Asian Studies

Can Japan Retain Its Economic Vigor Despite An Aging, Shrinking Population Japan is expected to face tough challenges in the 21st century, these challenges include shrinking and aging population the rising of new economic powerhouses in Asia the diminishing of natural resources and Global Warming. Economic expertise have skeptical and pessimistic expectations regarding the future of Japans position in the world economy. One of these expectations are presented by the Japan Center for Economic Research, this organization expects that  by 2030 Japans real GDP will be less than half of Indias and one-fifth the size of Chinas, while Japans population will plummet will be more than 25 from over 127 million now to around 94 million by midcentury.     

The Japanese government had noticed the threats that faces the economy, and therefore it it decided to put new strategies to sustain Japans economic vigor. In 2006, Shinzo Abe was elected as Prime Minister of Japan, but he resigned about a year later. Although Abe stayed in office for a relatively short time, he had some remarkable contributions. His most important contribution was establishing an organization called the  Innovation 25 Strategy Group. This group consists of a big number of academic experts and industrial leaders who are responsible for creating an  innovation roadmap  to sustain the power of national economy until the year 2025. Abe also established a new ministry in his government called the Ministry of Innovation. In order to maintain the effectiveness of his governments strategies, he established a new cross-ministry  Innovation Promotion Office  to ensure the best outcomes of any new proposed plan.     

It is a fact that Japanese companies perform well in the markets with their innovative products, but studies show that there are many market-related issues that the government has to deal with. In 2007, a study was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on  scientific and technological innovation in 82 different countries. Japan ranked No. 1 among the countries that where surveyed in the study. The number of new recorded patents every year in Japan is 51 more than in the United States. However, Japans rank drops to 25  when taking into account the factors of the  environment conductive to innovation which includes such factors as flexibility of the labor market, regulation, and openness to foreign investment and cultural influence. Fortunately, at the time of preparing the Innovation 25 roadmap, Abes government was aware of the effects of these problems on Japans economic superiority. Therefore, the Innovation 25 Strategy Group suggested a number of plans to contain any major problem, these plans include imposing new regulations to make it easy for highly-qualified foreign talents to live and work in Japan and lifting restrictions on accepting foreign students in schools and universities.    

There are many promising signs of change in the governments policies and in the society. A good example on the positive changes in the governments policies can be noticed in the case of a Japanese design-engineering firm called  Takram . The two founders of the firm, Kinya Tagawa and Motohide Hatanaka, are among few Japanese citizens who have completed their college education abroad (Tagawa in the U.S. And Hatanaka in the U.K.). Upon graduation, both men were skeptical about their future as respected engineers in Japanese companies, and therefore they established their own firm.

Shockingly, they found that the government is very interested in supporting all their activities (even marketing campaigns abroad). This case is a good example on the changes in the governments attitude toward foreign investments and the influence of foreign education. An example on the positive change in society is the citizens clean and green behavior. One of the environment-friendly habits that Japanese citizens are committed to is the tendency to use public transportation instead of private vehicles. The levels of using public transportation in Japan are 100-200 higher than in any other developed country. The ability of the government and society to change, makes it possible for Japan to face any tough challenge and turn it into a valuable opportunity.                      

The Economic Impact of the War on Japan in the 20th Century. The first war that Japan had been involved in during the 20th century was World War I (1914-1917). In this war, Japan fought alongside the  Allied Powers  (France, Great Britain and Russia) against the  Central Powers. The increasing demand on war supplies by the Allies during the years of war gave Japans economy a big boost. All economic sectors found a great opportunity to grow. However, the end of the war was the beginning of new problems (1) The excessive increases in the levels of production led to the exhaustion of Japans natural resources. (2) The huge lack of raw materials led to a devastating inflation. The type of inflation in this case is called  Demand-Pull  inflation.    

In World War II (1939-1945), Japan fought with the  Axis Powers  (Germany and Italy) against the  Allied Powers  (Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union). It was the most devastating war in Japans history. The excessive attacks and bombing by the Allied Powers resulted in the destruction of Japans homeland. The war had negative impacts on Japans natural resources the labor market and machinery. Japans economy totally collapsed, and it was theoretically impossible to revive it.    

The Korean War (1950-1953) was one of the  proxy wars  between the United States and the Soviet Union during the era of the cold war. The war was between the Soviet-supported North Korea and the US-supported South Korea. North Koreas victory in the war was a  huge victory for the Soviet Union and its ideology (Communism) in Asia.    

After the war, the United States realized how important it is to have an ally in the region to halt the spread of Communism. Japan was still suffering from the destructive effects of  World War II and trying to rebuild its economy. The Japanese wanted to adopt a new economic ideology, but they were confused between Capitalism and Communism. The United Sates took advantage of the situation and offered them the Capitalist ideology. The United States wanted Japan to become a loyal and faithful friend rather than a conventional political ally. The main purpose of forming this friendship was to ensure the presence of American troops in Japan to halt the possibility of establishing a Communist bloc there. The United States had a number of attractive offers for the Japanese government in order to persuade it to accept the idea of becoming the United States ally, these offers included giving Japan a permission to rearm itself and providing it with military and economic support.

China is one of the leading exporters of products and items. One of the regions proliferated by China exports is the Middle East. The Middle East acts as a recipient of Chinese exported products from consumer products to vehicle spare parts and even missiles and warheads. In its history of exporting with the Middle East, it appears that some of the export ties with the region have been created in the last 20 years or in the more recent times. Nonetheless, it has been a positive development for China, its export products and its economic growth in relation to this development.

The Chinese have had a long history of being active traders, travelling by land and sea, and in the modern world, by air to bring their products outside of the country and offer it in other parts of the world where it is needed and the demand for such products and items are high. Today, that tradition has not changed and China remains as one of the selected countries known as a key exporter of many different items including toys, food, dry and wet goods, mechanical and electrical equipment and supplies, clothes, entertainment and communication gadgets and devices, appliances and tools, agricultural supply and a lot more. Thanks largely to the countrys cheap labor costs and manpower and cheaper production costs as well that allows China and its products to be able to compete in the global market, price-wise. The composition of China-Middle East trade is very much consistent with the Chinese strategy of using comparatively cheap labour to produce low cost goods, from ready-to-wear fashion to cars, in abundance. From Europe to America to its neighboring Asian countries, and even as far as Africa, China-made products have loaded display stands and stock rooms because of Chinas style of aggressively marketing its export-ready products.

As a rising economy in Asia and in the world, China is not afraid to use its political and economic clout to expand its export business. It is unafraid to explore previously unchartered territories when it comes to Chinas history of export across the globe. One of the regions in the world that is able to enjoy these products is the Middle East. A very rich and stable collection of Arab countries, it was odd that in the past, the Middle East was not a significant target of Chinas export, but the bullish thrust of China in opening up more and more export lines globally has allowed it to export to Middle East. Finally, there was something Middle East wanted that China was able to provide for them, through Chinas exported products to the Middle East. This is a significant trade relations especially since this involves two powerful economic entities - China and the oil-rich Middle East. Because of this, the paper will focus its discussion and analysis on what China actually have exported to the Middle East, particularly products with significant value during the more recent years.

Products exported to the Middle East
China is a country that has been producing almost everything that everywhere one looks in any part of the world, there are China-made products to be seen in stores. The Middle East is a place where people are financially capable, and thus, a very potent target for China to export their goods in, considering the fact that many of the people have the ability to buy and the money to spend. In the more recent history of Chinas export trade with the Middle East, it has featured the presence of selected items that are exported in several different Middle Eastern countries by China. These items vary from one another - from harmless consumer products like beef which is heavily consumed in the region, to vehicle spare parts necessary for the automotive repairs in the Middle East,  to more dangerous toys China is selling to countries in the Middle East which are hostile to the western countries, particularly warheads, missiles and missile-related technologies that makes other countries do a double take on China, what it is exporting and to whom it is sending it to in the Middle East in particular.
 
A. Beef
One of the common types of meat consumed by humans is beef. In the Middle East where culture dictates a strong inclination to beef since Muslim religion forbids the eating of pork, beef products are potentially strong products to sell. Because of this, China was able to make the best out of the situation by finding the right country to target its export of supplies of beef on. But beef is not one considered as one of the strongest export material or item of China in the past in relation to its worldwide export and to its export history in the Middle East. In its history of exporting items to the Middle East, beef is one of the items that are exported there. One of the countries in the region to benefit from the beef export of China is Iran. Exports of beef were limited to modest shipments to Hong Kong and to the former USSR in the middle 1980s. By 1990, the USSR market for frozen beef had grown substantially exports to the Middle East especially in Iran had begun.

This is a surprising turn of events and a development that is testament to Chinas move to diversify and to be able to provide as many different products possible to be able to retain its status as export items hub, if not the capital. China has never been a major exporter of beef of live cattle. But because of the business acumen of the Chinese, it was not long enough before they were able to realize the potential in participating in this particular trade. This move that diversified their export items being sent around the world particularly in the Middle East has helped the national economy no doubt.
 
B. Vehicle spare parts
Another one of the popular exports coming from China is its sale of vehicle spare parts to many different countries. This is made possible by China because they have the capabilities to produce vehicle spare parts for cheaper prices. Through technology sharing or even technology piracy or both, many Chinese companies are able to get hold of information regarding the schematics of vehicles and the design and characteristics of the vehicles spare parts, allowing them the opportunity to mass produce these spare parts and sell them to countries where these parts are high in demand. The oil-rich Middle East is a place where people often use cars. Those who do not have money to buy a new car or to buy authentic spare parts often resort to China made spare parts which are cheaper.

