so much for the invisible hand

According to this week's edition of The Economist (p.7), China recorded its largest monthly trade surplus, $11.1 billion in December, for nearly a decade...George Bush's outgoing commerce secretary, Don Evans, arrived in Beijing and promptly insisted that China must "forcefully do more" to ease it's trade surplus with America.

Some could get peeved at yet another example of U.S. high-handedness (a.k.a. 'prompt insistence') and hypocrisy - laissez-faire, let the dollar fall but under the assumption that everyone else organises their economy around the new 'reality'. But that's so boring. I find it all wonderfully hilarious. Just shake my head, wag my finger and chuckle 'you naughty boy. When are you going to learn?' Seriously. Being American is so much easier when you imagine America as the 7-year-old alpha male in the playground.