The Starbucks stops here

Did you hear the one about how China has some kind of respect for culture.

Beijing's Forbidden City palace is considering closing a Starbucks on its grounds after protests led by a state TV personality who says the American coffeehouse's presence is eroding Chinese culture.

Starbucks' presence "undermined the Forbidden City's solemnity and trampled over Chinese culture," the anchorman, Rui Chenggang, wrote in his blog. Xinhua said "thousands of Chinese" backed the campaign but did not say how.
some news place

I agree that it is impotant to maintain and defend ones love and attatchment for ones own culture, and I fully respect the individual chinese folk who are making a dash for self respect and taking pride in their heritage.

Isnt it also easy for a balanced person to realise: that if I love my own culture then, could it possibly be, that, others must feel the same way about theirs.

As much as I dislike the profit-at-expense-of-people attitude many large corporations live by, I think Starbucks will have a far less erosive effect on Chinas culture than what China had on Tibets culture.

It sounds to me like a really large pot calling a much smaller kettle black.

I would like to see the news article read:
Beijing's Forbidden City palace is considering closing its doors to the millions of tourist dollars it earns each month after protests led by a state TV personality who says "Out of a deep respect for all cultures we will no longer be parading our marvellous palace around untill our government gives back Tibet".


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