If it weren't for the fact that I have taught for many years and worked with many difficult students I think I would be quite angry about Loran's belittling insults. However, I know that people who are insecure and unsure of themselves always have to put down others to make them feel better. Students often do this by arguing, insulting and antagonizing others, especially the teacher. Their superiority complex (perhaps inferiority complex) drives them to act so.
Confucious said "shu shi si de, xue xi shi huo de" which means 'studying is alive, and books are dead'. Education, whether its in formal surroundings or informal, depends on the individual and how they apply their knowledge. Having said that I think the most important thing is how a person uses their knowledge through interaction with others. Do they arrogantly flaunt technical vernacular to appear intelligent? Do they make personal attacks when their points are disproven? Are they egocentricaly opinionated? Are they open to new ideas?
A truely wise person listens more than they speak and thinks twice before judging others.
Blah, blah, yada yada. And I don't like people who white wash, excuse, and sugar coat the barbaric behavior of tyrants, despots, and thugs, and then try to spoon feed me the tired, old Marxist canard that the slaves are content on the plantation. But, your bombastic lies about the situation regarding freedom of religion in that country were the final straw.I have zero tolerance for people who hold beliefs of the kind you hold, and that is never going to change. You are beyond the pall. The fact that I have a great love for the Chinese people and their traditional culture and many of its values makes it all the more galling. I want them to be free and democratic. You would like them to remain serfs in the fields of thier Lords. We can never meet on this, knowlten, never.
Go defend Deng Xiao Ping and his communist police state to someone who has more tolerance for that kind of thing. I do not.