One step forward, or two steps backwards?

These days, whenever I hear anything in the news mentioning China, I shudder.

What happened?

Growth? Evolution? Progress?

Chinese "Fashion Police" are now cracking down on citizens for the Beijing Olympics.
Pamphlets are being handed out to over 4 million households on how to behave, how dress, and even how to eat.
To name a few..

- Avoid white socks with black shoes
- Avoid leather skirts
- Avoid PDA
- Avoid garlic
- Avoid embarrassing disputes over dinner bills in public
- Wear darker stockings if you're a woman with thick ankles
- Match skirt to age (lol)
- No more than three colors in outfit
- Comb hair appropriate for age
- No PJ's in public
- No rolling up trousers
- No going out in public without a shirt on (For the men, obviously)
- Avoid horizontal strips if fat
- Clothes should not be too small
- No spitting in public
- Wait in lines
- Don't ask foreigners anything personal
- Handshakes should last 3 seconds

Here's a link to a news article if you want a more detailed story.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/31/asia/AS-OLY-China-Etiquette.php

This disgusts me

In many, many ways.

1) China is trying to turn everyone into clones? Where's the individuality going? (I obviously don't approve of Communism)
2) China is trying a last minute effort to clean up what should have been fixed a long time ago?
3) China is trying to become more modern and American? (Which is fine, but to do it in such a way as to sacrifice your pride?)

But I guess it is also good that they're trying to "look good" to the foreigners. China was pretty disgusting the last time I went there, but this... if they're trying to make a good impression on foreigners, don't you think that this is more cause for scorn than admiration?

This makes me laugh.

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