One of the reasons that I highlight an essay every week is that you learn very little by reading news stories, short blog posts, and the other typically short pieces that we read on a daily basis. I think that this is true even if all those short pieces cumulatively contain the same information that we might find in a long piece. A coherent whole just has a bigger impact than disparate pieces scattered throughout time.

I bring this up because I think most people who keep up with the news have a vague awareness of most of the facts in this week’s essay. But I think that those facts get lost in all the stories about China’s growing commercial clout. Thus, I think that Guy Sorman’s indictment of China is well worth reading because it forces you to confront what would otherwise get lost in the shuffle.

I should note that for some reason they stuck a sidebar on Hong Kong right in the middle of the essay. I find that highly annoying. Just scroll right past it and the essay will resume.