No, what I'm reacting to is the following:
USMCProbe: But there are enough wankers on these forums complaining...
I'm not going to take kindly to being called a w@nker the more so because there are actual legitimate complaints, concerns and discussions to be had of real-world risks working as a contract pilot in a country like China. I'm brave enough (as well as my contributors) to put it out there for others to pick apart and armchair quarterback as they choose. For my particular case (which is duplicated in the experiences of several other captains in our book), I went fairly blindly into a contract in China and weathered something like 4 years. Being that I quit my job in the US I had no "out" because I was foolish, and when the time did come to pull out of China I went on my merry way to other things, not looking back with any regret for having left. Having said that, I have encountered too many pilots who were shocked at what they had gotten themselves into in China and THIS is my purpose here, to address this need for information.
If you want to call this pompous or the words of a w@nker, that's your choice. But then, I'm no damned Mother Theresa either and if you attack me I will defend myself and the intent of the book.
Probe has taken it upon himself to paint fellow Americans with colors that are abusively incorrect. What we have here is a coolaid drinker who will say anything to validate his choices in career (trolling), not a reasonable commenter.
Yes, it was an amazing experience to have Flight Attendants literally run to go clean the head before I used it too... but you know what, this gesture was not a generous tip; it was coerced behavior within a highly oppressive regime. People have to PAY their way into the job of cabin crew in China, and once there they have an unbelievable set of responsibilities thrust upon them; in the West we'd call it corrupt, harassment and a litany of other labels and expressions.
But, USMCProbe, the same guy who shoveled **** in Shreveport and dedicated his life to serving in the Marines wants to shift loyalty to the red flag with yellow stars, so be it. I made a vocal, determined statement before I left the US to go to China, and that was a flat-out declaration that I had loyalties that remained in the US (and the West in general) and that I would not express discontent in terms of putting China at the top of the heirarchy.
Indeed, this is not to say I feel America is above criticism, heavens no. Absolutely not; there are a LOT of challenges facing our nation and our behavior with international policy has been atrocious. It is also not to say that my concept of America is so delicate as to not withstand critique.
L.G.