Don't Tell Glenn Beck About the Mao Hat

By Alan Smithee

We decided to put it out there before Glenn Beck of FOX News gets ahold of it:

Yes that is AAEA President Norris McDonald

in a Mao Tse Tung Red Army Hat.

He is standing next to our Center China Office Director Zhang Xiaoping in the lakeview neighborhood of Houhai in the middle of Beijing, China. He said he bought the hat at either The Great Wall or from one of the super street salemen at Tiananmen Square. McDonald traveled all over China in 2007 studying and touring that country's energy facilities.

McDonald assures us that he is no fan of Mao, but he also understands why the Chinese people still have a huge picture of Mao in front of the Tiananmen Gate that leads to the Forbidden City: although Mao butchered and starved his own population, he also turned China into a military power that could defend itself. Of course he did it with Russian support, but who would blame them for doing what is necessary to protect themselves.

So Glenn, go ahead and slime our fearless leader with this image if you must. He says that he loves the Chinese people and found that the Chinese people love him too.