why is chinese visa's alot longer

[shyaushu]

Frank.....did you steal that top 10 from Eric?

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Eric should be an inspiration to us all - maybe one.

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Eric was gone when I first came on board here, but in reading the history of his posts he had an uncanny abilility to make a point. Love his metaphors......

 

 

...where is he anyway? Thought I heard someone say he's here in Florida.

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Anyone familiar with socio-political novels (like Graham Greene or his ilk) knows how convoluted this international stuff is. Economics, political philosophy, racism -- they all play a role.

 

But as has been pointed out here, the US has historically -- and pointedly -- worked hard to exclude the Chinese from emmigrating here, except for their use as near slave labor for railroad building during the 19th century. During that period I believe male workers were permitted to come here, but their wives and family's could not!

 

Talk about a kinder, gentler society.

 

Some friends of mine who work in the Foreign Service and were recently stationed in Hong Kong told me when I visited them recently there is a "visa war" currently raging between the US and China, and fees for diplomatic visas, as well as other restrictions, were being imposed by both sides in an east-west "tit-for-tat."

 

This should all be seen in the deeper backdrop of the increasing reports in the US media of "Chinese espionage rings" uncovered by our investigative agencies and complimentary reports of the Chinese cozying up to "whatever repressive regime they can just to have an oil supply."

 

Forgotten, it seems, is the fact that the Saddam Hussein was a huge oil supplier for us just a few moments ago, and the Saudi's aren't exactly the Swiss when it comes to human rights.

 

As I said, this stuff is too complicated for easy analysis, but I believe the implications for the future are as important as the current difficulties we are all having getting our loved ones here. I am remembering the interrment of Japanese citizens during WW II,and I am fearful the fairly near future does not bode well for those of us with such close connections to the middle kingdom.

 

Some will offer this is "off topic", but seeing this current problem in the context of likely future developments seems very on-topic to me. And more imortantly, extremely relevant.

[Trigg]

ORRRRRRRR---------- maybe GUZ is less adept at doing what they do than other consulates????????? I for one refuse to make excuses for a Gov agency that is already busy making their own excuses. If they have problems serving US citizens because of names or population---then they need to adjust what they are doing. AFTERALL, it is WE they are supposed to be serving--not the Chinese!!!!!!!!!

[Mick]

Last track I had of the Mad Frenchman, he was in Broward County, somewhere out west of Ft. Lauderdale. Prior to that, he was in Kansas of all places. Sure do miss that guy. We went through a lot of craziness together.

 

In fact, he still owes me a box of chocolates for Valentines Day almost three years ago.

 

You remember that little episode, Don?