Chapter 12 11 America, beautiful?

At the end of 1995, I went to the United States once. The interview route was from west to east, from Los Angeles to New York, and I had a first impression of the United States. At that time, the show had just finished, so whenever America was mentioned, that sentence would come to mind: If you love him, send him to America, because there is heaven; if you hate him, send him to America, because there is hell . Obviously, in the minds of the Chinese people at that time, the United States was either heaven or hell, and they could not really look at each other, but I guess the proportion of heaven will be higher!So, recalling that trip to the United States today, Liu Huan's high-pitched singing can't go away.

At that time, China was undergoing another rapid reform after Deng Xiaoping’s southern tour, but the overall economic strength was still quite far from that of the United States. Walking on the streets of the United States, there were unfamiliar cars and various brands everywhere.I remember that in a hotel in the United States, a young black man who cleaned the room saw us coming from China, and enthusiastically introduced the refrigerator to us, saying that it was used to keep food and beverages cold in summer, and then asked us sincerely: "Where is the refrigerator?" In China, if you want to refrigerate food in summer, what do you usually use?"

This may represent the understanding of China by quite a few Americans at that time.Perhaps, when he walked out of the room, he would be even more surprised that we didn't have braids. Of course, that trip to the United States also yielded a lot. For example, there were still many "California beef noodle restaurants" in Chinese cities at that time, probably because of the signboard of California, so the business was good.But after arriving in the United States, I discovered that there is no beef noodles in California. At that time, when I went to the United States, I didn’t have much money, and I almost didn’t have the concept of famous brands. I bought some souvenirs and music videos, which was considered a big deal.When I went to Las Vegas, the gambling city, although I saw many Chinese people gambling, it was still a small scene compared with half of the country after that.

At that time in the United States, the World Trade Center was still there, and the superpower under the leadership of Clinton was complacently moving forward after defeating the challenge of Japan. An old worker who broke down under the Statue of Liberty had a hidden expression on his face. A kind of pride of ruling the world.To use my colleague's comment: This old man looks like a professor. Photos of me in New York in 1995.People, there is nothing to see, but they are more than ten years younger than they are now; what can be seen is the scenery behind them, the two buildings are the World Trade Center that was knocked down in "9.11".The United States in the mid-1990s was in full swing under the leadership of Clinton. Who would have imagined that six years later, it would be completely different?

After arriving at Disneyland in California, I made a small wish: In the future, I will definitely bring my child here to let him or her experience the best paradise in the children's world. At that time, there were still two years before the birth of my son. Now, when mentioning Disney, the twelve or thirteen-year-old "boy" would say to me with disdain: "Disney? I'm not interested in places where children go. !" In a word, the wish I made more than ten years ago disappeared in smoke. In the past ten years, between China and the United States, more than just a small wish has changed.

This is an early action. In the "Look" series, after Japan, Russia or India should have been, but the financial crisis that swept the world in 2008 changed this plan, and the trip to the United States was brought forward.No way, as the outbreak of the financial crisis, the news at this time is in the United States. After a long journey of fifteen hours, the plane landed at the New York airport. The service at the airport was as bad as ever, and even the luggage cart charged. But all of this was not as shocking as a piece of news on the airport TV. U.S. President Barack Obama is giving a live speech to General Motors: the original rectification plan is not accepted, and GM will be given another 60 days, and GM CEO Wagner will resign...

My God, Wagner is exactly the interviewee we have already contacted. His resignation means that this interview plan must be overthrown and restarted.But that's okay, it made us understand before we stepped onto the streets of the United States: the financial crisis is not only news in newspapers and TV, but also a very cruel reality. In order to overcome jet lag and get closer to the United States more quickly, I asked the car that picked us up not to go to the hotel, but to go to the ruins of "9.11" and Wall Street first. These are two places that have changed the United States and the world after entering the new century. important place.

Arriving at the scene, the ruins of "9.11" were full of emotions. Seven years have passed since the tragedy, but the tragedy is still visible to the naked eye, like a huge wound, displayed in front of the United States and the world.For some reason, according to news reports, it should be at the construction site of the reconstruction, and there is no sign of construction. The traffic around the site is full of traffic, which highlights the solemn and solemn tranquility of the construction site. I stood on a high platform on Wall Street to report, and the building with the American flag behind it was the New York Stock Exchange, but it was closed at that time.There are many tourists behind me. Look carefully, most of them are holding cameras. At this special moment, can they show a different Wall Street?

