No Greater Love

A little Vietnamese orphan, a tragic mortar attack and an act of love and bravery combine to make this story. I don't know how much of it is true—all, part of none—but it was told to me as fact. And it might be all true—stranger things have happened in war. Besides, this story makes my heart feel good, and if the truth be known, it still brings tears to my eyes after all these years.
The mortar rounds had landed in the small village. Whatever their planned target had been is lost in the agony of the Vietnam war, but they had landed in a small orphanage run by an unnamed missionary group. The missionaries and one or two children had been killed outright and several children had been wounded, including one young girl, about eight years old. Since the missionaries were no longer able to tend to their young charges, people from the village helped as much as they could, but it was a couple of hours before medical help arrived in response to a runner who had been sent to a neighboring town that had radio contact with the American Forces.
The medical help was a young American Navy doctor, and an equally young Navy nurse, who arrived in a jeep with only their medical kits. A quick survey of the injured quickly established the young girl as the most critically injured and it was clear that without immediate action she would die from loss of blood and shock. A blood transfusion was imperative, but their limited supplies did not include plasma, so a matching blood type was required. A quick test showed that neither American had the correct blood type but several of the uninjured children did.
The Navy doctor spoke a little "pidgin" Vietnamese, and the Navy nurse spoke a little high school French, while the children spoke no English and some French. Using a combination of what little common language they could find, together with much impromptu sign language, they tried to explain to their frightened audience that unless they could replace some of their little friend's lost blood, she would certainly die. They then asked if any one would be willing to give some of their blood to help.
Their request was met with wide-eyed silence. Their little patient's life hung in the balance. Without the life-giving blood, she would surely die, yet they could only get the blood if one of these frightened children volunteered. After several long moments, a little hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and went up again.
"Oh, thank you!" the nurse exclaimed in French. "What is your name?"
"Heng," came the mumbled reply.
Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swabbed with alcohol and the needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Heng lay stiff, silent, and wide-eyed. After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand.
"Is it hurting, Heng?" the doctor asked.
Heng shook his head silently, but after a few moments another sob escaped and once more he tried to cover up his crying. Again the doctor asked him if the needle in his arm was hurting him and again Heng shook his head. But now his occasional sob gave way to a steady silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth trying to stifle his sobs.
The medical team was very concerned because the needle should not have been hurting their tiny patient, yet something was obviously very wrong. At this point, a Vietnamese nurse arrived to help. Seeing the little boy's distress, she spoke rapidly in Vietnamese, listened to his reply, and quickly answered him again in her soothing, reassuring voice, while stroking his forehead as she talked. After a moment, the tiny little patient stopped crying, opened his eyes, and looked questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse and when she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.
Looking up, the Vietnamese nurse said quietly to the Americans, "He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live."
"But why would he be willing to do that?" asked the Navy nurse.
The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question to the little boy who answered simply, "She's my friend."
Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
—Col. John W. Mansur, Used by permission.

3 Ways We Failed Our Way to Happiness

I.  Rejected from Seven Universities

When I was 18, I wanted to be a computer scientist.  So I applied to seven U.S. universities known for computer science.  MIT, Cal Berkley, Georgia Tech, etc.  But I got rejected by all of them.
Soon thereafter, a high school guidance counselor told me to apply to The University of Central Florida in Orlando, which had a rapidly growing computer science and engineering program.  Out of desperation, I did.  And I got accepted and received a scholarship.
And when I settled on Orlando, the move changed my life.
I met Angel there – my wife and the love of my life.  And I met a professor, Dr. Eaglan, who convinced me to switch from the school of computer science to the school of computer engineering, with a strong focus in web design and technical writing – two skills I use today to run the blog you are reading now (a website that makes me happy and financially supports my family).
If I hadn’t been rejected by those seven computer science schools, neither of these priceless encounters would have taken place.

II.  Your Writing is Not Good Enough

While in school, I began to enjoy my technical writing classes so much that I decided to take a few creative writing electives too.  I absolutely fell in love with writing inspiring stories and expressing myself in prose.
So I applied for a part-time editorial position at the school newspaper.  I sent them five articles I had written along with my application.  Two days later I received an email which cordially explained that my writing was not good enough.
That afternoon, I went home with a bruised ego and told Angel what had happened.  She hugged me and said, “Regardless of what anyone says, if writing makes you happy, you should keep writing.  Because that’s what happy writers do.  They write.”
And after a bit more discussion, she added, “I like writing too.  We should start our own little writing club and write together.”  A few minutes later, Angel and I turned on my computer and registered the domain name marcandangel.com, and our blogging days began.
In other words, if my five articles hadn’t been rejected by the school newspaper, the article you’re reading right now would never have been written.

III.  Fired for Doing the Right Thing

After college Angel used her business degree to land a head store manager position at a major retailer.  She was in her twenties and she was running a $40,000,000 store all by herself.  Although some of the regional executives thought she was too young, she was doing far too well for them to do anything about it.
Until one day in 2009, when one of her floor managers got a DUI on a Friday evening and went to jail.  He didn’t have enough money to post a $600 bail, so he called Angel to let her know that he would not be able to make it to work the next day.  Angel decided to lend him the $600 he needed.  The regional executives found out about this and fired Angel the next morning without a valid explanation.
Suddenly Angel had a lot of free time on her hands.  While she looked around for another job, she spent her afternoons marketing our blog.  She learned all about social media marketing, and opened accounts for us on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites – the primary source of traffic to our blog today.
We didn’t know it then, but the traffic was going to grow exponentially over the next three years, and by January 2012 our blog would be making enough money to completely replace Angel’s lost salary, allowing her to work on it full time and get paid for being happily passionate.
If Angel hadn’t been fired, none of this would have happened.

