If there was any way to connect the two, it might be with the story of the European Common Cuckoo. This bird lays a huge egg in the nest of another species of bird. When the chick hatches it methodically evicts all other occupants, pushing them out of the nest to fall to their death below. In this way, it is able to monopolize the food supply as provided by the parents of the usurped hatchlings.
The New York Times brought these images to mind this morning with a story about the spokesman for the most voracious group of consumers in history cautioning another group about over-consumption.
President Bush has called China’s growing demand for oil one reason for rising prices, and has warned Beijing against trying to “lock up” global supplies.
In 2004 China used some 6.5 million barrels of oil a day and overtook Japan as the world’s second largest user of petroleum products. The largest, the United States, consumes about 20 million barrels a day.
When the leader of a country which, in only 230 years exploits a good 25% of the world’s resources with a mere 5% of its population, tells a country with 3,000 years of history, close to 18% of the world’s population and a historically low rate of consumption how to conduct themselves, it is ludicrous. As ludicrous as a cuckoo calling out to a squirrel, “Hey, make sure you don’t take more than your share!”
