dannyman.toldme.com

-berto

It’s kinda interesting right now because I am taking a graduate level course in economics. I’d say about 1/2 of my classmates are from mainland China and 1/4 are from India. My professor on occasions has lost total control of the discussions in my class where the Chinese contingent of students unify with the belief, and justify their arguements, both logically, and with empirical evidence that you can be a world economic power without regards to personal liberties and freedoms. The concept of morals and ethics is not even considered because from their perspective the “good” of the country always takes precidence over the “good” of the individual, even the choices made turn out to be detrimental to the individual. One pointed out that any given individual in a prosperous society cannot claim any right in being part of it, without turning over some control of their lives to insure it’s continuation.

In contrast, the smaller, but just as vocal Indian student contingency is in constant clash with my Chinese classmates. The Indian students argue that individual differences go hand in hand with national economics and that the diversity of a countries population can further an economy in the long run, even if the same diversity causes short term setbacks for the economy as a whole. As one classmate puts it, people will adapt and grow into potential marketplaces. If an area doesn’t justify growth, then in the long run, it will die out, but there is no rational reason not to try when resources are readily abundant in a growing economy like India. One student said that economic sucess can be achieved without disrupting social or political lines. The example she gave was the economic sucess and freedoms associated with being a member of the lowest cast system. Some Indian companies thrive because the founders were amongst the lowest cast, and since no one wants to associate with them socially, their businesses are given free reign economically because of the lack of social oversight.

The best line came when my fellow student said “…this class is about markets, individual choices, and capitalism. If you want to talk about nationalism and the rights and protections of individuals, maybe you’re in the wrong field and you should apply to the School of Law downstairs.”

The professor is actually happy with the debate. He worked for the Federal Reserve System for many years and is called in as a consultant to the Chinese equivalent of the Federal Reserve. He said the Chinese have had many questions over the years and still cannot fathom why the U.S. economy, as contradictory and decentralized as it is compared to U.S. political policy, has suceeded over the long term. One Chinese offical mentioned that even having one’s name attached to a policy that is suspected of causing an economic shortfall in China is the kiss of death to one’s career, while in the U.S., the same policy makers have both failures and sucesses in their careers and need not worry about their long term reputations unless something really goes wrong. And then if they can explain it, their working failure is hailed as a sucess in understanding that was never observed before.

It is one class where just listening to your classmates alone can go a long way on how the world operates. It also shows how long the world is from understanding each other when arguements come to a circular stalemate, where neither side can prove or disprove the other without resulting to insults of culture or historical showmanship.

I think the lyrics of “China Girl” by David Bowie provides a good description of the West’s dilema with China:

My little China Girl
You shouldn’t mess with me
I’ll ruin everything you are
I’ll give you television
I’ll give you eyes of blue
I’ll give you a man who wants to rule the world

And when I get excited
My little China Girl says
Oh baby just you shut your mouth
She says… shhhhh

Recogition of the Communist government and forging economic ties did not ruin China, but rather made her stronger, much to the detriment of those who expected expanded political and individual freedom in return.

Paisal Suriyawongpaisal

Yes, the interest of nation is more important than an individual. However, people’s freedom especially the basic fundamental rights such as the rights of free expression based on moral standard must be guaranteed. I don’t think freedom of expression must be restricted by a government. Why do forests lasted for thousands or millions of years? The answer is the diversity within the forests. The human society also must be complied with the law of nature. Without diversity, human society will die. For example, if the communist regime which has ruled China for almost 58 years forced the Chinese people to think and act in one direction according to the Communist doctrine, the Chinese Communist government, eventually, will doom since they lack diversity. The doom of the Soviet empire is a good example why Communist regime despite its military muscle. Yes, it took more than 70 years before the totalitarian Communist regime of the Soviet Union to end its role of government. You can’t force people to obey you all the time even though you possess a gun and the other has none. This is the answer why did the Soviet Empire collapsed. The Soviet government is a world’s superpower state, its military might is almost second to none. Eventually, the Soviet government falls down. Its failure is not caused by the US, its arch-rival, but from its own citizen who possessed no weapon. In other word, the US didn’t make the Soviet Empire collapsed but the Soviet people. In the case of China and Myanmar, their authoritarian governments will face the same destiny like the Soviet Union. Certainly, these two suppressive regimes won’t last for 70 years. Their lives will be shortened, not more than 60 years. This year, 2007, the CCP ( Chinese Communist Party) will, perhaps, be the last year that the most suppressive regime in the Chinese history can celebrate its rule over China. Next year or 2008, the Chinese people will encounter the great and peaceful transformation in China. The CCP will be ousted and replaced by a new political party or parties before the Olympic Games which will be held on August 8, 2008. Yes, Chinese people still can be the host of the Olympic Games but not the Chinese Communist government. Yes, it sounds incredible. Anyway, it will happen peacefully. The CCP has no rights whatsoever to continue its legitimacy over China. Why?
The CCP no longer can claim that they represent the working people and the peasant since they allowed bourgeois and the rich to join the party. And, most importantly, they suppress the working class and the farmers. They take side with the rich and oppress the poor.
The CCP is the most cruel and oppressive regime in the Chinese history. In its 58 years rule over China, the CCP is directly or indirectly responsible for the death of approximately 80 million Chinese people. No government on this planet in the peaceful time in the history of human kind has involved in this scale of massive death. Recently as of July 1999, Jiang Zeming, the former leader of the CCP, has issued the illegal executive order to suppress the 80 million Chinese people who practice Fa Lun gong. This unlawful order by Jiang has led to about at least 50,000 deaths and more than half a million people jailed or imprisoned. This amount does not include about a hundred thousand more people who were tortured and disappeared. Five years ago, Canadian government and many independent agencies including the UN discovered another inhuman incident or human organ harvesting in mainland China. About 45,000 Fa lun gong practitioners who were imprisoned were slaughtered and their organs were harvested. The CCP gained approximately 50 billion dollars from this inhuman business or $10 billions a year. The CCP will do everything to strengthen their grip of power. This explain why does the CCP create the system of horror every 5-10 years in order to subdue the Chinese people.
No matter how brutal or vicious they are. They are unable to control the people. The Chinese people will rise up and regain their power. Despite the fact that they were tortured or suffered by the brutal and vicious mechanism applied by the Communist authority, they won’t respond in the same manner. Instead the Chinese people especially those who practice Fa lun gong will seek peaceful means to transform China. Therefore, this will be the first time in the 5000 years of Chinese history that the change of government will be peaceful and calm. China won’t be disintegrated like the Soviet Union. China, without the CCP, will be more affluent and flourishing. China will replace the US as the new world superpower without military backup but with morality strength. China will lead the world to the new dimension of development not depend on material progress. The material progress that the world, by copying European or American means of development, will lead the world to disaster or ruin.