Fu Manchu's ongoing battles against the incredibly unobservant Nayland
Smith and hilariously lovestruck Dr. Petrie are unfortunately not
supported by obvious economic policies in the books. There is no
indication of what Fu Manchu might have done once the Si Fan had taken
over the world: give up breeding poisonous, coma-inducing fungi and
indulge in a fetish for endless bureaucracy and ongoing diplomatic
initiatives perhaps? The results would probably be indistinguishable.
The web is a wonderful place, especially Project Gutenberg. I have just finished reading Sax Rohmer's potboiler, and now free download, 'The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu'. It's a good adventure story, which reminds me a bit of reading Sherlock Holmes, although it contains all the self-righteous, holier-than-thou prejudice of the time.
It calls to mind my mother, who was wary of people of Asian descent, in case they were Japanese. Her prejudice sprang from one of the Japanese death marches, in which one of my great uncles, her favourite uncle, had the misfortune to participate. He was captured in one of the towns that fell. He survived the march, by virtue of the fact that he was a doctor. His hair, however, turned white during the short period of his captivity.
Funnily enough, in spite of my mother's dislike, he remained in Malaysia for the rest of his life, and my house is dotted with bits of aging Asian craft.
When my mother disliked someone to that particular point, she became polite to the point at which she might be mistaken for a diplomat: all her utterances were exceptionally courteous, yet devoid of any substance whatsoever, like trying to pin down smoke.
Times have changed since then. Today, unlike her, I can tell the difference between the various nationalities, and ignore prejudices entirely. This approach to life comes from growing up as an Irish boy with an Afrikaans surname speaking English in a neighbourhood populated with English, Afrikaans and German kids. There was no possible logic to the thing.
And Dr. Fu Manchu and the Si Fan are no longer a part of the pantheon of conspiracy theories. Plots to murder leading figures using giant centipedes, Dacoits with ropes and Egyptian sarcophagi filled with poison gas are few and far between, possibly even unlikely in the CIA Manual on International Relations.
Fu Manchu's ongoing battles against the incredibly unobservant Nayland Smith and hilariously lovestruck Dr. Petrie are unfortunately not supported by obvious economic policies in the books. There is no indication of what Fu Manchu might have done once the Si Fan had taken over the world: give up breeding poisonous, coma-inducing fungi and indulge in a fetish for endless bureaucracy and ongoing diplomatic initiatives perhaps? The results would probably be indistinguishable.
The books devolve to chapter-bound, page-turning pulp thrillers at best. On the other hand, Fu Manchu would be proud of the state of things nowadays.
A look at the press shows that in fact, Asian interests do control much of the world. The Chinese own a huge part of Western debt, as well as debt in other parts of the world. I recall an older article that noted vast Japanese real estate holdings. And, as far as I can make out, most of the world's manufacturing depends on Asia, In fact the only thing that doesn't seem to rely on Asian manufacturing are wooden utensils, doodats and toys, the kind without paint.
For that matter, Asian products are also becoming pervasive. Remember what 'Made in China' or 'Made in Korea' used to mean? Remember those awful Lucky Goldstar boomboxes with the flashing lights? Reduce that name to an acronym for an eyeopener.
Asian culture permeates the world as well now. 'Long time, no see' is common parlance. 'Manga' and 'anime' are featured in all major dictionaries and reference works, not just in the less salubrious shelves of the local DVD store. Green tea is bottled and packed by various tea companies, including leading light Twinnings. Instant noodles, anyone?
There is no need for conspiracy theories when everything is for sale. Conspiracy theories always assumed a villain and a victor. Economic theory and the transactions of culture depend on the principle of a willing buyer and a willing seller.
It feels as if Asia wants it all. The questions are how much are we willing to sell now, and would we need it later? As for the buying, there is plenty to be had. It feels as if wanting something now beats prudence hands down.
Download
Sax Rohmer's 'The Insidious Fu Manchu' can be downloaded free for the Kindle, here...
Please note that like Lovecraft, Sax Rohmer can easily be read as a racist, so ignore it if you are easily offended.
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