Oliver Stone's Combover

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Years ago Oliver Stone admonished me to follow the story. Yesterday Oliver was the story. He was calculating as he set the table to slam China. He combed his hair 25 times on stage among some of the brightest minds in Hollywood - none of whom brought out their combs. Stone attempted to become relevant again. Slamming China could win a headline. He saw his chance and thundered away. In a few days he will fade off to irrelevance again unless he delivers a film that rivals “Gravity” directed by Alfonso Cuaron Orozco who shared the stage with him.

Alfonso couldn’t have been more respectful to the Chinese government that invited him to discuss an opening China on the subject of coproductions. Alfonso’s film stole the stage when “Gravity” defied all physical laws of filmmaking. Curon was upstaged by Stone but he wasn’t outclassed. Curon leaves China with the relationships that matter. He leaves with an open invitation to come back and make movies that can foster better relationships around the world.

China has emerged as the second largest market for entertainment. They have worked hard to produce the products that are consumed around the world and they now possess a significant amount of the global wealth. Their mountain of cash is available to invest in various segments around the world including film and television. Leaving their cash in China it becomes less valuable. Continuing to invest in U.S. Treasury Bonds is no longer profitable. They must invest in assets around the world to win and they know it. The interests of the United States and the interests of China are aligned and a true partnership is upon us. We gain more by embracing rather than alienating each other.

Rock throwing is never productive. Criticizing China for human rights abuses or censorship isn’t helpful. They have progressed so much. In my youth I would never have believed that China would open up as a place to visit or a market for U.S. goods and services. I would have never believed that China would manufacture all of the products that the United States consumes. Throwing rocks at China is really throwing rocks at the United States. Who paid for all of the products that China produces? Who paid for all of the off-shoring of pollution that the Chinese people are dealing with today? Who paid for the abuse of workers to produce cheap products? Rock throwing won’t lead to a better world. China earned every dollar they were paid and they have every right to invest those dollars as they see fit.

For ten years I have been reading about the inevitable collapse of the Chinese economy. I am in Beijing and I see nothing but a skyline filled with construction cranes. There is absolutely no evidence of an economy that is about to implode. They are the modern day miracle economy that continues to sustain growth because they are not subject to market manipulations of greedy corporations who would rather put short-term earnings ahead of the health and prosperity of the people.

While America’s economy sputters China forges ahead because hundreds of millions of people are working every day to improve the infrastructure of China. America can learn something here. What if every person in American who wants to work is given a job to improve the assets of America? Wouldn’t that lead to a better world? Wouldn’t that lead to the best America we have ever known? Welfare and aid dependency doesn’t work. Corporate welfare doesn’t work either. When hundreds of millions of people are employed to work for a better tomorrow nothing but prosperity can ensue. China may finance our coming prosperity.

Labeling China communist doesn’t really paint the picture. China has become commercialist. They value productivity. They may be polluting and overworking their people… but isn’t that the history of America? As a child in Los Angeles I sat inside on many days because of the smog. Now Los Angeles is so much cleaner. China will figure out how to be productive without polluting. It is in our best interests to embrace them and help them figure this out. As for human rights abuses? The Chinese middle class is emerging and they will move toward more rights and better conditions, as they become the most affluent consumers in the history of the planet.

Let’s put this in perspective. What if some foreign director came over to America and started criticizing George Washington? Oliver Stone can comb his hair all he wants. He can never comb back the friendship he lost on that stage or the opportunity to become truly relevant again unless he follows up his criticism with a new film that rivals the films of his peers. To Oliver Stone, who taught me to follow the story, I would reply, that he needs to let his art now speak for itself.