History

As a break from studying for the bar, I started reading the Legal System of the People's Republic of China in a Nutshell. When we mention that we're planning to get an LL.M. in Chinese law, people often joke with us that the phrase "Chinese law" seems like a contradiction in terms. That view, according to this excerpt, is informed by the historical fact that China was largely lawless up until 1978, when Mao died. Since that time, however, China has focused upon developing its own legal system, and rebuilding the system that fell after the Nationalists lost the war against Mao & Co. While they've been somewhat lax in enforcement since 1978, as of the millennium, the PRC started enforcing laws more stringently, began treating foreigners equally in its courts, and decided that by 2010 "every part of modern business life will be controlled by a very clear written law." If you're looking for a good primer on that evolution, check out the excerpt above.

We also rented the director's cut of "The Last Emperor" and started watching it last night after we put away the books. The movie came out when I was nine, so I don't really remember it, but it's proving to be an interesting take on China's development in the wake of Chang Kai Shek and Mao. It's also obscenely long, so we only got through about 90 minutes of it last night. It's proving worthy of its nine academy awards, tho, and way better than anything on the "new releases" shelf of your local video store.