Pork supplied to Macao safe

The inspection and quarantine department of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, has said that pork supplied from the Chinese mainland to Macao has been free of clenbuterol, a toxic additive and the cause of the latest food scandal. The department's claim, if true, may relieve people of some of their worries, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

The Zhuhai inspection and quarantine department has said clenbuterol, which causes dizziness, palpitation and profuse sweating among humans, has not been found in the pork supplied to Macao. The reason for that, it said, are its strict measures, including specialized inspection standards and batch-by-batch inspection, to prevent contaminated food from entering the market.

But such a strict mechanism is not exclusive to Zhuhai. Similar measures are used in many cities and international and other events. For instance, during the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games, the capital catered food to more than 3 million visitors without any complaint. The Shanghai 2010 World Expo attracted more than 70 million visitors, and not a single food scandal was reported.

This means the country is capable of ensuring complete food safety, though it would entail a huge cost, because local authorities have to make relentless efforts to conduct special inspections and enhance enforcement.

Besides, all government departments have to forego their differences and set up a comprehensive supervision network.

The cost is truly immense, but it is trivial compared to the price the country has paid for food scandals.

Moral bankruptcy revealed

College student Yao Jiaxin went on trial last month on charges of stabbing cyclist Zhang Miao, a young mother, to death after knocking her down with his car in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, last October. Yao's college mate, a woman surnamed Li, tried to justify Yao's behavior saying Yao stabbed Zhang because she was staring at his car's license plate number. Li's remark is ridiculous, says an article in Yanzhao Metropolis. Excerpts:

Zhang had every reason to stare at the number plate of Yao's car after being knocked down. But instead of sympathizing with the victim, Li has outraged the public by accusing Zhang of being "shameless". Even more disturbing is the support Li seems to have got from some people.

Despite her apology, Li's remark has revealed her moral bankruptcy and that of the people who shamelessly support her.

In a way, the Xi'an incident reflects the moral crisis of today's society. Just as some scholars have said, Yao's action has raised the alarm bells for society and the education system, which seems to be imparting students with "utilitarian ideas" such as winners are always right and losers always wrong.

This obsession with success is leading many youngsters astray. For many of them, interest, often outweighs morality, fellow-feeling and sympathy. Besides, it is preventing many youths from weighing their success in terms of right and wrong.

More than 90 years ago, Lu Xun called for saving the younger generation, both physically and spiritually. Society does not seem to have heeded that call even today.

To save the younger generation, authorities have to change the country's backward educational pattern and cleanse the social atmosphere of the ills of "utilitarianism".

(China Daily 04/08/2011 page9)