China Spacewalks Back to the Future

The Space Walk - it's harder to perform than even the Moonwalk, and cooler than the Harlem Shuffle. Today fighter pilot and instant icon Zhai Zhigang will peer out the hatch of the Shenzhou VII at an eternal void. Stepping into it will take the courage of ten bungee jumpers and the faith of a thousand bible thumpers.

One small step for Zhai, but how big of a step for China? On its own scale of space exploration, this third manned mission is definitely stratospheric. Then again, the spacewalk trick was first pulled off in 1965, first by a Russian, a few months later by an American. The specter of war motivated their respective nations. In China's case, military readiness is more of a justification for expense than the real reason for the project - pride.

A successful spacewalk will put China in the same taikonautic court with America and Russia, and way ahead of any Asian countries, even Japan. It puts one in mind of the optimism and confidence powering the U.S.A. during the moon mission days.

So if the stunt is 43 years old, prompting the Indian Press to term China's launch "the Late Creep Forward", it might be instructive to look at the events of then and today. In 1965, China was an economic basket case with a leadership in disarray. Today, she's a much improved land, while former superpowers struggle to hold things together. Read on and see if you agree that progress is purely a matter of perspective.

1965

2008

The first US combat troops arrive in Vietnam. By the end of the year, 190,000 American soldiers are in Vietnam.

President Bush acknowledges the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, claiming that “This is a fight that America can and must win."

General Motors concludes that Americans—richer and more style-conscious than ever—want fancier, faster cars.

GM reports a loss of $38.7 billion for 2007, the largest in history for an automaker.

Blacks riot in the Watts section of Los Angeles, leaving 34 dead, over 1,000 injured, and nearly 4,000 arrested.

Monks and their followers riot in the Tibet section of China. The casualty and arrest count remains disputed, but the ugly song of racial and socio-economic division remains the same.

Rhodesia unilaterally declares its independence from Britain.

Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe unilaterally declares his independence from election results, and continues to preside over the economic collapse of his country, where being a billionaire means you might be able to afford lunch.

Tibet is made an autonomous region of China.

Russia “invades” South Ossetia, which was an autonomous region of Georgia until 1990, and may or may not be an autonomous region of Russia.

Dr. Zhivago premiers, an epic tale about the effects of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath on a bourgeois family.

The Hottie and the Nottie premiers, an epic fail about the effects of Paris Hilton on Internet-Age youth.

The Beatles play to 55,000 at Shea Stadium.

Sir Paul McCartney pays 50 million to get rid of wife number two.

Lyndon Baines Johnson signs the Medicare bill, to ensure that people can afford hospital bills.

President Bush signs off on a stimulus package, 300 bucks per child, which ensures that people can afford the next co-payment on Junior’s annual checkup.

China and Taiwan engage in a naval skirmish off the coast of Fujian Province. Both sides claim victory.

Taiwan elects President Ma Ying-jeou, who favors closer ties to mainland China.

Time Magazine features a cover story on Fidel Castro entitled “Cuba: the Decaying Revolution”.

A decaying Fidel Castro finally steps down after 49 years in power. Raúl Castro succeeds his brother as president of Cuba, saying that there will be few changes made and that he will consult Fidel when making decisions.

U.S. Congress passes the Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing every American twenty-one and over the right to register to vote。

U.S. Congress votes to expand the government's surveillance power, guaranteeing every CIA spook the right to eavesdrop on telephone conversations and emails without a warrant.

Muhammad Ali KOs Sonny Liston in one round, cementing his status as a great athlete.