"I am hopeful that the spirit of admiral Zheng He lives."
At different times every nation has seen the rise of exceptional people. History tells us to be suspicious of any belief that some country's people and practices will be "superior" just because of an imaginary line on a land mass.
The Chinese are a wonderful people, possessing many of the same qualities that drove America to success: industry, thrift, a good work ethic. But just as the Roman empire, the British empire and now Pax Americana rose and fell, so will the Chinese. Nazis believed in their Thousand Year Reich, and the myth of natural superiority and dominance. In the US, the myth is American Exceptionalism. British, Romans, Greeks and many other dominant nations all espoused notions of superiority, even as they embraced the contradiction of democracy.
The belief that nationality confers superiority is a dangerous mistake. The Chinese moment has come and it will pass, just as it did for others. Let's hope they leave a historical record of positive accomplishments, while recognizing that the Chinese possess no more inherent virtue than Germans, Spanish, Persians, Greeks, Romans, or Americans.
Jim |
