An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over • Hacker News Board

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#41

Post by Hydraulix989 » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

roel_v wrote: post #16

sneak wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police here are remarkably tolerant of most victimless crimes, thankfully.

This sort of raves violates all sorts of environmental and health and safety codes. It only takes one fire with a couple dead to make them all go away. Look, I used to like raves when I was younger, but it's silly to claim that anybody should be allowed to organize anything anywhere without regard for the neighbors, safety of visitors or work load of emergency services.

I don't see how having a permit solves any of that though.

Moreover, I wonder how many right-side events also violate the aforementioned overly-onerous codes.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#42

Post by jdminhbg » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 4:43 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #40

holdenc wrote: post #10

I'd say welcome to China, but let's be realistic. America offers plenty of opportunities to get locked up for 24 hours for breaking selectively enforced laws (protest anything lately?) and then perhaps even worse for resisting arrest.

> "He described having to watch anti-drug PowerPoint presentations and eat tasteless porridge. His employer, which runs an expat website, was told that he was detained. While it was embarrassing for him, he was not fired. Most importantly, he wasn’t deported. 'I wasn’t even fined,' he said. Since then, our normal expat lives have resumed." We could learn something about drug-law enforcement from China.

Maybe not: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akmal_Shaikh

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#43

Post by mercer » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 5:16 PM UTC

roel_v wrote: post #16

sneak wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police here are remarkably tolerant of most victimless crimes, thankfully.

This sort of raves violates all sorts of environmental and health and safety codes. It only takes one fire with a couple dead to make them all go away. Look, I used to like raves when I was younger, but it's silly to claim that anybody should be allowed to organize anything anywhere without regard for the neighbors, safety of visitors or work load of emergency services.

> it's silly to claim that anybody should be allowed to organize anything anywhere without regard for the neighbors, safety of visitors or work load of emergency services.

I don't think anyone is arguing in favor of that. My experience in Berlin has been that a lot more is allowed than in other cities I've experienced, but within reasonable boundaries. And I think that's a wonderful thing. Here in Holland I feel like the state is an overprotective parent. We shouldn't obsess over safety at the expense of living.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#44

Post by jseliger » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 5:27 PM UTC

ctvo wrote: post #35

hughperkins wrote: post #28

Im not sure i understand why this is a big deal. As the guy said, it was designed to send a message. As far as drugs, youd have to be insane to do drugs in china. The laws on drugs are really harsh. As for the reason, presumably the organizer hadnt paid the right bribes.

The issue is laws in China are arbitrarily enforced, making it easier to abuse power. Casual reading of this felt like the organizers were getting too successful and failed to pay the proper people. This was a message to them, not the partygoers. Next time pay us and we won't harass your guests.

The US is obviously somewhat better at non-arbitrary enforcement than China, but Three Felonies a Day ought to be mandatory reading for Americans: http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/.... Virtually everyone is guilty of something if someone wants to look hard enough.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#45

Post by walrus01 » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 6:47 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #40

holdenc wrote: post #10

I'd say welcome to China, but let's be realistic. America offers plenty of opportunities to get locked up for 24 hours for breaking selectively enforced laws (protest anything lately?) and then perhaps even worse for resisting arrest.

> "He described having to watch anti-drug PowerPoint presentations and eat tasteless porridge. His employer, which runs an expat website, was told that he was detained. While it was embarrassing for him, he was not fired. Most importantly, he wasn’t deported. 'I wasn’t even fined,' he said. Since then, our normal expat lives have resumed." We could learn something about drug-law enforcement from China.

The US military had already perfected boredom-torture by PowerPoint to the level of a high art form.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#46

Post by keerthiko » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 6:59 PM UTC

Am I the only one bothered by an American writer using the term "expat" to describe himself and other foreigners in a country, when the standard term used for the counterpart people in America is "immigrant" or "migrant worker"? American dialogue has been building a language of discrimination that I find extremely insulting as a non-US national in America, which spawns the whole anti-"immigrant" sentiment dominant in America.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#47

Post by sakabaro » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:07 PM UTC

keerthiko wrote: post #46

Am I the only one bothered by an American writer using the term "expat" to describe himself and other foreigners in a country, when the standard term used for the counterpart people in America is "immigrant" or "migrant worker"? American dialogue has been building a language of discrimination that I find extremely insulting as a non-US national in America, which spawns the whole anti-"immigrant" sentiment dominant in…

They will probably vote Clinton, so they think they are not racist.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#48

Post by dhimes » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:07 PM UTC

keerthiko wrote: post #46

Am I the only one bothered by an American writer using the term "expat" to describe himself and other foreigners in a country, when the standard term used for the counterpart people in America is "immigrant" or "migrant worker"? American dialogue has been building a language of discrimination that I find extremely insulting as a non-US national in America, which spawns the whole anti-"immigrant" sentiment dominant in…

I think it depends on your reference. With reference to your home country, you are an expat. Referring to your new home, you are an immigrant.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#49

Post by keerthiko » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:18 PM UTC

dhimes wrote: post #48

keerthiko wrote: post #46

Am I the only one bothered by an American writer using the term "expat" to describe himself and other foreigners in a country, when the standard term used for the counterpart people in America is "immigrant" or "migrant worker"? American dialogue has been building a language of discrimination that I find extremely insulting as a non-US national in America, which spawns the whole anti-"immigrant" sentiment dominant in…

I think it depends on your reference. With reference to your home country, you are an expat. Referring to your new home, you are an immigrant.

I don't think that's the usage here at all. The author is talking the entire time from within China and the perspective of culture within China, and refers to himself and his fellow foreigners as expats. By your description he should be using the term immigrant, since he isn't writing the article from the perspective of American/European soil.

Re: An Expat Has Time to Reflect, Now That the Party’s Over

#50

Post by madaxe_again » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:19 PM UTC

keerthiko wrote: post #46

Am I the only one bothered by an American writer using the term "expat" to describe himself and other foreigners in a country, when the standard term used for the counterpart people in America is "immigrant" or "migrant worker"? American dialogue has been building a language of discrimination that I find extremely insulting as a non-US national in America, which spawns the whole anti-"immigrant" sentiment dominant in…

It's the same in the UK. Brits living and working in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. self-identify as expats. Tell them they're immigrants, and you'll get a violent response.

Honestly, I don't get the distinction.