The most amazing chance encounter in Bonsall

I had the privilege of meeting an amazingly intelligent and interesting man one morning about 20 years ago at Sunrise Cafe in Bonsall (predecessor to Z Cafe). He had lived in Fallbrook only three days. It’s always fun for me to meet someone new to our area and hear their story, so we struck up a conversation.

He was originally from India but came to the U.S. to attend MIT and Wharton School of Business and later attended Dartmouth, Columbia and Kellog as well. He was one of the original inventors of modem technology, but we talked mostly about his views on the United States and his nonprofit. He spent most of his time traveling to Third World countries consulting them on western governance because, according to him, they wanted what the U.S. had, and it was his real passion.

He explained that in the U.S. we have far fewer natural resources than many other countries, but we are so successful because we understand that people are our greatest resource.

As I asked his views on current affairs and how he viewed the U.S., he explained to me what a wonderful country the United States is and how unique.

He said the fact that our government protects our contractual agreements is foundational.

He explained that, for instance, in India his family not only feared that bandits would steal from them, but possibly their government as well. He explained that the rule of law is a very big deal and also part of the reason for our success.

I thought of that chance encounter this week as I read the news of how the Biden administration was considering an override of intellectual property rights protections of the vaccine companies in the U.S. in order to help the other countries like India. While it seems like the humane thing to do in order to save lives, it could be a slippery slope for future research and development as people are now not only concerned about the very real stealth of U.S. intellectual property from China, but now we are considering giving it away, without the approval of the stockholders and people who actually own or invested in that technology.

EU Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her stance that the shortage of vaccines worldwide would not be solved by a waiver of patents, as suggested by President Biden. They encouraged our government instead to start sending over vaccines already produced which would be much faster and wouldn’t endanger future investments in research and development. Europe apparently provides half their vaccine supply to their own people and half to other countries.

I’m sure there is a compromise that is a win-win between big business, investors, our government and human lives.

But, back to PK, he also talked about how the “can do” spirit is very strong in the U.S. He explained how people here are raised in a culture thinking they can do anything they set their minds to, no matter their race or upbringing and how that just isn’t prevalent in many other countries. He said there are countries where people don’t feel that independent spirit. They wait for the government to tell them what they can and can’t do, so that makes a huge difference. He attributed it to our Judeo-Christian beliefs because people believe their rights are God given and not government given as was set up by our founding fathers.

He also said that our culture is very generous. He said he had traveled the world far and wide and he believed that Americans were very generous and that was also part of our culture.

There was so much more to the conversation I had with PK that day, but suffice it to say, that conversation had a lasting impact on me.

We are an independent and generous country, according to PK who was here during the 60s to present. He owned companies that exported technology all over the world. I will have to ask him his opinion on the government giving away a company’s intellectual property.

We are in such a different space 20 years ago than we are now where everything is about race. It didn’t occur to me then, but it does now, that he was a very dark-skinned person, and he came here and is probably one of the most successful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and I don’t ever remember him complaining during the several meetings we had about how anyone tried to keep him down.

PK is thankful for the opportunities in America, I can honestly say that I too am thankful for a society that allows me (pre and post COVID) to have open conversation with someone as interesting as PK over breakfast any time our schedules allow for it and no one thinks anything of it.