Please take a look at this beautifully written article, entitled India Calling. It talks of the allure of the motherland for young, Westernized Indians.

The ‘brain drain’ trend has greatly benefited America. That the world’s brightest minds decide to coalesce within our borders has given this country a ‘sustainable competitive advantage’ over other nations. We can argue that the rest of the world has benefited, in that the U.S. has dragged it along. But now, the rest of the world is picking up steam.

In the conclusion of the ‘The Post American World,’ Zakaria claims that for America to preserve its leadership, it must continue to welcome the brightest minds from abroad, who in turn must aspire to succeed in this country. This is a virtuous cycle.

So what do you think of the ‘brain circulation’ trend? Will the world’s brightest minds no longer be so enticed by our roads paved with gold? And though this new trend may not solely benefit America, it will surely be good for the world. Maybe then they can drag us forwards; or is that already starting to happen? As Americans, we value our supremacy, geopolitically speaking. But isn’t the world better off – us included – if the playing field is more leveled?

Albeit a small sample size, of the students I met from Cal Poly’s Indian Association, only a few seemed willing to relocate to India. I get the impression that only the most intrepid souls will take the plunge and thrust themselves into a very chaotic country. And they will likely be the ones to reap the benefits. In turn, the ‘brain circulation’ trend will continue to increase.

Many of you probably know that the U.S. has vowed to protect Taiwan against Chinese aggression - and that China has vowed to re-establish Chinese rule on the island. Fortunately, China has pursued a 'soft' approach, coaxing Taiwan towards the motherland with practical measures (and even pandas). A full scale conflict over Taiwan's independence seems less and less likely. But I noticed this article tucked away in the back pages of the NY Times. Why do you think we are selling arms to Taiwan? Is it purely economical, or are we trying to make a point? And more importantly, how will China react?

In "The Post-American World", Fareed Zakaria talks of China's "peaceful development". They move cautiously on the world stage, trying to avoid conflict. While we might not stoke China's nationalist fires, I think it's likely that we do stir up some serious resentment. What comes to my mind is the 'forgive but never forget' adage. Should we be pursuing a more amenable approach towards China, and will any of this come back to haunt us?

Also, Zakaria states that "China needs the American market to sell its goods; the United States needs China to finance its debt." And in financing our debt, China is losing a lot of money. Simply put, China's been doing a poor job investing - they've given away hundreds of billions of dollars. Does something have to give? And if so, what? Will this financial crisis pull us closer together, or push us further apart?