Monday, March 24, 2008

China is In This for the Long Haul

I thought it was worth putting this post up for perspective. Chinese governments are used to thinking long-term. Someone once asked Chairman Mao his opinion on the success of the French Revolution. His answer? "It's too early to tell." China has a more or less unbroken documented history stretching back twenty-five centuries. America has been occupied at least as long, but our current government is only 2.25 centuries old. It's arrogant to think the experience of history somehow doesn't apply to us. It's smart to use it to succeed in the future. I do NOT think it's arrogant to emphasize that the U.S. is only getting started. The next 2.25 centuries are going to be even better if we can help it. Still, we have a long road ahead of us.

Whatever decisions we make have to be realistic and long-term, because our competitors have been thinking that way for a long time already. Even Napoleon said, "Let China sleep, for when she awakes, she will shake the world."

IF IT'S BAD FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

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