Like in the case of beef being exported by China to the Middle East, vehicle spare parts are just a recent offering to the Middle East by China. This was believed to have started during Chinas participation in the Middle East Vehicle Spare Parts Fair which happened in the early years of the twenty first century. Exporting vehicle spare parts in the Middle East compliments Chinas export style since China has been known to export vehicle spare parts in many different parts of the world. Many companies inside China produce these parts which are being exported in other countries. With the addition of Middle East as a target drop off point of exported items, this development can only mean positive development for the GNP of China.

C. Missiles
Perhaps one of the most controversial exports that China has to send over to the Middle East is those which are military in nature, particularly missiles. The Middle East features countries with different military connections when it comes to constantly upgrading and improving their military arsenal. Israel, Russia and the United States are three of the leading suppliers of weapons and related items for the countries in the Middle East. But the capability of China for mass production and sales of missiles has enabled the country to be competitive versus other previous suppliers and exporters of arms and weapons in the Middle East. Recently, it appears that China has indeed won many contracts in the Middle East that makes it the key exporter of missiles, but would only admit to supply and export missiles in Saudi Arabia alone.

This, however, results to some controversy that involves China, considering the fact that authorities and professionals are investigating the possibility that the exporting of missiles in the Middle East and in selected Middle Eastern countries is not limited to allowable warheads. This practice of China exporting missiles to the Middle East is contributing to the growing military capability of many Arab countries, some of which are known to be openly hostile to the west which makes American and European authorities concerned. This trade aspect of China can endanger many other countries and can act as the ability of the terror groups to re-arm, or even upgrade their military capability, and fight a long, protracted war versus western military units fighting in different Middle East battle fronts.

In broad stroke, China, consistent to its trading dogma of not being selective of whom to deal business with as long as it is a business transaction that promises income for them, is being scrutinized by other countries. Its export relations with the Middle East feature the sale of many warheads and missiles, as well as missile technology and missile-building and maintaining products and supplies, that arms and equips countries with attack capability without consideration to the political leanings of these groups. Worse, it seems that the Chinese government was aware of the possible illegality of the act considering missile supply control agreements in place to prevent proliferation of such weapons, hence, resorting to veiling its missile exports to Middle East with the guise of innocent, legal export products. They say they are sending in steel and other harmless items when in fact it is missile and other related items and products that they are actually taking to the Middle East. The growing demand for such items from the Chinese may even prompt China to steal the arms technology and capability of other countries and sell it to Middle East.

In the NTI website, it detailed the different kinds of missiles and warheads reportedly exported by China to Middle East.  The website explained the exact type of missile and the country that China sent it to. The list includes countries like Egypt as well as Iraq which was recently investigated for suspected weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and many different other countries, the missiles including ballistic and cruise missiles as well as related items and products like missile fuel and missile technology.

China has been actively exporting items and products in many parts of the world. It is not surprising that sooner or later, Chinese export products will find its way to the Middle East. While the export of products, like beef and vehicle spare parts, can be considered as positive points for Chinese export trade, the same cannot be said regarding its other products, particularly missiles and warheads and related technology. These business transaction may be harmful and detrimental to the state of world peace in the long term, considering the fact that armies are being armed and there is no exact way of telling the military capability of armies in line with Chinas direct and back door exporting and supplying of these kinds of weapons to Middle East countries, some of them potentially hostile to western governments.

The year that is being discussed in this paper is 1976, this year belongs to the period between the years 1949 and 1976, and the period is referred to as the Mao period. The year shall be discussed by referring to the news and the main events that have happened in this year along with the main changes that have been noticed in the Chinese community.

In the year of 1976, one of the main events that struck China was the earthquake in Tangshan and it is often referred to as the Great Earthquake of Tangshan. This is the natural disaster that has been known to end the cultural revolution of China on the great scale. Because of this main reason, the earthquake has been considered as one of the markers in the history. The earthquake hit the city of China, Tangshan that was considered as the epicenter for the earthquake, having a magnitude of 7.8 and the precise date that has been recorded is July 28, 1976. The death toll that was recorded on the initial scale was 280,000 while in the later news it is recorded that the death toll reached 300,000. The effects that the earthquake had left were enormous. However, the main change was the power of the Chinese Communist party was shaken after the earthquake. The power of this party was concentrated in Beijing and it was shaken in both the literal and the political sense.  

The year of 1976 has been known as the year of political ferment. The Chinese Communist party chairperson Mao Zedong was at the age of 82. His health did not allow him to be active in politics and he was admitted to the hospital. The medical conditions that he was facing at that time were the heart attacks, weakening him to the level that he could not participate in the party tasks. Medical complications related to the old age and the smoking further aggravated his health.

The year of 1976 is marked by the increase in the changes in the Chinese society, especially the changes in the Chinese Cultural Revolution and these revolutionary changes were excelling as the time was passing by. In addition to these changes, it has been recorded that not all the political representatives welcomed these changes in the culture these included Zhou Enlai who was western educated and the Chinese public premier. He was the representative who was seen to be fatigued of the unrestrained behavior of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Many steps were undertaken by Zhou Enlai in order to oppose the Cultural Revolution. It has been seen that Zhou Enlai publically opposed the orders that were passed on by Mao. In this example, it has been recorded that Zhou Enlai gave the idea of modernizations these were referred to as the four modernizations that were proposed in 1975. Some modernizations were against the Cultural Revolution and these were the changes that were against the main ideologies that Mao held.  Mao believed in the idea of Return to the Soil. Thereby there was a constant rivalry between the two parties. Zhou Enlai wanted that there should be a modernization in the Chinese culture as well as in agriculture, education, technology and in national defense. As a result of this, one of the main changes was the formation of the Gang of Four in the same year and this is the gang that was headed and lead by Madam Mao, who is also known as Jiang Qing.

On the 8th of January 1976, Zhou Enlai passed away. This happened before the earthquake of Tangshan in 1976. His death was mourned by complete Chinese community, as he was the loved leader in China. In addition to this, it was seen that there were orders issued by the Gang of Four that the death should be mourned to a lesser extent. In spite of this fact, it was observed that there were millions of people who were disobedient to these orders, and joined the other people in Tiananmen
Square in Beijing in order to express their sorrow.

Since the year of 1949, this was one of the greatest demonstrations in Peoples Republic. The people had been protesting against the government and because of the deaths of Tiananmen Square, the main change that occurred in China was the premier replacement of Zhou Enlai with an unknown person Hua Guofeng. Afterwards, it was seen that the next bearer of the modernization was Deng Xiaoping and he belonged to the Chinese Communist party. The year of 1976 has been known as the year that saw much political instability. It was observed that the Gang of Four wanted the denunciation of Deng Xiaoping.               

The main ideologies that were being followed by Deng Xiaoping were the modernization of China. He worked for raising the living standards of a typical Chinese citizen in case of their living as well as the education thereby following an ideology of modernization. A greater freedom of expression and higher education was allowed within the Chinese community and it has been observed that the political persecution that was being observed in China was tried to be ended or concluded. The condemnation against Deng continued for many years, especially in the summer as well as winter of the same year.

After all these events, the natural disaster that shook China the most was the Great Tangshan Earthquake in 1976. In accordance to the death toll, it has been considered as the greatest earthquake in the worlds history. Because of the political instability in China as well as the political rivalries and the opposition to the revolution of China there were many tensions in the country along with the earthquake thereby this year was known as the year of curse. The industrial city of China where the earthquake struck had one million inhabitants.

According to the news, it has been recorded that the earthquake struck the city early in the morning and the magnitude was 7.8 at the Richter scale. Some news sources say that the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.2. Still, the damage that was caused by the earthquake was massive and it remains etched in ones mind.

Before the earthquake, there were some deviations from the normal state. It has been reported that these were some early changes that went unnoticed. It was reported that the water of the well rose and fell three times in a day before the earthquake. There was a sprouting of gas in one of the villages in China and higher gas discharge was observed in one of the villages on the 25th and 26th of the same month.

In addition to this, it has been reported that the State Seismological Bureau (SSB) Analysis and Prediction Department of China had predicted that the Tangshan region of China is the most sensitive for the earthquakes in the future thereby the sensitivity of the area was predefined as well as predicted by the expert authorities. Moreover, the dates were given when the earthquake would most likely strike and the predicted dates were in between the months of July and August. All the abnormal signs were the ones that were recorded in various cities of China such as Tangshan, Beijing and Tianjin, Bahia as well as the regions in Among all these areas, the main region that started preparing against the great disaster was the Qinglong County as it has been seen that the reports presented were analyzed and the earthquakes were thought to be looming that is why the people started to prepare against the disaster. There was a smaller response to the report from the county as the initial news say that 800 people from the county started to respond. Some sources say that the preparations were started two years earlier as the people from these counties knew that a disaster was expected. Emergency meetings were set up in order to make sure that the villagers were informed in a proper manner. In these meetings, it was made sure that the special attention should be given to the water reservoirs as well as the buildings, as these were the ones that showed the deviations from the normal.

At that time, the secretary of the county was Ran Guangq. He had been facing lots of political criticism for paying attention to the reports and this was calling for more political tensions in the country. However, in spite of these, it was seen that Ran Guangq was ready to even go to jail and be removed from the political designations still he paid proper attention to the earthquake predictions and started making preparations. The main steps that were taken were the proper education of the people as well as the necessary steps to make the evacuations. It was seen that almost 500,000 residents in the country were prepared for the earthquake. It has been reported that almost twenty years later, United Nations added that the preparations and the early warnings were an intelligent and a wise progress. It was added that because of these early earnings the survival rates were increased to a higher extent.

he other main event that has been assigned to the year of 1976 is that the Gang of Four was arrested. The newer assigned chairperson of the Chinese Communist party, Hua Guofeng was the one who had ordered the arrest of the most important radicals in Beijing. This is the event that has been named the main revolutionary sign of change after the death of Mao. The famous and rather notorious Gang of Four included the widow of Mao as well as Wang Hongwen, Yao Wenyuan, and Zhang Chunqiao.
The formation of the Gang of Four led to many disturbing changes in China along with the social as well as a political upheaval in the country. The main aim of the Gang was the revival of the revolutionary fervor in the country thereby resulting in the mentioned upheaval.

