Quote to Note: Ant Tribes
July 1, 2010
Every once in a while an interesting phrase hits the addled goose on the beak. “China’s Young College Grads Toil in ‘Ant Tribes’” contains the golden phrase “ant tribes.” I love the connotation and the image the phrase evokes.According to the write up:
The term “ant tribe” was coined by Lian Si, a professor who wrote a book with that title about the post-1980 generation.
Here’s another passage I liked:
“I didn’t want to be stuck in a small town forever, you know, like the frog in the well,” says Liu, who comes from a coal city in the often frozen far north. “I dreamed of achieving success on my own terms in the big city.”
Remind you of New York City in the 1850s? Did me. Will US college graduates join the ant tribe? Some may. Others will move back home. A lucky few will snag jobs at azure chip consulting firms and build rich flows of cash for the betterment of mankind. Here in Harrod’s Creek I have spotted what look like credit cards but are really digital food buying plastic. On the way home today, I saw a fellow with a sign that said, “Veteran. Need work. Please, help.” Pretty scary economics at work.
Stephen E Arnold, July 1, 2010
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