[ExI] China model vs. US model

[John Grigg]

On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 8:38 PM, Joseph Bloch <
seculartranshumanist at gmail.com> wrote:

> Especially in light of the recent discussion, I thought this article
> was interesting:
>
>
> http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/9/beijing-blueprint/?page=all#pagebreak
>
> The focus on the article is the relative strengths of weaknesses of
> China's political dictatorship vs. the US's political pluralism, but
> the common thread seems to be the fact that both seem to be sharing a
> common economic system.
> >>>
>

I found the article very interesting!  I am sharing with you and the list,
a summary I wrote of a talk by Orville Schell, a very well-known China
expert.  He spoke to a small group at the Scottsdale Performing Arts
Center.  I really wish more people had attended...


John


Written by John Grigg in 2010:
Orville Schell, an Asian studies scholar and prominent journalist, spoke
last night at the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center. This frail (the
epitome of a very aged Ivy Leaguer) but charmingly earnest man shared his
troubling insights with us. He is extremely impressed both with China's
rapid growth over the last two decades, and the ability of the Communist
regime to maintain power. But he admitted deep reservations about China's
human rights record and the nature of their global influence as they grow
in power.



Schell said he had no crystal ball to give a certain prediction of the
future, and he felt things could easily go either way, in terms of the
Communists keeping a tight hold on power with very limited civil liberties
allowed, or the other scenario being where a societal blow-up causes
radical political change in ways the U.S. would like to see. He felt the
regime and society is tightly wound and the leadership, despite their
tyrannical power, tread carefully to avoid another Tiananmen Square
(Chinese leaders feel they might have narrowly avoided a toppling & it
could happen again). The Chinese govt. over the years liked to blame
foreigners for China's problems, but that incident in particular shook the
Chinese psyche deeply because they could only blame themselves for what
happened.



China he stated, does not have a firm foundation and sense of itself, as
compared to the United States with it's Constitution, Bill of Rights, and
moral compass (that we often fail to live up to, as he admitted). The
Chinese have Confucianism, Buddhism, Communism, Christianity, etc., but
nothing as defining as what our relatively new nation has to guide it. And
so they are in some ways feeling their way toward the future and trying as
a people to define themselves. But he did say that the Chinese people (top
to bottom) have a very strong sense of cultural destiny/nationalism that
drives them forward, while on the other hand, Americans have largely lost
this burning passion.



He spoke in detail about his recent trips to China and how he finds the
gigantic airports, road systems, stores, bridges and general infrastructure
there to be stunning. At one time China was known for shoddy construction,
but he said those days are largely past, and a visit to a gorgeous and
utterly massive performing arts center there made his jaw drop in wonder.
During his regular visits there (about every three months or so), Schell
notices the many changes due to the explosive growth. He stated that they
are overtaking the U.S. at a dizzying rate that is not fully grasped in the
nation, despite all the talk over here about China.



Schell was very impressed at how the Chinese Communist regime has made a
"Leninist market economy" work so well. In the U.S. we mock the idea of the
classic Soviet style "five year plans," but he said the Chinese are master
long-term planners, and they allocate vast resources toward scientific
research centers, public infrastructure, green-tech, or whatever else they
see as vital that needs financial nurturing. The government guides and
nourishes their free market economy in ways that have so far reaped great
rewards. And the Chinese have the *deep pockets* to grow their nation.



But on the other hand, Schell said the United States govt. is a basketcase
of rival political factions who have a hard time getting anything done, due
to all the infighting! And due to our inability to control our debt, we
have much less money than the Chinese to spend on vital things such as
science research or infrastructure. He spent many years in Washington and
what he saw there utterly disappointed him.



Regarding technology and business, he stated that Americans are gifted
innovators, and the Chinese have a long way to go to fully develop this
trait. But he thought it was crazy that we allow foreign students to come
here and get advanced science degrees, but then we order them home, rather
than letting them get citizenship and settle here! And now many Chinese
students don't even want to live here, because they feel there is greater
opportunity in their homeland!



I found it very painful when Schell admitted his doubts about whether the
American/Western model of government is really the best in the world, and
what may just triumph in the end. He confessed that he had a sinking
feeling the Chinese "Leninist Market" system may prove superior to our own
beloved democratic system, because they can save and spend wisely, and plan
& act in long-term ways, without our crippling bickering, deadlock and
short-sighted self-interest.



But he admitted that China does have its challenges. Pollution is a major
problem, but the Chinese are trying to deal with it by investing vastly
more money than we are to develop green-tech. Another huge fear of the
regime is that the 170 million rural people who moved to the cities to find
factory and construction jobs, might rebel if the economy slows down and
many of them become unemployed. The govt does not ever want to deploy large
numbers of military forces to put down their own people, but facing such
monstrous numbers would be nightmarish for conventional law enforcement.
Also, China needs to become much more of a consumer economy, as compared to
being an exporting economy. And so they must maintain economic growth to
expand their middle class.



Schell touched on Taiwan, saying the new generation of leaders there are
much more sensitive to the wishes of the mainland, and so he sees hope in
things being resolved non-violently. As for Tibet, the Chinese feel it was
once part of their ancient empire, and so they have the right to it. And
they view the Tibetans as ingrates for not appreciating the billions poured
into the nation, along with Chinese settlers!



I enjoyed his candor and was taken aback by his painful honesty about
America's self-destructiveness as compared to Chinese ascension. I had
expected to hear how China was not really a true challenger and that things
were being overstated in the media, but this was not to be.



As I looked over the audience I notice very few people in their twenties or
even thirties. I found this both sad and astonishing, since young people
are the ones who will have to deal with this coming of age rival superpower
that within 15 years will outstrip us economically. I could have been
visiting a retirement home...



There was a Q & A session, but some of the subjects I wanted to see
addressed, were not. I desired his opinion about the growth of the Chinese
military, the space program, and also their very successful espionage
machine that steals a great deal from us (so much for innovation...). And I
would have enjoyed his insights about the lack of young people in the
audience.

 I learned that there is an annual conference in Scottsdale, Arizona about
the U.S./China relationship, but that this year it was cancelled.  And
yet fortunately, Orville Schell still came to speak.



http://orvilleschell.com/index.htm



John Grigg
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