Johnny Cash was the man, as was his classic song, Folsom Prison, where he sang of a man hearing the train round the bend as he sat in prison for killing a man in Reno and longing for his freedom. An American icon. I listen to some of his music on my I-pod while walking the dog. The Man in Black aside, there are Western outsiders who think various stakeholders in China, including those in government and/or business, can just wave their hands or flap their lips in China and make things/change quickly happen in the place.

But get real.  Let me show you and give you some visual perspective using a train of what it is like to live in a world of 1.3 billion people and try to manage them. Click HERE, and look, I know this is a train station in Japan, not China, but I can tell you I have experienced this scene in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing so project what you see and imagine it’s China.

Still think China can turn on a dime into a western style democracy, or stop IP violations or become an environmental Sweden overnight? Does this visual picture help you better understand the emphasis on Confucianism and “the group” in China versus “the individual”? (Notice how these passengers act and say nothing/very little as they board the train and they are not getting all up in arms and yelling “hey, buddy, get your g*d**m* hands and body off me!’ as many Americans would do and blow a gasket over.)

As we travel in China or India this year, take off your business hat and become a social scientist/anthropologist — look for and study these types of things and try to better understand them (not raise that Western nose up and judge them). It’s gonna be a great trip …

“And I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps … draggin’ on. But that train keeps a roollllin’ … dooowwwwn to San Anton’ ….” - Johnny C.