Notes About The Poem

China isn't smarter, they learned EVERYTHING about capitalism from us.


 

Third World America

I lived in Shenzhen, China, for my 6th and 7th grades - China was AMAZING.

In China, blond hair is unusual, I stood out like neon and touching blond hair was considered good luck.

In a train station, if I stood still, I could draw a curious mob - especially in the provinces like Heubi and Shanxi. I was in more than a few selfies but people were polite and respectful.

China is much more advanced than the U.S.. 
Everything is new, clean and modern - the Internet is faster. Most trains are bullet trains that travel 325kph (>200mph). There are more than 10 new, gleaming cities larger (and newer) than New York.

An App called WeChat (used on your phone) runs the world. Imagine Facebook, iMessage, PayPal and Uber combined - with that one App you could do anything.

At restaurants, you paid your bill at your table using WeChat from a QR code that the electronic corner of your table displayed. You even paid street vendors with the app - no one used cash.

Cameras are everywhere - if you break a law like jaywalking and BBBZZZZ you get a text and the fine is deducted from your WeChat account - all automatically.

Public TV screens, located on corners, show recent violations with the perps picture and the fine they paid - again, automatic.

Does this sound Orwellian? Well, maybe, but Chinese police don't kill people - or even engage people for minor offenses.

America, you're broke and on the edge of being a third world country.

Yeah, yeah, I know that China is free-market-communist and certainly imperfect - but if you saw China, you'd be impressed and you'd know the ugly truth - America has squandered it's wealth on military macho and forty years of war. China's last, small war was in 1980 (With Vietnam who they beat in 3 weeks and 2 days).

Middle America looks almost bombed-out with closed businesses (even before the pandemic) - but in China, you can’t look anywhere without seeing building cranes - like a forest of trees. A physical illustration of Americas loss of wealth.

I LOVE America - it’s sad to see. We've gotta wake up.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Krokos Avatar
October 24, 2024 at 2:56 AM
I haven't been to either country - America or China so your poem is very informative particularly about China where according to news sources they, the Chinese, unleashed the virus, Covid19, and brought the whole world down on its knees for strategic and economic advantage or was it sheer and utter careless stupidity. I seem to think it was both because if it wasn't for the pandemic the world would be a better place to live in instead of the dystopian one we've been left with now.
Vionet Avatar
October 24, 2024 at 6:18 AM
If covid was man made, letting it escape was most likely an accident. Since there was no vaccine, only a suicidal idiot would release it on purpose. I've had some epidemiology, and the danger with a pandemic like covid, where the death rate was 1.8%, is that in theory, every host has the potential to mutate the virus into something much more lethal. I don't see signs of the dystopia you fear.
Fisher Avatar
October 23, 2024 at 12:19 PM
Absolutely LOOOOOVEEEE this. I love America! But we do have a big problem here!
Vionet Avatar
October 23, 2024 at 1:41 PM
Yes, two parties and one refuses to cooperate. It's CrAzY.
Beaufort Avatar
October 23, 2024 at 9:03 AM
Anais, the site sent this poem to me along with others by you. This is a very sobering comparison that indicates we have a problem in the US with modernizing. It’s important for us to know and consider what you’ve observed. Smiles!
Vionet Avatar
October 23, 2024 at 11:07 AM
Thanks Duke. Who sent my poems - PoetrySoup? When?
Leffanta Avatar
October 23, 2020 at 2:09 PM
I have saved this one and will pass it on to my granddaughter! Thank you for posting it! Imagine how different the USA would be if Education had our military budget! Instead Trump is celebrating another $1.8-BILLION arms sale to Taiwan! Aloha! Rico
Vionet Avatar
October 23, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Thank you =] How old is your grand-daughter?
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