Residential Development Boom in China

JVIt gives me no joy to point out that you have selected for Freshly Pressed a curedly biased post by Erika Earl [erikaearl.wordpress.com] titled A people called untouchable', which is not only a slur to Hindus and to India but misappropriates our culture, history and religion rather dubiously.The caste system is an age old phenomenon in India it had its uses and like all things given to Man, has been corrupted to exploit in many cases, but it is on the wane as the country evolves socially and integrates politically after the many years of Christian subjugation under the British. Since then we have had Dalit {untouchable, in Erika's language} Presidents, the Chief Minister of the largest state of India Uttar Pradesh is a Dalit. Central Ministers in the current cabinet are Dalits, and they are everywhere in India today in the famed IITs and IIMs of India and they excel in academics and business and in all walks of life. More importantly they are not untouchables' to the growing majority of Indians of this and the last generation, like me.India is a country of billions and the few hundred thousands of cases that Erika tries to dazzle us with withers in percentile terms even as the figures are themselves borrowed from history books. Yes, there are cases of persecution even now, but remember this is a democracy with an open press and that there are so few cases only proves the point of a drastically changed landscape.I am aware of your right to judge a post or blog and I do not intend to impinge on that privilege. But ref. Thom Paine's comment and your reply here earlier, I am disappointed [Pained?] that you have also not followed your own dictum in this case and pressed ahead without selecting a counter-point' post, although that would have hardly compensated for this, I believe, misjudgement.Be that as it may, a few other things about the choice of post and blogger bothers me just three posts ? And to solicit for donations openly against that quality of content. Could it be that the posts are tweaked to wring out the last dollar of our emotions so Erika could feel better about doing God's work while fattening her piggy bank? I mean, it's just plain bad manners to step into someone else's country with a view to teach them to worship new Gods, but now to order them around and want to get paid for it even if it's in the name of God. Jesus!Joy, we have a very huge problem here with missionaries and evangelists. My prayer is to avoid exacerbating the situation by feting tyros and nubile zealots who remind us in honey dripping innuendo of the greatness of their own Gods. Remember, we in India have just too many of our own. And, there's no reason to suggest they aren't working out our Karma, right now, right?Put simply, that post was offensive. More offensive, my Hindu friends here in New Delhi are sure, than the itty bitty nudity you were sanctimonious about in some other case below.Please consider taking this off your preferred list.Many thanks.Sanjay Kaul

Hi, I discovered your page just few days ago lnkoiog for news on Matsushima devastation and I`m already addicted to it:) I like your concise yet informative style of writing and LOVE your pictures, especially from Japan. Every one of them tells the story of people, society, light, city Thank you. You are a great photographer! Envy you such wary eye and a little bit such camera;)

I love this house and could live here too. It would be nice this much detail and history went into every residential development here.

Looks very pretty and tranquille...