Reasons to Leave: The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back
The author’s recent experiences led him to believe that there is no fairness in China, nor any foundation for rational discussion, ultimately prompting his decision to leave.
It all started when he became familiar with the residents of his neighborhood and discovered they were retired officials from the National Development and Reform Commission. These retirees receive over 25,000 yuan per month—far more than the rural pension (around 100 yuan) he knows from his own family. That’s a 200+ times difference. When he raised this issue in conversation with ordinary neighbors, everyone assumed the retirees deserved every penny because they had “contributed to the country.”
The author believes this utter disregard for self-interest, combined with an发自内心的 (genuine) support for a system that exploits them, is one of the defining traits of contemporary Chinese people. In his view, there is neither fairness nor room for rational discourse in China today, and so he made the decision to leave.
I hope this content doesn’t end up being the reason the site gets shut down in the future.