Walk a few hundred meters from the "9.11" ruins, and you will arrive at the famous Wall Street. In my opinion, Wall Street at this time is another ruin, but compared with the "9.11" ruins, one can be seen. One is invisible, but the trauma to the United States and the world is the same. On Wall Street that day, there was a strange picture. On the building of the New York Stock Exchange, there was a huge American flag. A few tens of meters away, one was the statue of Washington, who was here all the year round, and the other was a statue of Washington because of the exhibition. A temporary photo of Lincoln hanging here.The two greatest presidents in American history seem to be looking at the national flag with different expressions, but they seem to be equally serious and worried.Such a strange gaze suddenly made me feel a sense of history.Where will America in crisis go?And where will the world in crisis go?Of course including China.Will everything be alright?

On the other side of Wall Street is the famous copper bull in front of the stock exchange, where many people still take photos.I remember that I said to my colleagues at the time: If "American imperialism" suffered more than ten or twenty years ago, many of us would be happy; but now, you are among me, and I am among you, and the United States has caught a cold. , China also has to cough.So now more people are looking forward to the improvement of the US economy, because there is also China's GDP and ordinary people's employment, and of course, there is so much money China has lent to the US!

When I was about to leave Wall Street and go back to the hotel, I turned around and found that there were guardrails everywhere on Wall Street. It turned out that the old street was being repaired.So, I turned on the camera and said the first paragraph after arriving in the United States. I remember this content: where am iNo. 745 next to it was the headquarters building of Lehman Brothers. Now, it is deserted and deserted, and there is no sign of any glory.What am I holding in my hand? On September 16, 2008, a local Chinese newspaper in the United States had a headline on the front page: Lehman collapsed and Merrill Lynch was out.It was the start of the financial crisis. "Facing Wall Street, the world's most famous financial center, there are still many tourists today, but I don't know what kind of mood everyone will feel in the context of the financial crisis. Here, we can see that Wall Street is being repaired, and It's clearly not just the streets that need repairs now." The scary "empty city" Detroit, the world-famous Motor City, and the headquarters of major companies such as General Motors are here. It was already evening when we arrived in Detroit, and the city was unexpectedly quiet. This kind of quiet was not idyllic, but strange and lacking in popularity. There is no way, this bustling city had two million people living, but now due to the continuous economic recession, there are only less than one million people left, and the center of the city is basically given up to black people. That night, after arriving at the hotel, a few of us went out to look for food, but after walking a few hundred meters, we decided to return, and then settled in a small shop in front of the hotel, because there was a weird feeling of terror that made you have to close Hold on.There are very few people on the road, and only half a day will there be a car whizzing past, there are not many lights, and occasionally a black man comes over mysteriously, waving the "Bible" in his hand, and shouting something to us, so it is even more serious. Our insecurities. I have no memory of not sleeping well all night. In short, it is daytime in Detroit. I came to GM headquarters early in the morning to interview Han Desheng, the new CEO who succeeded Wagner. Within a few days, he agreed to accept our interview. I think it is because the Chinese market has a certain ability to save GM. Han Desheng approached us with a smile, and a cup of Starbucks coffee in his hand was his breakfast.Since the United States at that time was questioning the frequent use of charter flights by several big companies such as General Motors after the crisis, it seemed that Han Desheng deliberately chose to be interviewed in a small conference room next to the staff office area, and his words were naturally full of confidence. Of course, don't forget to express your expectation and appreciation for the Chinese market. This is downtown Detroit.The two buildings in the photo have long been abandoned, without even a single window. Stepping into them is like walking into the set of a horror movie, and you can hear the echo of your own heartbeat.There are many buildings like this in Detroit.Judging from the expression on the photo, I am also quite hesitant: the other side of capitalism, should we reflect it or not?Will there be a "villain mentality" of watching other people's jokes? However, a year later, GM, which had begun to get out of the predicament, was no longer the CEO of Han Desheng, and he also left because of his resignation.Of course, Toyota, which replaced GM as the world's largest during the financial crisis, also fell into the "recall door" in the United States a year later. Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi. However, all of this is an afterthought. Without Henderson and GM, the city of Detroit really unfolded in our lens. In the center of the city, there are abandoned buildings everywhere. Many of the floors are hung with "for rent" banners, but they have been eroded to the point of dilapidation by wind and rain for too long. It was smashed; in one downstairs we found four drug needles in a matter of minutes. Detroit's decline is not due to the current financial crisis, which can be seen from the fact that its central train station has long been abandoned and the tracks are covered with weeds.With the large-scale entry of Japanese and Korean cars, the increase in labor costs in the United States and the slow response speed, the competitiveness of the American auto industry in the United States is declining, which directly leads to the decline of Detroit.This process has been going on for several decades, and now in the United States, the proportion of domestic cars is less than 50%.As a result, workers lost their jobs and urban development slowed down. People living here either fled or were increasingly shrouded in uneasiness, and the financial crisis aggravated this uneasiness. An American magazine predicts that Detroit, the city that produced the world's first car, will disappear by 2100.But judging from the scene in front of us, it seems that it will not be until 2100. In a bleak scene, through interviews, we also saw the efforts of the people in this city, and the changes and reshaping were going on quietly and with difficulty.When we set off early in the morning, on a street corner, we saw a huge line of words written on the window of a small shop under renovation: Detroit, everything will be fine. I guess, this is just an ordinary little boss, in the midst of a blow, cheering for himself and the city. I will leave the city in the afternoon, and I think there is nothing better than this line of writing as a concluding remark, so we went around a long way and returned to the front of this line of writing. Remember my last words were: "Good luck, Detroit." Let the people have guns, is this a spear or a shield?Is it a right or a bigger price to pay? This is the curiosity we had before we set off, but when we arrived in the United States, we no longer had to go to the interview locations where the shootings had happened, because new shootings happened again. On April 3, 2009, in Binghamton, New York, a 41-year-old man from Vietnam arrived at the community service center where he had learned English. People fired continuously, killing thirteen people, including four Chinese compatriots.The murderer himself committed suicide in the end. And this is not the only shooting case during our stay in the United States. Within a week, there were many other shootings, resulting in ten deaths.From a certain point of view, shootings in the United States are no longer news, because they can happen at any time. After driving for several hours, we arrived in Binghamton, the scene of the shooting, where people spontaneously mourned the dead, and 14 small American flags were planted at the scene.In other words, the murderer is also being mourned, and another impressive scene at the scene is that several major religions exist at the same time. For example, facing our compatriots, there are Buddhist items. It is estimated that Americans will not have such a photo, because it is too common and commonplace, but the Chinese must come to such a photo, because there is no such shop after passing this village.In the gun shop, I have always been cautious. After all, I am a real guy. Look at the way I hold the gun. Doesn’t it sound unprofessional and worried? Grief is so overpowering, then, that one question is all the more obvious: why are people allowed to bear guns? Someone told me: In Germany, people used to be able to hold guns. However, after the Nazis came to power, they abolished the right of the people. Afterwards, the tragedy of the massacre of Jews occurred. Many people would think, if the people could hold guns, would the Holocaust happen? In the United States, private property is sacrosanct, so what makes this right really come true?In the eyes of a considerable number of Americans, holding a gun is the most basic personal right, not only to protect private property, but also to prevent the government or the military from suddenly messing up.Regarding guns, there is also huge controversy within the United States, which is basically divided into two factions, one faction supports the freedom of holding guns, and the other faction hopes to use laws to strictly control them.But please note that no matter which faction you are in, it does not mean that guns should be completely banned. After all, there is such a saying in the United States: God, guns, and courage have made the United States. Of course, holding a gun is not unlimited freedom. You can’t take the gun out of your private territory, but everyone knows that even if the police are dedicated and strictly guarded, it is too difficult to control the 230 million guns in the United States.As a result, people are hearing more and more tragic events related to the shooting. I'll never forget the moment of skepticism I felt when I first walked into a store that was openly selling guns.All kinds of large and small guns are displayed there, as well as fashionable weapons for women, which makes me always ask in my heart: Is this all true?Of course, it can kill people with one shot. Therefore, the game between sacred right and cruel price will always be played in the United States. In front of the White House, there is a Pennsylvania