hina is an economic power.  China also provides an extraordinary lesson to ethnic groups in the United States who are forever talking about being oppressed as victims of this or that form of racism.  China’s lesson is a very simple one: “Do you really wish that others who are not of “your kind” to take you seriously?  Well, it suffices to become an economic power with which “the other kind” must contend, and your wish will be fulfilled by “those others” in spite of themselves.  For you see, the rest of the world has to take China seriously whether the rest of the world wants to or not.  Both China and the rest of the world know precisely that.

I have no interest in arguing whether racism of this or that kind still exists in the United States.  As far as I can see all sorts of people dislike one another.  Blacks and Asians are not exactly blood brothers in spirit.  Cooperation between the two groups is virtually non-existent.  Blacks are jealous of Asians and Asians despise Blacks.  And while there is presumably some bond between Latinos and Blacks, that bond is more fragile than both sides seem willing to acknowledge. 

If one takes Whites out of the picture entirely, there remains more than enough hostility between the remaining groups to keep everyone on edge.

But say what we want, the economic success of China in the world and of Asians in the United States is a most valuable lesson; and it is high time that Blacks and Latinos acknowledge and follow that lesson.

If Asians can be an economic force in America, then surely Blacks and Latinos can be.  The sheer numbers make that a possibility. 

As the case of Asian success shows, when a people become an economic force, then racism will bow to the reality of economic.  Whether I like you or not: If I have to contend with your economic muscle, I am going to find a way to be, at the very least, polite to you.  I am not going to call you a “nigger” if (i) it is manifestly clear to me that I need your patronage to survive and (i) you will go elsewhere if I am not polite to you. 

The failure to appreciate this reality is why Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson failed as black leaders.  They were much more interested in cultivating White guilt than black economic muscle.  It does not take much insight to see that White guilt can in the end be rather patronizing: “There they go again.  Let’s admit to racism so that we can get them to shut up and go away!”  As we all know from childhood, it is easy enough to say “I am sorry” and not mean it. 

But the lesson that China has made abundantly clear is that if you need me, then I won’t have to worry about you saying “I am sorry”, precisely because I can be confident that you will bend over backwards to appease me. 

The religious ideal of forgiveness is no doubt a very wonderful one.  But most of us do not come even to close to realizing that ideal in saying “I am sorry”.  Rather, it is simply out of expedience that we make that utterance.  But if it is out of expediency that an apology is offered, it is much, much, much, much better that the my apology to you flows from the fact that I cannot do without you than from the fact that I merely want you shut up and go away.  That is the lesson that China has taught the world.

This lesson is so patently obvious that it is a mystery to me that Blacks and Latinos to do not readily see it and conduct themselves accordingly.  Grasping this insight does not require a degree in economics.  Indeed, as far as I can tell most of the Asians who own stores (cleaners, grocery stores, or restaurants) in the United States do not have a degree in economics, nor do most of the citizens of China have a degree in economics. 

Yet, Jesse Jackson’s most philosophical argument was that Blacks should be referred to as “African-Americans” as a way of making explicit the African roots of black people—as if anyone has ever looked at an unmistakable Black person and wondered: Does that person’s ancestors hail from Africa or India or China? 

All sorts of political correct folks have made a point of using the term “African Americans”.  Yet, nothing at all has changed in terms of having actual respect for the group in question.  As I noted above in these remarks, an act of appeasement is not thereby an act of respect.  Can anyone really believe that making explicit that Black Americans have African roots is the most important issue that should have concerned Blacks? 

The lesson to be learnt from China is absolutely telling.  There is little doubt that a serious violation of human rights has occurred and continues to occur in China.  Yet, the Olympic Games will there will be held there, anyhow.  Not only that, all sorts of world leaders have managed to justify being present for the opening ceremonies.  Does anyone wonder what the real explanation for this deference on the part of world leaders? I should hope not.  What is surely obvious is that given China’s economic might nations do not want to get on China’s wrong side.  Now, that is power—economic power, to be exact.

Whether American Blacks hail from Africa or Hades or the Pearly Gates, what will ensure their proper standing in the United States is none other than their economic standing.  For some Blacks, this means buying only those things that have an African origin.  That is just plain silly.  Whether Black Americans eat French croissants or East African maandazi, if Blacks have economic clout they will command the respect of others. 

And surely that is the lesson that China has made abundantly clear.  No one thinks for a moment that China’s economic might is tied to the fact that Chinese people consume only Chinese dishes such as Adzuki beans and Bok Choy. 

Quite simply, one has to be dysfunctional not to grasp this lesson from China and to keep going on and on and on about racism.  Most significantly, the issue is not whether racism is an issue.  Rather, the point is that the most effective way to make racism a non-issue to exhibit economic muscle.  There are many gods.  Indisputably, however, economic might is one of them.  To that god, people have always found a way to show genuine deference—and not just displays of appeasement.  To the god of economic might, there is always an altar in every port.  What matters most is winning favor with the god of economic might—and not what the physical appearances of that mighty being happen to be.