Uighurs. Lots of things come to mind when I think about them dudes. Two of the more “serious” or “responsible” or even “ethical” thoughts I have are as follows:
1) Chinese are not the type to have mild opinions about things like race/minorities/territorial sovereignty. Especially when those things are combined. If you have had a Chinese person tell you “Oh those Japanese, they’re just OK” or “Africans? Man, they’re so diverse, how can you even begin to generalize?” or “You know, I disagree with the whole premise of the Korean War on the basis that so many of my countrymen died, but hey, we had to enter the war just like your country did, so no hard feelings”…if you have heard any of these, SHlaowai is hooking you up with a golden ticket to Wonka’s factory.
Unfortunately, Uighurs are on the wrong side of the spectrum when it comes to generalizations. The Chinese tend to see them as dangerous drug dealers who will steal, attack, and generally shit all over your qi. To some extent, they are correct, as that dynamic certainly exists. But that dynamic exists everywhere. I guess the point is that Chinese mentalities towards something that is not Chinese is rather cautious – cautious and also prone to black and white judgement.
Lets take a page out of the muppets book, see how well they co-exist?
2) During my time in Xinjiang, I rode in the back of the Turpan propaganda chief’s car from Urumqi to Turpan. He was a really nice guy with a really nice family, and he took time to give me gifts and take me out to dinner. Three days later, I met a Uighur who worked in the Kasghar bazaar who did the same. I bought some Uighur blades from him (they make super sweet shanks!) and he ended up inviting me back to his brother’s restaurant for a meal, showed me his house nearby, and offered to take me around Kashgar free of charge. He was the man. I wish the two of these guys – the propaganda chief and the Uighur — could get along.
3) Poverty pushes people to do fucked up things. I’m convinced 90% of petty crimes, like theft, selling drugs, or even illegally crossing borders, are not crimes driven by a lack of morality or a criminal mentality. Stuff like this, most of the time, is motivated by a dire situation. North Koreans cross into China, risking life and limb and committing what is considered a “grave international offence” not because they are criminals and like to do illegal things, but because they can’t feed their families. Uighurs selling drugs – something they are notorious for – is nothing different than this. Uighurs are disenfranchised in Chinese society — how many prominent or wealthy Uighurs have you ever heard of? They’re born into a society which sees them as filthy cheating thieves, they are deprived of quality opportunities of self betterment, and as such resort to crime to make an income. Who would want to be a MacDonald’s delivery boy for10 kuai an hour when you can hang out and sell weed and make 10k a month? If anyone is to blame for Uighurs selling drugs, perhaps the ethnic majorities should look a little bit closer to home.
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I firmly believe people are predisposed to a life of crime. It’s a gene. Sorry asshole. Your relativism has no place in this world.
I was watching the National Meth Hallucination League, and there was a guy who had to fight off 652 flying attack snakes. Tell me that is relativistic. Sciiiissor me timbers