SPEAKING
FREELY The
eagle and the dragon By Brett
Daniel Shehadey
Speaking Freely is
an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest
writers to have their say. Please
click hereif you are interested in
contributing.
They could not be
more different, the United States of America and
the People's Republic of China. They are two
worlds and two great majestic creatures: one of
unrelenting courage and the other of profound
mystery.
The bald eagle defines the bold
America. The mythical eastern dragon characterizes
the subtle China. These symbols represent the
personality, culture and political behavior of
these two states no matter what institution or
regime may be in power at any given time. For some
reason, both national populations have desired to
see themselves and
fashion themselves after these strange creatures
of nature and imagination.
So how do
they compare? The eagle is prideful on its
perch with wings spread wide, the downward beaming
gaze. It has only one mode of movement which is
the power of flight. It would not wish to hop on
the ground like those beneath it and be utterly
humiliated. It will only swoop down for an instant
or parade the grounds when there are few onlookers
or reason enough to do so. With a fixed purpose, a
keen vision, a visible flight path and a singular
direction, the eagle knows exactly what it wants,
where it is, and it is just as clear to everyone
else what it is thinking and planning.
The
dragon is in many ways the eagle's opposite. It is
hidden and made invisible by a cloak of magic. It
is secretive, careful, and ever watching from a
distant cloudy realm. It has no discernible
objective like the eagle; and this makes it nearly
impossible to predict. With no clear way of
motion, no straight path, one moment the dragon
vanishes and the other the dragon appears before
the unsuspecting.
The dragon too flies but
not in the same style as the eagle. It does not
soar and despises being put on display for fear of
becoming a trophy. If it chooses to fly, it is
usually concealed in clouds and not for hunting
prey but for evasion. The dragon can also slither
close to the ground making little or no sound. It
can crawl, swim the seas or coil in defense - it
is not limited in transport but lacks coherent
purpose.
An eagle is all about the next
meal. The eagle spends most of its time working
the skies and peering below, feeding the children
and being the most vigilant of guardians. It is of
the highest order of nature with its intelligence
and ability to set itself above others. It touts
its status and abilities with ferocity and seeks
vengeance on those that disrupts its nest.
A dragon is fascinated at the marvel and
often the manipulation of humanity. Therefore, it
is sometimes meddlesome in another's affairs and
sometimes benevolently removed; bringing rain to
crops or a great storm of ruin. It is of the
celestial order, even above the natural order. It
is therefore in its own mind confident and
centered in being superior to all others but will
not display this feature for fear of envy. The
dragon therefore takes comfort not in the skies
but beyond them in the heavens. It does not tout
its status or ability but remains in hiding. It is
largely contemplative whereas the eagle is
consumed by consumption of an exterior world.
While the eagle is independent in
directive, the dragon is social and influences
others by the forces of nature. One through
another, the dragon moves through. The eagle
reigns through supremacy and force and the dragon
reigns through the hierarchy and subtle arts.
The eagle has a place of rest that one can
see but not reach. The dragon also has a place of
dwelling that is difficult or impossible for
mortals to travel and far removed from even the
emperor.
While the eagles' talons are
sharp enough for war, the dragon refuses to use
its claw and fang as weapons. It instead attacks
with cunning and clandestine arts. The dragon
fights war indirectly and with the help of things
unimaginable by the enemy. The only real predators
of eagles maybe hunters of eagles but the dragon
's real predator is when they are outmaneuvered,
discovered and overpowered.
Almost
everything about the eagle can be observed without
much effort but almost nothing can be observed or
learned from the dragon . One therefore knows what
an eagle is about to do but almost nobody knows
what a dragon will do.
They exist in two
separate worlds, but if they ever came together,
would they ever get along?
The dragon
never liked the pride of the eagle, which seemed
out of place. It would manipulate the eagle for a
time. The eagle would realize it was being cajoled
eventually and seek a fight with an enemy that had
shifted from what it once was before. The dragon ,
now radically changed in size and shape, would use
its cunning and magic against the eagle. The eagle
would try to dive bomb the dragon and tear at it
with its sharp powerful talons but alas, the
dragon had raised an army where the eagle was all
alone…
Our symbols are the best emblems of
historic nationhood and general characterizations
of what a given population wants to become. They
are the collective models and features to be
highlighted. Substitute US for the eagle and China
for the dragon and you have your insightful hint
into what these nations are really about.
Brett Daniel Shehadey is a
writer, commentator and holds an MA in Strategic
Intelligence from AMU and a BS in Political
Science from UCLA.
Speaking Freely is
an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest
writers to have their say. Please
click here if you are interested in
contributing. Articles submitted for this section
allow our readers to express their opinions and do
not necessarily meet the same editorial standards
of Asia Times Online's regular contributors.
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
