If you only read U.S. news sources you may have most likely missed the hard to find blurb on two executions that took place today. That is because they took place in China, and they were not child killers, serial killers or mass murderers of any kind; sort of. I do; however, want to make an example of these two gentlemen.

Their names are Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping. No doubt you cannot pronounce the names, but I ask you to remember them. Now, before you get ready to stand on your moral high ground let’s take a look at what they did.

They were businessmen, and by fortune found themselves in the middle of China’s economic revolution running full steam ahead to a  mixed economy (market economy for those of you that only read western news sources). They each were involved in the milk trade; Jinping managed a milk production center while Yujun was a manufacturer. A lucrative business for an economically thriving society. So what went wrong?

These two businessmen, in a heightened sense of greed amidst a burgeoning “market”* economy, found a way to make their product appear more desirable to a consumer hungry nation. They manufactured, marketed, and sold what they called a protein powder, and they put this powder into the milk supply. This protein powder was actually made from melamine and maltodextrin. Melamine gives a false reading of high protein, but it is a toxic chemical that in higher doses can cause renal failure, and so it did. Six children died and almost 300,000 other people fell ill in varying degrees.

Wow, a bad business decision; an error in judgement; a greed driven parable that finds otherwise good people trying to keep up with the Jones’ or in this case the Li’s perhaps. It is nothing more than the antics U.S. business people find themselves doing, and we don’t execute people for that. Heck, if we did we would have to put half of Wall Street in front of a firing squad. Not to mention the leaders of places like Boeing, PG&E and hundreds of others. Medical insurance company heads alone would be quaking in their boots. Pharmaceutical CEOs would be heading for the border. Isn’t it great that we are so civilized?

Now let me knock you off your principled pedestal. The Chinese defense lawyers blamed the government for not paying attention. To quote one, “it’s the food supervision and inspection authorities that are responsible for this.” It was inferred that the greedy client was not to be blamed, despite knowing the harm it would cause, because it is someone else’s responsibility to catch them. This sounds a little familiar to me. Our own banking industry championed the same exact reasoning!! That’s strange.

Now, our Wall Street and former White House cronies didn’t kill six children, at least not directly. But, can we not indirectly blame them for hundreds of people that have taken their lives, thousands that are on the streets, and millions out of work? China makes an example of this type of crime.  An eye for an eye. Sure we could do this too, but don’t worry guys because we don’t execute our white collar criminals even if their actions are a catalyst. We are better than that. We reward them with bailouts and bonuses.

Don’t you just love capitalism?

*Although the west claims China is becoming a market economy, the most they can hope to achieve is a mixed economy. While maintaining a Communist government, a free market economy is not possible. China themselves only state their desire to be a mixed and not a market economy.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel the world and be able to communicate with anyone, anytime? Well, you can. No, I’m not suggesting you learn every language on the planet, nor am I implying that you should take a crash course in all 21 official languages of South Africa before venturing on your safari – unless you have a photographic memory, but I digress.

The reality is that communication comes in many forms and language is only one small part of that equation. In fact, all cultures communicate nonverbally to one degree or another. I’m sure all of us have been flashed a variety of gestures in foreign countries when we do something wrong, or have been smiled at for doing something right. These are forms of communication and they are quite universal.

When I was in rural China quite a few years ago I met a very elderly woman, from a generation of foot binding and no modern conveniences, and we had been invited into her house as our driver knew her well. It was as if we had stepped right out of a page of National Geographic and I was fascinated by how she lived. More than anything, I wanted to take a photograph of her, but had to think of a way to ask. To not ask could be very offensive. Now, of course I didn’t ask her in English, nor did I attempt it in my very basic knowledge of Mandarin! I also took a moment to realize that this woman may never have seen a camera before, much less understand what a photograph was. So I thought about what I could do to communicate with her my desire to capture her on film (yes, it was still in the days of film). Luckily, it was a small Polaroid, so I took a photo of my traveling companion and showed it to the woman as it developed. The frail lady must have shoved the photo in my hand and grabbed it back at least a half a dozen times. I wasn’t sure if she was frightened of it or intrigued. Well, it turned out to be the latter because then I pointed to the camera and to her, and to my great surprise, I saw one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen! I decided to take two photographs so I could give her one as a gift, and as we were driving away she never stopped staring at it. She was even grabbing passersby to show them her magic image.

A gesture, the lift of a brow, a smile. Anyway you look at it, the door to the world opens up when you make contact with another human being and take a chance at communicating any way you can.

Reprinted from my blog at a national travel magazine