Todd Sandel's Blog from Macau

Where are you now Superman? “I’m fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American way.” In the 1978 film, Superman: The Movie , a memorable scene is when Lois Lane asks Superman , “Why are you here?” Superman responds, “I’m fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.” I’m old enough to remember seeing this film when it played in the movie theater, and remember the thrill that I felt when Superman (played by Christopher Reeve) said this. As Americans, we were experiencing difficult times. Inflation was high, the economy was not growing, energy prices were surging, we still felt strongly about losing the Vietnam war, many former colonies in Africa were aligning with the Communist bloc, and we feared that we were losing the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Our President, Jimmy Carter, who began his term on a wave of optimism, was struggling to find solutions, and in his brutally honest way of communicating, emphasized the “challenges” and “difficulties” ahead more than the solutions. ...

 Happy Year of the Snake!  We mark the beginning of a new year in Macao, and also in Taiwan where I'm spending the holiday with Donna and family. The weather is bright and sunny here after a cold night. Let's hope that this is a sign for the days to come, that after a cold start, things get better. The last time I posted anything on this blog was on Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. I thought that the days of the orange-felon-cheat-etc. were behind us. Unfortunately, he was able to convince enough people that four years of chaos wasn't enough, and they chose to experience four more. Donna and I went on a short drive to see a nearby park, trees, and flowers. It was too crowded to stop, so we just drove slowly and enjoyed the sights as we passed by. As we came close to home, I was driving in a four-lane highway that had some traffic, but not too bad. A car came up on me very fast, passing cars in the slow lane, and I moved to the inner lane, out of the way, to let it pass...

 " To heal, we must remember ." Joe Biden uttered these poignant words on the eve of his inauguration, as he paid tribute to those who died because of Covid-19. I distinctly remember the horror that I felt the night that the would-be-tyrant won the election. I was terrified of what would happen to the country, and the world. And as this terrible man departs the people's house, many of those fears have been tragically realized. History will not look kindly on this man. And I hope that in the coming weeks, months, and years, those who supported him realize the gravity of their error. But now is a time to look forward with hope to a man who has a heart, who has compassion, and has the will to heal the nation. Thanks be to God, Stacey Abrams , and the more than 80 million who voted for Joe Biden.

 The year 2020 is finally and thankfully past. A year ago I started reading news about this mystery virus in China. At first we were told that it was linked to a wet market in Wuhan, and that it did not spread easily. But then, ... the rest is a global story.  I t's also a local story. Here in Macau, after making it through the frightful and locked-down months of February and March, by April things looked much better. And then when it was clear that the virus was  under control, as long as the borders were kept secure, life for the most part resumed its normal rhythms. Apart from the habit of mask-wearing, we could do almost all the things that we used to enjoy--shopping, going out to restaurants, meeting with friends, and even having church services. Then the university made the decision to begin in-class instruction in September. We met without fear of infection, although I found that mask-wearing meant that it was hard for me to recognize the individual identities of m...

First, I mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was an amazing woman and changed society in so many ways. When my mother was married in the 1950s, women in the US could not open bank accounts in their own names. Women were treated like children. But RBG, even before she was a justice, fought against this and made life so much better. May she continue to live on in our thoughts and prayers. Second, I wish to draw attention to the actions of the madman, who banned the apps WeChat and Tiktok in the US. This is done to make him look "tough" against China. But the reality is that he is doing the same as China, and justifying a censored internet, not the open platform as it was designed and imagined by Americans and many others decades ago. If you are interested in learning more about the Chinese internet, and WeChat, see the chapter that we published about this. Here is the link Ju, Bei, Sandel, Todd L., & Fitzgerald, Richard (2019). Understanding Chines...

Chris Webber asks, "If not now, when?" I'm back in the "bubble" of quarantine. This is my personal story. But I've also been watching the NBA (through a subscription to NBA global that lets me watch all the games online), and have been following their "bubble." My personal story is important to me, but mundane. The NBA story, which has little impact on me personally, in light of the struggle for justice, is not mundane. My Personal Bubble Story  After having surgery in Hong Kong on my right hip, a procedure called "Birmingham hip resurfacing," I returned to Macau on August 24th, and was assigned a hotel room to observe a second period of 14 days of quarantine. While I would rather be at home, or not have to be in quarantine, it is not all that bad. The Macau government is paying for my hotel room - a one-bedroom suite - and providing three meals a day. I have great high speed internet in my room, two flat screen televisions that I can ho...