The “way” I mean is like “when”, “what first”, and “how fast”, sort of stuff.

When A says B be ignorant, it is very likely B feels A the same way.

By the way, It is not hard to bypass a firewall.

Change comes to us all in many shapes and forms. Affective positive change is something that we can all work towards and assist with (even without getting into the streets). Leading by example and being those crazy foreigners with their western ideas affects positive change. Being proactive and assisting with environmentalism affects positive change. Being internal tourists, talking with taxi drivers and shop assistants, chatting at bars…. all promote change.

That’s not to say that either way is right or wrong. Looking for the middle path for the middle kingdom is one avenue that seems to be slowly emerging more and more as my mind become more accustomed to life in China. Yes, there are many things that people do which may be odd (for typical westerners) but who are we to judge.

The events in ’89 were dark though unfortunately not uncommon.

Stephen-I completely understand your rant. It is something I often struggle with too even realizing my own ethnocentric ideas.

And to all commenters, I can understand the argument to not take be the one to act. But I have an observation from today. I live in a very small city, and am personally very interested in environmentalism (like my dream job would be somehow encouraging environmentalism in china, either through a company or good NGO.) So I live in a very “small” city, and called a woman I had met on the bus who works a the local 4th tier (worst school possible) University. I asked her if she could help me to see if there were any activities around the University (environment club or something), that maybe I could attend, or any clean up activities I would love to participate. So she’s out of town but she tells me she can have one of her students meet with me. So I meet with the student, and she says she can help me organize this activity. I try to explain no no, I don’t want you to have to do more work because of me. I ask if there is a club or anything and she says no, but there is clearly interest in this type of activity. And on the bus, of course there was a woman and her son very interested in me. This young girl the quick thinker, says that we will be organizing this event soon, and I will be there, so I can talk with her son then.

Think about how much influence you have on people, and how big of a difference your own choices and actions make. I take the bus constantly, partly because I am cheap, but heck… I walk if I am feeling well, and I can. You can at the very LEAST lead by example. I’m not editing this, so sorry about grammar errors, but I need to attempt bed, and I want to post today before you all think I’m a moron.

@Ryan I don’t even believe people have a responsibility or obligation to create change, but was simply stating that change is a side-effect of our presence and can not be avoided. So, if someone is going to sit in the complaints department and pretend that their actions and complaints aren’t creating change by affecting the people who listen to or read them, then they are delusional.
I honestly don’t expect people to get out in the streets and start a revolution, but wrote that vex inspired statement in an attempt to stimulate the idea that insultingly complaining without acting in an attempt to fix what you are complaining about is useless and annoying.