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New York sky at dusk, silhouetted by the beautiful Chrysler Building

 

Nothing works better than an Ornellaia at Rossini’s to relieve our jet lag

 

The return flight from New York to Hong Kong took us over the Artic Ocean

 

The ocean was covered by what looked like snowflakes from the air.  This floating ice later gathered into giant ice sheets that were truly spectacular.  Too bad I ran out of battery in my camera and could only take pictures in my head.

 

My catch of the week was two cases of Italian wine from Italian Wine Merchants

 

They are mostly hard-to-find Brunellos, our new-found love …

 

… and not to forget our favorite Barolos and Barbarescos

 

 I had an interesting chat with my respected publisher and editor friends about the U.S. presidential election.  Not surprisingly Obama is their favorite as they want change. 

Change in at least four areas:

·        U.S. relations with other countries, including China

·        War in Iraq and Middle East

·        Economy

·        Healthcare

They are aware that theirs are typical Eastern Seaboard views.  The grassroots are much more conservative.  But there is an unmistakable groundswell of support for change now.  Reminds them of JFK in the ’60s.

I shared with them my views. 

To me, the U.S. needs a President who accepts that the U.S. is in irreversible decline and who can lead the nation to realize and come to terms with this new status.  Find your right place in the world, not the rightful place.  Ronald Reagan gave the last lion roar.  George W. Bush unconsciously imitated him and acted as if the U.S. had the same might as the days of JFK and Reagan.  It didn’t work.

China faces a similar problem but from the opposite direction.  We are certainly on the rise (大國崛起), but we are still unsure of our place in the world, and we are only too painfully aware that the world is equally unsure of us.  How to navigate ourselves over the perilous waters?

That is why the U.S. and China need to work together.  If these two countries can each deal with their new status and with each other in a sane and responsible fashion, we would have solved more than half of the entire world’s problems, political or environmental.

But I don’t see this happening yet.  

Not with Obama anyway if he wants to be another JFK.  Much like the Martin Scorsese documentary of the Rolling Stones that I saw on the plane (“Shine a Light”) on the way home.  Mick Jagger can still strut his stuff, but don’t forget that people came to see him for nostalgia, not for change!