Perspective

James Fallows of The Atlantic Monthly has a nice blog pointing out how misperceptions can be created by distance. He explains how China -- where he is currently stationed -- can be a rising superpower while peasants still work in the field using medieval technology:

To spell it out: countries can support powerful and threatening military establishments even if their overall economy is faltering (the old Soviet Union). They can create problems for the world even if they are extremely poor (North Korea). Sometimes economic dislocation itself can make aggression more likely (post-Weimar rise of the Nazis). Often the attempt to escape poverty can cause environmental disaster.

Oh, and the pictures he provides are nice. Never been there, but through the magic of the Internet, now I can say I've "seen" what he is talking about.