Failures Along the Road to Happiness

As our friend Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.  So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.  You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.  This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
The truth is, it happens just like that.  What seems like the end of the road may just be a cul de sac.  It feels like rejection.  It feels like failure.  But it isn’t.
You simply ran out of road on that route.  Time to back up, turn around, and look for a new route to get where you want to go.  And as long as you keep smiling and moving forward, the road ahead is going to be far better than you can imagine.  Because eventually, through all its twists and turns, it leads to happiness.
So if you’re currently struggling, hang in there.  Remember, sometimes the best thing that can possibly happen to you in the long run is not getting exactly what you want right now.

20 Good Habits to Start in Your 20s

Now well into my 30s, there are several good habits I’m thankful I started in my 20s, and several more I wish I had started a decade ago.  If you’re still in your 20s, or even if you’re not, I challenge you to implement the habits below into your daily routine, one at a time, starting today.  A year from now, I guarantee you’ll appreciate the results.

1. Focus on the activities and people that make you happy. – Sometimes we make things complicated when they are really quite simple:  Find what it is that makes you happy and spend more time doing it.  Find who it is that makes you smile and spend more time with them.  Living your dream is really just a state of mind.  It’s feeling comfortable in your own skin, and realizing that where you are at any given moment is exactly where you want to be.  Thus, happiness and success in life is simply the gratifying combination liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking who you do it with.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
2. Trust your instincts on new opportunities. – Life is too short to wait.  Every new day is another chance to change your life.  Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try.  Trust that little voice inside your head that says, “What if…” and then GO DO IT.  You would be surprised how often “what if” works.  And no, you’re not obligated to win every time.  You’re obligated to keep trying – to do the best you can do every day – to be better than you were yesterday.
3. Build the courage to face your fears. – Everything you want is on the other side of fear.  Don’t ever hesitate to give yourself a chance to be everything you are capable of being.  It’s better to cross the line and suffer the consequences of a lesson learned, than to just stare at that line for the rest of your life and always wonder.  And remember, courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid; courage means you don’t let your fear stop you.
4. Focus on the resources you do have access to. – It all begins and ends in your mind.  What you give power to has power over you, if you allow it.  Too many of us are hung up on what we don’t have, can’t have, or won’t ever have.  We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy – if not less of it – doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do.  So focus on the opportunities you DO have, and exploit the resources you DO have access to.
5. Be less busy, and more productive. – Incessant busyness is often a sign of ineffectiveness and laziness.  Because it’s easy to be busy – just partake in a bunch of random activities that drains all your time.  Doing so justifies never having enough time to clean, cook for yourself, go out with friends, meet new people, etc.  Right?  Wrong.  Don’t just get things done; get the right things done.  Results are always more important than the time it takes to achieve them.  Read Getting Things Done.
6. Make your goals a priority. – Never put off or give up on a goal that’s important to you.  Not because you still have tomorrow to start or try again, but because you may not have tomorrow at all.  Life is shorter than it sometimes seems.  Make today count.
7. Accept your humanness. – You can stop pretending.  It feels good to own up to stuff… to admit that you’re human – a work in progress – a beautiful mess.  You’re fine.  Having a little anxiety is fine.  Being a little fearful is fine.  Your secrets are fine.  You’re a good person.  You’re intelligent.  You’re blowing things out of proportion.  You’re fine just the way you are.
8. Seek less approval from others. – Your ideas and choices don’t have to be on everyone’s ‘approved’ list.  Regardless of the opinions of others, at the end of the day the only reflection staring back at you in the mirror is your own.  Make sure you’re proud of who that person is.  Approach others with the belief that you’re a good person, whether they respond positively or not.  It’s normal to want the people around you to like you, but it becomes a self-imposed burden when too much of your behavior is explicitly designed to constantly reassure you of their approval.
9. Ignore society’s comparisons. – Constantly checking your life against one of society’s prewritten stories of how things ‘should’ be is a phony way of living.  It’s sort of like renting your identity.  Just be you.  You are far more nuanced than anyone else’s narrative you try to fit yourself into, and more complex than society’s story of what ‘should’ be happening.
10. Believe in your ability to succeed. – You control the ultimate result of where you will end up, what you may become, and how successful you can be.  No matter what your current circumstances are, always maintain a strong belief in your ability to succeed, and then put your beliefs to work.  Do so, and in time you will amaze yourself.
11. Manage your money before it starts to manage you. – Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t know.  Don’t be one of them.  Bottom line:  It’s easier to find long-term wealth by needing and spending less, instead of making more.  So spend less than you earn, and always go without until you have the cash in hand.  Keep six months of your salary in an emergency savings account just in case you lose your job or have an emergency that prevents you from working for a prolonged period of time.  And keep a few extra hundred dollars on hand for unexpected expenses, such as car and home repair.  Read I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
12. Let the wrong people go. – You can try your hardest, you can do everything and say everything, but sometimes people just aren’t worth trying over anymore, and they aren’t worth worrying about.  It’s important to know when to let go of someone who only brings you down.  The moment someone tells you that you’re not good enough is the moment you know you’re better off than they are, and better off without them.
13. Appreciate your true friends, and return the favor. – A friend who understands your tears and troubles is far more valuable than a hundred friends who only show up for your smiles and joys.  Because a true friend accepts who you truly are, and also helps you become who you are capable of being.  Friendships like this require more than just finding the right person, they also require you to be the right person.  When someone believes in you enough to lift you up, try not to let them down.  True friendship is a sweet responsibility to be nurtured, not an opportunity to be exploited.
14. Do everything with a touch of kindness. – Whatever can be done, can be done more effectively when you add kindness.  Whatever words are spoken, will always be more compelling when expressed with kindness.  The kind deeds you exert in just one moment can have a positive impact that lasts a lifetime.  Your days will be brighter and your years fuller when you add kindness to your purpose.  Choose to be kind every day, and you’re truly choosing to live in a better world.
15. Choose happiness. – If you can find joy in doing nothing, you can find it in everything.  Learn to experience happiness without a reason and you can create happiness for any reason.  Realize that happiness and joy are not always the result of good things, oftentimes they are the cause of good things.  There is nothing you need in order to be happy other than the choice to be.  So let go of the worries you have for what may or may not come your way.  Focus instead on the good things that you can give, create, inspire and choose to experience, right here, right now.  Don’t allow the world to pull you down with its negativity.  Choose to transform the world around you with your own positivity.
16. Learn to cope with anger effectively. – When you’re infuriated with someone else, take a few deep breaths, sit quietly, and think for a moment.  Acknowledge the true source of your anger.  Anger bleeds from the inside out.  Remember that we need to fix ourselves first before we attempt to fix or influence others.  Trying to change others is a common recipe for prolonging the suffering.  Taking responsibility for changing yourself, and how you deal with the actions of others, is a recipe for growth, freedom, and happiness.
17. Accept some responsibility for the way others treat you. – Yes, on occasion you will run into someone who is downright wicked, but for the most part, others will look to you for direction on how you want to be treated.  They will test you to see what is acceptable, and then treat you the way you let them treat you.  Remember, you can’t control them, but you can control what you tolerate.
18. Work on your inner beauty too. – Our outward acts are a manifestation of who we are on the inside.  Let’s remind ourselves to love who we are from the inside out – to be pretty happy, handsomely kind, pretty smart, handsomely unique, pretty loving, handsomely lovable, pretty quirky, handsomely funny, pretty cool – and not just pretty and handsome.  Read A New Earth.
19. Introduce a little variety into your routine. – Remember that the way you’ve always done it isn’t the only way.  It’s unlikely that one of the things you’ll regret when you’re 70 is not having consumed enough beer in your 20s, or not having bought enough $6 lattes from Starbucks, or not having frequented the same night club for years.  But the regret of missing out on opportunities is a real, toxic feeling.  You’ve figured out drinking and going out.  You’ve had enough lattes.  It’s time to figure something else out.  Every corner you turn or street you walk down has a new experience waiting for you.  You just have to see the opportunity and be adventurous enough to run with it.
20. Always keep in mind that life is somewhat unpredictable. – Some of the great moments in your life won’t necessarily be the things you do; they’ll be things that happen to you.  That doesn’t mean you can’t take action to affect the outcome of your life.  You have to take action, and you will.  But don’t forget that on any day, you can step out the front door and your whole life can change in an instant – for better or worse.  To an extent, the universe has a plan that’s always in motion.  A butterfly flaps its wings and it starts to rain – it’s a scary thought, but it’s part of life’s cycle.  All these little parts of the machine, constantly working – sometimes forcing you to struggle, and sometimes making sure you end up exactly in the right place at the right time.

