Chatting with Mao at Starbucks in the Forbidden City

One of those surreal moments you never forget hasDo you think that if he walked around a bit saw the
to be for me sitting at the Starbucks at the top of theway that China is working today, that he would be
Forbidden City drinking a cup of coffee while gazingagreeing with some of Friedman's theorys and try to
towards Mao's Mausoleum. You can't help wondering Ifleave it alone and let the yin and yang of the free
Moa was sitting next to you sipping the foam off of amarket work themselves out?
skinny latte where would he steer the conversationIf you caught him in a melancholy mood what mistakes
towards?might torment him the most and which things would he
There are so many issue's facing China some of themchange if he had a time machine. What new solutions
old, others new, where would his passion lay today.might he try to old problems? Would he embrace or
Would it be the increasing population? Landownershiphinder technology?
and the increasing wealth of the eastern city dwellersHow would Moa feel about pollution and global
compared to the people in the country side?warming and now global dimming would he be torn
Technology, Iraq, North Korea, space, trade imbalances,between growth, and protecting the natural resources
what would he talk about?for the future generations. Would he make room in a 5
What would Moa see that would surprise him, certainlyyear plan for development of alternative energies as a
a Starbucks at the top of the Forbidden City is goingway to slow the use of coal and decrease the
to give him a little gas, but what else? Do you thinkgrowing need for oil from outside China?
Chairman Mao would smile at all the healthy people inIn the end I think that Moa would want to talk about his
their Western clothes going about there day in agrand kids and how many Gold medals can China win
peaceful and orderly way? What would he think of theat the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after all it's just not cool
skyscrapers and the western style malls, withto talk business in Starbucks.
everyone having a cell phone attached to their ear?