Communist Pheonix and Capitalist Ant

If you've been inside a Chinese restaurant, chances are you might have seen this picture, or framed embroidery.



It's called 百鳥朝鳳, or "Hundreds of Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix."  It's typically given to businesses to say many people support you.

The story of how the phoenix got it's feathers is common children's tale similar to the ant in Aesop's fables, but with a slight twist.  Here's how it goes:

"Once upon a time the phoenix was an ugly looking bird, but was very hard working.  When it was spring, all the birds fluttered around, playing and eating to their heart's desire.  The other birds would simply drop their half-eaten fruits to the floor, while the phoenix carefully tucked leftovers in a cave.  All the birds ridiculed the phoenix for working instead of frolicking with the other birds.  Winter came, and all the fruits disappeared.  All the birds were beginning to starve, but the gracious phoenix let all the other birds into the cave and survived winter.  Spring came again, and to pay homage to the phoenix, all the birds plucked the best feathers on their backs and gave it to the phoenix.  Hence, the phoenix looks all rainbow psychedelic."

The ant from Western tradition and the phoenix from the east expose a subtle difference on hard work.

The hard working capitalistic ant was able to live happily and out competed his grasshopper.  The communist phoenix was efficient while the bourgeois birds almost died from their over extravagance, only to be saved from the socialist comrade loving phoenix.

Okay, toning down the grossly politically incorrect interpretation, both cases seem to lack balance.  Was it heartless for the ant to leave the grasshopper to starve?  Was it unfair for the phoenix to do ALL the work to save everyone?

Perhaps one could argue that I'm creating a false dichotomy, and one should always use foresight and hard work to help those in need.  But when hear stories of a crack addict mother putting all of her 7 children up for adoption, or a woman with Mercedes car keys using a welfare debit card, I also want to see the grasshopper starve.