老美看美國:中國就要登月,美國無力修橋
文/ 他爹 翻譯/ 他娘
今天上午我看了一則關於中國五年計劃登月的新聞。無疑他們會心想事成。中國還計劃建立空間站和空間實驗室以收集月球上的樣品進而建立空中運載機。
中國雄心勃勃的計劃和目標令筆者—一個美國公民欽佩與悲哀交加。中國正在商務,科學貿易和國際事務方面積極走在前頭。他們過去20年的進步是顯而易見的。他們已經成為世界上第二大的經濟體。已經建設了「藍色水域」的海軍和潛艇,送人進入太空,並擁有地球上任何一個國家相比最大的外匯儲備。
對於過去五百年來由歐洲和美國為主的競爭世界來說,上述可謂成就顯著。因此,當我們欽佩中國雄心勃勃的太空計劃時,我們不得不正視一個問題:為何中國正在縮短和美國之間在商業和科學方面的差距,
自從鄧小平三十年前開啟中國的大門以後,他解放了一群勤勞的人們,他們有動力在向著未來奔跑的道路上從落後趕上世界的步伐。現在中國是向未來奔跑,而美國和歐洲卻停滯不前了。
這是為什麼?
這個為什麼的問題答案很簡單。中國的政府體制在決策時比美國和歐洲更有效率。本文的題目「中國即將登月,美國無能修橋!」可謂千真萬確。西方的政府體制,特別是美國,已經在倒退。權利政治本應該是一個國家維持其經濟和技術領先地位的健康指標,而現在已經成為是獎勵品。在美國,遏制反對黨的權利,尤其是總統,使他們和他們的政策失敗,似乎更順理成章,那樣的話,下一輪競選,你就可以重新掌權,奪回總統寶座。這正是美國目前的處境。
美國的公路橋樑等基礎設施亟需修繕和升級。國會完全可以批准這成千上萬項目的經費,把成千上萬的人送回去工作。這本是很合理的事,對嗎?中國政府積極參最新五年計劃里商業的成功,已經創造工作。然而,在美國,共和黨把持國會甚至不會對那些修繕基礎設施,把人們送回去工作的計劃投上一票。因為那樣的話,對經濟有幫助,會讓總統好看,並給總統下一屆選舉時有更大的勝算。因此,政治和國會的無能妥協傷害著整個國家。
美國政府—國會--的分裂越來越甚,如果茶黨的極端主義官員當選的話。我敢說,二戰時期如果有茶黨當權,歐洲將會落入納粹德國的魔掌,日本將統治中國、韓國以及整個亞太地區,美國則永遠不可能把人送上月球,我們也會變成被世界鄙棄的孤立之國,而不是因為我們的勝利而令人敬仰。
美國一直成功是因為我們的國家大部分的歷史我們團結一心,共同前進,從而粉碎了納粹德國,重建了歐洲,打敗了日本,創造了那裡的民主。那裡的人民繼承了他們的傳統和習慣,甚至他們的皇帝。我們給了他們沒有意料到的尊重。中國如我們所見的,受益於我們國家的武力和團結,戰勝了邪惡和壓迫。
但是,現在,我們竟然沒法在我們自己的國家就一座橋樑的修建達成協議。
中國就要登月。而美國正沿著顛簸的道路駛向未來。
(原文)
CHINA GOING TO THE MOON
AND USA CAN』T FIX A BRIDGE
By Tadie ( December 31th, 2011)
I read in the news this morning about China』s new 5 year plan to go to the moon. No doubt they will succeed in getting there. The Chinese also plan to set up several space stations and laboratories as well as collect more samples from the moon and create space freighters.
The ambitious program and goal the Chinese have set forth is both admirable and sad for this writer – a US citizen. The Chinese are motivated to get ahead in business, science, trade and international affairs and their progress these past 20 years is evident. They have become the second largest economy in the world, have developed a 「blue water」 navy and submarines, sent men into space and hold the largest foreign reserves of any country on earth.
All of he above are notable achievements in a competitive world which had been dominated by Europe and the USA the past 500 years. So, while China』s ambitious space programs is admirable it also begs the question of why the Chinese are closing the business and technology gap between itself and the USA.
Since Deng Xio Peng began the opening up of China over 30 years ago he set free an industrious people who were motivated to catch up to a world that had left China behind while they ran into the future. Now China is sprinting into the future and the USA and Europe are stagnating.
Why?
The why question can be answered fairly simply. China』s system of government is much more efficient at decision making than the USA or Europe. The title of this article, 「China going to the Moon AND the USA can』t fix a bridge」, is very true. The Wests system of government, especially the USA, gone backwards where the politics of power has become the prize rather than the health of a nation maintaining its economic and technology superiority. It makes more sense in the USA to hinder the opposition party in power, especially the President, so that they and their policies fail – so that in the next election you hope to regain power and the Presidency. This is exactly the situation in the USA right now.
The US infrastructure of roads and bridges is in need of repairs and upgrades. Congress could approve funding for thousands of projects and put thousands, perhaps millions, of people back to work. Makes sense to do that, right ? China』s government is very involved in the success of their commercial enterprises and the needs for job creation in their current 5 year plan. But, in the USA the Republican held Congress will not even bring to a vote the plans to fix our infracstructure and put people to work because that would help the economy and make the President look good, and increase he chance that the President would win a second term in office. So, politics and inability to compromise in Congress hurts the entire country.
The current divide in the US government – Congress – is only getting worse as extremist officials of the Tea Party are elected. I dare to say that if there was a Tea Party during World War II that Europe would have fallen to Nazi Germany, Japan would have controlled China and the Korea』s and the entire region,the USA would never have sent men to the moon and we would have become an isolated country that the world despised rather than looked at in admiration of our successes.
The USA has been successful because for the most part of our history we have gotten along together and came together in unity to move forward as a nation, that crushed Nazi Germany and rebuilt Europe, that defeated the Japanese and created a democracy there and the people there maintained their heritage and traditions and even their Emporer. We showed respect to them they didn』t expect. China benefited from our use of force and our unity as nation to defeat evil and oppression where we saw it.
But, now, we can』t even get agreement to fix a bridge or a road in our own country.
China』s going to the moon. The USA is driving on bumpy roads