Another main change was the attacks that were launched by the Red guards against the intellectuals. These attacks were launched to conclude the Bourgeois influence and in this period it was seen that there was a large number of people who were forced into labor as well as there was a large number of people who were executed. These were the crimes that were reported in the newspapers on a large scale. It was observed that during the first year of revolution, the ranks were raised by Mr. Zhang and it was observed that Mr. Zhang was the chief political commissar of the armed forces at that time thereby he had most of the power.

Within the Gang of Four, it was observed that Mr. Wang was known as the wonder boy although the powers that he had were limited. In the year of 1973, he had gained a single rank within the party. One of the most important followers of the Maoist principles was Jian Qing who was formerly an actress.
It has been reported that the arrest was accomplished when the Gang of Four was going to attempt a takeover as an aftermath of the death of the chairman Mao. There are some reports that say that the widow of Mr. Mao had plans on forging the will of Mr. Mao after his death, presenting herself in the will as Maos successor and these were the times when she used to be surrounded by the bodyguards of Hua Guofeng as she eventually was placed under a house arrest. It was reported that there were many anticipations after the arrest and one of the main anticipations related to the liberalization of the social as well as the economic policy in the country. The editorial of the Times Newsweek said that the period could be known as the period when the country got the most important and well balanced political directions.

On the 4th of April 1976, one of the most important gatherings in the country has been reported and it has been referred to as the Qing Ming festival. More than 2 million people attended the festival and the event took place in the Tiananmen Square. This historical gathering was for the purpose of the commemoration of the premier Zhou Enlai. After his death, there were many poems as well as articles written to remember the premier. The very next day, it was reported about a large gathering that was protesting against all the arrests as well as the demands related to the returning of the wreaths from the government. During these demands, the crowd became furious and it was seen that there were clashes between the police, the government officials as well as the crowd that led to the police attacks on the crowd. This is the very gathering that was referred to as Counter Revolutionary Riot by Mao Zedong and it was seen that the orders passed were that the firing should be avoided. This is the Cultural

Revolution that ended in the same year of 1976, when Mao Zedna passed away.
After a period of two years, the the newer leader Deng Xiaoping was selected and he was the one who made the major changes in the country after the conclusion of the revolution that was started by Mao. China in his leadership adopted the open policy reforms and there were positive changes in the countrys economy.

The Peoples Republic of China has seen many changes in the past years but it has been reported that one of the most important years in the history of China was the year of 1976. This is the year when the Cultural Revolution started by Mao was at its peak as he believed that the culture is the one that can lead to greater success. The same year, his death caused an end to the revolution and there was a rise of the Gang of Four that was being lead by Maos widow wife. This Gang was arrested in the same year and the arrests led to the main economic and political changes that were needed at that time. Moreover, one man who did not believe in the Maoist principles was Zhou Enlai and he tried hard to change the Maoist ideology of the Chinese people, saying that China should be modernized in the case of the laws and the policies that were adopted by the Chinese at the time. The modernization was needed in the technology usage in the country in terms of the education so that the newer generation could be taught in a better manner. The political and the educational changes at a side, the natural disaster that the world has not forgotten till now is the Tangshan earthquake that killed almost 300,000 people. This is the earthquake that has been reported to be forecasted by the authorities in China as there were many activities in the villages that were related to the earthquake and these included the gas emissions in the village as well as the water rising in the wells.

Korean Pop Music (or simply K-pop) has been accepted not only by South Korean youth but also young individuals around the world because of its vibrant tunes and passionate vocals by the artists. The idea lies on the fact that this form of music is somewhat refreshing to the eyes and ears of the society. The premise being if something is new in the perception of the society, then they will either accept it or reject it based on the cognitive maps of the people. Hence the society is quick in accepting this new form of music because they feel that it is apt for their cognitive map. Thence from the onset of  having caught the attention of these young individuals, fan clubs have been formed in order to gather people cheering for these artists during concerts, fan meetings and other events. Fan clubs for these artists and idol groups have formed in South Korea and other countries with large fan base.
   
Besides patronizing the groups and artists music and activities, fan clubs have added new functions as an organization. These clubs have become an advocate of charity work. Fan clubs of the various K-pop artists and groups have done charity work not only to benefit the ones in need but also build the image of their organization and the artist they are supporting. But what really is it that these groups influence in the society and the minds of the people Does the Kpop culture also promote any social structures that also affects the society Does globalization has anything to do with this  Wherefore, this paper problematizes on the effects of K-pop fandom on young individuals and how it influences the society as a whole. 

2. Discussion
Korean Pop MusicK-pops popularity grew in the year 1992 as Seo Taiji and Boys emerged in the music scene. The grouped has mixed various elements of music such as rock, rap and techno which became the reason for its popularity (AsiaFinest).
   
Various idol groups and artists with dance-oriented acts followed after the emergence of Seo Taiji and Boys. Rock music also became a mainstream with the national recognition of artists such as Yoon Do-hyun Band. On the other hand, trot, a less popular genre in K-pop was from the influence of Japanese songs during World War II. After WWI, western-style music became the mainstream in K-pop (AsiaFinest).    In the present time, the Korean music industry is bombarded with teen idol groups. Among the most popular groups are TVXQ, Big Bang, Super Junior and the Wonder Girls. The song  Nobody  by the Wonder Girls even entered mainstream music in the U.S.A. when the group had an opening act for the Jonas Brothers (Chun).

Fan Clubs 
To express love and support for these artists and idol groups, various fan clubs have been formed. These fan clubs gather at events like concerts and fan meetings with the artists. Often times, they also gather to celebrate the birthdays of the artists and offer their tribute.    One of the most popular fan clubs in South Korea and according to the 2008 Guiness World Record is the Worlds biggest fan club with 800,000 official members is TVXQs Cassiopeia (allkpop.com). Cassiopeia is not only based in South Korea but also has fanbases in different coutries around the world, particularly the Asian countries surrounding it (e.g. Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and etc.). Other official fan clubs are Super Juniors E.L.F. and world star Rains Clouds.
   
Fans even have a distinct fan club color for their favorite artists which is usually used during concerts and other fan gatherings. For example, members of Cassiopeia wear red shirts and bring red balloons and red glow sticks which are used for cheering the members of TVXQ. On the other hand, E.L.F. members fan club color is Sapphire Blue, which is also a track sung by Super Junior in their 2nd studio album.

Charity Work by Artists
Artists with great number of fans generate huge revenue in ticket and album sales alike. That is why some artists and music producers do charity work by holding charity concerts and albums. The proceeds are donated to various institutions and groups of people who are in need of financial support.
   
Last year, Jackie Chan together with renowned Korean music producer Jin-young Park (JYP), and other famous Korean stars such as the Wonder Girls, Kim Ah-jung, Park Yong-ha, and Korean skater, Kim Yu-na, recorded a project album which benfitted the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan, China. The title of the project album is  I Love Asia  with its intention of  Asia becomes one in showing love  (Pops in Seoul).
   
There are also other ways of showing support by artists in different projects. Last May of this year, Jewelry member Seo In-young held a charity bazaar with other Korean stars to help children suffering from cancer. Being a fashionista herself, Seo In-young featured shoes and new apparel she bought from the U.S.A. The proceeds of the event were donated to the children affected by cancer (Pops in Seoul).
   
Artists also do volunteer work. Last year the biggest oil spill in South Korea happened at the Taean Peninsula. Singer and Actor Shim Eun-jin, TVXQ member Max together with other Korean stars volunteered for the clean-up efforts at Taean Peninsula (Pops in Seoul).
   
Not only by generating money through concerts and albums, some artists do volunteer  work by visiting and caring for the sick in hospitals. Idol groups like TVXQ and Super Junior have visited the sick and children in the hospital.

Charity Work by Fans
Following their favorite artists and idol groups foot steps, Fan clubs have also made efforts to donate to various charities under the name of the artists and groups they are supporting.
   
TVXQs fan club Cassiopeia has made various charity efforts under the name of their favorite idol group. The fans of TVXQ member Xiah Junsu offered a donation of 8,000 under his name as a birthday gift. The donation is for the benefit of the hearing impaired so that they could get proper surgery and treatment (Pops in Seoul). Another charity effort the by Cassiopeia is working with an international development and relief agency called Adra Korea.  which worked with a disaster relief project in Cambodia this year. The agency together with Cassiopeia worked on a disaster relief project in the poorest village in Cambodia. Adra Korea is working to improve the childrens condition of living in the village. To honor the donation, the village was named Xiah Junsu Village.
   
Cassiopeians also released a song entitled  Love Melody  which was dedicated to the members of TVXQ who are undergoing difficult times. The fans wrote the lyrics of the song and sang it. With its outstanding quality the song was released as a digital album in different websites and portals. The proceeds of the album went to charities as well.
   
Additionally, artists work with fans in doing various charity efforts. Recently, world star Rains own music agency, J-tune Entertainment announced that it will be starting a foundation providing free services on Lasik surgery for people who cannot afford it. To be able to avail these services, the patient can be recommended by an official member of Rains fan club Clouds so that he or she will be permitted to have the surgery. Patients related to the official member of the fan club can also have the surgery. Moreover, the patient can register as an official member of Clouds in Rains official website. This foundation is teamed up with  Eye  Eye Vision in Gangnam having the project label of  Creating a Bright New World.
   