Vietnam's banking problems reflect turbulence in the economy

Scale of debt in banking sector and bloated state firms lays bare pernicious influences of cronyism in Asian tiger economy

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Vietnamese youths on parade. The ruling Communist party recently censured its own politburo over the economy. Photograph: Desmond Boylan/Reuters

Vietnam's stuttering economy, once a darling of the World Bank and a rising tiger of south-east Asia, received a further blow this week with the bailout of the crisis-struck state-owned Sacombank.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) announced it was preparing to inject 28 trillion Vietnamese dong ($1.4bn) into Sacombank following the resignation of the latter's chairman, Dang Van Thanh. This is the second time in recent months the central bank has found itself shoring up its ailing client banks. In August, it took the unprecedented step of publicly assuring depositors their money would be safe following the arrest of the tycoon Nguyen Duc Kien, co-founder of Vietnam's fourth-most valuable bank, Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank.
However, Vietnam's troubles run wider than its banking sector. In 2009, in a bid to stave off the worst of the global economic downturn, the government made a huge tranche of cheap credit available to its giant state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which dominate key sectors of the Vietnamese economy. Many of these SOEs used this credit to diversify into industries in which they had little or no experience. PetroVietnam has significant concerns in hotels, securities, real estate, insurance and even taxis. Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has holdings in telecommunications and education, and shipbuilding giant Vinashin in catering, distilling and insurance.
For Vinashin, matters reached critical mass in August when it found itself pleading with creditors for a stay of execution on loan repayments. Vinashin has declared debts of 639bn VND. Other state giants are faring no better. PetroVietnam has debts of 72.3tr VND, EVN 62.8tr VND, and mining giant Vinacomin 19.6tr VND. Of the total owed by the SOEs, 200tr VND is considered bad debt.
The current difficulties come against a backdrop of Vietnam's dramatic economic rise. In two decades it has catapulted itself from one of the world's poorest countries into the World Bank's lower middle-income bracket. In real terms, per capita incomes have grown to $1,260 in 2009, from $110 20 years earlier. The party hasn't been slow to share the benefits of that rise. In 1993, 58% of the country was thought to be living below the poverty line, compared with 12% last year.
In many ways, Vietnam is a victim of its own success. Dominic Mellor, country economist at the Asian Development Bank, says concern over the country's banking system began two years ago. "While the real sector has raced ahead, growth within the financial sector has lagged significantly behind," he said. As the wider economy has blossomed, the central bank's ability to regulate and monitor that activity has stalled. Credit growth has been startling, yet there has been "little facility to assess risk and no central control over where that credit is going", according to Mellor.
In July, the central bank said bad loans comprised 8.6% of loans in the banking system; around double its previous estimate and the highest in south-east Asia.
Resentment is growing at the close – often familial – links between the key players among Vietnam's elite. Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung's daughter, Nguyen Thanh Phuong, is rumoured to be one of the country's richest people, running Viet Capital Asset Management and a brokerage firm, Viet Capital Securities. Her brother is Vietnam's deputy construction minister. Sacombank's outgoing chairman appointed his son, Dang Hong Anh, vice-chairman. In April, To Linh Huong, the 24-year-old daughter of leading politburo member To Huy Rua, was appointed chair and chief executive of state construction company Vinaconex.
In the blogosphere, questions are being asked as to how long the situation can continue. Certainly, the ruling Communist party seems committed to reform. Two weeks ago it took the unprecedented step of publicly censuring its own ruling politburo over handling of the economy. However, earlier reforms have led to the growth of highly influential vested interests that are now working to determine exactly how far this latest set of economic changes can go.
Vietnam still boasts a stable political climate and a low-wage economy. Its burgeoning manufacturing base remains attractive to international investors. However, five years ago, multinational companies seeking to spread their bets would look to Vietnam as a natural complement to operations in China. Now that is not so certain, according to Mellor: "The perception has changed. Now people are talking about Indonesia, Myanmar [Burma] and the Philippines. Vietnam is going to have to work hard to maintain its edge."
Vietnam must now face up to reforming its state-owned enterprises. As long as they continue to leach credit from the wider economy, fundamental economic changes – including in the banking sector – will prove near impossible. Moreover, with continued foreign investment dependent upon successful reform within an increasingly competitive regional market, its importance has never been so great. Whatever happens in the wider economy, Vietnam looks set for a long and troublesome passage through its difficulties.

