The Chinese Professor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM

I was talking to my friend online when he sends me this video. He told me China was going to hold all of our debt in twenty years, and that the video said so. I just assumed he was joking, but the commercial actually looked pretty serious. It shows a Chinese professor giving a talk about the problems of American economics. This isn't a Chinese video however. It was created by the CAGW (Citizens Against Government Waste), to try and encourage people to stand up and fight the government's wasteful spending. The video shows the Chinese being the country that we primarily owe our debt to. Even the audience is using what looks to be expensive tablets, and the professor is using a very high-tech visual screen, showing American healthcare advertisements. This is telling us very blatantly we have to focus less on healthcare, and stop the government from wasting more money

I don't really think this is racist in any way. It's not bringing down Chinese ethnicity. Just because these people are Chinese, doesn't mean that this is what Chinese people actually believe. I'm sure people living in China might not agree with their government as well. It's trying to encourage Americans to change, and creating a sense of urgency, by using the blatant words "debt", and "they work for us", such negative words, and the dark lighting and atmosphere.

During first part of the video, the professor compares the United States to two great empires, the Romans and Greeks, who were some of the greatest civilizations in the world, but reached their inevitable fate, and fell to greater rising civilizations. Considering the fact that this commercial was paid for by Americans, it's very likely that they chose those two on purpose, comparing America to these once great world powers to make a point. When these great powers fell, it was a considered a grew disaster, and since it's trying to appeal to Americans, they have remind them that if our nation falls, it will be a great tragedy. This is also an example of ethnocentrism. The professor goes on to say that we lost the principles that made our nation great, and that trying to use "stimulus" spending failed us in the long term, and ultimately ruined our health care, while government industries held all the money, and wasted it, creating an even bigger debt.

Several times during the video, the professor does a kind of cold, laugh, that could be described as somewhat evil, after saying that we owe China most of our debt, and then goes on to say "and now they work for us." The audience in the video also seems to find that funny, and laughs along with the professor. Then, it switches back to English, and comes out and says the message straight out, urging us not only to stop government spending, but says: "We have to."

America has always been a country known for it's liberty, justice, and freedom. By having the video portray a world where other countries are taking away our freedom, and in so little time, is something people would find a little but disturbing. Even the air of the commercial is cold, and gray, making China seem cold and dark, from every angle of the camera. Overall in this commercial, the Chinese are given a slightly evil air, and appear to be mocking America for it's stupidity regarding spending. No one wants to laughed at like this from other countries, and since the people who paid for this were American's, they knew it as well.

This video shows us with a very blatant scenario that tells us we need to stop unnecessary government spending, or else we'll be very deep in debt to China in as early as 20 years. It's trying to urge America not to abandon the principles that made them great, and because of the date only being 20 years into the future, creates a greater sense of urgency, getting our attention further.