China's seriousness is our best hope
<p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="boy">boy</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="England">England</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="weekday">weekday</span> <span word="morning">morning</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="grandmother">grandmother</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="house">house</span>. <span word="We">We</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="drink">drink</span> <span word="cups">cups</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tea">tea</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="chat">chat</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="trivialities">trivialities</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nascent">nascent</span> 8-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>, <span word="until">until</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="village">village</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="primary">primary</span> <span word="school">school</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="sorry">sorry</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="recall">recall</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="declared">declared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="grandma">grandma</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="what">what</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="more">more</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="promised">promised</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="me">me</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1990<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pre">pre</span>-<span word="internet">internet</span> <span word="era">era</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="TV">TV</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="books">books</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wondrous">wondrous</span> <span word="place">place</span>, <span word="filled">filled</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span>. "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brave">brave</span>".</p><p><span word="Fast">Fast</span> <span word="forward">forward</span> 20 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="changed">changed</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="New">New</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="swept">swept</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="widespread">widespread</span> <span word="discontent">discontent</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="Wages">Wages</span> <span word="stagnate">stagnate</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="secure">secure</span> <span word="jobs">jobs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="yesteryear">yesteryear</span> <span word="dry">dry</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="generations">generations</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="predicted">predicted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="parents">parents</span>.</p><p><span word="Against">Against</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="background">background</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="support">support</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="root">root</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kinds">kinds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="isolationist">isolationist</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="xenophobic">xenophobic</span> <span word="attitudes">attitudes</span> <span word="characterized">characterized</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Brexit">Brexit</span> <span word="bogeyman">bogeyman</span> <span word="Nigel">Nigel</span> <span word="Farage">Farage</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Republican">Republican</span> <span word="president">president</span>-<span word="elect">elect</span> <span word="Donald">Donald</span> <span word="Trump">Trump</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="answers">answers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="complicated">complicated</span>, <span word="scary">scary</span> <span word="questions">questions</span>.</p>
页:
[1]