行萬里路勝讀萬卷書 / Global Perspective

As the Democratic presidential primary campaign in the US unfolds, the local newspaper reports that the two front-runners are trying to convince voters they have the “right stuff” to competently decide on America’s foreign policy. According to the journalists, Hillary Clinton apparently indicated that she had gained such experience while travelling on business trips with her husband, then US President Bill Clinton; while Barack Obama emphasized he had actually lived and travelled extensively outside of the US mainland (his father’s family is from Kenya).

No doubt in a globalized world, any statesman/woman worth his/her grain of salt must have the competency and experience to deal with complex international trade and foreign affairs issues. Gone are the days when a country’s leader can just stay home, ignore the reality of the changing world outside, and manage only the domestic agenda. As to the average Joe and Josephine on the street, I would submit we too need to shy away from the village mentality, do more travelling to other countries and cultures, and broaden our view of the world.

As the Chinese say: 行萬里路勝讀萬卷書 / We gain more from travelling ten thousand miles than studying ten thousand books.