Jackie Chan Hits Out At U.S. 'Corruption,' Sparks Internet Backlash

Action star Jackie Chan incited a flurry of online backlash after declaring the United States to be the "most corrupt in the world" during an appearance on a Chinese talk show. In a December interview that aired on Phoenix TV, Hong Kong-born Chan talked about China's corruption and compared it with problems in the U.S. "What I can see is our country is continuously making progress and learning," Chan said of China, per a translation of the interview published by Ministry of Tofu. "If you talk about corruption, the entire world, America, has no corruption?" When the show's host asked Chan about his statement, Chan continued thus, according to a Huffington Post translation of the interview: "Where does the Great [Depression] come from? It's precisely from the world, the United States, that it started." The incendiary statement has drawn much criticism on Twitter and on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like micro-blogging site. Twitter curation blog Twitchy points to a few outraged tweets by Americans: SEE LINK Chan's comments about what he perceives to be American "corruption" also captured the attention of U.S. pundits recently. Max Fisher, a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Post, labeled the comments as an example of Chan's "anti-Americanism" and described Chan as "passionately political, a staunch defender of the Chinese Communist Party and harsh critic of anyone he sees as opposing Beijing." Fisher continued, writing, "Like [Chan's] criticism of Taiwanese and Hong Kong democracy, it’s as much about defending China. And that defensiveness is often more about internal Chinese doubts about their country’s progress, which has come so far but still has a ways to go." Chinese tabloid the Global Times, on the other hand, defended Chan's comments. "Everyone has the freedom to express his view. Making too big a deal out of Jackie Chan's words may be a sign that many Americans are losing the grace to face different opinions," writes the Global Times. This is hardly the first time Chan has made a controversial political comment. During a 2009 panel on Chinese censorship, Chan aired his own uncertainties about freedom, saying, "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want." Watch the untranslated clip of Chan's appearance on Phoenix TV below.

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• He speaks the truth, of course he will be hated for it.

• WHO?

  99.99%25%20of%20Humanity

• I detect no lies.

• [quote]"Everyone has the freedom to express his view. Making too big a deal out of Jackie Chan's words may be a sign that many Americans are losing the grace to face different opinions," writes the Global Times. This person wins.

• Why is it that Americans are told they must have "grace" and accept these harsh criticisms and generalizations of their society when, in fact, any time an American dare make similar comments toward the British or French or Koreans, it's damned as being arrogant and judgemental, etc.? Why shouldn't Americans have enough pride of their country to push back and admit that while it isn't a perfect country, there are far worse, and far more corrupt governments on Earth? Is America somehow MORE corrupt than North Korea? China? Russia? Iran? REALLY? What an asshole to make this statement, and against a society who's given him nothing but love, fame and fortune.

• Truth hurts, America. But it also sets you free. One day.

• Yes this thread has the usual self-righteous, American-hating foreign hypocrite/parasites swarming all of it like flies on shit. This hypocrite has made millions of dollars off Americans yet has no problem badmouthing them. And for a Chinese man to call anything other country crooked - pot, kettle, black. That's why the rest world is so full of shit: these arrogant bigots look down their noses at everything American while benefitting off it at the same time. Foreign vultures, this American sees right through your snobbery.

• I should also mention that the hypocrites who badmouth this country the most always seem to be from nations with a much, much more bloodsoaked history than America (England, France, German, China, etc.) Snotnosed little foreign menials.

• When US food suppliers and begin to put melamine into baby formula and their government uses tanks to mow down peaceful protestors, then Mr Chan has a point. Until then...

• [quote]Why is it that Americans are told they must have "grace" and accept these harsh criticisms and generalizations of their society WHAT???!!!!! F&F!

• [quote]there are far worse, and far more corrupt governments on Earth? So, that's where the bar is set? Saudi Arabia? America can't be called corrupt when it is? We can't call a spade a spade? Did you forget the Iraq war that killed how many people? Deflection = America pastime.

• R10 Grow up. Asking a question is not grounds for a F&F.

• America is corrupt, but China and many other dictatorships are much worse.

