Dollar out, Yuan in
I made a comment yesterday: ‘Malinda Seneviratne feels sorry for
Barack ‘Monologue’ Obama’. The reference was to the walkout of the US
delegation as the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the
UN General Assembly.
Ahmadinejad got to speak after US President Barack Obama. Obama had,
in his speech, taken issue with Iran’s nuclear program. Not too long
after, the US team gave their all to defend Israel’s non-peaceful
Nuclear program. Obama knew this was going to happen. Not many were
impressed therefore by his school principal cameo.
Ahmadinejad said it as it was. He said that Iran was for nuclear
energy for all when it comes to peaceful purposes and for none when it
comes to military uses. He also called for a full investigation into the
9/11 attacks. I thought this was a sensible proposition since the USA
went to war against two countries and causes untold misery based on
CONJECTURE. Ahmadinejad opined that the 9/11 attacks could have been
birthed by sections of the US Government itself. That’s a bit too much,
I know, but not as ‘much’ as the US Government’s wild claims about
weapons of mass destruction.
Obama’s team
Obama had earlier talked about the need for the community of nations
to respect one another, to dialogue, to discuss, to work together etc
etc. When Ahmadinejad spoke, Obama’s team walked out. Obama’s
‘dialoguing’, then, was about listening to agreement and not wanting to
hear that which is distasteful. Hence my re-christening of the man:
‘Monologue’.
That’s enough ‘preamble’. I stated and a friend asked, ‘When will the
US come out of denial?’ I replied, ‘When China decides to appoint a
viceroy perhaps...’ Another friend responded, ‘China may appoint a
viceroy to Sri Lanka sooner than it has a chance to do that to US’.
Here’s my final comment: ‘That would be good, really; I am sick of
having Yanks ‘viceroying’ us.’
It was all very light banter. I don’t want to be under viceroys of
any nationality. I realized however that the world had turned in ways
that few thought were possible a decade or two ago.
There was a time when Uncle Sam spoke tommyrot and much of the world
salaamed it all as though what was falling out of that mother-of-all
foul mouths was heaven-made and immortalizing. Now, Barack M Obama,
educated and slick-tongued, well versed on diplo-speak and oozing with
humility and generosity (compared to George W Bush, for example, which
of course is not saying much) flourishes word-skills and no one is ready
to purchase. Except of course his fellow bullies in the Western
hemisphere. If someone given to blunt-speak and rabble-rousing like
Ahmadinejad can with a few words undress someone like Obama and spank
his bottom Uncle Sam needs to be very worried.
Some proof of the world having turned arrived last evening. A surgeon
friend of mine related a story. He had recently visited Chong Qing, a
major city in Southwestern China. Here’s what he said.
It was impossible to change a dollar. No one is interested in
dollars. I needed to buy some medical equipment and had about 7,000 US
dollars with me. Cash. I finally found a bank that was willing to change
it all into Yuan, with the greatest reluctance. They weren’t impressed
by the dollar and indeed were suspicious of the notes. I came off with
the feeling that I might have had an easier time had I taken Sri Lankan
rupees!
Political economy
That last line was in jest of course, but it’s pretty clear now isn’t
it? Those who worship money have a new god these days. Yuan.
The identity of the robber counts only to the extent that he/she can
be captured and brought before the law. In matters of international
political economy this doesn’t happen. It doesn’t matter if I am being
robbed by a Chinese or a Yankee. What counts is the fact of robbery.
Not being spat on while my pocket is being picked is small
consolation but it’s still something to be appreciative of. Come to
think of it, China has been a friend throughout and by far a
no-strings-attached friend. In the very least, with China dialogue is
possible. There is respect. I’d rather not get dragged into picking
preferred national identities for would-be viceroys, but if I am forced
to, I’ve got to say ‘Sorry Barack, no can do’. Come to think of it, I
would say the same to Manmohan Singh.
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