"Martha Stewart" Tells

Scan: ìChinaís Martha Stewart, With Reasons to Smile,î by Howard W. French, New York Times, 10 Apr, p. A4.

Story is about rise of Chinese version of Martha Stewart, or a TV-show hostess who tries to show average viewers there how to expand their lifestyles with all sorts of new and seemingly exotic practicesólike barbecuing.

You might say, but isnít China full of mostly poor people? Yes, there are hundreds of millions living lower-class lives, but thereís also a middle-class that rivals our own in sheer numbers, if not in purchasing power (within the Chinese economy and its rising standard of consumerism). So this Chinese Martha simply points the wayóconnecting her fellow countrywomen to a dream many may never achieve but most long for nonetheless.

Hereís my new rule: any country with its own Martha Stewart canít be considered a long-term military threatónot with all the time spent arranging those flowers, making that holiday decoration, etc.

Maybe someday soon this Martha Stewart will get caught up in some Chinese stock scandal. Then weíll know for sure that China is hot on our historical trail!