[plain talk]

Jim Webb uses China as an example of the wonders of diplomacy as, he says, we have arguably brought them into the world. How is that working out for us?

Compared to what? Comnpared to the days of Mao it is working out much better for us. My son spent a summer in Bejing and wandering around. Incredible growth going on over there. He couldn't have done that in the 60s.

But to Webb's point it was not due to diplomacy but rather the power and strength of capitalism compared to the failure of communism.

[muawiyah]

Turned out the Chinese are the world's third smartest people ~ right behind the Finns and the European Jews.

Jim Webb is from the other end of the barrel so he thinks Chinese success (after about 3 centuries of total disaster, much of it wrought by rampant use of addictive narcotics) is due to diplomacy.