Jackie Chan says Chinese need to be controlled

This controversial topic has picked up quite a stir and the first inital response was met negatively by democratic Chinese politicians form Taiwan and Hong Kong and criticized Chan as racist and that Chan misusing the example of something 'Chaotic' might had angered some people.

This issues has now gone into something a little deeper in interpretation and it has attracted different responses and views. However we can not say Jackie is totally wrong on what he says, peopel just have a problem with the truth.

Jackie Chan stated:

“I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not, I'm really confused now. If there is too much freedom, like the way Hong Kong is today, it is very chaotic; Taiwan is also chaotic. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled.” - Jackie Chan, Hong Kong and Hollywood's action movie star, spoke at a panel on “Tapping into Asia's Creative Industry potential” in Hainan, a southern province in China n 18 April 2009.

China Law Blog response:

The title sums up my initial reaction to the news of Jackie Chan dissing the Chinese people by essentially saying they are too messed up to ever be able to handle democracy. I was going to write a blog post criticizing Chan for his comments and noting how the same thing has been said about other countries that are now democracies (the United States, Japan,

West Germany, Italy, Spain and South Korea immediately come to mind). Then I decided I am not the right person to write such a post, so I didn't.

Joanna replied

What Chan said is something I was told thousands of times since I was born, but the unusual point this time is that he is a celebrity and he is from Hongkong –the freest area in China, but also the most colonial area in Chinese history (Maybe that's why it sounds somewhat racist to western ears).

He said: “I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we are not being controlled, we'll just do what we want.”

Yes, people should be controlled (by what?to what extent?), or they'll just do what they want — but the government should be controlled also, or it'll just do what it wants too. How sad is that only the former half can be told, and can be said.

Btw, this part of Chan's speech wasn't reported by mainland China's media. He was again reported as a patriot, telling the young people to love China and to be proud of chinese culture, not the foreign countries'. The power just doesn't like anyone talking about anything related to politics.

Another response:

把「自由」和「亂」拉上關係，這是怎樣的邏輯？今天香港，或許不是所謂人也認同要有民主普選，但包括左派在內，也不敢說香港不應有自由：由殖民地年代始，香港人也是沒有多少民主，但仍有法治、仍有自由，縱使民主發展步伐，港人未必有同一立場，但從未有港人反對，香港人應該有更多、更大的自由！正如，沒有人會說香港不應堅持法治一樣！

It is totally illogical to draw the relation between “freedom” and “chaos”. Nowadays in Hong Kong, probably not all of us believe in democracy, but none of us, including the pro-China left, dare to deny the value of freedom. Since colonial era, Hong Kong people have not have democracy, but we have rule of law and freedom. Although we don't have the same position about the time line of democratic development, none of us ever oppose having more freedom and rule of law

Response:

所以，成龍大哥話中實有深意，只是遭無知的傳媒誤解。「中國人需要管」，意思至少有兩個，其一，就是由中國人用制度去管中國人，即全中國立即推行民主普選，嚴格推行法治，開放言論自由，由輿輪和傳媒加入去管中國人；其二，就是成龍大哥原來跟不少香港人一樣，懷念殖民地，希望中國成為殖民地，中國人還是由諸如美國、英國甚至日本等先進國家管一管，才能站起來。

That's why I feel that Jackie Chan's has a deeper meaning in what he said. There are at least two implications in the phrase “Chinese need control”. Firstly, we use a system to control Chinese people, which means we need a universal suffrage to elect our government and implement the rule of law. We need freedom of speech, so that public opinion and media can monitor “Chinese people”; Secondly, maybe Jackie Chan is like many Hong Kong people, he misses colonialism and wishes that China be turned into a colony under the control of more advance countries like the U.S, U.K or Japan.

Chad Warren on Global Voices:

This whole world is full of a bunch of people that choose to take things the wrong way. Jackie Chan is right to worry that the Chinese can’t handle Democracy. People like me in the U.S. sure do a horrible job of honoring our role as responsible for what we do as individuals and what our government does. Most people believe they should do what their told without questioning authority. They literrally don’t understand that the government gets its power from us. People don’t know where power comes from. They think it comes from gold or something silly. I can’t imagine how whipped people must be in China.

Maybe Jackie didn’t want to see his people turn into slobs like us. Here’s what happens when people are educated to fulfill their desires. Drugs, tv/internet mind control, kill people in the military, cheat on your wife through internet porn.

China is the future. Now that 99% of Americans are Constitutionally illiterate and would rather go along with the team than stand firmly planted in knowing and doing what is universally morally right. What does China have to fear. You can’t even rag on China for beating and killing political prisoners because of Guantanamo Bay.