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged to resign

A member of the Communist-dominated parliament in Vietnam has in a rare show of dissent told PM Nguyen Tan Dung that he should resign for his mistakes in handling the economy.

Duong Trung Quoc said that it was time for the prime minister to take responsibility, not just apologise.
He urged Mr Dung to lead what he called a resignation culture.
Mr Dung responded to the attack by saying the Communist party had appointed him the top job.
"The party assigned me to continue to be the prime minister," he said.
"I did not lobby, I did not ask for, nor refuse, any assignment given by the party and state."
Mr Dung has been grappling with Vietnam's stagnating economy and a string of scandals.
Correspondents say that the attack on the prime minister on Wednesday was so unusual because it was made in front of TV cameras in parliament.
A second lawmaker, Nguyen Ba Thuyen, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that Mr Dung's failure to set out a plan to deal with Vietnam's economic woes had damaged public trust in the Communist leadership.
Vietnam is currently battling slow economic growth, high inflation, falling foreign direct investment and rising concern over the high level of debt in its fragile banking system.
Mr Dung, 62, was spared disciplinary action at a key Communist party meeting last month over a series of scandals that have tainted the country's leadership.
His government is accused of overseeing a culture of corruption at state-owned enterprises like Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin) and Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines).
In March, nine top officials were jailed for their roles in the near-bankruptcy of Vinashin.
In September, the former chairman of Vinalines was arrested abroad and extradited for ''alleged economic crimes''.
Mr Dung has been prime minister since 2006 and came into office amid expectations that he would continue economic and political reforms in the country.
However, a global financial crisis two years later saw Vietnam's economy slump after decades of high growth.

Vietnam will focus on reform

Posted By Ian Bremmer Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - 5:23 AM Share

By Roberto Herrera-Lim
It's easy to disparage Vietnam, whose reputation as the poster child for the economic potential of frontier market countries has taken a beating in recent years. Inflation is a persistent threat, growth is slowing, and the country's banks and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are struggling with a potentially destabilizing level of bad debts. And to top it all off, Vietnam's political leaders are fighting among themselves when the situation calls for firm action. As a result, foreign investors are left scratching their heads and wondering if Vietnam will be able to build the institutions and capabilities needed to move into the ranks of the emerging market nations.  
Vietnam's institutions were not prepared for strong growth. That much is clear from the crisis that has played out over the past few years during which Vietnam's institutions and leaders mismanaged capital inflows, resulting in inflation, bad investment decisions, and near-rogue banks and SOEs. All this occurred on Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's watch, and while he has survived at least two challenges to his leadership, he is weakened and chastened. As a result, consensus decision-making will play a greater role in coming years, while Dung's competitors (including President Truong Tan Sang) reduce his control over policymaking and tighten oversight. The near-term consequence of this dynamic will be a greater likelihood that factional competition will result in uneven policies and conflicting signals.
But don't count Vietnam out of the game yet. Historically, crises have been effective at forcing effective policy choices from the government (such as the 2001 ouster of the party's then general secretary Le Kha Phiu). The current situation is unlikely to result in Dung's exit, but it will spur a serious reexamination of economic policy, especially when it comes to better allocating investment. There is, after all, still a broad consensus among Vietnam's elites that previous reforms should remain in place and that long-term growth and sustained, equitable improvements in the quality of life are needed to ensure the survival of the communist party. The country's economy could also benefit from structural factors that are encouraging investors to consider manufacturing locations other than China.
It may be tempting for manufacturers to look to other countries in Asia, but they should not discount Vietnam's reemergence as a viable investment destination. The country's leaders may be squabbling, but they understand that failure to reform is a larger threat to their primacy than the uncertainty that comes with change.
Roberto Herrera Lim is a Director in Eurasia Group's Asia practice.

