Interesting....but in my point of view, it all comes down to what defines ’原則’.

The example that you have mentioned - 高幹子弟自動擔任高職, it does often happen here in the west, for the US at least. There are many companies that are still carried on by the founder’s family, so in a way, sons and daughters born into these families do gain the immediate privilege of having well paid jobs, beside the sum of wealth they would be inheriting – the Canadian Molson Beer company, before it was bought by a US powerhouse, was still partly a family-run business, since it was found in the 1900s.

The conservative MP Belinda Stronach, born into a very wealthy family, a well know millionaire in Canada (in the US now too since the rumours between she and Bill Clinton =.=”). She might not have immediately gotten a well paid/publicized job, but her status certainly earned the necessary attention to win the position.

To me at least, such situations seem very acceptable and understandable. I guess the major difference is how the situation is being publicized. In Hong Kong, very often in entertainment magazines, you read about XX 富豪的公子大學畢業﹐在XX Company擔任 executive officer, earning XX billion – the way it was presented often making the situation sounds like it is against the norm. However, in the west, you hardly hear about such news, or at least being publicized as entertainment.

Anyways, I believe the most ridiculous cases here would be having someone with no experience or knowledge in US politics, some like Arnold Schwarzenegger, as a governor….in my opinion, the idea just blew my mind, but there goes the reality, the power the comes with fame, and it can definitely go a long way.

When it comes down to it, it is close to impossible to have an exact definition for ’原則’ as it is undergoing constant evolution, under different environment, different influences and cultures. What could be accepted in the West might not necessarily work in the East, and vice versa.

I agree with you 落雨....that the act of ’拉攏人脈關係’ happens everyday, in everyway; there is no diffferentiation related to geography.

However, I might not agree that the incident is necessary more severe in the Mainland. In my opinion, in the Western world, it just happens in a more discreet, a more subtle manner so it almost come unnoticable. In today’s world with an increasing competition between different sectors, it is nearly impossible for ’拉攏人脈關係’ not to exist; it all depends on how we see the situation, and whether we accept that it has become an almost ’Natural’ process for industries to move forward.

Anyhow, whether Chinese or Westerners are more ’聰明’ in terms of showing their actions, I will leave that up to you =)

那些人, 唉......

拉關係其實在什麼地方都有
通常美其名為”good inter-personal relationship”
只是在內地情況比較嚴重
一層又一層的打招呼後
要辦的事才會順利完成
或者，我們中國人就是比較 ”聰明”

很討厭拉關係的做法！
路像是拐遠一點，這也許是為了未來而鋪路呢。
不要氣餒，我相信，有實力始終會有人賞識的。