The mass student protests that have swept Serbia since last November are distinctly “apolitical,” because their goal is to create the conditions for a new politics, rather than settle for another version of the same old game. Young Serbs understand that neither justice nor democracy is possible until the tables have been cleared.
LJUBLJANA – Something important is happening in China, and it should worry the country’s political leadership. Younger Chinese are increasingly exhibiting an attitude of passive resignation, captured by the new buzzword bai lan (“let it rot”). Born of economic disillusion and widespread frustration with stifling cultural norms, bai lan rejects the rat race and urges one to do only the bare minimum at work. Personal well-being takes precedence over career advancement.
LJUBLJANA – Something important is happening in China, and it should worry the country’s political leadership. Younger Chinese are increasingly exhibiting an attitude of passive resignation, captured by the new buzzword bai lan (“let it rot”). Born of economic disillusion and widespread frustration with stifling cultural norms, bai lan rejects the rat race and urges one to do only the bare minimum at work. Personal well-being takes precedence over career advancement.