Manchester United's Robin van Persie nets winner in seven-goal epic

After the storm came the drought. This was a contest that featured a seven-goal avalanche inside 34 minutes but then fell barren, yet was still unmissable and had Sir Alex Ferguson branding the experience "agony".
If it was the kind of pell-mell exchange all managers hate and neutrals love, the first-half count should have actually been eight – to break the record for an opening period – but Robin van Persie's strike near the break was ruled out wrongly.
For Ferguson a near-perfect day, in which Chelsea lost and Manchester City drew, ended with Manchester United's lead extended to three points before next Sunday's derby at the Etihad Stadium.
He told ESPN: "It was agony. The worst defending of this season and we needed to do something about it. We're needing to rescue the situation all the time. Fortunately we have players who can do that."
To call this the direst performance from a rearguard that had previously conceded the first goal 13 times in 21 matches in all competitions illustrates how manic an evening this was. To Ferguson's chagrin, his team contrived to take this tally to 14 as the breathless 26 minutes into which all seven strikes were compressed began.
Eight minutes had been played when this chronically leaky United defence allowed Jay Tabb to turn the ball to Jobi McAnuff. He swung in a cross, Jonny Evans's header went straight to Hal Robson-Kanu and his volley beat Anders Lindegaard via a deflection from the defender.
The first of United's two equalisers came when Michael Carrick found Anderson, who moved the ball on to Ashley Young, and when the Brazilian took the return he blazed a rocket of a shot past Adam Federici. Anderson's celebration featured a kind of strutting tap-dance on the spot.
That was after 13 minutes. Within 90 seconds Wayne Rooney gave the visitors the lead. From the Liverpudlian's corner Evans controlled the ball and, as he brought it down, Tabb decided to barge him over. Rooney beat Federici from the penalty spot.
Now came two Reading goals, each unmarked headers from corners delivered by Nicky Shorey.
This was simple, schoolboy stuff but United could do nothing to repel either. First Shorey's 19th-minute delivery found Adam Le Fondre and as Rio Ferdinand went wandering the No9 finished. Then Sean Morrison produced a carbon copy, rising to meet Shorey's kick to give Reading a hardly credible 3-2 lead.
By the time the clock showed 34 minutes it would be 4-3 to United, and Rafael had first been booked, then hooked by Ferguson (on 28 and 31 minutes, respectively), with the Brazilian apparently ignoring his manager's conciliatory gesture to embark on a sulky pout he still wore on half-time.
Of this reaction, the Scot said: "The boy was disappointed coming off. He has been one of our best players this season. I brought Chris Smalling on, which was an improvement in terms of height."
When the sides walked off for the break, what would prove United's winning advantage had derived from two slick moves. A Patrice Evra ball to Young became a one-two when the winger executed a backheel to his skipper, whose cross allowed an unmarked Rooney to slot a second.
Then Rooney created Robin van Persie's 13th of his debut United season. Carrick's pass was flicked sideways by the forward and the Dutchman, with his right boot, slid the ball beyond Federici.
Rooney, who ended with two goals to stretch his total to five, said of the goal glut: "It was crazy. It was end to end and I think we played some good attacking stuff but defended badly on set-pieces. We showed big character to see the game out. We're not happy about it [falling behind first, again]. If it keeps happening it will cost us. We need to try and get in front early and make it easier for everyone."
Although that was it for the period and match, Van Persie's case for a second appeared copper-bottomed: replays showed his finish was good before Adrian Mariappa cleared.
Rooney was in no doubt: "It certainly was over the line. It is difficult for officials to see because it is so quick. But I'm sure in the future there will be technology."
After Ferguson's pre-match exhortation to Rooney to score more, it had been a surprise to see him on the right of the 4-2-3-1 decided upon by his manager.
Yet, as with Van Persie, he was required to defend as Ferguson's midfield shield of Carrick and Darren Fletcher continued to struggle to slow this open game down.
Ferguson added: "There is a natural determination about the players. I just think we need to get the defending right from set-pieces. If we defend like that against Manchester City, I might need to play myself."
For Brian McDermott, whose side remain second-bottom, this was another case of so near yet so far: "It was a fantastic effort."

Room Enough For Two Superpowers? A Chinese Look At Kissinger Looking At China

By Zhang Naidong*
ECONOMIC OBSERVER /Worldcrunch

-Analysis-
BEIJING - As one of the key figures in the normalization of the Sino-U.S. relationship, Henry Kissinger’s name is well-known in China. In 1971, he led a secret delegation to visit China and took the very critical first step forward in high-level exchanges between China and the United States.
Forty years after his first visit to Beijing, his book, On China has been published in Chinese. 
The book dwells mostly on how China and America managed to step away from Cold War  confrontation and hostility to find a path towards conciliation and collaboration. As one of the central participants of this period, Kissinger does have some unique insight.
From his point of view, past history provides a mirror for the two countries’ decision-makers.
When modern China was established in 1949, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson proclaimed the idea of establishing a new Sino-U.S. relationship built on mutual respect and mutual help. But the outbreak of the Korean War disrupted the strategic structure in East Asia and caused China’s “one-sided” choice to support socialism and the former Soviet Union.
This was in essence a choice of confrontation with the United States. It does not mean that China shares common interests with the former USSR. It was not until the end of the 1960s that, due to the changes that both countries underwent in domestic political patterns and in East Asia, China and America returned to the path that Dean Acheson had envisioned.
Kissinger stressed repeatedly in his book the two principles of “equality” and “pragmatism.” But what does he mean by that?
He points out that traditional Confucianism, strategic thinking and a “counter-barbarian” or “anti-foreign” stance had a very critical influence on ancient China’s diplomatic tactics. On the diplomatic front, the Chinese decision-makers on the one hand boost China as a sovereign state with arrogance, and on the other hand use the diplomatic skill of containing one barbarian with another barbarian. These manifestations are based on the Confucian concept of hierarchical order.
In Kissinger’s eye, the traditional idea of using a counter-barbarian strategy and thinking of a system of vassal states still persists in the minds of some Chinese leaders. The description is not entirely false, but it is not accurate either.
Mao Zedong had the characteristics of a traditional Chinese policymaker who sought to maximize his own benefits in the contradictions between other nations. This was the modern version of the ancient saw of “overcoming barbarians by barbarians.” Mao’s vision of Asia looked like the reconstruction of an imperial clan.
However, the situation has changed since the era of Deng Xiaoping. Although Deng still embodied the mystery that existed among the supreme policymakers of ancient China’s political culture, in a diplomatic context Deng adhered to the principles of equality and pragmatism. This diplomatic approach has been followed by all China’s leaders after him.
Kissinger is neither a historian, nor a scholar of culture. His discourse about Chinese tradition and history are rather aimed at providing diplomatic thinking and resolving the issue of current and future Sino-U.S. exchanges.
What kind of "rise"?
His focus is on the impact of a “rising China,” as leaders in Beijing emphasize the benefits of China’s “peaceful rise” for East Asia and for the world.
Meanwhile, in specific diplomatic events, China had often taken a tough stance in safeguarding its national interests, and has appealed to domestic opinion by playing up its strong position in Asia -- as well as in the rest of the world. This leads Kissinger to raise a fundamental question: Will a strong China necessarily lead to irreconcilable conflict between China and America?
Taking the conflicting interests between Britain and Germany prior to World War I as a point of comparison, Kissinger draws the conclusion that when there is friction between two nations’ interests and that it is regarded as irreconcilable, a conflict will be inevitable. It can only result in a zero-sum game, whereby there can ultimately remain only one superpower.
Still, if the two nations recognize that frictions are inevitable, they may be able to make adjustments necessary for a peaceful situation to be maintained.
Kissinger acknowledges that as China becomes more and more powerful, more frictions are bound to occur, amplified by the two countries’ different forms of government.
In both his optimism and worries, Kissinger manifests a certain kind of American naïveté. His understanding of China's internal ideological trajectory is simplistic and misleading.
In China, since the mid-1990s, the public has demanded that the government be tough in foreign affairs. At that time, a best-seller called China Can Say No stirred up nationalist sentiment. The more recent Unhappy China is merely updating that book for the new era. Separated by a decade, both books are badly written and aimed at inciting their audience by playing to strict economic interests. And even if the audience finds in these books an emotional catharsis, they have no effective impact whatsoever on the Chinese government’s foreign policy.
*Zhang Naidong is a lecturer at Renmin University in China

