"Norman Spinrad - Mouse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Spinrad Norman)

for the opening of China to the minions of the Mouse was building to a
frenzy.
According to the latest public opinion polls, 41 million Chinese
people already believed that Mao Tze Tung had been born with black and
white fur.
"Much worse," said the Suit. "We could give free air time to the
Dalai Lama. We could broadcast clips of the Tien An Mien massacre
with music by Nine Inch Nails. We could subject your people to reruns
of old Charlie Chan movies. And if none of that worked, there's always
the ultimate weapon..."
"The...ultimate weapon...?"
"We broadcast the first twenty minutes of THE LONG MARCH in
clear, scramble the rest of it, force everyone in China to buy
expensive decoders to see it, and blame the Communist Party."
The crocodile grin returned.
"Do you really believe any government could retain the Mandate of
Heaven after that?"
"Mess not with the Mouse..." sighed Xian Bai.
"Not a good career move at all," agreed the Suit. "On the other
hand, in return for say five percent of the gross, I could aid you in
making a sweet one. In the words of Mao the Panda, one hand washes the
other."
Well, the Chinese people had not survived several thousand years
of turbulent history without paying due attention to the sacred bottom
line. Indeed one might argue that the bottom line, like most else, had
been a Chinese invention. Especially when there was rich profit to be
made in convincing yourself that it was true.
And for those Panda Pagoda franchisees who had trouble swallowing
that one, MAO THE PANDA'S LITTLE RED BOOK, in return for the Mouse's
30% of the gross, provided more than standard recipes and accounting
procedures, it provided an ideological rationale.
Fast food was, after all, a Chinese invention itself. Dim sum,
wonton soup, noodles, and stir-fried vegetables with a bit of meat,
were quicker to make, tastier, ecologically more benign, and far more
nutritious than hamburgers, pizzas, and greasy fried chicken parts.
And since the ingredients were much cheaper, the profit margin
was higher too.
Today China, tomorrow the world, promised Chairman Mao the Panda.
 And what did it matter if MAO THE PANDA'S LITTLE RED BOOK had
appropriated the epigram from Confucius or Lao Tze or the Buddha
himself if Chairman Mao the Panda's words had the ring of truth?
The wise man does well by doing good.
It was enough to keep Xian Bai smiling all the way on his
frequent visits to the bank.

end