Happy Chinese New Year or is it?

The Year of the Ox is upon us and I wish all our readers a Happy New Year, however I hesitate this year to wish you all ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’ (good fortune and prosperity), because more wealth and prosperity is not quite what we need at present.

A dramatic statement, I know, but let me explain.

When visiting a friend in hospital who is attempting to recover from a serious illness, rather than wishing them more wealth and prosperity, we tend to wish them a speedy recovery – especially if the illness was caused by too much prosperity in the first place!

The present global economic crisis which we find ourselves in today began five to seven years ago, when many global companies, organisations and even national economies, ignored the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, became fat and in turn obese.

Not surprisingly, many have since become quite ill which in turn has spread into a global epidemic. Sadly some died, a large number have become seriously ill with long-term effects and the epidemic is causing great pain and discomfort all over the world.

When parents don’t have the strength to direct their children into a healthy diet, the onus is then on schools to try to influence these children into a healthier lifestyle instead. And just like the ignorance of parents who allow their children to become too fat and sick, governments in many countries have ignored the unhealthy status of companies and the possible effects.

We seem to accept that a fat, or dare I say obese child or adult, is not healthy and likely to suffer from illnesses, so why would we not expect the same outcome from the state of global companies and economies who also become too fat and obese?

Is there a bright side to these traumatic economically sick times? Yes, there is. This is a self-induced economic epidemic and countries are working together to learn from it and to assist the sick.

The Year of the Ox is what China and the economic world needs – steady strength and perseverance. I therefore wish you all Good Health (and strength and perseverance) in this significant year of the Ox.

Carl Jetter
Publisher