Will China Ever Learn?

A little over a hundred years ago, when the Western and European nations first discovered all the riches China had to offer, everyone wanted to get a piece of it. The Western world decided among themselves how they were going to divide up China. Of course no one ever asked the Chinese about this. The plan was split up China like pieces of a pie and the powers that be decided who would get what part (kind of like how drug lords decide to split up neighborhoods). The guilty parties included England, France, Germany, and the United States just to name a few, although these were the greatest perpetrators. To make a long story short, everyone slowly lost interest and left, except the English, who took Hong Kong for 100 years or so. China's resources and national treasures were sold and exported, much like how the 13 New England colonies were exploited and abused before they initiated their own rebellion.

Fast forward 100 years or so.

Now China is back in the same situation it was during the late 1800's. China's economy is booming, and once, again, there are riches to be found. And once, again, everyone wants a piece of the pie; everyone wants to get in on the economic boom in China. Everyone, meaning the European nations and of course, the United States.

Of course you can blame others for taking advantage of you, but there comes a time when you should start blaming yourself for allowing yourself to be consistently abused and exploited. It is as the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Hasn't China learned what was done to it's people, it's culture, it's philosophy, and it's country? Apparently not, as once again, many Chinese people are opening their arms wide, welcoming all the enterpreneurs and businesses from overseas to come and stake their claim in China.
Okay, true. Back in the 1800's, China didn't like the idea of Europeans and Americans just moving in and claiming their own territories. But they didn't do a whole lot to stop them. They didn't back then and they aren't now, either.

Now I'm not suggesting isolationism because that's what made China fall behind as far as being a world power during the latter half of the last millenium. But when things move too fast, when things get built, bought, and sold too fast, things also fall apart and turn to crap real fast, too. China, of all the nations, should remember this.

Sadly, China either doesn't remember or doesn't care. But if it's not careful, history will repeat itself and it will meet the same fate as it did.