The Current Discussion: In his recent PostGlobal blog post, "The Ugly Chinese," commentator John Pomfret says the world's perception of China isn't as rosy as it used to be. Do you see China as a threat? Why? Why not?

Europeans and “ugly” Americans really do not need more threats from other parts of the world. We already threaten our own countries and continents. We act against ourselves all the time, starting with pollution and ending with aggression.

The real question goes like this: is it possible that in the span of a decade, or an even shorter period, China might become the world’s leader in terms of economic potential? My answer is a strong yes. Could China become the world’s leader in terms of political and military potential? My answer is a weak yes.

But let’s take that question further: Would that be such a bad thing for us? I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Previous policemen of the world weren’t any better: let’s not mention the late Soviet Union, or the Tartar hordes or the Wehrmacht. So, let us not worry.

It wouldn’t hurt to start to study Chinese, though. I have heard it is an extremely difficult language, and it is also an extremely beautiful one.

The Current Discussion:Israel celebrated its 60th birthday last week. Will it survive to celebrate its 100th?

I know that Israel was artificially created in a hostile territory, surrounded by people who did not like the new nation at all. But this is how the Roman Empire came into existence. Or the United States. Or Hungary. Almost all the countries in this world have been created under similar circumstances – but no one doubts that they will celebrate their next anniversary.

Israel has successfully defended its lands up until now, and I do not see any reason to believe that this won’t happen the same way in the future. I know that Europe would have been a better place without the Trianon Peace Treaty, which redrew the borders after World War I. But any aggressive change of an unfair status quo results in more unfairness, so there is no other way towards the future than forgetting the unfair steps in the history of the countries and continents. This is how the neighbors of Israel should accept the existence of the 60-year-old nation. At the same time, Israel should forget and forgive hostile moves it has endured.

Everybody should focus on the present in favor of a better future. I know this sounds a bit solemn, but that doesn’t mean it cannot be true.

I have no doubt that Israel will be around to celebrate its 100th anniversary. But will *I* be around to celebrate, when I am 98?