Like the spread of K-pop around Asia and the world, some fan clubs from different coutries have also made efforts in donating to charities. In the Philippines, the first K-pop convention was held last December 5, 2009. This fund-raising event was attended by various fan clubs of idol groups such as TVXQ, Super Junior, Rain, SHINee, F(x), 2ne1, Girls Generation etc. Not only these fan clubs had enjoyed a 5-hour program consisting of singing and dancing contests, special awards and performances but also they have donated to a charity supporting the less fortunate children. The proceeds of the event will go to Gawad Kalinga, a  Catholic-driven organization that aids victims of poverty and natural disasters with a variety of assistance programs for education, food sufficiency and other venues of support.

3. Theoretical Foundations
Theories attempt to explain phenomena in the society. In the context of the influence that the Kpop music brings to the society, it can be said that they continue to establish new forms of notions and suppositions that shape the minds of the people. Thus in order to deconstruct certain elements in Kpop music this study will embrace theoretical assumptions. The use of theories is divided in two parts micro- individual level and macro- societal cultural level. The division is made in order to separate the influences that Kpop brings on the individual stratum and the societal- cultural stratum.
   
Fritz Heiders theory on Attribution states that the causes of behavior of other people can be explained in a variety of reasons (Heider). Thus it can be said that the way that people who are influenced by the Kpop culture can be analyzed in a myriad of ways. The way that they behave in accordance to the influence that the Kpop groups give may be best analyzed in different ways. If they support the fund raising activities that their groups sponsor then it can be inferred that this behavior are actually caused by a myriad of other reasons. It is important that the attribution that is assigned to a certain form of behavior such as the support that the fans give to their groups must be deconstructed in which the behavior took place.
   
In Social Judgment theory by Muzafer Sherif, Carolyn Sherif, Carl Hovland, they stress that the statement or any form of message that humans accepts or rejects is based on the their cognitive maps.  Humans accept or reject ideas based on their own ego- involvement and if it is within the sphere of their own acceptance (Sherif  Hovland). Therefore it can be said that the people or the societies that generally accepted Kpop are those people that saw that they are apt for the kind of cognitive maps that they have and they fall within the context of their own sphere or latitude of acceptance. Thus it can also be said that if they feel that the Kpop groups that they are supporting are promoting charitable actions for others then most likely they would begin to help them as well because of the influence that they gave on them.
   
On a societal- cultural level, another theory can be used to explain the phenomena on the influence that the Kpop music gives to the society. As stated by Herb Schiller on his Cultural Imperialism theory, he said that the the ideas and notion in the western countries dominate the media all across the world which means that it has a direct effect on the Third World countries. The effect is seen on the way that the views of the western countries are imposed on them and in the end destroy the native cultures and traditions of the affected nations. This theory appears intriguing because on a deeper note, the effects of the western traditions on the pop culture can be clearly seen on the way these pop groups present their music. In a nutshell, the language used by the Korean groups are of their own but the style clearly are western. This could have been the reason why many nations, most specifically in Asia, had quickly accepted this kind of music. The fact that the music is indeed of an entertaining quality, it is also hard dispense the fact that it is also very westernized in many sense. It is a given fact that the Asian nations patronizes almost all of the ideas of the west hence at the end of the day this could have been the reason why these Asian nations were quick in accepting this new form of popular culture. Thus it can also be inferred that Kpop groups had been accepted quickly because of their western appeal has also have on a hauling effect on their people that support them.
   
In this regard the idea of globalization may somehow explain why this popular culture had been widely accepted by the society. The idea of globalization has indeed influenced many societies and other ideas in the world. Thus the idea of globalization also plays an integral role on the influence that the Kpop culture creates in the society. Since globalization is more commonly defined as a continuing process into which societies and their cultures and economies are intertwined with the world and that they are now open to trade these with other societies and other nations. Thus it can be said that it is circulation of ideas and notions of different nations in the world. It is also divided into several other forms such as economical, political, technological, biological and cultural. In the context of this paper, it can be distilled that this kind of idea is a form of cultural globalization in which a new form a cultural idea has entered in a nation. What does this mean This means that since many nations most specifically parts of Asia had opened their doors for globalization then the entrance of ideas and other forms of popular culture is very lax. This would also mean that the society is exposed to this kinds of pop culture hence may influence the society most especially the youth that are listening to the Kpop music. 

3. Summary and Conclusion
Therefore it can be distilled that the influence that these Kpop groups made on the people that support them may be best deconstructed and analyzed on their behavioral patterns (with importance given to the context into which these behavior was made), cognitive maps and acceptance latitude, effect and adaptation of westernized styles and cultural globalization. It is important to understand that this behavior of the supporters are developed on the way that their cognitive maps and latitude of acceptance had worked to create the actions that they are doing. Consequently, it can also be said that the way that these behaviors are made is based on the fact that these are influenced first, by the cultural globalization and henceforth on the influence that the groups themselves provide. Thus at the end of the day the behavior of the supporter or the fans, as they are popularly called, can be analyzed on the way that they are governed by the influence that this Kpop groups provide. More importantly the interplay of cultural globalization and western influence are also important criteria to look at.

The culture of Chinese is one that is based on a rich and varied history that dates back several centuries ago. The major source of inspiration for Chinese culture has been religion with Cambodia and India exacting a heavy influence. Approximately throughout a period equating to two millennium, Chinese came up with a unique belief called Khmer which they obtained with time from the syncreticism of the indigenous animistic faith of the Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Indian civilization together with its culture this incorporating the arts and language reached the mainland of Southeast Asia in the 1st century A.D.

History of Chinese The golden age of Chinese is believed to be between the 9th century and 14th century. This was during the Angkor period when it enjoyed the privileges of being a prosperous and powerful empire that quickly flourished and dominated most of the inland southeast Asia. Angkor however soon collapsed due to infighting among its royalty and warring with its powerful neighbors Dai Viet and Siam. Most of the temples from this region such as Angkor Wat and Bayon were spared and remain even to date.

Architecture and housing
The Angkorian sculptors and architects came up with temples that mapped out the cosmic world in various stones. Khmer decorations got its inspirations from religion and the mythical creatures from Buddhism and Hinduism were all carved out on walls. The walls were thus build on a basic rule of the ancient Khmer architecture which guided that a temple layout to serve the basic purposes would require a courtyard, central shrine, a moat and an enclosing wall. Most of the Khmer motifs make use of several creatures from the Hindu and Buddhist mythology. A good example is the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh that makes use of such motifs as garuda a mythical bird grounded in Hinduism. The architecture can however be said to have developed in several stages from 9th to 15th century under the Khmer empire and most of it development is preserved in several Angkor temple buildings. Other remains from this secular architecture are rare since its only the religious buildings that were constructed from stones.

A nuclear family in a typical modern rural Chinese lives in a rectangular house that varies in size. It is often constructed from a wooden frame that has a gabled thatch roof and woven bamboo walls. These Khmer house are usually raised up on stilts in as much as 3 meters high as a precaution of the annual floods. Access to the house is provided by either wooden staircases or ladders. A typical house has three rooms that are separated by woven bamboo partitions. The front serves as the living room for visitors, while the second and the third are specifically meant to be for the parent and daughters respectively. There is usually no room that is set aside for the sons. They sleep whenever they can find space.

House building is often a community duty where the family members in need of a house work together with their neighbors to raise one. A house raising ceremony is often held upon its completion. Food is prepared in a special kitchen that is usually located near the main house but in most instances behind it. Toilets are often simple pits in the ground which are covered up whenever they get filled up.

Religion
There is a mixture of beliefs in China. It is however mainly Buddhist as approximately 90 of the population is Theravada Buddhist, 1 Christian while the rest fall into either the category of atheism, Islam or animism. Buddhism has been in China since the 5th century and the famous Theravada Buddhism has been the Cambodian state religion. Islam serves as the religion for the majority of Cham and the Malay minorities living in China. Christianity is believed to have been introduced to China in 1660 by the Roman Catholic missionaries. It however has not changed many except the Buddhist who are firmly anchored in their faith.

Birth and death rituals
Though the birth of child is considered to be a happy event just like it is in most of the other world societies, childbirth expose the entire family and more so the child and mother from harm by the evil spirits. A woman who dies during childbirth is believed in this culture that she eventually becomes an evil spirit and it is on this regard therefore that pregnant women avoid certain situations and foods. Though these kind of beliefs have of late been weakened in the urban areas, they are still practiced in some parts of rural China.

Death is however viewed differently than it is the case with a grief stricken kind of occurrence in the western culture. In China, death is viewed as the end of one life but at the same time the beginning of a new life which they all hope will be better than the one the deceased was currently holding and thus have less grief that is associated with death.

Social organization
Khmer culture is highly hierarchical. The greater the persons age, the more respect that the person is awarded and this is accompanied by various titles that are meant to show respect to the person. The individual Khmer is composed of a small circle of friends and families that constitute the close associates that one can approach for help incase of trouble. This is the type of unit that is characterized with strong emotional ties that comes with the assurance of help and support incase of trouble as well as sharing of income and produce.

The husband is legally the head of the Khmer family though the wife also carries a considerable amount of authority especially when it comes to the care of family economics. The husband on the other hand is charged with the responsibility of providing shelter, food and security for his family. Besides taking care of the family budget, she is also charged with the responsibility of being a religious and ethical model for her children especially the daughters.

Women and citizenship in China  
The martyred Abraham Lincoln one said that he believed in those people who bore the burden of their government at the same time sharing all of its privileges and in all ways did he exclude the women. Nationality of a person refers to the legal relationship that that the individual has with the State. It is used to not only provide security and sense of belonging to the individual but also a link of legal matter between the individual and the state. Nationals are privileged to receive the protection of their state both locally and abroad.