Avenue that used to be full of traffic, but after several incidents of shooting the White House, the Americans realized that it would be a matter of time to drive a truck full of explosives here. In 1995, then-President Clinton made a decision: from May 20, the entire road will be closed.For this reason, Clinton said something like this: In the history of the United States, four presidents were assassinated and killed, and another eight presidents were assassinated but survived. Even so, this avenue was not closed, but today, we have to make such a decision. That is to say, guns will not be banned even if the avenue is closed. Here, the painful balance between freedom, rights and costs is clearly displayed.At this time, holding a gun is not only a culture, but also a kind of adventure that makes people feel in a dilemma. The United States will continue to explore, but when will the price be paid?Everyone knows that in China, and in too many countries in the world, the public will never be allowed to hold guns, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous; but how to seek the answer to the protection of private rights outside of guns? Going to the United States, under the financial crisis, you have to spend time and energy to take pictures of public libraries. Some people may think that you are full of food. However, if one day, there are many such libraries around us, you will feel that Well, being full doesn't mean happiness, you really need something else to support it. The Boston Library we visited was the first public library in the United States that was funded by the government and opened for free in 1848.On the gate of this ancient building, there is a line of words, the literal translation is: free for everyone.After the interview, I prefer to translate it as "free travel". This is a library that anyone can enter. During our interview, there are many homeless people. You will feel very harmonious here to have a warm breakfast and read newspapers.Due to the financial crisis, many people lost their jobs. Fearing that their families would find out, they pretended to go to work, but went straight to the library when they left home.No wonder that both the 1929 crisis and this one led to a sharp rise in library traffic.Here, unemployed people can also use free computers to check various recruitment information and find jobs for themselves. The public library is not only a place to read books and newspapers, but also undertakes the task of developing American community culture and public undertakings.On the day we interviewed, there was a free English class being taught in the library. The students in the class were all new immigrants from all over the world. This class was held every day, always free, and an authentic American teacher. In addition to these, singing competitions and recreational activities in the surrounding communities can be held here.In the United States, there is one public library for every 10,000 people, which is forty-six times the number per capita in China. What’s more important is not only the difference in numbers. In American public libraries, children can play games safely after school. , where the elderly relieve their loneliness, where the grown-ups perfect themselves, and where foreigners get their first lessons in America, without barriers or discrimination. I specifically asked: "Can I borrow books?" The answer I got was: "As long as I have the room card of the hotel." This moved me as a foreigner.Eighty percent of the library's operating expenses are borne by the government, and the remaining 20 percent is donated by all walks of life. For example, Carnegie, the steel king, donated money to build more than 1,600 public libraries. Here he said: Only help those who help themselves. After finishing the interview, I walked out of the library, looking at the words "walking freely", something very warm surged in my heart.The temperature in Boston was very low that day. Perhaps, the homeless were dozing comfortably in the library! I have a child who is going to school. Since the child went to school, picking up and dropping off the child has become an important part of our life as a couple.Of course, my wife is the main force of the hard work. Since our family lives far away from the school, we have to go out early in the morning to avoid traffic jams, and we have to wait early after school in the afternoon.Day after day, we, like the vast majority of Chinese parents, spend a lot of our lives picking up and dropping off our children. In the United States, however, the work is done by the state.Most American kids, from kindergarten to high school graduation, spend their time on the yellow school bus that picks them up. In the morning, the yellow school bus came to their door and picked them up; after school in the afternoon, the school bus took them home.Day after day, year after year, rain or shine never stops.To this end, the government invests 500 U.S. dollars per year for each student, and 2,000 U.S. dollars for special disabled children. That day, we were interviewing in a quiet town called Monroe. Two American mothers led their children standing on the side of the road more than 20 meters away from their home. Goodbye mother, after that, one mother went into the house, and the other went for a walk with the dog.Looking at their leisurely backs, I suddenly understood that compared with Chinese mothers, American mothers have 26 hours a day, and the extra