In a comment about my post on the Chinese space program, Mark Whittington writes:

The Chinese missed a big opportunity to became a world wide imperial power. They not only shut down Zheng’s operation, but forbid all deepwater sailing, even those privately financed and run. It was a blunder of enormous consequence and I don’t think that the current Chinese leadership will repeat it.

My point was not that they didn’t miss an opportunity–they did. My point was the reason for that missed opportunity.

They didn’t then, (and don’t really now) understand the dynamism and strength of capitalism. Zheng He’s missions were not for wealth creation, or even acquisition–they were for national prestige. If that’s the reason that the modern dynasts go to the Moon, they will ultimately stumble as well (as we did, at least temporarily, over three decades ago).