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The Kingdom Of Facebook: How The Cult Of Sharing Turned Into A Greedy Monarchy

By Varinia Bernau
SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG /Worldcrunch

-OpEd-
BERLIN - Mark Zuckerberg’s stated intention with Facebook was to create a space of participation. But now – instead of letting the site’s billion or so members participate in decisions that will forge the future of the social network – Facebook is phasing out the last possibility for them to cast a binding vote.
Just imagine if Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel announced an end to democratic elections, arguing that too many people with stupid ideas were involved in debating the issues and too few of them actually showed up to cast their ballot. Absurd? Well, that’s what Mark Zuckerberg has done. True, the 28-year-old entrepreneur created his own realm – a country called Facebook. But he did it with a promise to all those who migrated there that this was a place where the old world elite would no longer call the shots, a place where everybody could share things, join in, take part in the decision-making. It was all about democracy. But no more.
Facebook has just announced that it would no longer be asking members for their input when changing the rules – such as data protection rules. This is not just a technical detail. It is an open admission that maybe Zuckerberg wasn’t really serious about democracy. Fast money and power, on the other hand...
Since its beginnings, Facebook hasn’t exactly been exemplary when it comes to letting its members participate. Vote buttons were not prominently placed, and the 30% quorum needed for the site to heed voter preference was set too high. But instead of putting on their thinking caps and figuring out better ways for members to take part, Facebook declared its four-year experiment with participation a failure – thus forfeiting the opportunity to build a network that not only keeps advertisers, but also members happy.
At Harvard, Zuckerberg’s original idea for Facebook was an evaluation platform for fellow students. Later it became a marketing tool, for customers to decide on the composition of a shampoo for instance, or for Arab Spring youths to organize the fall of their despots. Some of what Facebook offered was a waste of time – but some of it enriched the world. Whatever the context, it was always about participation.
Zuckerberg himself, pushing the pathos button, made much of the participation aspect when his company went public last May. Small investors, he stressed, should be given a chance. Six months later they mainly have a big loss: after greedy investment bankers inflated the company’s true worth, the bubble burst and the stocks have lost nearly 40% of their value.
Money, money, money, in the rich man’s world
Mainly financed through advertising, Facebook has to find new ways to make it in addition to what it’s already doing – using member information to sell advertisers ever more targeted options, for instance. It’s also (as Google is doing) going to be sharing data with the Instagram photo service it recently bought. And members who want to have a say about that are nothing more than a disturbance.
The fact that Zuckerberg isn’t letting all those he drew to Facebook with false promises leave fair and square is even more morally reprehensible. Facebook has never been transparent on the subject of what it does with the data of people who delete their accounts. What’s more, the social network has had a monopoly for some time now. There may be networks that are a little more respectful of data, but what good are they if not a single one of your friends is a member?
Based on the number of people on Facebook, it’s the world’s third largest country. And the question of how it handles trust is going to determine the future of that country. Would somebody still post that he or she had a hangover if they thought their employer – or their health insurer – were going to see it?
As the ruler of the Facebook kingdom, it would be in Mark Zuckerberg’s own interest for a respectful community spirit to prevail. But he is apparently not prepared to give up even just a little bit of his power for that to happen.

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How Germans And Russians *Really* See Each Other

By Michael Posch
DIE WELT /Worldcrunch

BERLIN - There will always be enduring stereotypes. Ask a German about Russians and you’ll hear that they are sociable party animals and serious vodka drinkers – the vodka thing being a cliché that is now three hundred years old.
But what do Germans really think of Russians? A poll conducted by Forsa, the German social research and statistical analysis institute, says that four-fifths of Germans actually have a very positive image of Russians. Eighty-eight percent consider them to be hospitable, and 78% say Russians are courageous.
However, 45% believe their fellow citizens probably evaluate Russians negatively, based on the big social differences in Russia and the limits put on democracy.
Regarding economic relations between Germany and Russia, though, there is a consensus: 90% of Germans polled consider these relations to be of great importance.
Another survey conducted by German energy giant E.on shows the importance of personal contacts and more in-depth knowledge in forming realistic ideas about other countries and their people.
E.on is the largest German investor in Russia, and its questionnaire polled both German and Russian employees, as well as partner firms and artists. The results show that Germans and Russians have a high level of interest in each others’ people, as well as in cultural and social possibilities.
All those polled in the E.on survey said they wanted to learn more about the other country. Germans, for example, stated that Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world’s largest reservoir of fresh water, was on their “must-see” list of places to visit. Many also said they wanted to experience the “White Nights” of St. Petersburg within the next few years.
German participants also said it was important for them to know Russian art better, including writers like Mikhail Lermontov, Mikhail Bulgakov and Alexander Grin and composers like Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninov. In this context, the Bolshoi Theater and the Tretjakov Gallery were among the places people said they wanted to visit when they went to Moscow.
On the other hand, the Russians polled said they wanted to vacation in the Bavarian Alps. Other big-ticket items for them were Munich’s Oktoberfest and visiting Berlin.
The results also showed that most of those polled -- from both countries, but especially in Russia -- believed that getting to know people and building trust were essential for successful collaboration. Germans and Russians both said that they considered that the present level of joint activity was both productive and highly educational.
Many mentioned that the combination of the German appetite for functionality combined with the Russian gift for improvisation led to successes. Great importance was attached to German helpfulness and Russian generosity and openness.
What Germans liked less, though, was dealing with the Russian bureaucracy. Russians, meanwhile, said they would welcome a little more humor and flexibility from Germans.
Gleb Blas, an artist born in 1980 in Kiev and who now lives in Münster, Germany, sums it up with all the requisite irony when he says that the Germans are the ones who “plan too far ahead,” while the Russians start planning “when it’s already too late.”

