Breeding Violence vs Cultivating Peace

I know right from the get-go that this is likely going to be a long post. I haven’t updated for a while now, but this isn’t meant to be an update on my personal whereabouts and goings on. That said, I don’t expect many people to read this as you may or may not be interested in the politics of China and the U.S..

Part I: A Bright Side
A little over a week ago I read an article that talked about a curious event that happened in southern China near Hong Kong. In this area, there is a huge economic boom focused in large part around industry. This once rural farming area has now become the home of the “new” China-- bustling city life with promise for the future. Anyway, there happens to be a five star hotel in the region that houses on a regular basis around 800-1000 guests (no doubt the kind of folks that have well lined pocketbooks). One day about two weeks ago now, all 800+ guests were kindly informed that they were checking out immediately. ALL of the guests left, security blanketed the surrounding vicinity, and streets were blocked off for the entire neighboring area. Was there a bomb in the building??? No. In fact no explanation was given. Rumor had it that Kim Jong Il had crossed over from North Korea and was making his way down to southern China to witness firsthand the economic boom that was taking place, and to evaluate whether or not Korea might also be able to adapt such an economic policy.

You may remember a couple of years ago (shortly after the U.S. invaded IRAQ) that North Korea threatened to build nuclear weapons. The response by the U.S. was to NOT talk directly with the Koreans even though that is exactly what they asked for. The U.S. position was to stonewall the Koreans right back. Some could well argue that such tactics were necessary or at least warranted, but I don’t think you could call it a very creative approach to diffuse the situation, and there was certainly no effort by the U.S. to try and befriend an old enemy. The end result was the U.S. agreed to pay loads of money to the Koreans by way of oil (which we are so abundantly blessed with?), and the stalemate will again present its ugly head again in the future. (this wasn’t the first time such an exchange had occurred).

Getting back to China, on Thursdays Times, there was an article revealing the fact that in fact Kim Jong Il had in fact been in China for about 8 days touring the economic developments of the emerging country. Accompanying this article was a large picture of Kim Jong Il, Hu Jintao, and other various party leaders with a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural sciences. Adorning their faces were ear to ear stretched smiles, including one on Kim Jong Il’s face. The beauty of this picture, I think, is revealed in the smile. In all the pictures that we see on the news of Kim Jong Il, he is always portrayed as a stoic leader, never smiling, always stern.

While the U.S. is focused on narrow minded policies that alienate and agitate allies, China, meanwhile, is displaying some excellent, creative soft power. Instead of stonewalling North Korea, they offered to let the isolated leader try to become a part of the world society with their invitation to come to China. They invited/challenged him to follow their economic pattern of success that could allow the North to become less dependent on threat tactics such as nuclear proliferation. They opened the door, and offered friendship. How about the U.S.? Not much of an open door with anyone anymore, and recently it seems that if the door is opened, it is only opened to see long time friends leaving.

Anger/fear politics creates enemies, breeds violence, and costs ridiculous amounts of money in bombs. Creative/diffusing politics creates friends, removes violence, cost a little mental energy, and far less money—and money spent on such propositions are often used to build up instead of destroy. It is funny, we learn a lot about these practical policies in the Bible. For China being a non-religious nation and the U.S. being a “Christian/Biblical” nation, the U.S. has a lot to learn.

On a related note of fear, anger, and related bad policies, check out the movie “Munich”. I have to warn you though that it is intense. However, as a good friend of mine said after seeing it, “sometimes we have to see what we don’t want to see”.

Part II: A Dark Side
It wouldn’t be fare of me to talk so highly of China without saying that they also have much yet to learn. In that same southern area where there has been such a tremendous economic boom, there also has been corruption and deceit. On the very next page of the Times article that I have just talked about, is an article discussing how China has essentially taken the land away from the farmers in that area to build the new industries. As it turns out, there were frequently town meetings for the local farmers about the future plans for the region. All the local farmers would normally attend, pay their 10 kuai entrance fee, and sign in. Well, at the end of one of the meetings, the farmers were told to get off the farm land that now belonged to the local government. The farmers were angered because they had not sold their land. The officials informed them that they all signed the sale contract when they walked in. They had been fooled to believe they were signing in, but really they were signing off on their land.

Of course, the farmers revolted. They protested, rallied, and rioted, demanding they at least be paid an honest amount for the land, which was their viability and their only trade. The government responded by sending hordes of police to the area. Now, the city is a ghost town at night when the sun goes down due to the inflicted curfew. The farmers essentially have no option. So much for creative soft power.