In several instances, nationality is used as the legal basis from which citizenship is exercised. The term citizenship has a much wider meaning than the word nationality since it refers to a status that is bestowed on to full members of a community. In most of the countries, full exercise of economic, civil, political, cultural and social rights is based on nationality and can thus even be predicted. Nationality is frequently used to determine whether an individual is entitled to such privileges as voting in a political process, exercise the right to health, education and work. Other rights such as of owning land may also be based on nationality. Nationality is also used to determine if the individual is entitled to the rights of holding public office or even have access to public services or judicial systems.

Several groups and committees which have been fighting for the rights of women and acceptance of women as full citizens in China have noted that nationality is important for an individual to fully participate in the society. Those individuals who lack the nationality of the countries in which they are regarded are considered to be aliens and frequently incur a wide range of legal consequences that have various disadvantages. The determination of the various conditions that an individual needs to satisfy before being awarded the nationality of a particular country is an attribute left only to the State sovereignty.

Nationality of married women
It has been noted that the nationality of States disadvantage women in China even in the 20th century. Many states have for a long period of time adopted the position of basing the legal status of a woman through her relationship to a man- first to her father and then her husband. Most of the laws provide that nationality of an individual is conferred upon birth or descent, a combination of the two in some instances and especially in the twentieth century on the nationality of the spouses. The result of this is that a woman marrying a foreigner acquired the nationality of the husband upon a legal marriage though in some instances this was accompanied by the loss of her own nationality.

The rationale of this kind of action was based on the argument that it would be important for all member of the family to have the same nationality and that most of the important decisions affecting the family would be made by the husband. This kind of assumption was also linked to the definition of who a citizen is as it identifies the kind of a relationship that an individual has with the governing state. Since loyalty to the state is considered to be the primary condition required for one to enjoy the privileges and protection of the state, it has been argued that letting women retain two nationality would render them to be less loyal to one of the state.

It has also been observed that the various reforms which have come up to enable women retain their independent nationality after marrying foreigners do not solve all of these womens problems. This has been so because these kind of reforms have not in many instances addressed the residency and immigration rights for the foreign spouses and other issues that relate to the nationality of children  as well as the legal restrictions that are imposed on the alien spouses. Experts in legal matter have continuously argued that allowing married women to have two nationalities means that that it will be possible for the members of the family to have different nationalities and thus have different rights of entry into the country of residency.

The contemporary international law approaches the issues to do with gender-based discrimination in nationality law in China as in two different ways. First, the law does this by entitling a married woman to retain her nationality irrespective of the nationality of the husband. The approach also seeks to enhance the acquisition of the other spouses nationality through more flexible requirements.

The second approach is one which seeks to reduce the legal consequences that are associated with lack of nationality through the reduction of the incidences of statelessness and guaranteeing human rights protection to everyone regardless of their nationality. There are four areas of human rights law that have been used to resolve various difficulties faced by women in China due to the application of the nationality laws.

These include General human rights guarantee. This includes freedom of movement, family life protection and prohibition of any form of discrimination.Government protection against statelessness.
Having specific law that prohibits discrimination of women as that relate to nationality.
Promotion and protection of human rights including those of non-citizens.

Cuisine
Khmer cuisine is nearly similar to that of its Asian neighbors in the southeast. It does share several similarities with Vietnamese cusine, Thai cuisine and Teochew cuisine. Chinese cusine is also famous for using fish sauce mostly in soups, as dippings and in sti-fried cuisine. Curry dishes also known as kari in khmer show some form of ties with the Indian cusine while some influences from the Chinese cuisine can be easily noted in the various use of rice noodles. A pork broth rice noodle soup that is simply referred to as ka tieu  is one of the popular dish in China.
Khmer cuisine is also famous for using prahok which is a type of fermented fish paste that is used as a distinctive flavoring. Kapi a fermented shrimp paste- is sometimes used in place of prahok. Coconut milk serves as the main ingredient of several khmer deserts and curries. There is often the regular stick rice and the aromatic one in China.

Art
The traditional Chinese crafts and arts include non-textile weaving, textiles, stone carving, silversmithing, lacquerware, wat murals, ceramics and kite making. It is only in the mid-20th century that a tradition of the modern art began to take roots in Chinese though later on in the 20th century, both the modern and traditional arts experience some decline due to the killing of various artist by the famous Khmer Rouge. The latest support from the NGOs, government and foreign tourist has greatly enhanced the artistic revival.
Chinese culture has got mainly three types of dance folk dances, classical dance and the vernacular dances. Khmer classical dance is originally only a type of dance for the royalty and has got man elements that are common with the Thai classical dance. It was introduced into the public domain in the mid-20th century where it is commonly performed during holidays, public events and for the tourists who visit the Cambodia.

China has a rich history that is divided into several periods pre-9th century, Angkor period, the decline that was then followed by the French control and the post World War II period as well as the Khmer Rouge era. The value system in China is one that is based on a mixture of Indian, khmer and French traditions that have been highly influenced by the Theravada and Brahmanism Buddhism. The extended family forms the basic unit of the society and its literature is among the oldest in the southeast Asian countries.

The first thing that struck me about the two plates is their very detailed artwork. There is almost no blank space on the plates because almost all areas are covered with colorful designs. Colors that were used to paint the designs include red, green, yellow, orange, black and brown. The plates seem to be of the same size and the same mold. Apparently, the same materials were also used to mold the plates and to paint the designs.
At first glance, the two plates seem to have the same design, but they dont. The two designs are very closely similar, so the same artist may have designed them. Both plates are perfectly round with ruffled edges. The outer rims of both plates have more intricate designs than their centers. The ruffled edge is colored red but the outermost rim is white. The red ruffled edge seems to accentuate the borders of the plates and draws the eyes of the viewer toward the center.
The pictures resolution makes it difficult to ascertain what exactly the designs on the plates are. However, it looks like the red clumps on the inner rim are flowers and in-between them are yellow flowers. The red and yellow flowers are surrounded by finely drawn green leaves which form a contrast to the red ruffled outer rim. The innermost rim is white with a red teeth-like border. From the outermost rim, the plates rims are therefore colored red, greed, red. This color contrast accentuates the plates rim and draws the eye towards the center.
Aside from the red and yellow flowers, the middle green rim also has other designs, which look like different types of food. It is hard to know what these designs really are because of the poor picture resolution. However, judging from their shapes, they look like drawings of pots and vials.
First, let us describe the plate on the left. On the center of the plate are two human figures. They could be a man and a woman but it is hard to know for sure. It is difficult to interpret what the figures are doing because of the image resolution. The figure on the right bends slightly toward the figure on the left. The figure on the right wears a green robe and underneath it is red clothing. This figure could be a man because his clothing is simpler than the figure on the left. He wears a lower piece of clothing which seems to be made up of a flowing yellow material. His hair is tightly tied up on the upper part of the back of his head. He seems to be carrying a bouquet of flowers, tucked inside his right arm.
The figure on the left could be a woman because her clothing is more fanciful than the figure on the right. She also seems to wear earrings. Aside from this, she is dressed in a yellow robe with red and green accents. Underneath the yellow robe is a long orange flowing undergarment. Part of her attire is a long piece of red ribbon, which is blown by the wind toward the left. Her body faces away from the figure on the right but her head is turned toward him. Both of their facial expressions cant be interpreted because the drawing is too simple. Tucked underneath the left arm of the figure on the left is a long yellow object, which could be a guitar or a broom.
The two figures seem to be in a garden because they are standing on green grass and they are surrounded by leaves and flowers. On the right side of the figure on the right is a tree whose long branches follow the circular contour of the plate. The branches have green leaves and clumps of red and yellow flowers. On the left side of the left figure is an orange table on top of it are three vases of flowers. The middle vase is the largest one and its colored green, while the other two are colored red. Inside the large green vase are large plants with red flowers. The flowers of the large vase meet the flowers of the tree on the right side. Together, the flowers form a half-arc that follows the circular contour of the plate and frames the two figures on the center.
At the base of the center design is a red pattern of lines, which could be a part of a fence or a bridge. Beside it is a green tree trunk, and surrounding these two objects are three flowers  two red, one yellow. The circular border of the center design is a simple black line.
The plate on the right is very similar on the plate on the left on almost all aspects. However, it is clear that the details of the drawing are different but obviously, the artist meant to draw the same picture as on the left plate. The figure on the right on this plate seems to be carrying a green vase of flowers, which could also be true for the figure on the right on the left plate. Again, the picture resolution is too poor to judge correctly.
Slight differences on the designs of both plates give each plate a unique identity. Although both generally depict the same scene, the different details make each plate special in its own unique way. These differences could also be useful to people who use these plates in different ways. The tiny distinctive details could serve as indicators to know which plate belongs to whom or which plate serves a particular purpose. The slightly different designs also emphasize the fact that these plates werent mass-produced by machines, but rather manually crafted one by one by a skilled painter and molder.
These Chinese plates are really beautiful because of their painstakingly painted details. The simple colors of red, yellow and green all complement one another, making the designs easy to the eyes. Had more colors been used to decorate the plates, the overall effect would have been too complex to be beautiful. The real asset of these plates design is its simplicity but effectiveness. The scene at the center of both plates may also stand for something that once happened in the history or tradition of Chinese society.
It would be nice to use these plates as pieces of decoration or to carry food. As decorative pieces, one could prop these plates up with their designs facing the viewer. They should also serve as excellent food containers because their simple colors dont take the attention away from the food they would carry.
Chinese bowl
    The bowl has a fine circular shape with the rim slightly going outward. The base is a thick circular plate. The background color is yellow and the whole vase is covered with designs of flowers and leaves. Colors that were used include blue, orange, pink, green and blue green. Only the design covering the outer body of the bowl can be seen. The picture doesnt allow us to see inside the bowl.
    Facing the viewer on the center of the bowls body is a big flower with blue petals and an orange round bud at the center. On the left side of the blue flower are two smaller flowers, which are lightly colored blue and pink respectively. The buds at the center of these flowers are colored pink.
    The style of art used to decorate the bowl is characterized by circular and arching strokes, which seems to emphasize the roundness of the bowl. The design flows so that it is hard to see where lines start and end. All designs are interconnected together in what seems to be a network of arching lines.
    Flowers drawn on the bowl are in different stages of development. The three flowers facing the viewer are in full bloom, but on their left side, we could see clumps of small pink, blue and red flowers that are not yet in bloom. Meanwhile on the right side of the big blue flower, we can see two pink flowers that are just blossoming. There doesnt seem to be any indication that the artist is portraying the linear progression of a flowers development rather, the art just shows different kinds of flowers in various stages of development.
    Leaves are all colored green or blue green, as well as stems. Both the flowers and leaves dont remind us of certain types of flowers in the real world. These flowers and leaves might have not have been drawn from real actual models. However, there is a bright red flower on the upper right side of the bowl, which looks like a rose. The leaves dont necessarily frame flowers instead, they just flow around the body of the bowl, arching in different directions. Aside from flowers, leaves and stems, there are also tiny circular drawings, which may be fruits. They are colored in different shades of blue and red. The fruits occur sporadically throughout the bowls design, giving points of emphasis to the very flowing character of the art.
    Because of the tight weaving of the designs, there is almost no room for the yellow background to be appreciated. In fact, since the designs are all tightly woven together in this flowing style, it is difficult to appreciate any one figure in the design. The reason for this may be that the artist wants us to focus on the general and overall effect of the interwoven designs rather than on a particular part of it.
    The colorful design of the bowl gives it a very fun and bright character. The flowing design also gives it a dynamic and lively attitude. Any dish served on this bowl would surely look more special because of the design that is playful and bursting with energy.
However, the strength of this bowl may also indicate its weakness. The complex design may be hard to the eyes of some people. Other viewers may also think that too many colors were used, which makes it tiresome to look at.  It is also kind of hard to appreciate the design in its totality because the interwoven patterns are sometimes confusing. In fact, until one looks closely, it may be hard to know whether a particular design is a flower, leaf, stem or fruit. The color combinations may not also impress some people.
    Still, the bowl is beautiful and we would think that it would look even more stunning if many of its kind are lined up or arranged on a table or countertop. The positive effect of the interwoven designs should multiply if many of these bowls are placed closely together. Since there is no central figure on the body of this bowl, it may not be particularly interesting to look at it if its used as a decoration. However, the bowl could be used as a food container, since it should draw more attention to the contents of the bowl. All in all, the bowl is a good piece of artwork that could be used for different purposes.