two hours are saved by not having to pick up and drop off their children. Saving time is not enough, American school buses have extremely high safety requirements.The most advanced safety settings are first used on the school bus, so the accident rate is very low.Even if something happens, the casualty rate is low. In 2007, a bridge in Minnesota collapsed suddenly. At the time of rush hour, more than 60 cars fell into the water. Many people died and many were seriously injured. Among them was a school bus, but only a few children were slightly injured. , the others remained unscathed. Here is a little episode.One day, the big car of our film crew braked too late and ran into a taxi in front. The front of our big car was hit hard, and it creaked when we drove, so we had to go to an auto repair shop to fix it.It turns out that in the United States, all public transportation implements the highest standards of safety. No wonder we can't hit a taxi.From this, I understand better: why the school bus is so safe. In the United States, from the law to the whole society, the yellow school bus is given the greatest privilege. Whenever the school bus arrives at the destination or stops on the way, a sign with the word STOP is stretched out, and all vehicles on both sides of the road must stop at a distance of 25 meters before and after. Anyone who violates the rules is considered a serious violation and will be punished severely . In the nearly 100 years since the school bus system was implemented, nearly 500 million American children have been picked up and dropped off, which has become a symbol of compulsory education in the United States. The interview was coming to an end, we were standing on a high place, not far below was a middle school, at this time there were still dozens of minutes before school ended in the afternoon, dozens of yellow school buses had arrived one after another, waiting quietly at the school gate, and after a while, They will send one American child after another to their respective homes, and start every family's warm evening time. Faced with such a scene, I seem to have something to say, but I don't know what to say.Because this school bus not only picks up and sends children across centuries day after day, year after year, and accompanies them to grow up, but also transports warmth and responsibility. Later, someone asked me a question: "What kind of ratings do you hope the series "Yan Song Watches America" ​​will have?" My answer was: "If one day, in one village after another in China, one car after another The yellow school bus, that's where we got the highest ratings." Going to give a speech at Yale University in the United States was a small episode that had nothing to do with the program. Unexpectedly, it became a rapidly magnified event in the process of "watching America".If its influence is counted, it may exceed many programs in "Yan Song Watching America", which surprises me. This is a poster posted on the campus of Yale University, with my big head portrait printed on it and the theme of my speech: American Dream, Chinese Dream. The invitation was not complicated. A colleague who used to work in "Oriental Time and Space" later went to Yale to study abroad. When she heard that I was going to the United States, the school was very interested and asked her to ask me if I could give a speech to students at Yale.I don't think it's such a complicated thing. If the time and schedule are convenient, I will go there, just like serving college students in China. I would occasionally think about what topic to talk about, until one day, the three words "Chinese Dream" jumped into my mind, and I knew I had found the key words.Then I looked back and thought about it, in my forty years of life, from birth to ten years old, from twenty years old to thirty-forty years old, at every ten-year point, I can find the entanglement between China and the United States, and have a certain point. a historical process in it.Alright, that's it, since people always talk about the American dream, then I will go to the United States to talk about the Chinese dream, and the structure and method use every ten years of my forty-year life as a support, put myself in it, and talk about the Chinese dream. Stories are easy for people to listen to and not so tiring. Of course, behind such a choice, I will naturally have my own thinking.I have always felt that for a long time, many of our external publicity and communication have failed.Perhaps, it is the word "propaganda" that has caused such a result. Concepts and slogans are flying all over the sky, talking to ourselves, others are confused or disgusted, it seems that we only want to complete our own propaganda tasks, and do not Think about whether it is effective, whether others are willing to listen or can listen to it. In fact, returning to human nature, returning to the soul and returning to regular communication is a transformation we must complete.This requires us to relax ourselves and find more common places with others, not the other way around.Therefore, I think the so-called "speech" is just to chat with college students in the United States and talk about my true thoughts. There is no need to be serious like writing a thesis.Therefore, after I have the theme and the way of telling, I don't even prepare the manuscript, let everything take its course. Yale attached great importance to it, the venue was full, and many people who wanted to enter later