China and Capitalism:
Last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving (that day when consumers shop til they drop and dutifully contribute a solid point to the GDP), a Wal-Mart that two years ago kicked the life out of a small business community south of Eugene, Oregon, was the scene of cat-fight reminiscent of the Barbie Doll and Nintendo battles of days gone bye. It seems that an early morning crush had, in the first fifteen minutes of frenzied buying, wiped out the store's supply of Furbies, an ugly little bird that isn't fit for cuddling as is a teddy bear, but IS equipped with a with a computer chip that enables an arcane interaction that has been hyped by Infotainment from coast to eager coast. Well, one woman (not to be sexist, I suppose it could have been a man) stole a Furby from another woman's shopping cart. The begrieved, discovering the theft almost immediately, grabbed the thief by the back of her hair, and as the two fell to the floor cursing and scratching, a crowd gathered to watch the action that was quickly subdued by red vested security guards who, ultimately, restored calm......Only to discover that the Furby in dispute had, well, disappeared a second time! And now surely sits under a little Douglas Fir in a gay package ready to delight a toddler on x-mas morn.
What does this have to do with China and Capitalism? I don't know, but Wal-Mart is leading the Dow this year with a 94% gain on the back of its 73% rise in 1997, and as China slouches toward Capitalism, perhaps this is what it has to look forward to.
John |
