|
Disaster Relief
CarpetbaggersPosted by Jeremy Goldkorn, June 2, 2008 12:49 PM
 A carpetbagger The word 'carpetbagger' was first used after the American Civil War to refer to northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction, between 1865 and 1877. They often traveled with their luggage packed in cheap and durable bags made from old carpets known as carpetbags. Carpetbaggers were perceived as outsiders who arrived in the South at a time of great difficulties, seeking to profit from the chaos. Nowadays the words can also refer to politicians who seek election in an area to which they have no ties or connections. In short, a carpetbagger is an unethical opportunist. Such as the company behind this Google ad that recently appeared in your correspondent's Gmail inbox:  Translation:
The company's website offers a cheap calling service between the U.S. and China, but nothing at all connected with the earthquake and disaster relief. There is a word in Chinese that refers to this specific type of carpetbagger: 'fa guonan cai' (发国难财): getting rich off national disaster. Articles about other Sichuan earthquake carpetbaggers are linked below. Links and Sources
|
Partner Links
Jobs in China
Recent Comments
chengdude on
Blockages
Joel Marti on
Chengdu bus fire blamed on 62-year-old suicidal gambler
vivian on
Bound feet in China
Sajid on
China first police blog
Media Partners
Visit these sites for the latest China news
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Danwei Model Workers
 Recommended blogs and new media
Books on China
 Foreign journalists in China, from the Opium Wars to Mao : Paul French, author of a book on Carl Crow has written a book about the lives and exploits of foreign journalists reporting from China from the 1820s to 1949.
Earnshaw Books' Tales of Old Peking: Tales from Old Peking is available from Earnshaw Books, and like its sister, Tales from Old Shanghai is a book of fragments of information about periods, events or places in Beijing's history, collaging together pictures and text about eunuchs, concubines, the Lama Temple, Opium Wars, art, emperors, and a miscellany of other interesting topics
Henry F. Pringle's "Bridge House Survivor": Pringle was imprisoned by Japanese forces from October 1942 to August 1945, and Bridge House Survivor, available from Earnshaw Books, is his harrowing account of torture under the Japanese.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ A short interview with Muzi Mei (2004.02): Danwei interviews Muzi Mei + CCTV vs. classic movies (2006.03): A rundown of several pastiches of Chinese movies appearing online as 大史记 - "The Year That Was". Some from CCTV, others not. With links to video. + Street hawker cries of Beijing (2006.12): Yang Changhe demonstrates hawker's cries in a video shot by Muzimei.
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky
 (on the mainland)or Feedburner  (blocked in China) Main feed: Main posts (FB has top links) Top Links: Links from the top bar Danwei Jobs: Want ads Danwei Digest: Updated daily, 19:30 |
 |
Chinese media, advertising, and urban life. |
|
tweet
facebook
bookmark
HaoHao
digg
Comments on Carpetbaggers
There are also carpetbaggers who are in China--foreigners who pretend to know the country without benefit of language or study except since they went to teach English.
Now, they refer to themselves as professors, or even experts on the Chinese media.
It's a shame LoudClear has reduced themselves to such tactics in order to promote their business. My wife and I started purchasing their calling cards earlier this year and have been very pleased with the rates and customer service. Every time we've purchased a card from them, we've also received an additional 30 minute card as a token of thanks for doing business with them and they've always been quick to resolve any issues that we've had.
Hmm... I didn't know that those "looters" were also quake victims, although nowadays I take a grain of salt when looking at news photos. Thanks for clearing it up.
gswafford - if you live in the US, try Vonage, 6 dollars a month for unlimited calls to China. Beats any calling card!