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Amid worsening world, newspaper shines a light
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DEAR editor,
There have been several pieces published in your fine newspaper of late about which I wanted to send you brief compliments.
I enjoyed the interview with Professor Wang Defeng which appeared on July 18. My compliments to your intern Li Xiecun.
When I was a boy, the Catholic Church used to emphasize the importance of “forming a correct conscience” as being vital to living a life of value and goodness. It seems that the challenge so many of us face — in China, the US, and elsewhere — is how do we reform consciences obviously malformed?
I do not have an easy answer to that. So much depends upon individuals taking the time to know themselves (Know Thyself being an ancient Greek imperative), to be able to honestly reflect upon not only what they have said and done, but also the critical why. But if one is chronically dishonest with others, how can one be honest with him/herself?
Ni Tao has had a couple of pieces recently that I admired. The first was “Economic Slowing in China not a Problem, but Less Codependency with US is Needed,” which appeared in your July 24 issue.
I’m not sure that I agree with Mr. Roach’s views; “codependency” is not the way I see our relationship at all, but his perspective is certainly thought-provoking. I think what we have to do together is to transform our mainly economic relationship into a true partnership, integrating more closely our political and military purposes so that agreed-upon common priorities can be achieved — a process that will take consistent, untiring effort.
Yes, tensions do exist between our two countries. But I think there are larger issues that threaten both of us, and the wider world, as well: terrorism, fueled by fundamentalism of all types; the quick resort by so many people to violence as a means of resolving differences; global warming and its implications for some of the most vulnerable human societies on the planet; and the drift of the west and southwest Pacific lands towards conflict, perhaps even war.
On July 29 your opinion page carried two very interesting articles. I certainly concur with the views of Professor Sachs, whose opinions always carry authentic weight, and I enjoyed Mr. Pancoast’s views on American media and the Daioyu Islands.
So much of American media is truly deplorable these days! Even those media outlets that try to get it right are facing reduced budgets and, increasingly, all are coming to rely on a shrinking number of sources for their material.
But most Americans, I am afraid, gather most of their “information” from sources not that credible or unbiased. Rather, we have the condensed “newscasts” throughout the day— which carry almost no true information about events or views reported — and the angry blowhards of the Right who, frankly, are more about sowing disinformation than truthful information.
Finally, Wan Lixin’s lament about what fast food is doing to Chinese culture (in the July 30 issue) could apply equally to the US. Not only is physical obesity a major — and growing — problem in the United States, but so also is a distinct flabbiness in intellectual capacity. To listen to any “popular” culture broadcast is, frankly, an experience guaranteed to lead to depression.
If ever a time demanded the full attention — and thinking, creative capacity — of a people, it is now. And yet ... leaders, we have virtually none; prophets and seers, none; hypocrites, hate-venders, and distortionists, we have aplenty.
Perhaps this is just the gloom of old age; I remember reading Cicero back in college and laughing at one of his letters when he wrote to a friend, “The whole world is going to hell in a basket.”
Peace to you!
Greg Cusack
The author has been a college teacher of American history and political science and director of the US National Catholic Rural Life Conference; he served as a member of the Iowa State House of Representatives, and retired from public service in the Iowa executive branch in 2004.
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