Vietnam-Perkasie is an autobiography of the life of author W. D. Ehrhart, a war veteran, during his service in the U. S. Marine Corps in the year 1967 to 1968 (Ehrhart, 1995). It completely narrates his experiences in the Vietnam War. In fact, it is more than complete for he fearlessly shared to the world, through this book, his personal realizations and actions that some will not be courageous enough to tell. The war brought to him a dramatic transition from a patriotic small town boy into a man filled with anger and guilt. His fascinating realizations on how the war is perceived by his country and by himself as a part of it caused confusion and questioning in his own mind.  This incredibly simple yet striking, detailed yet carefully laid account of Ehrhart s actual experiences in the war will keep you reading from cover to cover. 
William Daniel Ehrhart started writing at the age of fifteen and continued to write ever since. Until he was 30, he had only written poems. He was first known as the  Vietnam War Poet .  Though, the subject of his poems has a fairly wide range - from radio disc jockeys to tugboats.
He gives high regards to his wife and daughter as the main sources of inspiration in his works. Aside from his poems, his other works includes Passing Time memoir of a Vietnam Veteran against the War, Going Back an Ex-Marine Returns to Vietnam, and Busted A Veteran in Nixon s America, three of his succeeding autobiographical memoirs (Ehrhart, 1995). Ehrhart s roots can be traced from Perkasie, a town in Pennsylvania. Through an extended flashback, he gave us quite a clear idea of how Perkasie look and feel like. It is a small peaceful town described as a place  wherein men leave their homes without lock during nighttime  and  visitors during Christmas strolled from home to home on Christmas eve  and wherein  Jimmy the shoe repairman was aware of the shoe size of all persons in town . There, he was just a normal kid who plays and goes to school. This simple town is also where he developed his deep sense of patriotism.
In 1965, when news about Vietnam becomes more and more visible in the headlines, he wrote an editorial in his high school that answers those that say Americans are  dying for no good reason in Vietnam  and it reads  What additional noble reason can a man loose his life for, than to die in protection of freedom (Ehrhart, 1995).  A few days after writing this editorial and after a few arguments with his parents, he enlisted in the U. S. Marines Corp at an early age of seventeen.
     In June of 1966, he rode a bus to the Marines boot camp. There, he trained hard to be able to serve his homeland. He took the brave step to do something for his country only to get lost in confusion with clashing of his own beliefs, the two sides of him that is so different in many ways.
    This book published in June of 1995, takes us back in time and to a journey with Ehrhart in the Vietnam War. Readers may notice how plain and simple the facts are laid ( Vietnam-Perkasie A Combat Marine Memoir ). It is as if Ehrhart is just telling the story himself. The narration is very straightforward and honest. Amazingly, even with this style of concealing the art in his work, it captivates our interest as he did not leave any details out from the readers. It satisfies our curiosity as he answers even the questions we shy away from asking. He exposed the real fears of a soldier at war. We found out that encounters with the Vietcongs are not the hardest part of staying in Vietnam but it is during those times when they had nothing to do. He shared the reflective thoughts that played in his mind in his thirteen months in the war. And with a little hint of sarcastic humor, he was able to make this paperback simple enough yet still entertaining.
Maybe not everyone will appreciate this kind of prose. It contains foul language and disturbing events.  Nevertheless, it contains the truth- the truth that some might not be willing to accept and the truth that might open the minds of people to a new perspective towards their beloved country as described vividly by Ehrhart. As he got exposed to the bad side of being a noble soldier, he struggled to identify with the real reason why he joined the Marines. All he wanted was to serve for his country and to fight for freedom. He never knew that as he fought for it, he is taking away the freedom, and sometimes life or capabilities, of somebody.  The result is a moral turmoil of emotions and beliefs within a man.
Ehrhart believed that he has a duty as a citizen of his country. He was supposed to fight in defense for his country in Vietnam and took pride in. But during his field experience in the war, he began to wonder if he is doing what is right. He realized that he s becoming a foreign invader, and worse, a murderer.
After finishing his thirteenth month in Vietnam, he came back to the United States.  To his surprise, he became alien to his own country as well. It was a psychological struggle that he have to endure as he can never bring back the old Ehrhart that used to live in this neighborhood. He might not have sustained any permanent injuries, but he could never erase the scars that the war marked in his being.
Vietnam-Perkasie a combat marine memoir is very informative and helpful in understanding what is what in the Vietnam War. Its honest and accurate details allow readers to relate and sympathize with Ehrharts voyage, discoveries and self realizations.  The simplicity allows readers to have a better view of what really happens in the war.  The story of the physical and spiritual struggle of a boy who grew up in an ever so peaceful town and brought to the war by his love for his country and for freedom only to be regarded as a hero only by those who is ignorant of what really happens inside the war zone. In the end, he discovers hatred and shame toward himself and his country. His hatred became central to his core and affected the way he think and act.
Ehrhart lived a very interesting life. Many of us may not wish to try living in it. But through this book, we are awakened.  We were able to see more clearly the cruelty and consequences of war. It also provides us with more detail and information to develop a better judgment. It invites us to look into the truth of what really is happening in the society.  Sometimes it is man who creates chaos, resulting to difficulty in the lives of other people. And when people try to protect others, they end up hurting each other one way or the other. Everyone during the war was victims.
Finally, the Vietnam war was also illuminated in the book as it presented the way people cope up with it, including combat marine soldiers who fought for freedom. It is undeniable that the book is a precise stoytelling of a war that has changed the lives of may people in America. Dead combat marines and horrible stories of war are entrenched in the book as the new generation is ready to feel grateful of the true heroes of the Vietnam war. 