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Mercedes Benz's Road Back To World Domination Must Pass Through China

By Liu Xiaolin
ECONOMIC OBSERVER /Worldcrunch

BEIJING - Last month, Mercedes-Benz launched its SL-Class Roadster at the Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week.
As the legendary model of the German car manufacturer, the late release into China of the SL-class cabriolet aims to show that Mercedes-Benz is confident about the Chinese market. It is trying hard to put forward a “Rejuvenated Mercedes-Benz” image.
The plan of a joint venture between two separate sales units, Mercedes-Benz China (imported vehicles) and Benz Beijing (locally made cars) is going forward. It is believed that Benz China will be in charge of the sales, marketing, finance and customer services whereas Benz Beijing will be responsible for the network expansion, second-hand cars, human resources and the labor unions. The goal of the joint venture is for the two sales units to operate “with the same voice and the same brand” in order to achieve a more effective concentration of resources.
All these efforts are just part of a strategy launched by the Daimler group in China five years ago. The brand resetting strategy aims to consolidate its image as the top luxury car manufacturer for young, sporty and glamorous people. In 2009 and 2010 Mercedes-Benz achieved a 77% sales increase year-on-year, becoming the fastest growing luxury car brand for the Chinese market.
Even when the problems caused by operating two separate Mercedes-Benz sales units in China started to affect the brand’s sales performance in the second half of 2011, it nonetheless managed to enjoy a 59% growth rate. This is why the two sales units have decided to combine their forces.
Star power
It was through sponsorships to venues such as the National Theatre, the Mercedes-Benz Cultural Centre, sports competitions, arts festivals and fashion weeks that the German luxury car manufacturer achieved its first five-year-stage of brand resetting. These venues are Mercedes-Benz’ targeted consumer group. The brand used precision marketing to target its consumer group’s points of interests and contacts.
In order to cater to the increasingly discerning Chinese consumers, all luxury car brands have been adapting their sales strategies.
BMW tries to promote itself as the car of the Chinese elite, whereas Audi has been trying to get rid of the association between their cars and corrupt officials.
Meanwhile, rejuvenating its image is the must for Mercedes-Benz in China. Since young people mostly identify with celebrities, the brand has started using sports, film and pop stars as their spokespeople. In addition, it is emphasizing a more emotional communication approach.
In 2011, one of its made-for-China advertisements - featuring Kobe Bryant in a tiny Smart car - was so successful that not only it reversed the flagging sales of the Smart cars in China, but went on to be launched on the global market as well.
Mercedes-Benz has been using star-power to send a different kind of message: Stars are bright, but most importantly, they are Mercedes-Benz clients. Kobe Bryant was in Shanghai to hand over the key of China’s 10,000th Smart car to its new owner, while Roger Federer participated in a M-Class SUV promotional event.
There is a consensus among high-ranking executives of automotive brands that a car’s global image largely depends on the car company’s image in the Chinese market. This month, in the 2012 best global brands survey by global branding consultancy Interbrand, Mercedes-Benz ranked no. 11.
Certain critics pointed out that over the past hundred years, Mercedes-Bens has had a mainstream culture of engineers. This has led to the loss of countless business opportunities. But on the other hand this has also helped to build it as the most valuable brand while at the same time maintaining its technology innovation tradition.
The dual innovation in both technology and brand marketing are the guarantee of the goal set by Daimler's CEO Dieter Zetsche, to reclaim the top spot in the luxury car segment by 2020 at least. But first it has to succeed in China.

