Molly Ivins February 13BERKELEY, Calif. — When in the course of human events things get seriously fouled up, it's sometimes useful to go back and figure out why the unhappy eventuation has occurred. It's even more useful to perform the exercise at the other end, trying to spot what little snag will eventually bring about a large disaster. Michael Crichton, everybody's favorite "plane read," has a new book out about why planes crash, which may not be shrewd marketing on his part but is interesting. In it, he explains the "cascade theory" of disaster: No one thing ever brings about a plane crash; instead, a series of things happens one after another, each touching off yet another unfortunate consequence until the whole shebang comes apart. If we apply our always-myopic gaze to the future, we alert citizens will notice an unpleasant and possibly horrific situation brewing on the western horizon: China seems intent on behaving badly, and the United States has no idea what to do about it. (My sudden emergence as an authority on U.S.-Chinese relations may astonish some who have heretofore considered the Texas Legislature the limit of my expertise, but I am, you will notice, temporarily perched here on the Pacific Rim. Under the long-established rules of punditry, I acquire expertise by means of geographical osmosis.) This matter of Trouble Ahead with China has those who actually do know a great deal about China worried purple. In the delicate dance to come, it would help if the United States could use every sound and knowledgeable citizen available to us to understand and deal with the Chinese government. And just such a citizen lurks in the academic waters hereabouts: Chancellor Chang-lin Tien of the University of California at Berkeley. Tien was born in China; his family decamped to Taiwan, and he then came to study in Kentucky on the unlikely theory that he could play basketball there. Forty-odd years later, he's at the top of the academic world and was apparently poised to move into government. The Great Mentioner was mentioning him for U.S. ambassador to China before the last election, since Tien has traveled widely in China and knows many of the players there. Actually, he was also being considered for secretary of education — quite a compliment, as that's where President Clinton hopes to make his mark in history. Tien is a hopelessly cheerful man who likes his work so much that he bounds up the stairs to his office every morning, I kid you not.
But you notice that this able fellow with the unique resume is neither ambassador to China nor the first Chinese American to serve in the Cabinet. He's still here in California, doing no good at all on the wider scene, because of John Huang of fund-raising notoriety. Now, Tien has no connection with Huang, and the only fund raising he does is for the University of California. But such are the ways of politics that a president in the midst of an unseemly scandal over contributions from persons of the Asian persuasion cannot afford to emphasize his problem by nominating an Asian American for high public office. Imagine Sen. Jesse Helms at the confirmation hearing, especially since Tien has a marked Chinese accent (although no more marked than Henry Kissinger's German accent). So the open sewer of campaign contributions claims another victim. Not having Chang-lin Tien on the team dealing with China this summer as the takeover of Hong Kong proceeds may not bring down the whole shebang, but it's not going to help, either. Just another funny little pinging noise in the old airplane of state here. The moral is, of course, that our system of campaign contributions reeks, and the need to fix it is urgent. It's costing us more than we will ever know. Meanwhile, back in D.C., where hypocrisy is an art form, Sen. Fred Thompson prepares to investigate Clinton's "Asian connection" down to the last fiber. A healthy dose of restorative reality appeared in Tuesday's Washington Post, where Eric Pianin detailed how the Republicans turned last year's minimum-wage bill into a $21 billion bonanza of tax breaks for generous donors to their own party. Look, if we're not going to fix this cesspit, couldn't we at least get down the dollar amounts? How come it's always millions in contributions and billions in tax breaks? Couldn't we at least sell our government on a more modest two-for-one basis? *** Molly Ivins is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. COPYRIGHT 1997 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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