The New York Times recently featured an article about using t'ai chi (太極拳, or tàijíquán) as a treatment for fibromyalgia, a condition that causes chronic pain. Participants in the study who practiced t'ai chi typically reported significant improvement in the severity of their symptoms—in some cases quite dramatic improvement. This study follows others that have shown the numerous health benefits of practicing t'ai chi. The website Supreme Chi Living (www.americantaichi.net), which is funded by the U.S. government and was formerly known as the Tai Chi for Consumer Health Information Center, has a wealth of information about legitimate scientific research on t'ai chi. As a former sometime practitioner of t'ai chi (these days, unfortunately, it's hard to find the time to do it even occasionally), I can certainly offer my anecdotal support for the idea that t'ai chi makes you feel better in a variety of ways.
T'ai chi master Yang Cheng-fu demonstrating
the pose called "single whip"
I've heard about democracy being practiced in China at the local government level, but the openness and freedom of such elections is limited. However, China is demonstrating a remarkable willingness to experiment with cutting-edge methods of governance that show real promise, as Joe Klein discussed in his recent column for Time entitled "How Can a Democracy Solve Tough Problems?" This is a perfect example of the kind of process by which China and the United States (along with other countries) can learn from each other. (Note that it is an American political scientist who has helped the Chinese government with the implementation of this system.)
In another democracy-related (or at least equality-related) development, the strikes happening in Chinese factories in recent months demonstrate the power of economic development and access to information in encouraging people to assert their rights. That sword can cut the other way, too, as the state of our own prosperous yet flabby democracy shows, but this evolution certainly offers hope for the people of China. The New York Times invited a number of experts to discuss the significance of the strikes on the page entitled "What Do China's Workers Want?"
The Times also recently featured an article about how a provincial court in China has decided to hear a case brought by a man who was denied a teaching job for which he was qualified after testing positive for H.I.V. The man's lawyer summed up the significance of this development: "In the past on sensitive cases like this, the court would be very reluctant to accept the case. But this time they accepted it smoothly and quickly. That means the legal system in China is making progress." You can read the article here.
All of these developments offer hope that China, despite the inherently autocratic nature of its political system, is making progress in ways that will make the lives of its people better in more than just a material sense. China faces many problems, but it continues to show determination and adaptability in dealing with them. Here's hoping the United States will show a little more of that as well.
Posts
