Population of China :
=================
1,330,869,743
The West?
========
Population of EU:491,018,677
US-304,089,248
Canada-31,612,897
Austrasia-20,325,926+4,116,900
South Africa-46,586,607
Japan-127,756,815
TOTAL: 978,920,463
in short-hand:
China : 1.3bn
The West: 0.9bn
Stats from http://www.geohive.com/
So, China outnumbers us.
So… why should we expect them to do anything but live up to the style
of personal one-to-one interaction that they understand? All they ask
is that we respect their cultural ‘thang’ about FACE. We (especially
Bush, have been blowing off in their FACE) and they are begging us,
‘don’t give us any more trouble – we are in China’.
But, on the other hand, the Last Great Police State, already
economically conquered, is finally beginning to waver politically in the
swirl of the information society. This is a phenomenon that knows no
geographical limits – and perhaps needs only to complete its global
ubiquitous-ness before it begins to expand its cloak of satellites
beyond the orbit of the earth and out into the inky blackness, perhaps
with a more culturally integrated voice… ..albeit that that cultural
integration may hide many unique flavours behind its standard salt &
vinegar…
It seems the choice for all of us has been made. Globally, we live in a
transnational capitalist economy, and pray that the survival of the
planet will be profitable. Global integrity sufficient to create a
globally interoperable ubiquitous computing environment will require
that we continue along cultural lines already in play for decades,
centuries, even millenia of tradition, as the legs upon which new heads
stand. On the other hand, large scale systems, after all, set
parameters for cultural expression and identity. So the truly
ubiquitous computing environment in which transnational capitalism can
maximise eCommerce will be both globally immersive, leaving no virtual
pioneering territory without flag or brand, and inclusive, ensuring soy
and ginger flavoured crisps, too…..
The Olympics brought the eye of global infotainment to China, and 1.1billion people will never be the same.