Here is a funny little story about Pandas. I actually think they are good to have around (maybe we will need them to replace Polar Bears after global warming kills them off. (Bamboo is really hard to control in North America.)
the interesting question is should the zoo spend ten million on a Panda to China or buy a few senators to pass better climate legislation....hmmm
Link: Gulfnews: Don't panda to misty-eyed sentiment.
It is not as if this misguided sentiment comes free. China exacts a high diplomatic price for its "panda diplomacy". Even the zoo in Washington DC, famous for its pandas, does not own them but rents them from China for about $1 million a year apiece. Now there's a trade deficit to get het up about. For $1 million you could rent a senator. Case closed. Pandas are badly designed, undersexed, overpaid and overprotected. They went up an evolutionary cul-de-sac and it is too late to reverse. By cosseting them we are simply rewarding failure.