• [quote]America is corrupt, but China and many other dictatorships are much worse. Stop deflecting. America is corrupt. Period. Doesn't matter what other countries are. America is one of them. Stay on the subject.

• It is not deflecting. He is the one who made the comparison - US to China and other nations.

• The truth hurts. Americans are in denial.

• Chan is a twat.

  Chris Tucker

• The US is a corrupt country, yes, but very few nations are free from corruption and America certainly is not the "most corrupt in the world." Also, Jackie Chan comes from a country that captures North Korean refugees and sends them back to their deaths so he can go fuck himself. I don't even like the US that much (I'm American) but I call bullshit when I see it.

• But American corruption is Wall Street and the CEOs which basically rule the planet. Chinas Corporations do not rule the planet.

• Do you want China to rule the planet, R19? I guarantee it will be much worse. Corruption is Wall Street and CEOs sending jobs to China because they can profit from slave labour.

• People deflect, because they don't want to deal with their own guilt. Me bad? But ... but the others are much worse! See? I am not so bad after all! Don't pick on me! I'm the victim here!

• I can see Chan making this statement. My family are citizens of Australia and New Zealand and they are not shy to offer their opinions of American corruption, in the particular, the CIA. They also see the US as hypocritical bullies. If you're sole superpower, you are going to receive some potshots. I then have to play the "you don't want us to be the world's police, why don't you do it." In any case, Chan's entitled to his opinion and he's not altogether wrong. The US' economic collapse did fuck things up for the rest of the world. What I do dislike about Chan though is he's Hong Kong through and through, made his name off of the island's once thriving movie industry and yet he's so happy to be Beijing's lapdog. Why doesn't he use his time and influence to ensure Hong Kong's right of speech and other freedoms remain robust? Why doesn't he question why the mainland Chinese aren't allowed those same rights as the Chinese in Hong Kong? No, instead, Chan's thrown his hat in with government in Beijing. And during a time when he's already extremely wealthy and famous. It's not like he's in the peak of career and needs to protect it from falling off the cliff.

• Fuck. I 'd rather live in this corrupt country than his.

• Goopy has the same hypocritical, snob-routine: become a world-famous celebrity making tens of millions of dollars off the American moviegoing public - then condemn those horrid American "plebians" who made these spoiled, snobby, entitled celebrity-brats famous in the first place. Jesus, snob-celebrities like this are disgusting. Disgusting with a capital D.

• Chut up!

  Cherita

• Wait--China actually has a Ministry of Tofu? Is that down the hall from Bureau of Number 23, Extra Spicy?

• I'm with r5, r7 & r9. Thread closed.

• Dog eaters.

• Anti-gay bullies aren't as bad as those who kill gays. It could be worse kids. BTW, everyone who complained about Bush should not be living in the US today.

• And, Jackie Chan has made a lot of $$$ in AMERICA.

• R8, you're such a dumb fuck. The Vietnamese don't bleed? What about Iraqis? What about African slaves? What is your definition of bloodsoaked, you cunt?

• Actually, the U.K. is likely the most corrupt government on Earth.

• Pot. Kettle. Black.

• Good lord. He didn't say "AmericanS" are corrupt, but that our GOVERNMENT is dangerously corrupt, from the prez all the way down.

• Sipping Jamieson from that special glass with the family "crest" that the family gave you for Christmas, Mickey? R32, I mean. Chan and the rest of the off-worlders roaching the DL on threads such as this clamp their teeth onto the tit of Mother America but growl while they do it. The corruption in the USA, both domestically and in foreign/military affairs - and I know more about it than you do - is no different than that in the inept, grasping, naive, violent oligarchies in the pissant nations spouting off here. In fact, it's more controlled and overt. Chan is just another fat-cat who is easily used by others. And he's always been identified as one of the dumber people in the business. Repeat after me, ladies: China is the greatest threat to the world on all fronts, and IT is based in a system that is corrupt to its core. Well, it's too corrupt to have a core. Its central abcess. Russia? Brasil? Iran? France? Italy? Spain? Indonesia? Vietnam? Please - the first-world countries are ossified with corruption, and the second- and third-world are so absurdly incompetent and pockets-filling that it's a miracle they don't collapse from the human termites infesting them. I loathe the American system's current expression. But at least the USA is spending billions in humanitarian aid and support for development every year to help improve the lives of others. China doesn't lift a finger without wrecking what it touches out of greed, and its industrial output is accelerating environmental chaos for all of us.

