    48

    sava

    them fifty generations.  Said Wilhelm to his troops when he sent them off in

    1900 to attack the Chinese homeland, "Even as a thousand years ago, the

    Huns under their King Attila made such a name for themselves as still

    resounds in terror through legend and fable, so may the name of Germany

    resound through Chinese history a thousand years from now so that never

    again will a Chinese dare to so much look askance at a German."129

    By the early 20th century, the Chinese empire had collapsed in chaos.

    If the Chinese had kept their eyes open to the dangers of the world around

    them in the 1500's when the Europeans had first shown up, if they had

    attempted to absorb the knowledge of the westerners and outdo it, they

    would never have experienced this fate.  But the Chinese were more

    interested in the opiate of illusion than the bitter draught of reality.  Like the

    rat who can not control his fate, they huddled in their corner of the world,

    indulging in the endorphin strategy, with its dulling of the senses and

    crippling of the intellect.

    Today, we are the ones desperately attempting to remain number one

    in our own minds.  If we are not careful, we may be the next Chinese.

      gely that the lesson he taught them about their inferiority would last

    <<  <  GO  >  >>