(in MinnPost.com)
--------
J J Sefton (also known as TPO) had the following comment(s) on Mr. Shelby's article ....
Zounds, where to begin?!
As a naturalized American, I may be able to offer a different perspective on this highly-charged topic that is constantly on everybody's mind.
Many years ago, as a child growing up in Ethiopia, I was learning to read English in school from a book called,"The Green Primer." The first story was titled, "Alladin and the Lamp." It began thus: Once upon a time, there was a wizard. He lived in China. He came to Africa to look for a lamp ....
Fast forward to today. Now, as I see them, the Chinese have always been very industrious, and goal-oriented. They are a tenacious nation that deserve a lot of respect because they understand what "accommodation" means. They accommodate religion to politics, and politics to economics, economics to techonology and science, etc., etc.
Napoleon once said of China, "Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world." Well, China has awoken, and she is shaking the world! In the few years since China has been a major world economic player, the Chinese have been to Africa and they have done a lot more good than bad.
The United States has been lazy, lethargic, and short-sighted for the last thirty years at least. American economic concentration has been in the financial world where patriotism, conscience, or any semblance of integrity are left at the door. Manufacturing, innovations, and energy conservancy have been disregarded. We've been shipping jobs abroad. Right after 9/11/01, suddenly there was a mad need for U.S. flag lapel pins. Only thing, almost all of them were made in China ... go figure!
And as far as the U of M and its research efforts go, its discoveries will never guarantee American supremacy for long. Perhaps, it would be better to work alongside your rival, share knowledge, and look to the long-run benefits of cooperation rather than suspicion and perhaps greed.
No comments:
Post a Comment