In the February 24, 2005 Globe and Mail the following letter to the editor appeared, I quote the letter in its entirety.
Re China's Military Might Worries World Leaders (Feb. 23): Horror of horrors! What if China indeed does take over the world and we are all forced to study hard, work, establish businesses and abide by the law?
- Irwin Diamond (Toronto)Now I had to respond to that one, I even emailed it to the letters department of the Globe and Mail. Remarkably it was published, in the February 26 Globe and Mail, on page A18, the letters to the editor page.
Irwin Diamond writes "[If China takes over the world] we are all forced to study hard, work... and abide by the law." Mr. Diamond, I have worked in China, I have taught English there, I am married to a Chinese woman. You sir are two things:
Some Chinese are hard workers, some are lazy, some Chinese students are very studious and some are as bad as anything my parents (former Ontario Public School teachers) ever had to deal with. But to make such wild claims, while ignoring such points as rampant government corruption, excessive nationalism and a disturbing lack of equality under the law makes Diamond's letter a dangerous tract of misinformation.