199Four – Notre Dame of Greater Manila

The War At Home

by Chip Tsao, Mar 27, 2009 (hk-magazine.com)

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

Read more here >>

Ok, before I give my opinion, let’s hear it from someone else’s POV. A Filipino POV.

Chip Tsao may be a racist, but what are you?

…

If being someone’s maid, or nurse, or caretaker, or phone monkey isn’t anything to be ashamed of, then don’t take every opportunity to defend it against anyone who you think says that it is. You bought the fucking ticket, or work visa or whatever, now take the ride.

Get real, Philippines. Not everyone is out to get us, and those that are… Well, they’re the ones that don’t joke about it. They just buy up our islands under dummy corporations, or influence our government for concessions or whatever.

…

Read more here >>

Ok, now it’s my turn. First, let’s deal with Chip Tsao.

True to his message, I do think that Chip Tsao have valid points in his article. After all, he is a patriot. A Chinese Patriot as he claims to be.

He has every right to speak his mind of the love he has for his country and who he stands for. But to me, he is a borderline patriot and a racist.

Let’s deal with his claims.

“The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that- Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people”

Really, Mr Chip Tsao? You can live with the killing of 7 of your countrymen (it’s actually 8 Chinese seamen) because Lenin and Stalin were once your mentors? I’m guessing that Chip Tsao believes that these lives are just a small price to pay for being patriotic.

Next point..

“The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke”

An eye for an eye trade-off here? Okay then, if that shows how patriotic he is.

But he goes to say that the Philippines has no right to threat China over the claims of the Spratlys. Why? Because the Philippines is below their level? Fine.

Chip Tsao is a true Chinese Patriot, but his argument all crumbles in this claim..

“… I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.…”

Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.”

If this is the definition of being a patriotic, then Chip Tsao clearly falls deadsmack in the middle of being a patriot. But the dichotomy of his claims of patriotism goes beyond being a racist. And Chip Tsao clearly knows how to deal his racial cards because of the nasty feedback he has garnered from the online users.

If he made his claims against a stronger country, then he’ll be mincing his words. But he doesn’t because he feels that as a Chinese Patriot, he is in control over the situation.

Next.. the article of Indolent Indio.

As you can see, Indolent Indio rationalized Chip Tsao’s claims and found that it’s the Chinese writer’s article goes beyond the insulting of his employed maid. But it’s an offense against the Philippine Government.

Indolent Indio tells us to calm down and look at what the problem really is.

It’s unfortunate that when you throw out messages like this, other patriotic people will shoot you down like a dog. Like this online user commented on his blog:

STHU! you do not know anything. i wonder how you feel if you are the domestic helper that is working in Hong Kong and you are treated like that. you are an effin retard. & how can that be a satire, its not even funny. is calling the philippines a \”nation of servant\” funny? is the way how he treat her helper funny? you\’re a retard that acts as if you\’re more patriotic than we are. if you are embarrased of defending your country, just shut your mouth, ok?…

Bobo mayaman ang nagsulat nito, yung tipong tumatawa pa rin kahit inaapi at ginagahasa na sa harapan niya ang kanyang ina at kapatid. Biro man o hindi ang ginawa ni Chip Tsao, wala siyang karapatang gawin.

Bobo ang nagsulat na ito sa mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa Sociology. Hindi niya nalalaman na napakahalaga ng karangalan sa isang Pilipino. Yurakan mo na ang lahat wag lang ang karangalan.

Ang bobong katulad nito ay hindi dapat nagsusulat sa internet.
Magdildil ka na lang ng asin….

From these comments, how can you tell who’s really on your side?

So from my POV, here’s what I can sum up:

• Chip Tsao is a Patriotic Chinese Man, for real.
• Chip Tsao is a handy guy if we were living in World War II.
• Nowadays, he’s just a racist in a 3rd Wave era where corporations are more important than governments.
• Indolent Indio, for one, is someone from the other side who rationalized the situation.
• Unfortunately, not everyone shares his sentiments.
• These people who berated Indolent Indio are no better than Chip Tsao.

—–

Pia slams Chip Tsao, HK Magazine – (senate.gov.ph)
HK magazine regrets columnist’s racial slur – (inquirer.net)
Groups score HK writer for racial slur – (abs-cbnnews.com)
Filipinos urged to boycott HK over racist column – (gmanews.tv)

Controversial HK article pulled down from web – (inquirer.net)
In Praise of Chip Tsao – (filipinovoices.com)
Chip Tsao apologizes for ‘maid-country’ remark – (gmanews.tv)

—–

‘Coz they already pulled down the online article.

The War At Home

March 27th, 2009

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

Chip Tsao is a best-selling author and columnist. A former reporter for the BBC, his columns have also appeared in Apple Daily, Next Magazine and CUP Magazine, among others.