were rejected.Just like in domestic universities, I told stories related to the Chinese dream in a relaxed and humorous manner. After that, everyone asked questions one after another, no matter how sharp they were. After the speech, the school held a small buffet, and three details made me unforgettable. An American mother, wearing a bright red Chinese Tang suit, listened carefully from the beginning to the end, and then she came to the buffet and asked to take a photo with me.It turned out that after her son graduated from Yale, due to the financial crisis, he couldn't find a suitable job in the United States. Finally, he found a satisfactory job in Shanghai, China.So, this mother has been paying attention to everything in China since then, and I believe that the photo of me and her will be sent to her son who is far away in Shanghai. A Japanese student came over to thank me after listening to the speech. He said to me very sincerely: "Thank you for making "Iwamatsu Sees Japan", which is useful to both of us." The assistant to the president of Yale University, Sister Wang from China, who has been organizing this speech, was finally relieved. She told me: Actually, I was worried all the time. I was afraid that like many people, you would stand on the podium full of propaganda and say you would leave later. Half of the audience, I didn't expect that you would speak like this, but it made people interested. I will have more confidence in inviting guests from China in the future. After hearing what Sister Wang said, I never knew whether to criticize or praise.Is it such a luxury to speak human language and communicate sincerely?I would like to believe that this situation has long since changed, and future speakers will be more natural and relaxed. After the speech, we continued our trip to the United States. Unexpectedly, within a few days, the domestic media and the Internet quickly amplified the speech.Looking at it this way, the world is really flat. Looking at the many supporters of "Top Up", I suddenly felt that I would have been more serious before!However, no, because the result may be just the opposite. With a utilitarian mind, things will be twisted. Some people also asked me: "Who do you represent, is it official? Is there a request from above?" Facing this kind of inertial thinking, I can only smile wryly.What everyone doesn’t know is that it was precisely because of the video circulating on the Internet in China a few days later that I faced a lot of trouble—we were still in the United States, and we received inquiries: You violated the regulations and did not submit your speech for approval. Condition! sky!Speech needs approval?I really don't know. Later, after several exchanges and explanations, the matter passed.It is estimated that this is a doctrine that has been used for many years.Employees who perform tasks must always check, act according to regulations, and understand.However, if there is such a rule, it will have to be changed in the future. I am afraid it is outdated. When it comes to the United States, people may immediately think that it is a modern country with a fast pace of life and work, neon lights in the city, 24-hour sleepless nights and restless cities, singing and dancing in bars and restaurants, intrigues and intrigues among the crowd, indifference to human relations, and unreasonable family values. Strong, sexually very open, all kinds of consumption desires are extremely strong, money is God... When you arrive in the United States, you will find that the above description is basically in line with the current situation in China, but the relationship with the United States is not too great. In many cities in the United States, it is not easy to find a restaurant after eight o'clock in the evening. Many restaurants are closed, and it is even more difficult after nine or ten o'clock. The streets are everywhere, including New York.It is rare to see the bar full of music and music every night during working days, only on weekends it will be more lively.It’s hard for those of us who don’t have time for TV, so some people began to miss China: “If we were there…” But we are in the United States after all, so we have to rely on the driver’s experience to find restaurants.Of course, there are smart pointers: go to Chinatown.Sure enough, looking for food after ten o'clock, once entering Chinatown, the lights are brilliant, it seems that the Chinese have brought fine traditions to the United States. This is the case in big cities, not to mention many small towns in the United States.Not long after dark, the town was so quiet that outsiders felt flustered, so they had to find a hotel quickly, and they found a place to rely on.However, the lights coming out of the windows of one family after another tell you where the warmth of the Americans lies. During the interview period in the United States, I entered the offices of many large American companies. The decoration styles are different, but one thing is surprisingly similar. There are photos of family members on almost every desk. The happy group photos reveal the American concept of family.The first time was by accident, and the second time was emotion. When I saw such similar scenes again and again, I seemed to see the foundation of American society and the most precious and kindest corner of American hearts.This scene has also become a lingering image in my mind after returning from the United States. The above scenario