Nothing is going to change until people all over the world INDIVIDUALLY believe that its more important to do what is right rather than what we want. Its no more difficult than showing up to work on time. Cut out this evil middle man GOVERNMENT. You need government like you need gasoline. Ofcourse, we will have to live totally differently and not allow wrong to go on. If one person has AIDS- we all have AIDS is the kind of truth we must embrace. We’re going to have to drop allegiances to Country, Leaders, ill gotten gain, religions, etc. Stop looking to Big Daddies like Obama or Chan. Who cares what they think? They are the epitome of powerless. They have all that they have as long as they go along with the game plan. Obama is residing in the Jewel of the Federal Penal System- the White House. Talk to CEO’s - they can’t do good even if they wanted. They are slaves to a money cult. That dehumanizing voice that says this or that can’t be done because of THE BOTTOM LINE. As is always the fact, people will do as little as possible. Its like the law of conservation of motion in physics.

A great cullling force ( imagine the Grim Reaper with his sickle) is coming round again. We (humanity) might not make it to the next evolutionary step ( that, unfortuanately must be considered as a possibility- nature doesn’t care one way or the other) Those that do will employ all that we have been given to understand who we are, what are the rules, and how can we be the best that we can be and live showing appreciation for this world, this horrible seeming game of the macabre. We’re being dropped like a sword in water as it is forged. Purity is saught by the universe. Elegance is efficiency is the only way. When you see a gymnast perform a great feat- that action was allowed by the rules of the universe. It says do something the easiest most efficient way. You know- Kung Fu. Surely, the intelligence that has stuctured this is the model we must seek to live in accordance with. Everything else is just the wrapper for this taco- to be discarded when we’re done with it. We are done with it now.

Luo reponse on ANBM:

I don't see how these posts show that Jacky's comments were taken out of context. These are just some peoples' interpretations. And they certainly are taking a lot of liberties, I might add. Post # 3 doesn't even quote properly. 

Unless Jacky comes out and clarifies his meaning, then we can only take it at face value. I am also really disapointed that he has once again taken a shot at Taiwan. "Chaotic"... psshhh. What utter bullshit. Jacky's been getting no love from here these two days.

Gary on ANBM:

I think what Jacky was referring to is this: Chinese people (including those from Taiwan and Hong Kong) may have pushed the "capitalist" theory too far. China was once and extremely nationalistic state during the early communist regime, but now in the mainland, and especially in Taiwan and HK, Chinese people think that foreign products are best. There is very little nationalism in China. You wonder why companies like Samsung, LG, Honda, Toshiba, etc. are doing well? Domestic support. That's a huge reason why HK and Taiwan don't have large companies like that and why Chinese people support Korean/Japanese pop culture. 

That's what I got from his comments. They were definitely taken out of context. He was just telling Chinese people to be have more pride in themselves and their products.

Al on ANBM:

Jackie Chan is right about one thing: The Chinese populations in China, Taiwan, or HK have a ton of White worship, OR, basically emulate/look-up-to whatever comes from Japan, the US, or Europe. They don't like their own things, there is no support for their own home-grown products or artists.

Japan had enough national pride to create some mega-global corporate champions (in fact, part of Sony's original corporate mission was to uplift/restore the pride of Japan).

Korea enjoys so much support from Koreans for its entertainment industry and its country's products, and I don't think it's a coincidence that all the Korean Americans I know who recently graduated from college all drive Hyundai's.

So Chan is right about that. But... Jackie Chan also has a history of saying completely retarded things. He could have said 'Chinese need to support their own industries' or some other slick spin on it, instead of saying they need to be 'controlled'. People in America are essentially controlled/brainwashed, but it's done in a way that's subtle and non-blatant.

Chan was also a moron when he said a few years ago to spread Chinese culture by having Chinese women sleep/marry with White guys.

Edwin on ANBM:

Firstly he was called racist. I don't know how they concluded with that since Chan is expressing his concerns and responsibilities to Chinese people.

If someone here is a western country said 'Chinese people here should not be free' then that could be taken as racist.

I don't see how he is racist when he is talking to another Chinese as a Chinese, he's definitely not going to tell westerners their societies are chaotic too because he is not likely to be feel responsible or in the position to say so.

They cut out the other part of his speech that implied that Chinese people should be proud of who they are and their country.

Forget the political front for a moment and take a look at the social problems that need some attention in Chinese societies, there are definitely problems there. 

Have a look at the youths, many have irresponsible parents and some are spoiled rotten, some have been neglected, some are going insane, some could be have been because of abusing 'freedom' and lack of responsibility. People don't value their freedom, they are losing their Confucian values that has always been essentially the Chinese moral standards.

China might be doing well as a country on the global front but there are still many problems left behind from rapidly growing Capitalism and globalization has been damaging.

And I would agree with Chan if he came out and said something like Politicians from HK and Taiwan are too caught up on fighting and arguing amongst each other over useless policies.

Chan never seemed to care much before because he was just an average celebrity, a Hollywood star raking in the money. I thought he was a a sellout at times.

But I think this is one of the most courages things that he has said. 
Recently he seems to be bringing up many issues, firstly the one on Hollywood stereotypes and now he trying to wake up some Chinese people to the mess they are still in. It needs to be said.

But yes Chan should really explain better or word things better. He's no politician and he needs lessons on public speaking.