After viewing the ceremony, he remarked that he thought this was the end of the “American Century” and the beginning of the “Chinese Century”.

What?

You sit in your easy chair mesmerized by the spectacle of a blaze of fireworks, music, well-auditioned flag bearers and card-flippers………..and you’re ready to declare this the “Chinese Century”??

America may not have had its best face on recently, but I hardly think that the Chinese have much to crow about either – have you considered the violent suppression of opposing viewpoints?  The oppression of Tibetans and their religious leader, the Dalai Lama?  The human violations in Darfur?  The censorship of free press and the Internet?  The tainting of food products (and pet products, no less) bound for the U.S.?

The Chinese Century?

Hardly.