LISTEN CAREFULLY
Are we listening to the right voices today concerning China?
The ancient commercial city of Venice had leaders who did not respond readily to the voices of Marco Polo, his father Nicollo and Uncle Maffio Polo. They had returned from the Orient with news of the riches of Genghis Kahn's then thriving empire the Polo's spoke with authority of their twenty-five year journey. Their words urging the Venetians to engage in trade with the rich oriental people they had come to know went unheeded. Their words were appreciated more as entertainment than as business advice or guidance.
How do we think of that vast area today?
Our views have reversed themselves in recent years. It has not been many years since China was viewed as a potential enemy - a “yellow peril”, It had been branded as such long ago on a basis of questionable thinking in both social studies and in politics. Our subsequent leaders shied away from any dealings with them.
Marco, Papa and Uncle had Silk Road superficial which enabled them to deal, with the fringes of the fabulous Oriental markets. Their discoveries showed the famed merchants of Venice how they could make a killing, but they did not respond as one might expect. Part of the reason they did no do so is to be found in the fact that Marco Polo, the young, energetic spokesman for the threesome and their crew is found to have been too skilled in the telling their story. His manner, his youthful enthusiasm and picturesque way of saying things entertained them but failed to convince them.
Polo painted a picture of great wealth awaiting Europeans in China. Today we have been sold on the idea of extreme poverty and political confusion being the norm in China and we are to see the area as a great potential market for American products. However, the actual evens which have happened are exactly the opposite. Our trade deficit grows daily as we import thousands of products “Made in China” more with each passing year.
It is obvious that we have, in recent decades, listened to and taken the advice of the wrong voices. We may we;ll have been entertained by brighter news from the Orient, but we have. in some way, been mislead or mis-directed. The old merchants of Venice found their place in time, and we may,yet, do so with some prompt attention to the conditions which exist between our nation and the Chinese.
Listen up! We seem to have been paying attention to vibrant, energetic, entertaining Marco when we should have been seeking out the word of his father Niccolo or his Uncle Maffio. Anyway, there is a need for some serious - above and beyond party politics - re-thinking of our trade with China. What was supposed to be the cart is now dragging the horse.
A.L.M. January12, 2004 [c480wds]
