Wang Xiaofang Quotes
Bribery, he explained, is ingrained in every aspect of Chinese culture. When devotees go to worship Buddha, they don’t cleanse their souls, like Christians confessing their sins in church. They kneel down and donate money to the collection box, to bribe the Buddha.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation and by donating money they are attempting to secure a higher (and avoid a lower) station for themselves in the next life.
Wang Xiaofang, Chinese Official, Bureaucrat & Writer, Statement to Louisa Lim, “Masters of Subservience, New York Times Book Review, February 1, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Actually he also blamed the students who had become very active in politics in disgust with the corrupt politicians. But the students could block things but were not able to constructively come up with any alternatives. See {613112}.
Russia has a vast border common with China and there has always been much trade and intercourse between the cultures. The Chinese were in many ways much more sophisticated than the Russians who were feudal for many years, The formality and structure of the bribery system was astounding to the Russians. Ironically, the Russians learned very well and corruption and bribery is commonplace in Russia and is tolerated by the government and the culture. In China however, the modern government, with full knowledge of the incredible tradition and history of Chinese bribery and corruption, is draconian when officials are caught. The death penalty is commonly meted out rapidly to Chinese officials accepting bribes and to those who did the bribing. With the rapid economic growth of China, there is worry that some of the old ways will return/
The monetary corruption of the Church and many of its priests did not go unchallenged by Catholics of the day.
Clerics of the age were often combinations of fund raisers and tax collectors.
Head of the Sikh Religion
Any fortress can be stormed provided there is a way up for a donkey with a load of gold on his back.
The greatest general and conqueror always tried to avoid a battle and casualties whenever possible. He was a master and bribing corrupt officials to surrender forts and cities or to disclose weaknesses in the defense. Gold was one of his major weapons.
“Zakat” is the practice of giving a percentage of one’s property to the poor. This is similar to the concept of tithing and charity in Christianity and Judaism. One difference today is that many of the Muslim nations use the religious requirements as an element of state policy and the social safety net is intertwined by state and church. The Mormon Church in early Utah had the same amalgam of church and state, but that was abandoned in favor of separation of church and state. Turkey went through the same shift in the Ataturk revolution.
Abramoff had bribed over 100 Congressional offices by a combination of campaign donations, paid golf junkets all over the world, free elegant meals at his own fancy Washington Restaurant, free tickets for the Congressmen, their staffs and their major constituents, to Concerts and sporting events including his own Skyboxes, and promises of future employment at very high salaries. Ironically, we was convicted of cheating some of his lobbying clients and did a jail term, but his “bribery” was technically usually legal. In addition to Abramoff, only one Congressman was charged and convicted of corruption, when many if not most had engaged in these corrupt practices. Congress makes the rules with loopholes so that what is bribery and corruption in any other setting is often not against the law if Congress is involved.
“Mussalman” was another name for a Muslim. Jinnah was arguing for a separate Muslim state within India. 7 years later he got is wish and Pakistan was born. However many Muslims chose to remain in India even though it was a majority Hindu state. Jinnah was right for many Muslims and wrong for many others who have integrated into Indian society and there is some intermarriage in India, which has 120 million Muslims, almost as many as Pakistan with 160 million.
This was a best seller when published in China. It is surprising to many that the Chinese censors even allowed it to be published.
