Soothed feet, clean conscience
<p><span word="In">In</span> 1995, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Reichstag">Reichstag</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Berlin">Berlin</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="wrapped">wrapped</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="sheets">sheets</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="artists">artists</span> <span word="Christo">Christo</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Jeanne">Jeanne</span>-<span word="Claude">Claude</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="art">art</span> <span word="project">project</span>.</p><p><span word="Recently">Recently</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Zhangjiajie">Zhangjiajie</span>, <span word="Hunan">Hunan</span> <span word="province">province</span>, <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="wrapped">wrapped</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="sheets">sheets</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="intention">intention</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="artistic">artistic</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="vertical">vertical</span> <span word="banners">banners</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="bore">bore</span> <span word="congratulatory">congratulatory</span> <span word="messages">messages</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="array">array</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="agencies">agencies</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="bureau">bureau</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="procurator">procurator</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="office">office</span> - <span word="all">all</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="celebration">celebration</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="foot">foot</span>-<span word="washing">washing</span> <span word="business">business</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="photos">photos</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="banner">banner</span>-<span word="covered">covered</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="surfaced">surfaced</span> <span word="online">online</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="drew">drew</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barrage">barrage</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="condemnation">condemnation</span>: <span word="How">How</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="join">join</span> <span word="hands">hands</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="unsavory">unsavory</span> <span word="elements">elements</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="blatant">blatant</span> <span word="display">display</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="solidarity">solidarity</span>? <span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cat">cat</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mouse">mouse</span>?</p><p><span word="Without">Without</span> <span word="digging">digging</span> <span word="deeper">deeper</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absence">absence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="incriminating">incriminating</span> <span word="evidence">evidence</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="photos">photos</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="banners">banners</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="essence">essence</span>, <span word="alternatives">alternatives</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="baskets">baskets</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>, <span word="peers">peers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="rivals">rivals</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="occasions">occasions</span>.</p><p><span word="Part">Part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="controversy">controversy</span> <span word="lies">lies</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nature">nature</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="washing">washing</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="rather">rather</span>, <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="massaging">massaging</span>. <span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="services">services</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="saunas">saunas</span>, <span word="hair">hair</span> <span word="salons">salons</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="massage">massage</span> <span word="parlors">parlors</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="lumped">lumped</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="oldest">oldest</span> <span word="trade">trade</span>, <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="serves">serves</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="business">business</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>.</p><p><span word="Assuming">Assuming</span> <span word="innocence">innocence</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="proving">proving</span> <span word="otherwise">otherwise</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="refrain">refrain</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="jumping">jumping</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conclusion">conclusion</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="venue">venue</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="doors">doors</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="guilty">guilty</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="association">association</span>. <span word="Foot">Foot</span> <span word="massaging">massaging</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="quaint">quaint</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="some">some</span>, <span word="sprouted">sprouted</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="late">late</span> 1990<span word="s">s</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="employed">employed</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="barely">barely</span> <span word="skilled">skilled</span> <span word="migrants">migrants</span>. <span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="cities">cities</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="industry">industry</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="delivery">delivery</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="poverty">poverty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gateway">gateway</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="prosperity">prosperity</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="trickle">trickle</span>-<span word="down">down</span> <span word="effect">effect</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="palpable">palpable</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="labor">labor</span> <span word="intensive">intensive</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="resource">resource</span> <span word="light">light</span>.</p>
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