Many, if not all of the Buddhist forms of art depict an image of a Buddha sitting in a cross-legged position, with a face of serenity and calmness, and often surrounded by Lotus Flowers. Be it a statue or a two-dimensional work of art, the Lotus Flower can be classified into the manner by which they are presented in a particular art. One famous image of the Lotus Flower is painted at the sides of the Buddha as decorative images, and the second presentation of the Lotus Flower is structured or sculpted in a way that serves as the foundation where the Buddha sits or stands in a particular Buddhist art. The Lotus Flower symbolizes a profound meaning in the Buddhist belief system and philosophy. Its presence in the Buddhist art signifies the truth about life and its phenomenon.
    Buddhism comes from the root word Buddha which means the enlightened one, or one who is awakened to the eternal functions of life and the universe (Hochswender, Martin  Morino 32). Shakyamuni Buddha spent his 48 years of existence in teaching the people how to attain enlightenment. To be enlightened means recognizing the fact that each one of us has the innate potential to become Buddha. In other words, all people have Buddhahood in the depths of their lives. To be enlightened also means being able to cast away the ignorance that prevent people from believing that they can become Buddhas, that they are the source of their own problems and also the solution to their own problems.
    The concept of Buddhahood is the underlying premise of the Buddhist art. As the Buddhist philosophy gently flowed from India towards the Northeast as well as the Southeast Asia, it mixed with the local practices and religious beliefs of the people. People tend to worship the Buddha, thus they built gigantic structures of the Buddha. Despite the differences of interpretation of the Buddhist belief, the Lotus Flower is always present in all forms of Buddhist art.
    The Lotus Flower is very significant in the Buddhist belief and tradition (Ikeda 12). The Buddhist concept of the simultaneity of cause and effect is represented by the blossoming and seeding of the Lotus Flower. Of all flowers in the world, it is only the Lotus Plant that flowers and seeds at the same time. In the Buddhist belief, karma is created by the causes we make, be it good or bad. The moment we created a cause (seeding), an effect is already registered or manifested (flowering) in the depths of our lives.
    The Lotus Flower also symbolizes the concept of Buddhahood (Soka Gakkai 72). As one may notice, the Lotus plant grows in muddy swamps of murky waters but it gives out a very beautiful flower. The muddy swamp according to Buddhist belief represents our society and our own human nature. We live in an age where people endure problems and encounter many difficulties in both the personal and societal level. The Lotus Flower represents a profound truth about life as it represents the existence of Buddhahood in the life of each individual amidst the stark realities of life. In other words, the Lotus Flower present in the Buddhist art signifies the presence of Buddhahood in the life of all people no matter where they come from, no matter what their realities are, no matter what nationality and country they belong to and no matter what causes they have made in their lives. It also means that Buddhahood is not a sole property of Shakyamuni, nor is only attained by monks. Buddhahood is present in the life of everyone.
    It is very enlightening to note that the Lotus Flower that seemed to be just a decorative aspect of Buddhist art, has actually profound meaning and significance in the Buddhist belief system. It represents the underlying truth of life and all its phenomena under the Buddhist faith. Just like the Lotus Flower that never seize to bloom in murky waters, people will also never give up living amidst difficulties and challenges in life. This is what Buddhist art wants to convey.
    Aside from the Lotus Flower, the image of the Buddha in paintings and sculptures also represents the calmness, wisdom and compassion that are the characteristic of a person enlightened to the law of cause and effect. Nevertheless, the statue of the Buddha is more of a representation of the Buddha that is not a common mortal, one that is different from the people, and one that people always look up to as opposed to the truth that the Lotus Flower wants to express.
    The differences in interpretation of the truth about life and phenomena in Buddhism may have come forth during the time when Buddhism travelled from India to different parts in Asia. The Buddhism that travelled to north going to China, Korea and Japan in now called the Mahayana Buddhism. And the Buddhism that travelled to the Southeast Asia is termed, Hinayana Buddhism (Ikeda  Tehranian 34).  Hinayana Buddhism emphasizes strict codes of conduct that practitioners have to follow to attain personal salvation. Other sects of Hinayana Buddhism even worship the gigantic sculptures of the Buddha for guidance and eradication of earthly desires. The Mahayana Buddhism on the other hand, espouses the need to Buddhism to be a compassionate way for people to attain enlightenment right here, right now. It is the Mahayana Buddhism that emphasized the belief that all life forms have Buddha nature in them.
    In a particular Mahayana Buddhist Sect in Japan, named Nichiren Buddhism, the Lotus Flower plays a very significant meaning in their belief system. Lotus Flower in Japanese Buddhist term is called renge (Watson, et.al 106). The two Chinese characters of renge mean cause and effect.
    In Buddhism, particularly for this Nichiren Buddhism, they do not have commandments or strict codes of conduct that would enable people to attain enlightenment. They base their daily life to the eternal and unchanging law of cause and effect. The causes a person make determine the kind of karma that he or she will have. The Lotus Flower, just like the law of cause and effect is uncompromising. When a person makes a cause, an effect is simultaneously created. Just like the Lotus Flower that seeds and blooms at the same time. This, in conclusion is the main reason of the existence and the meaning of the Lotus Flower in almost all forms of Buddhist art.

Before World War II, Asians in America faced very challenging times.  Though people of Asian origin, had started arriving in America as early as 1763.  It is recorded in the annals of history that at around this time people from the Philippines made a home for themselves in present day Louisiana.  They ensured the survival of their community by working as ship workers.
However at the start of the twentieth century, xenophobia was already permeating in the American society.  European immigrants who made up the majority of the now known American citizens population, they were the only ones with a right to American citizenship. Prior to 1924, they had passed legislation restricting the entry of immigrants from Asia to 3 of the total population as at the 1910 census figure.  This was not to be good enough for them. 
So in 1924, in addition to all the bottlenecks they had already put in place, the quotas by which the numbers were to be calculated by was revised to be the 1890 population census.  This reduced the number even further considering the percentage was reduced from 3 to 2.  Even more discriminative was the declaration of the fact that Asians did not have the right to claim American citizenship even if they wanted.  This was especially unfair to the ones who were already residents in the United States.  Some had even married American girls.  They were grouped together in an Asiatic barred group.
With America entering the Second World War, the dynamics of the Asian communities changed.  Previously America having being the colonizing power of Philippines felt its interest were adequately   served and protected.  With the Japan literally taking over the whole of the Eastern Asia, America came to a realization that it needed allies in Asia urgently.  It could not fight in the Asian front of the war alone. 
In an effort to get the Chinese on their side, the restrictions on the Chinese gaining American citizenship were removed in 1943 December.  This was a major climb down considering only a few years ago America as busy putting the Chinese down.  America was trying desperately trying to face save to a nation it previously it had not time or use for.  All over a sudden Americans were falling all over themselves to make the Asians feel welcome and part of the American dream. 
With Asians joining the army in great numbers, there was an outburst of patriotism among all fighting for the American flag.  The only exceptions were the Japanese Americans.  These unfortunately, were rounded up and hauled to detention camps in American heartland.  There hatred of Japanese people came to a boil after Pearl Harbor. 
With the encouragement of Asians to seek citizenship, they were granted Naturalization Rights in 1946.  All this was happening during the war.  Thus Takakis assertion that World War II was a Watershed in the history of Asian Americans is true.  WWII made Asians to be viewed as people.
The Filipino, Korean, Indian and Chinese had their fortunes change positively in the American nation as a result of World War II.  Where before they were viewed with suspicion and as second class citizens, they were now been sought after.  They were being made to feel more welcome and at home.  World War II unfortunately brought a reversal of fortunes for Japanese Americans. 
Even those who did not support Japan were not spared.  Where before there existed a gentlemans agreement of none restriction of Japanese immigration quotas, they were in fact banned from seeking immigration in America.  Previously the gentlemans agreement had existed since the Japanese in themselves had very strict requirement and rules on potential immigrants to America.  Japan did not allow its citizens to easily immigrate to other countries, leave alone America (Asian, 2008). 
For the Asian Americans, the Second World War was a blessing to them.  It entrenched them in the American society.  Although there were discriminative laws even after the Second World War, their life generally improved. Not all things were achieved then but the foundations laid then, were used for changes to be effected in the American society later.  These changes were to be the watershed for the Civil Rights movement in America. They also resulted in America having its first Non European immigrant become a member of the United States Congress in 1956.

