Living in America, we take many things for granted, even in these times of economic strife. One would think that China, being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, would be a safer place. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

On July 23, a high speed train ran into another train in front of it, killing 40 and injuring 191 passengers. This alone is awful news, but the story following is all the more nauseating. One of the passengers injured was a 38-year-old man who broke eight ribs, punctured a lung and shattered a kneecap.

He was first sent to a less-than-noteworthy hospital and he requested to be moved to a better hospital near his home. The railroad ministry moved the man to an old-aged home where he received no medical attention, despite his continued back pain and trouble with breathing. To make things worse, in compensation for the $6,000 worth of possessions he lost in the crash, the ministry gave him a check for $35.

Unfortunately, this is only the exposition of the story. The real meat of the news is in the corruption of the railroad ministry. The corruption in the ministry breads from the fact that it regulates the rails it owns, leaving endless amount of room for it to undercut quality to make a few more yen.

In addition, the ministry employs 2 million workers, making it the same size as the U.S. government, minus the military and postal workers. The size and power of the railroad ministry in China is frightening in its own right, but it is the mentality of those that run it that is more horrific.

It is the ministry’s triumphant statement less than 24 hours after the wreck which announced the rail was reopened that is more sickening. It is a search that only lasted eight hours after the wreck, as opposed to 72 hours that is standard everywhere else, that should upset the stomach of any outside viewer.

Finally, it is the isolation and fear that victims feel after a wreck because they cannot expect good hospital care, appropriate compensation or any security from heartfelt apologies.

This is what is most disturbing. Transitioning from this horrific news to something more uplifting is quite difficult, but in other news the great investing firms of the early 1900s are producing great results from their foreign investments. After over a century of investments, areas like China and Brazil are turning out to be quite profitable. In 1902, the investment firm International Banking Corporation opened offices in Calcutta, India and Manila, Philippines, these investments have yielded great results.

A new mentality is sweeping over the investors of Wall Street these days. No longer are they interested in the quick buck, but now they have set their sights for more long term yields.

Firms are even taking considerable losses now to set up branches in countries that previously were marked as unthinkable. This new mentality is also the focus of some of the transformations firms. Firms like Carlyle Group, who used to invest in military and aerospace, are now making a global presence by going to places like Lagos, Nigeria, Seoul, South Korea and Istanbul, Turkey.

Even places like Columbia, Peru, and Libya are looking like good prospects for investors. This is revolutionary, for once investors are investing in potential in the long run, as opposed to those who are doing well in the moment. Wall Street is generally seen as the most greedy or most focused on the short term part of American society, making this change in ethos phenomenal.

Now if only this new and more enlightened mentality were to trickle down into the American society through government and general world views of the people, we might be in for a rise to greatness that our country so desperately screams for.

Finally, there has been evidence that aiming for the future proves to be more successful than aiming at the immediate, and this might prove to enough people that there is a good reason to sacrifice a little now.

On a similar note, this new mentality could prove to be very beneficial to the developing countries of the world because firms will start investing in them, which will in turn result in more growth due to a high flow of money.

Our world is full or goods and evils, innovations and digressions. In China, the great innovations has led to great digressions is social sympathy. On Wall Street, great innovations in the way we approach the market could lead to a new great age for the U.S., but what are their side effects?

Stewart Heatwole is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.