In a column entitled “The worldview from abroad”, concerning her recent visit to China , Millersville University President Dr. Francine McNairy relates: “China: what a life-altering experience! I benefited from the insights shared by my fellow travelers. Upon reflection, I wondered what observations Millersville University students have when they are afforded the opportunity to study and travel abroad. I didn’t have to look far. MU students report that they are more tolerant, flexible and curious about new ideas. They feel better able to accept others’ values and lifestyles as valid. Students improve their interpersonal communication skills and report they are more balanced in their judgments. Most heartening is that the experiences have broadened their worldview. They better understand other countries’ roles in world affairs and see the world as more interconnected than ever before. They have a deeper understanding of the common problems and issues that confront all human beings … an important development for those who will be tackling the real-world challenges facing us.”
WATCHDOG: A wag of the tail for two reasons: (1) Exposure to other ways of life is an invaluable education and an inoculation against U. S. ‘exceptionalism’. (2) Within twenty to twenty-five years, China will surpass the USA as the world’s largest economy. By the second half of the 21st Century, China will be the most powerful and influential nation, perhaps with India taking in second place, Japan third, and the European Union fourth.
The combined effects of the military-industrial complex, astronomical health care cost, radically disproportionate division of wealth, and partisan right-wing politics will have propelled the USA into a downward, perhaps irreversible, decline.
