Are We to Rest by the Side of the Road as China Pedals Away on the Surrey Bike?

Imagine China right now is a surrey bike built for four people, with China as the driver and other Asian countries of the region filling the three remaining seats, all pedaling together to make the bike go. Imagine that at first the path forward is a bit steep and that the surrey bike needs some help pushing it up hill. So China bargains with Uncle Sam, “If you will push the surrey bike from behind, I will feed you corn for free as you push.” Uncle Sam thinks it a great deal and begins to thrust China and the other Asian countries forward as they pedal in front together on that surrey bike.

After a while, the bike begins to pick up speed and Uncle Sam has to push a little faster, almost jogging a bit to keep up with the surrey. Uncle Sam clamors for a bit more corn because the exercise of keeping up with the accelerating surrey is a chore. As China shoves more and more corn into his chubby little mouth, Uncle Sam begins to puff under the weight of his effort, and tire from the speed at which the surrey bike is now travelling. Finally, Uncle Sam gives out from the strain, having given all he had to helping that surrey bike begin its journey.

As China and the others speed away pedaling in unison down the path to the future in their region’s surrey bike, Uncle Sam falls over along the side of the road from exhaustion for he is no longer needed. He forlornly looks at the distant spoons that no longer will point his way but will only feed those that are on the bike together. On the back of the bike is a bag filled to overflowing with words stenciled on the back, “U.S. Seed Corn.”