerian Civil War and China’s Taiping Rebellion.
Estimates vary, but the Taiping Rebellion is believed to have claimed between 20 million and 70 million lives, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.. Their leader, who claimed to be a direct descendent of Jesus was beheaded (presumably after poisoning) in 1884. The Civil War by China’s “God Worshipers” was far more deadly than the American Civil War.
Coincidentally, the Missouri Compromise in 1850 occurred ten years before the USA’s Civil War, preserving the (racial) peace another ten years. Otherwise, the both civil wars occurred in about the same time frame. For those who might draw conclusions, these events are concurrent, but a causal explanation isn’t proven. It was, however, a time of rapid technology changes: particularly communication, transportation, mechanization, and urban growth.
Sociolgists and historians have documented the industrial revolution during this period. The USA losses in conflict between the North and South was about 1 million. During the 15 year Chinese Civil War (Taiping Rebellion) estimates range from 20,000,000 and 70,000,000 killed and wounded. In addition to Chinese casualties, China’s Imperial Government lost control of commerce on Chinese soil.
The issue that always seem to come up in Modern China is a “Century of Humiliation”. Many Chinese have sincere hard feelings for the humiliation of the Chinese People at the hands of the Western Military. Deeper thinkers recognize that most of the killing in this period was Chinese on Chinese. Perhaps the “Crackpot” religion that led to mass killings is perceived by some in China to be the result of Western Cultural influences during the 1800s. In China, religion, communication, transportation, and mechanization all played a role just as in American, China was being changed by technology.
It is easy to see why the world became suspicious of mixing cultures. In China the memory of that “Century of Humiliation” is still fairly fresh (after only a hundred and fifty years). While these memories are troubling, it is clear that ignoring someone’s culture is also risky. This book was written with a goal of bridging the gap between current perceptions and reality during these turbulent times.
The seven week trip of the Author to China in 2000 was an eye opener into the respective cultures of China and the West. Hooked in the first chapter, the Author’s study of China and Chinese informed not only his seven week experience, but also the next 25 years of his life.
Making money, spirituality, and changing technology all have a place in our respective histories. This book is the Author’s effort at helping us understand each other, and the forces that drive our loves and hates.