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Impressions of Indochina

Posted By Stephen M. Walt Friday, January 21, 2011 - 2:29 PM Share

I'm just back from Southeast Asia, and a combination of accumulated email, looming deadlines, and jet lag will keep me from offering a lengthy account of the trip. Suffice it to say that I had a terrific time, with the highlight being my first visit to Vietnam. I gave lectures there on "China's Rise and America's Asian Alliances" and "Opportunities and Challenges in 2011" at the VNR500 Forum 2011 (a conference of the "top 500" Vietnamese companies), at the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program in Ho Chi Minh City, and at the Vietnamese Diplomatic Academy in Hanoi. I did an online interview with Vietnam.net, an important online newspaper in Vietnam, and met with a number of Vietnamese officials, mostly from the Foreign Affairs and Information ministries.
My impressions? First, there's clearly a tremendous amount of energy in Vietnam and lots of signs of economic potential. In addition to a wide array of restaurants, shops, and small enterprises, there are a growing number of industrial enterprises and (to me, at least) surprisingly modern "downtown" sections in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam's growth potential remains limited by underperforming state-owned enterprises, corruption, and significant infrastructure challenges. But assuming those impediments can be overcome, I'd be bullish about its economic future (and it hasn't been doing all that badly in recent years, growing at about 7 percent).
Second, my visit coincided with the Party Congress, and though I'm hardly expert, I gather the results are something of a mixed bag. The new party secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, represents the old guard, which means that rapid reforms are less likely. On the other hand, I gather that reform elements are more numerous in the Central Committee and other party institutions, and the prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, supports closer ties with the United States.
Which was another theme of my visit. The Vietnamese don't appear to have any hard feelings toward the United States (I didn't catch the slightest hint of any lingering resentments from the war), and it's probably noteworthy that virtually all the visitors at the war museum in Ho Chi Minh City were Westerners. This lack of resentment isn't all that surprising; as they see it, they beat us fair and square. Instead, the audiences at my talks (which included a fair number of students and intellectuals) and the officials with whom I met all sounded eager for closer ties with the United States. As I noted earlier, they were mostly concerned that the United States might cut some deal with China that would leave them isolated.
And China is a major long-term concern. That's hardly surprising either; all you have to do is look at a map and know a little bit about Sino-Vietnamese history. They have no desire for an open confrontation with Beijing, and Vietnam has a lot of important economic ties with China that could give the Chinese leverage in the future. But they are also under no illusions about the dangers of Chinese dominance (Vietnam was ruled by China for several hundred years), and I didn't sense much danger that Vietnam will bandwagon with Beijing. In that regard, the people with whom I spoke were clearly reassured and pleased by the tougher line the United States has taken regarding territorial issues in places like the South China Sea. So if Sino-American rivalry intensifies (as I expect it will), Vietnam will be an important U.S. ally.
All in all, it was a fascinating trip, and I'll be digesting my impressions for some time to come. And now it's time to catch up on what's been happening in the rest of the world; but first, I have to dig out the driveway.

Reversal Of Fortunes: Portugal Turns To Former African Colonies For Help

By Charlotte Bozonnet
LE MONDE /Worldcrunch

LISBON – In an ironic twist of history, crisis-ridden Portugal is looking to its former colonies for economic relief.
Booming economies, a shared language and cultural references – these colonies have much to offer. Besides Brazil, Portugal’s traditional ally, Angola has become Lisbon's latest strategic partner: "Angolan investments started to increase five years ago and have boomed these past three years," explains Carlos Bayan Ferreira, an executive from gas company Galp Energia who is also president of the Portugal-Angola Chamber of Commerce. "They are investing in every sector: banks, energy, but also industry, restaurants, real estate, wine..."
For Portugal, which has been facing recession for the past two years, the booming Angolan economy, with its double-digit growth rate, is a godsend. Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola's financial reserves have boomed thanks to its oil riches.
"The country was facing two major issues: It needed to invest this money but also win credibility and respect from the IMF, as the country is often criticized for its level of corruption," explains Nicolau Santos, deputy-director of Portuguese leading weekly Expresso. "In this global strategy, is there any better partner than Portugal?"
During an official visit to Angola's capital Luanda in November 2011, Portugal's Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, publicly invited the former colony to invest in the wave of privatizations launched by Lisbon.
The exact amount of Angolan investments in Portugal remains unclear. The business world has its secrets, especially in Angola. But for Alex Vines, a researcher at the British think-tank Chatham House, "No other European country is more dependent economically on a former African colony." In 2009, Angolan investments in Portugal totaled an estimated 116 million euros. This figure was only 1.6 million in 2002. In 2010, 3.8% of the Lisbon Stock Exchange capitalization (2.18 billion euros) was in Angolan hands.
The main investors are Isabel Dos Santos, the President's daughter and Africa's richest woman, and Angolan gas company Sonangol. Their main areas of interest are banks, energy and telecommunications. Dos Santos owns nearly 30% of ZON Multimedia, 20% of Portugal's fourth biggest bank Banco BPI and 40% of Amorim Energia. She also owns part of gas company Galp, Portugal Telecom and Banco Buc Portugues. Sonangol is the main shareholder of Millennium BCP, Portugal's biggest private bank. New acquisitions should follow: Luanda has just raised a sovereign fund, administered by José Filomeno dos Santos, the son of the Angolan president, whose main goal is to invest petrol money in Angola and abroad.
A spot of bother
This economic rush raises many questions. Ruled for the past 33 years by President José Eduardo dos Santos, Angola's growth dividends aren’t shared by all and the political power is concentrated in the hands of a happy few.
"They are investing in strategic sectors and also more and more in the media," says Nicolau Santos. His newspaper, Expresso, belongs to the Impresa media group. Two percent of the group is owned by Angolan conglomerate Newshold, which recently bought Portuguese weekly Sol and is targeting the forthcoming privatization of public television TVP.
Negotiations have begun between an Angolan investor and Joaquim Oliveira, head of Controlinvesmente, which owns Diario de Noticias (the main daily newspaper in the north of Portugal) as well as the TSF radio station: "We don't have the same concept regarding freedom of speech. In a few years time, we might be in a spot of bother because of that," says the journalist.
Businessman Carlos Bayan Ferreira does not share the same concerns. "Our relationship with Angola is one of the solutions to the crisis in Portugal, thanks to this new cash flow and the amount of jobs it creates for Portuguese companies that can no longer rely on the declining national market," he says.
Angola is now Portugal's fourth biggest customer behind Spain, Germany and France. It is now Portugal's first partner outside the European Union (Brazil only ranks 10^th), and buys machinery, vehicles, medical drugs and wine. In Luanda, Angola's capital city, the real estate market is booming and Portuguese construction firms have found new opportunities. Around 140,000 Portuguese nationals are believed to work in Angola.
"Compared to Chinese investors for instance, our main asset is that we know each other and that we trust each other. It is the same thing for Mozambique," said Carlos Bayan Ferreira. With an annual growth rate of 7%, Mozambique, another former Portuguese colony in Africa, has also become an El Dorado. Around 20,000 Portuguese people have already moved to Maputo, Mozambique's capital city.

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