A2 - Wednesday, September 15, 1982 - North Shore News

Chi

A

strictly personal

crs

by Bob Hunter

RECENTLY, I had a conversation with Ken

Kesey,

the author of One Flew Over The

Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion,
novels which, as far as 'm concerned, are among

the best ever written.

Kesey had just returned
from China, where they
appreciate both of his books,
that country having
sometimes been a_ great
cuckoo’s nest during most of
its recent history.

Kesey was bubbling with
optimism about the future of
relations between China and
the West. “They want to play
with us,” he said.

In his view, China is being
reborn again.

Kesey was impressed by
the eagerness of the Chinese
to learn. “The people want
to get into the 20th Century.”

He says the scars left by
the Cultural Revolution are
finally beginning to heal.

During the early part of
that upheaval, the Com-
munists “killed all the people
who were tending towards
Western thinking.

“They killed all the heart
specialists, saying that heart
disease was a symptom of
the capitalist mind.

“Imagine what would
happen to this country if all
of a sudden we just went
through and took out the

fact
ah

best of everything and left
the country just kind of
staggering around.”

The fact that China has
turned in the direction of
capitalism is reason enough
for us all to breath a little
easier. It means that one-
quarter of the human race
has come to its senses in
realizing the futility of
Marxism

The constitutional
amendments which have just
been passed at the National
People’s Congress in Peking
have altered the country’s
political institutions
dramatically, creating an
entity more Western in many
respects than Marxism.

For instance, the basic
unit of rural government —
the commune — is being
dismantled, to be replaced
by elected township
governments. The army’s
own governing body is to be
elected by parliament rather
than being appointed by the
Communist Party central
committee.

China is a long way from
democracy as we know it

~

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na wants to play

yet, but when a billion
people shift political gears,
you know that the history of
the world must sooner or
later be affected.

In the last few years,
under the leadership of
Vice-Chairman Deng
Xiaoping, changes have
taken place which
demonstrate China’s
resilience and pragmatism.
Clearly, China’s leaders are
making their long-delayed
move to catch up with the
developed world.

Those fantastically
successful economies in
Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Singapore have been created
mainly by Chinese people. If
mainland China itself ever
“gets its show together,” as
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew
puts it, the economy of the
worid would be transformed.

A billion new customers
with disposable incomes
would generate an incredible
surge of business around the
planet.

The “economic miracles”
of the Asian mini-states
would look like mere
firecrackers compared to the
awakening of free enterprise
in China itself.

Socialist countries have
traditionally feared foreign
investment, which of course

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is one of their fatal
weaknesses. If they wished
to reverse their fortunes and
become wealthy within a
decade, all they have to do is
follow the lead of Singapore
— throw the doors open
wide.

It is a lesson China's
leadership seems finally to
have grasped. This is why I
don’t think that the recent
overtures to Taiwan, of-
fering the Nationalist
Chinese autonomy and a
share of power if they
surrender, are entirely to be
written off as a trick and a
fraud.

In Ken Kesey’s view, the
Chinese are moving toward
the formation of a “Fourth
World,” a blend of East and
West.

A reflection of the new
mood in China is the fact
that “a lot, a lot” of Chinese
are once again using the I
Ching, the ancient book
which has served as an
oracle for untold ages.

All in all, good news.

Korean veterans

group launched

VETERANS of the Korean
War living in B.C. at last
have their own association.
The newly formed branch
16, Korean Veterans
Association (Canada) holds
its first formal meeting this
Sunday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m.

in the Armouries, 1513
Forbes Avenue,’ North
Vancouver.

Ceremonial presentation
of the branch charter and a
flag presentation ceremony
will be highlights of the
special event, followed by
dedication of the colors,
including a U.N. flag
presented .by branch
president Michael Wood.

Guest of honor will be
Dae Wan Kang, Consul
General of the Republic of
Korea, who will present a
Korean flag. —

Two other flags will be
presented by Chuck Cook,
M.P. for North Vancouver-

ck

Burnaby, and Angus Ree,
MLA for North Van-
Capilano.

All Korea veterans and
their wives or guests are
welcome to attend Sunday's
ceremony.

For further information on
the association, call Michael
Wood at 986-1722.

Centre opens

THE LATEST community
centre on the North Shore
will be in business this
weekend.

The official opening of the
Delbrook Community
Centre takes place Saturday,
September 18 at 11:00 a.m.

Light refreshments will be
served following the opening
ceremony by North Van
District Mayor Don Bell.

The centre is located at
600 West Queen’s Road,
North Vaan.

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