• The two faces of Jackie Chan. Say one thing to Chinese people and another thing to non-Chinese. "Face" is a culture in East Asia. Everyone should take a little time to understand it so they can understand East Asians better instead of looking at them like they are like European people because they are not. If Jackie wants to find the most corrupt country in the world he can look out the window. He can point fingers at the U.S. for the global recession but the fact remains China's success for the past 50 years has been the result of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger's "opening" the country up and the following transfer of information from the West to the East that followed. China would not have gotten this far without Western (particularly American) investment and inventions. Not only is China's government corrupt but you also have the Chinese population who either completely supports it or looks the other way giving tacit support, it's top to bottom corruption. Jackie had plastic surgery on his eyelids, btw.

• R35 knows best. V. amusing. No, no, I am the greatest power! Chan's an actor and acrobat, not a statistician. There is an index of corruption charted by nation that may be googled. Seen it, so I won't bother. But speaking of corruption, Chan could lead the way in China by kung-fu kicking his way out of his closet for 2013. He is gayer than a Pride Day flag.

• The US government this century is the most corrupt and immoral it has been since the late 19th century, if not of all time. But it's absolutely nothing compared to China. Then again, how low have we sunk when we start comparing ourselves to fucking China, instead of the best nations of Europe? Or for that matter, anyone?

• Refuse to watch any Jackie Chan movie that wasn't bootlegged in the US

• He's ignorant. Without America, China would be a giant North Korea.

• Wait a minute let me get this straight: I'm supposed to care what some foreign actor thinks of my government? Corrupt, not corrupt this is just his personal opinion or does Jackie Chan have an advanced degree in US Government/Politics that I don't know about?

  Ben%20Affleck%20%26%20Matt%20Damon%20

• [quote]Chinese tabloid the Global Times, on the other hand, defended Chan's comments. "Everyone has the freedom to express his view. Making too big a deal out of Jackie Chan's words may be a sign that many Americans are losing the grace to face different opinions," writes the Global Times. I'm confused. I thought China didn't have free speech. All their social networking sites are censored.

• Stop that! You stop that right now, America is none of those things, she is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

  Blanche Devereaux

• They're lying, R42. They do that a lot in dictatorships.

• Jackie Chan is trying to be the new face Americas anger with China? "Just **Jackie Chan** more of those jobs right out of America, General Electric, Microsoft, General Motors etc. etc.???"

• I still like the #15 boneless ribs lunch special with fried rice and a soup, even if Jackie Chan thinks we are corrupt and China doesn't like us. All joking aside, I always wonder what or where the local take-out owners do with their cash. They must be doing okay money-wise, considering the business that they get. Any disagreement the USA has/had with China didn't slow it down one bit. Since they really don't participate in the community, I assume they send the cash overseas, and invest it there. They sure don't hire locals.

• R18 I agree totally. And if he thinks it's so corrupt, then maybe he should stop working here and stop coming over here.

• This bitch is burning bridges left and right.

  Fuck%20him

• "What I can see is our country is continuously making progress and learning" What I can see is an unending and self-perpetuating dictatorship which "advances" by stealing ideas from other, more enlightened cultures...and still manages to fuck them up because shoddy ineptitude is the only thing their "culturally exceptional" people can understand... And don't get me started on India.

• "And if he thinks it's so corrupt, then maybe he should stop working here and stop coming over here" Oh, I think he's managed to solve that one all on his little brain-dead ownsome...

• I hate his obnoxious "Veggie style" commercial.

• So much for Chans American movie career.

• [quote]He's ignorant. Without America, China would be a giant North Korea. Without China, America wouldn't be able to survive.

• The US survived fine without China pre-2000 - in fact, it was doing better...

• The USA was doing FAR better without China. That is the real story here.