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was a major upheaval that affected China for roughly ten years.  This was instituted by the late Chairman Mao Zedong and it almost led to Chinas self-destruction as what started out as a revolution from within degenerated into something near-anarchy and a power struggle between hard-liners and so-called revisionists within the Chinese Communist Party who were (erstwhile) comrades of Mao during the civil war.  The main effort of the Cultural Revolution was carried out by the Red Guards, made up mostly by the youths who were heavily indoctrinated by the teachings of Mao which were found in his little red book which became the bible of the Red Guards who treated everything in it as gospel truth and was used to justify their actions against those who did not agree with Mao.
The researcher made use of media sources related to the topic which came from The New York Times dated between January 1 and 10 in the year 1967, the second year of the Cultural Revolution.  The first issue viewed (January 1, 1967) was a clipping from the New York Times titled, Pekings Posters Broaden Targets.   The report said that several erstwhile associates of Mao Zedong were denounced by the Red Guards.  Among those who were denounced were Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping who were the Chief of State and the General Secretary of the Communist Party respectively.  They, along with several others had a differing view from Mao which made them targets of persecution by the Red Guards (Pekings Posters Broaden Targets, 1966).  Deng, among all others, was considered a potential successor of Mao after Liu but the Cultural Revolution somewhat scuttled his road to leadership.  His other colleagues were not that lucky as Deng was banished to the farms for reeducation.
In analyzing the media source itself, judging from the year and place where the report or story was obtained, it was in Hong Kong.  The reporters who filed this story had to rely on insider reports from those who fled China or had been able to go back and forth discreetly to deliver the news.  It can also be inferred that foreign journalists, especially Americans, were not allowed into China at this time as this was then the Cold War and communists tend to regard westerners, especially the United States, as an enemy.  It can be further inferred that the foreigners mentioned in the report would be from neutral or non-aligned countries or nationals from communist allies though this would not include the Soviet Union which China also regarded as an enemy as well.  It is also noted that the Wade-Giles system was used to write Chinese words, especially names of people and places in English long before the Pinyin system would be introduced.
The following issue (January 2) featured the story titled, Mao Urges Rivals to Return to the Fold (Mohr, 1967).  This story was a follow up to the above-mentioned story though this one emphasized that the powers-that-be, namely Mao and the hardliners were extending the hand of friendship and reconciliation to erring officials who would return to the fold, which was the hardliners faction.  It was noted here that the word revisionists was used to describe the rival faction that opposed the hardliners and further stated that this revisionist approach to communism approximates that of the Soviet Union whose animosity with China ran very deep back then.
The analysis of the story is similar to the one above though here, one can see how the propaganda machine of a totalitarian (socialist) nation like China attempted to paint a rosy or positive picture of what was going on within the country though eyewitness accounts would say otherwise.  At the same time, it took a belligerent posture against Maos opponents through the use of strong (rhetorical) language to denounce them.
Another news story dated January 6 titled, Red Guards Say Foes Ousted Mao as President in 58. From here, one can understand why Liu became the subject of persecution by the Red Guards.  The report said that Mao was removed from power by the faction led by Liu though other accounts obtained by the New York Times said that Liu persuaded Mao to step down from power (Red Guards Say Foes Ousted Mao as President in 58.).  This story hinted of a power struggle within China between Mao and the rival factions who were denounced as revisionists.
It can be inferred here that the Cultural Revolution was used as a smokescreen or a ruse to conceal the actual events in China  a virtual coup detat done in the pretext of eliminating the old ways in China.  The revisionists implicated and persecuted were not really those who subscribed to old Chinese ways but were either pro-Moscow or reform-minded Communists who had a differing opinion with Mao.  Another thing that the story presents was what was it like at that time  the Cultural Revolution was also characterized by kangaroo courts where the purported enemies of China were put on public trial by the Red Guards and paraded along the streets to further humiliate them.  This was something that happened on a regular basis during the time another thing to note that the report was filed in Tokyo, Japan.  Just like in Hong Kong, the reporter who filed this story had to rely on those who were able to go to China, in this case Japanese reporters since the hostility towards westerners was still there.  In addition to the Japanese, the sources also included intelligence services from Taiwan.  In as much as the New York Times would like to avoid being too biased, these were the only available and reliable sources of information they could get over the state-controlled press inside China which was nothing more than a propaganda machine.
A very short article dated January 7 was titled, Bloody Conflicts Reported.  This was filed by Robert Trumbull who obtained the story through a Japanese correspondent who was in China when it happened.  The story talked about a clash between opposing groups of railways workers and several Red Guard cadres in Beijing.  This conflict would be repeated in other parts of China.
This conflict underscored that the Cultural Revolution was degenerating into chaos.  What was supposed to be an upheaval to effect sweeping changes and reforms to modernize China was bringing China into the brink of anarchy as some Red Guard cadres, were under the command of local party bosses instead of being under Mao and used to take on their rivals.  This was revolution at the grassroots level as compared to earlier stories showing high-level officials in Beijing being ousted from power.  If the top showed a coup, the fighting below would lead one to infer China was heading towards another civil war.
A related story also featured in this issue was titled, Mao Concedes Mistake.  The article said Mao admitted that he considered himself accountable for appointing his enemies which later on made him launch the Cultural Revolution.  The story further said that this was something very unusual for someone like Mao to say this kid of thing.  During his leadership, he was highly regarded by most people in China and the adulation he had received was almost to the point he was revered as the new emperor of China   where his word was law and it was above question and reproach (Mao Concedes Mistake, 1967).  In other words, Mao had been considered to be infallible by many. This story came through Japanese correspondents who were in China during the time. 
The January 8 issue featured  small story on the recall of most of the Chinese embassy staffers from several European countries (Red China Recalls 36 Aides in Britain, 1967).  From this story, it can be inferred that these officials were out of touch with what was going on in China and were recalled to either be reoriented or persecuted if they were found to be associated with Maos enemies or heavily influenced by the foreign culture where they worked.
One thing to note here was the language used in the article.  The article used the word Red China to describe the Peoples Republic of China.  This underscored the kind of jingoism practiced by the west at the time at the height of the Cold War where the color rd would always be associated with communism and became the least favorite color if take from a political perspective.  Nowadays, it would be politically incorrect to use Red China, especially when referring to present-day China which had put the Cultural Revolution behind them and was able to successfully modernize and develop economically thanks to the leadership and drive of Maos successor (and former Cultural Revolution victim) Deng Xiaoping.
In a story taken from the issue dated January 9 titled, China Counterrevolution, it told about the outbreak of violence in Nanjing.  This was the result of Maos efforts to bring the cultural revolution into the factories and farms after starting it in the higher echelons of government.  The information for this story was obtained from the correspondents who were allowed into China, mainly Japanese and Eastern Europeans.  Another thing worth nothing in this article was that the Propaganda Minister Tao Chu, the one responsible for inciting the clash at Nanjing was subsequently being denounced by the Red Guards alongside the very same people he had persecuted (Mohr, 1967).
In a related story, Peking Reports Shanghai Strike Over Mao Policy, workers in Shanghai rose up to challenge the Red Guards.  This was an example of a scene being repeated all over China such as the previously mentioned incident in Nanjing.  The story also told of the counteroffensive staged by the pro-Mao faction urging the workers to return to their work with the assurance that they would not be punished.  Mao and his followers believed that these workers were manipulated by their enemies and made to turn against them especially after Mao announced that he wanted to extend the Cultural Revolution to the factories to remove old practices and infuse new ideas based on his teachings (Peking Reports Shanghai Strike Over Mao Policy, 1967).
In a story from the January 10 issue, State Department Aides Doubt China is on the Verge of a Civil War, the United States Department of State had been monitoring the developments in China very closely though the material and information they used to base their findings were either limited or not credible enough.  They saw this more as a power struggle between Mao and the lower party officials who appear to be setting up their own fiefdoms in their respective locales which Mao was trying to dismantle.  Rather than consider it a civil war, there was a likelihood that anarchy would reign if the Red Guard, Maos primary vanguard would exceed its mandate and commit wanton acts of violence and mayhem that would be reminiscent of the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution and if that happened, Mao would be compelled to deploy the army to put down the monster he created in the Red Guards (Finney, 1967).
In a related story, Struggle in China for Power is Seen at a Critical Stage, analysts were trying to see how Mao was faring as the Cultural Revolution threatened to degenerate into a turmoil so big that Mao might not be able to contain it because of the lack of credibility of their sources of information, it was nearly impossible to draw a plausible conclusion on the outcome of the Cultural Revolution.  The Americans, from State Department officials to news correspondents depended on whatever information was obtained by foreign reports allowed into China, in this case, they relied heavily on Japanese correspondents.  Yet, despite the information provided, some questioned their credibility as some of the information such as the news posters were nothing more than crude propaganda material rather than facts that they seek (Mohr, 1967).
By way of conclusion, the reporters of the New York Times lived in interesting times as the ancient Chinese would say.  They were trying to cover an event in what would become part of Chinas history which was a challenge in terms of getting reliable information from China.  Owing to the anti-western stance of China, they could not enter the country and had to rely heavily on Japanese correspondents to share their information with them.  Today, readers of Chinese history have the benefit of hindsight to know more about the Cultural Revolution than what the people of the 1960s were not able to get.  The current generation benefited from the openness of China following Maos death and the ascension of Deng and it would be here that the truths about the Cultural Revolution would finally come to light.
The Cultural Revolution could be said, nearly led to the breakdown of order in China.  Mao, the unifier of China and the founder of the Peoples Republic, ironically became the man who nearly caused its (self) destruction in his bid to recreate China the  same way the Chin Emperor Shih Huangti did centuries ago.  He wanted to eliminate the old ways of thinking in China because (in his understanding of Chinas history), these led to Chinas decline and to be subject to a hundred years of humiliation before the foreign powers.  Mao not only wanted to recreate China, he wanted to restore it in its place as a powerful nation in Asia which would be revered by her neighbors just like in the olden days.
Apparently, it can be seen here that Maos philosophy, which became dogma during the Cultural Revolution, turned out to have flaws.  Maos desire to start and perpetuate revolutions in various levels of life proved to be counterproductive and clashed with his other aim of making China great as the Cultural Revolution pulled it down instead of pulling it up.  This was seen when intellectuals and reform-minded leaders like Deng were persecuted because of either holding on to traditional values or being western-educated which were anathema to communist proletariat values.  Educational institutions were closed as most students were drafted into the Red Guards and were heavily indoctrinated or brainwashed by Maos teachings which led several of them on a frenzy to eliminate anything opposed to Maos teachings.  Maos Little Red Book became the badge of their authority and made them above the law.  They even persecuted their teachers and professors.  The problem here was not all the Red Guards were bright and intelligent.  Several of them came from the countryside and their simple-mindedness made them susceptible to the teachings and guidance of Mao and other communist leaders and they were used (or misused) in accordance to their whims.  Subsequently, the Red Guards became too much to handle that Mao was compelled to kill his creation by dispatching the army to put them down.
The Cultural Revolution was also seen as a ruse to hide the power struggle among the prominent officials of the Chinese Communist Party.  The reports showed Mao stepped down to give way to the next crop of leaders who would take China forward (Liu and Deng) but when he found out they intended to take a different direction that was opposed to his, he launched the Cultural Revolution.  This was Maos attempt to bring China back into the direction he wanted it to go but later on when the Red Guards were becoming reckless, he saw there was no way to reverse the process.
China, after the death of Mao in 1976, was able to recover from the destructiveness of the Cultural Revolution.  The only loose end left to tie up was to round up the Gang of Four where one of them was Maos second wife Jiang Qing.  They were poised to continue the Cultural Revolution after Mao especially when Zhou Enlai (who also died in 1976) and Deng were rising in prominence in the communist party leadership.  Fortunately, Maos successor, Hua Guofeng precluded their plot and had them arrested, tried and imprisoned.  Deng eventually succeeded Hua and was able to successfully make China take the Great Leap Forward.  From here on in, China was on its way in putting behind the hundred years of humiliation and reestablishing herself as a world power.