does not only occur in the United States. Some countries in Europe are even worse than the United States. The TV at home is pitifully small, and many families even use video recorders.People's footsteps have slowed down one after another, life has taken the upper hand in life, and observing the eyes of the crowd, there is something simple and clean, and people seem to have become simpler.So you will feel: Maybe the so-called modernization has been going on for a long time, and it does not mean moving forward, but looking around, returning to the human heart, returning to life and life itself.Whether in Europe, the United States or Japan, the environment is clean again, and the frequency of blue sky and white clouds is much more than ours. Obviously, once the soul and life are respected, nature must also be respected. After the interview, Murdoch's Chinese wife Deng Wendi came to the scene with their two children, and the media emperor instantly became a loving father.At this time, I suddenly understood that it was because of China that I was able to give up my weekends to accept interviews.Although Murdoch and his media empire are not going smoothly in China, he has shown enough patience and confidence.So, I wondered again: Is his patience enough? Observing all this does not mean envy or self-criticism, but comes from thinking about the future of China.How long will it take, and what kind of journey will it take, before our eyes can be purified again, and childhood and adulthood are no longer much different?How can we slow down our pace and appreciate the joy of life itself?When to let family photos pop up on desk after desk instead of flirting with co-workers: I'm single.And under what kind of environmental protection, the streets of China are full of people running and exercising from morning to night?Of course, you can also look forward to: getting along with people becomes easier, and it is no longer necessary to use the ingenuity accumulated in five thousand years of culture to fight wits and courage every day. No way, we are still in the stage of development where desire has the upper hand. Some people joked that in the United States, there are three Chinese sentences that people hear most often. The first sentence is: "It's too cheap!" The second sentence is: " Is there any more?" The third sentence is: "I want it all!" This reflects the consumption frenzy of Chinese shoppers.However, there is no way, we are still at the stage of rewarding life with material things, and there is still a long way to go before packing up and going to the mountains and rivers to activate life.We still have to face it at this stage, and no one can jump over it, but we don't want us to sacrifice generations in front of our desires. After returning from the United States, I once said a sentence: "In China today, our humanity is in a stage of regression due to desire." It stands to reason that this statement is not very pleasant, but it unexpectedly won the support of 80 to 90% of netizens.I suddenly understood that among the crowd, a desire full of hope is quietly forming, and this desire has nothing to do with material things, but is very close to the soul. It's not that the United States or other places have done well, and not all of the United States has become rural or pastoral, and unclean people and things can be seen everywhere.It's just that there is such a quiet and natural taste that stimulates you to think about these issues.In that sense, I'm grateful for those silent American nights. To write the word head-up, the first thing is to bid farewell to the past, and bid farewell to a mentality of looking up that was once unspeakable.However, it must be admitted that in the face of a huge gap, it is difficult to find equality. It is not enough to have a straight waist. It requires quite heavy hardware as the foundation.Today's China, whether it is the improvement of its own strength, or a better understanding of the world, and the increase in self-confidence, have made it possible to say goodbye to looking up and look up to each other. After all, equality is the greatest respect. Writing down the word head-up is actually more related to a kind of overlooking and blind self-confidence that has quietly grown.This is also unreliable, and sometimes even more harmful than looking up.The United States has not really declined. In the past hundred years, the United States has experienced military, political, or economic tests and even crises more than once. However, the United States has emerged from challenges and crises time after time and has become stronger.因此目前情况下，仅因为又一次金融危机，就判断美国步入下坡路，或许是过于自以为是并且盲目乐观的一种表现。 在美国，无论是采访摩根斯坦利的掌舵人还是传媒巨头默多克，无论是花旗银行的负责人还是生存危机中的通用CEO，无一例外，都在强调变革，强调危险中寻找新的机会，强调让自己更强，不回避问题，却真的在寻找答案和解决之道。这让你明白，美国之船不会就此沉没。 难怪早有人说：中国人是乐天派，刚有点儿成绩，就笑起来了；而日本人是悲观派，刚有点儿问题，就忧虑起来。其实，中国人真该在乐天中多一些忧虑与危机感，也许，才走得更好更远，而不是表扬与自我表扬相结合，这样，看待别人时，也才更客观。 写下平视二字，还与中美关系有关。 记得2009年，奥巴马离开北京的那一个夜晚，我在直播节目中说：“即使这一次奥巴马好话说了很多，态度也相当友善，但中美关系的事实是——好也好不到哪儿去，坏也坏不到哪儿去。” 当时的奥巴马之行，让全世界也包括很多中国人自己，都更乐观地看待中美关系的走势。 而仅仅不到半年，因为奥巴马见达赖、美国施压人民币升值、贸易摩擦频繁、对台军售、航空母舰要进黄海等一系列问题，人们又开始悲观地看待中美关系的未来，甚至悲观到有人预测十年内中美必有一战的地步。 我的态度依然不变。在很长的时间里，中美关系依然是——好也好不到哪儿去，坏也坏不到哪儿去。因为两国有太多的不同，又有着越来越多的合作之处，再加上各自的战略思考，这个局面很难改变。在未来中美关系的走势中，起关键作用的是中国，是中国自身经济实力与政治能力能否达到一定高度。达到了，向好的成分增加；达不到，向坏的因素大；彻底的好与坏，可能性都不大。 同时，我们该明白的是，也许美国人简单，但美国并不简单。 百多年来，美国坐着老大的位置，在格局变化的时代里，自身利益高于一切，美国不可能放弃梦想，主动看着老大位置受威胁。小瞧了美国战略观会吃亏的。认清了这一点，来自美国的几句好听的话或几句难听的话，同样也就听听罢了。时间长着呢，美国是中国对外交往中最大的一道考题。面对这道题，慢慢答。但愿我们考出好成绩。