Chinese Food (For Thought)

I love Chinese food.

But this is not about that.

China has become a major force in the world of material supply and demand. It is very difficult to purchase items here in New Jersey that are not made in China: it seems most of our manufacturing has vanished overseas. The Mac PowerBook I write this with...made in China. The stainless steel bolts I ordered from McMaster-Carr. China. Even my beloved Mackie audiogear (the new stuff). Made in China.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Hey, Greg Mackie — I'm keeping my "old" 1202VLZ just to spite your corporate sellout! What happened to "Proudly made in Washington, USA"?!]

The force of the Chinese economy is such that not long ago we had a cement shortage in New Jersey sufficient to delay construction of public schools, because our raw materials for concrete were being shipped...to China.

But this is not about that.

I deliberately purchase American-made products, if they are of competitive or superior quality, in part to support the American economy, but also because I don't really want to support an economic system that relies on transporting ordinary consumer goods global distances, using fossil fuels. Fossil fuel transport is simply not ecologically sustainable.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I've left myself wide open to arguments from those who will point out my hyprocrisy in shipping guitars worldwide...I will address that issue anon.]

But this is still not about that. This is about Chinese language, philosophy, and culture.

My fortune cookie from Christmas Eve read: "Birds are entangled by your feet and men by their tongues." It is a metaphor. What beautiful language. Thank you for the compliment, Anonymous Chinese Fortune Writer.

Reading the BBC today, I came upon the Chinese press' reaction to Bush's latest Iraq...erm, "maneuver." On a page filled with wordy analyis from European and Arabic press, shone this succinct Chinese gem: "The new policy on Iraq is old wine in new bottles."

Hoo...brilliant!

I miss venerable Chinese wisdom. I would gladly trade all their cheaply made inflatable vinyl lawn ornaments for just some reminder that the beauty of ancient Chinese culture is not dead, drowned in a polluted river of quasi-Capitalist industrial runoff sponsored by a corrupt quasi-Communist Mao-relic government.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: That was definitely a rant.]

Oh, and what about Chinese girls?!