曾幾何時，Yahoo！的楊致遠是Geek界的人氣偶像，更是互聯網時代的American Dream。據說他10歲時跟隨母親到美國，懂得英語的只得一個Shoe字，不過他在26歲時已經創辦了Yahoo！，28歲時他已經是億萬富豪。無端端 講楊致遠，是因為在電視上看到了喪心病狂的趙承熙，怨恨富人的歇斯底里說話，也見到評論員沒頭沒腦地大講種族歧視，說三道四甚麼美國社會的暴力現象，思哲 作為留美的過來人，實在不得不為美國的可愛說點話。
趙承熙也好，楊致遠也好，都是歷史中的偶然，將他們塑造成社會現象的典範，不但膚淺，更是愚昧不堪。可 惜，這種Generalization偏偏是自以為持平公道的傳媒人，及所謂Public Intellects最愛用的手法，思哲是個俗人，只知道這叫以偏概全。
事實上，若要說趙承熙和楊致遠有些甚麼共通處，那只有一點，就是他們的上一代，在 老家都不是生活得特別富足，偶然的情況下選擇了移民到美國。可以肯定的是，美國都給予了他們充份的機遇，楊致遠創辦了Yahoo！，趙承熙的親姐在普林斯 頓畢業之後成為了國務院的供應商，不過趙承熙非但看不見這些無限的可能性，更加說自己被迫至無路可逃。悲劇，永遠都只有主角一人自己承受；不過，努力和創 意卻可以為其他人造就機會，這就是美國精神。
April 20, 2007 at 2:38 pm
我同意你的觀點. 我都是留美過來人. 其實美國人十分單純, 亦待人很好.
我只覺得有時候, 是否父母太過保護下一代, 令他們失去競爭力, 不能承受一下偶然的挫折? 是否物質太豐足, 令我們太多時間去胡思亂想?
April 20, 2007 at 4:10 pm
對，美國是一個提供「American Dream」的地方，但並無說明這會是一個 sweet dream 定係 bad dream。
一切，仍都是靠自己。
April 21, 2007 at 12:17 am
He was also a victim himself. A victim of bullying…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070419/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting;_ylt=AkDFBbMUqYWg1ihEBJuL6OvMWM0F
April 21, 2007 at 5:54 am
這種崇高的精神我在香港,巴西, 法國, 日本, 中國, 印度 也有見過. 所以這大概是人類的精神. 總不能說它是美國的精神吧.
所以, 在地球上的各位也要努力啊.
April 22, 2007 at 11:58 am
寫得公正持平, 好.
— 亦係留美過來人:)
April 23, 2007 at 3:19 am
那自閉症跟精神病的問題呢?
而且，閣下看不見種族歧視的情況及暴力現象並不代表它們不存在（或少數）呢。
April 23, 2007 at 8:27 am
To ricup,
There are people who always blame everything, including their failure, onto others.
I did not claim that discrimination does not exist. But so what? People discriminate against others, actually by making themselves at disadvantage. Gary Becker talked about that and I try not to repeat the findings there. My point is: being discriminated by some people is not a reason for one to go mad – and definitely not an excuse for the pretentious to ask for all sorts of funny things, say legislation.
I do not disregard the fact that Cho has mood disorder – but saying that someone has mood disorder so to justify act of killing is simply another form of discrimination against other less-fortunate people who are also suffering from mood disorder.
April 23, 2007 at 8:28 am
To 留學生,
Agree totally.
April 23, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Agree with 留學生 too~ I just doubt the so called “American Dream” and it’s kinda another way of generalization.
(P.S. I am not seeking justification of murdering)
April 24, 2007 at 6:35 pm
American Dream is not a generalization. It is an ideal.
Yes, it is an ideal. Some people work towards it, some people don’t. That’s a matter of choice – but that is also the essense of the founding of America, freedom. Hope it makes thing clearer.
Of course there are other places where people can find opportunity, I do not disagree with it. Whenever there are free minds, there are opportunities.
But there are even more people who mistaken the situation in US and have a strong bias against this country, especially the notion of freedom.
Whatever tragedy takes place, commentary blames the American Culture, blame freedom, blame the republicans etc.
Let me recommend a book for those who want to understand this kind of mentality: What’s Left by Nick Cohen. Cohen, brought up in Manchester, a traditional union town, discusses how the left ideology deteriorate into populistic anti-americanism and contradicts itself.
Even in HK, there are people who have a dislike of America but doesn’t know why. Some people dislike the image projected since Reagan’s era – but forget the benefits as a result of the ending of cold war. Perhaps mainland government had done too much patriotic education? I don’t know.