Quite right, Rafal. It is the height of absurdity to assume that
applying the well-worn proverb to anybody ("can you teach an old dog new
tricks?") is to compare that person to a dog! If I say of a stubborn
person "you can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink" am I
calling that person a horse?
Rafal Rohozinski wrote:
>
> Chris,
>
> I think your sense of politcal correctness has gotten the best of you.
> While the title might, under very specific cirumstances, perhaps be
> misunderstood as offensive (by old dogs :-)) ), for most readers it
> refers to a pretty common turn of phrase.
>
> regards,
>
> Rafal Rohozinski
>
> "Young Turk one day, Old Turkey the next"
> -- Opps :-(( .. non PC again
>
> On Wed, 7 Apr 1999 [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> >
> > ---------------------- Forwarded by Christopher
> > Simpson/simpson/Faculty/SOC/AmericanU on 04/07/99 06:10 PM
> > ---------------------------
> >
> >
> > Christopher Simpson
> > 04/07/99 09:26 AM
> >
> > To:
> > Subject: IREX trade conference calls Chinese "dogs"
> >
> >
> >
> > Friends --
> >
> > I thought those interested in US/Asian relations would be interested
> > in this notice from IREX, a US-government funded organization dedicated to
> > academic exchange with China, the CIS and Eastern Europe.
> >
> > What is particularly interesting is that the organization and
> > academics involved present themselves as world class experts on
> > international relations. Personally, I recall that it was not all that long
> > ago that signs reading "No Dogs or Chinese" were posted in Shanghai Parks.
> > I found the conference plan a remarkably crude example of cultural myopia
> > and worthy of protest, so I wrote a letter to the conference organizers. I
> > could understand a "cute" but insulting title on US China trade coming
> > from, say, a group of high school students due to their immaturity -- it
> > would be stupid, but understandable. In this case, IREX cannot plead
> > immaturity. Personally, I feel the scholars involved should decline to
> > participate, though it remains to be seen if they have the backbone to do
> > so.
> >
> > Chris Simpson
> >
> > ---------------------- Forwarded by Christopher
> > Simpson/simpson/Faculty/SOC/AmericanU on 04/07/99 09:09 AM
> > ---------------------------
> >
> >
> > [log in to unmask] on 04/06/99 02:28:51 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sender: [log in to unmask]
> > Precedence: bulk
> >
> > The Human Factor of Chinese Enterprise Reform:Can Old Dogs Learn New
> > Tricks?
> >
> > Twenty years of economic reform has resulted in a dramatic improvement in
> > the standard of living for
> > many of China's 1.2 billion people. But success has come at a significant
> > price. As China struggles to find the proper balance between growth and
> > quality of life, it is also facing serious internal domestic economic
> > challenges. With Zhu Rongji?s upcoming visit, we are reminded that reform
> > cannot move forward unless China finds a way to release itself from the
> > burden of subsidizing more than 300,000 of its state-owned enterprises,
> > most of which are losing money. Making the necessary reforms, however,
> > involves threatening the livelihood of nearly 100 million urban workers
> > whose medical, welfare, and pension benefits are tied to these enterprises.
> >
> > In many senses, the Chinese manager can be viewed as the engine driving
> > these reforms. Although
> > resourceful and resilient, training and reengineering of management in
> > these enterprises will play a crucial role in surmounting these challenges
> > in today?s knowledge-based economy. Can today?s managers be taught the
> > necessary skills to survive in this climate?
> >
> > The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) invites you to a
> > roundtable discussion marking the completion of IREX Resident Fellow Wang
> > Zhiping?s research on the American experience retraining and reengineering
> > managers to meet the challenges of corporate downsizing caused by global
> > competition.
> >
> > - What are the forces shaping the reform of state-owned enterprises in
> > China?
> > - What is currently happening in China in terms of management training for
> > enterprise reform?
> > - Are there lessons to be learned from the American or Shanghai experience?
> > - Is there such a thing as reengineering with Chinese characteristics?
> >
> > Come join us in a search for the answers to these and other questions.
> >
> > Moderator:
> >
> > Mark Groombridge
> > Associate Director for Asia Programs, American Enterprise Institute
> >
> > Speakers:
> >
> > Wang Zhiping
> > IREX Chinese Resident Scholar and President of the Managers and
> > Administrators Training
> > Center of the Shanghai Textile Holding Corporation (STHC)
> >
> > Susan Pearson
> > Associate Professor, Department of Government & Politics, University of
> > Maryland
> >
> > Erik K. Winslow
> > Chairman, Management Science Department, George Washington University
> >
> > Ying Lowery
> > Visiting Professor, Economics Department, The George Washington University
> >
> > When:
> > April 15, 1999, 2:00 ? 4:00 pm
> >
> > Where:
> > IREX (first floor conference room)
> > 1616 H Street, NW
> > Washington, DC 20006
> >
> > Seating is limited, RSVP?s are required. Please respond by phone: (202)
> > 942-2174, fax: (202) 637-9684, or e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>, and be sure
> > to include your name, title, institution, phone
> > number, fax number, and e-mail address.
> >
> > This event is funded by the Starr Foundation through the China Resident
> > Fellows Program.
> >
> > To learn more about the China Resident Fellows Program visit the IREX web
> > site at http://www.irex.org/programs/crsp/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ##
> > ## To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to
> > <[log in to unmask]>
> > ## with a message body containing only: unsubscribe irex-l
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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