An online article of the local newspapr tells me that several ( ! ) Chinese car drivers didn't let an fire engine through to go against a house fire.
Is this what happens with people when communism turns into capitalism ? Pure egoism ?
Alrik, you are on the right track here. Actually this unrestrained money worship and egoism is the spawn of Deng Xiaoping's reformation and opening policies which happened during the youth of most middle aged Chinese.
Hu Jintao is the first Chairman of China and the politburo since Mao to turn his back on the money oriented ideology of his predecessors. His famous "harmonious society" is a list of ethical rules for party members to follow so that the country can be filled with filled with moral piety based on patriotism.
The problem is that Chinese people have as much faith in their government as Americans do in theirs. We all believe our governments full of corrupt crooks that deserve nothing less than life in prison. The result is that the "harmonious society" is one of the biggest sarcastic jokes of all history. Harmony actually is more commonly used as a word to describe government suppression.
The girl that got ran over is a direct result of this destruction of ethical standards within China. I should note that that same week I saw another girl get run over. She wasn't in critical condition or anything, but after what happened to the little girl down south, the people around me were pretty pissed at the driver. Lucky for him he was very polite about it and immediately offered to take care of everything and guaranteed he would pay for any medical costs or otherwise.
Interesting side note for those who find this stuff fascinating:
Most Chinese people are not part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Why? Because the Party won't let them join. In modern times the CCP is an elite club that only the born rich or top scoring high school graduates can join. To join the CCP you must first be vetted by joining a minor party (not the same thing as the young pioneers, for those wondering) in elementary school. If you perform well here (both ideologically and in your general life) throughout your schooling you may then apply to the communist party. If you really want to get in, you better hope your parents are members in good standing, you are rich, and you are the top of your class. Of course lesser members are selected from time to time, but in general, they are not.
Once in the CCP you are now more or less above the law (the party has their own internal arbitration system which supersedes the law). You will be fast tracked for promotions and receive a multitude of perks from sweet resorts to free iPhones.