My Reply to an Essay on China, the US, and Yu Wan Mei

The Onion was recently acquired by Yu Wan Mei. A Stanford professor wrote about the entire thing (click the link, it's a good essay).

I emailed said professor my thoughts on the matter. Here is my email:

I thought your essay (http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/2009/07/brought-to-you-by-peoples-republic-of.html) was quite good, and you analyzed the relationship between China and the US quite well via your dissection of The Onion's recent "sale" to Yu Wan Mei.

However, I think you are a bit mistaken in your portrayal of US politicians vs. Chinese politicians. I, for one, have seen nothing but the same theatrical Grand High Poobah attitude in US politicians that you find in China. I certainly haven't seen this sincerity and honesty that you allege exists within the palaces of Washington DC. I think that Chinese and US politicians are closer to the same breed, and conduct far more of the same carnival show, then you claim.

For all the cultural differences between the people of these two countries, I would argue that the working civilian in the US has a great deal more in common with the Chinese civilian than he has with any politician from his homeland. If you want to find the same "breed" of people here, you must look not to imaginary national boundaries, but instead you must look to a far more real boundary: that between the powerful and the powerless - the productive class vs the parasite class - the citizen vs the politician. Our adversay is not across the Pacific, but across the Potomac.

Sincerely,
Aaron Kinney