Interesting topic, Bill:

We live in an imperfect world. In time, the ascendancy of the United States will wither because our government has betrayed us with unwise trade agreements and by blatant attempts at wealth re-distribution. Having created the United Nations, we allowed it to become an unlanced boil. The problem is not China... much as I gripe about cheap products and poor quality. (We saw the same model with the Japanese after WWII.) Evenutally, they learned about quality through Deming... and still, their economy hit the skids.

In a few years, the Chinese will be griping about cheap American labor and we will have no unions, pensions, health care system or anything else related to civilized society. What goes around always seems to come around again.

You are not wrong, Taike. It is a shame that you appear to hate us... but I understand. Our culture is disappearing and our children do not understand history. We have begun to trod that unwise path to self destruction. Was Nikita Kruschev right? Probably... but I hope we can turn it around.

Our entire world is shrinking. We must find a way to resolve issues by equitable and peaceful means. This does not mean that Somali Pirates should be given a free pass to plunder as they see fit. Nor does it give us (the U.S.A.) the badge of world's policeman. Where is the middle ground? How can we prevent zealots from killing so many innocent people?

Here's hoping that 2011 brings peace and prosperity... as well as freedome to all of us... everywhere.

Dave Rice