Posted on 07/25/2008 2:46:56 AM PDT by robertvance
While Mao’s body has been amazingly preserved since his death in 1976, it seems that his spirit has not survived the test of time. He may lie in eternal peace inside his Mausoleum but the world around him has changed considerably; China is no longer the gray and drab country that it was during Mao’s time. It is now a place where people can dream and then go out and make that dream come true. It is not like the old days. People other than just high government officials can drive cars. Chinese people can do business and store up wealth for themselves. Peasants can go to the university now; finding food to eat is no longer such a grave concern. Just around the corner from where Chairman Mao lies in State, the American restaurant chain McDonald’s is full of Chinese people enjoying greasy food and a cool environment. Inside homes, people can watch Western movies on DVD and even occasionally on state owned television. The world is just a mouse click away for the millions of Chinese people who have access to the Internet. Friends and family are no longer afraid of discussing politics with each other. It is even acceptable to criticize the government behind closed doors. All this is happening as Chairman Mao sleeps peacefully at Tiananmen Square. If only he knew.
(Excerpt) Read more at teachabroadchina.com ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Internet content is censored. Criticize the government behind closed doors? Is that a joke? When they can assemble publicly and criticize openly without the threat of another Tiannanmen Square incident, I'll believe communism is dead there.
Yes now they are National Socialist, Nazis.
You apologize to all those other Nazis, right now! LOL
Yea right.
Socially - Completely Communist
Externally - Economically Capitalist
Internally - Economically Communist
2 out of 3...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I’ve been in China since mid-June. Even party members tell me that “Communist” is now just a brand name. China is more capitalistic than Britain, Canada, or just about any other major democracy.
I read with amazement the other day the main op-ed piece in one of China’s government newspapers. The writer stated that the people of China must have the right to engage in civil disobedience as long as they don’t try to overthrow the government.
This is not the China of 20 years ago. Satellite dishes are everywhere and they’re pulling in uncensored TV from Taiwan and other democracies. One party member told me, “Thank God for America bringing capitalism to China.”
Clearly the government still holds great authoritarian control, but the point has come where so many freedom “genies” can’t be put back in the lamp.
“And only a fool or a fellow traveler suggests otherwise. “
This kind of argument just stinks.
> Why China is No Longer a Communist Country
I agree China is not a Communist country; it’s just a corrupt authoritarian one.
There is much more balance on the average China news channel than on MSNBC, without doubt. And now more and more Chinese are able to pull in news channels from Taiwan and the US.
The people who deny this without having looked into the matter are simply living in the past.
I made the same point a few months ago on a thread on the subject of unsafe Chinese imports. Since you are already being called a fool or a fellow traveler, you can imagine the reception. All the same, China isn’t Communist. It has developed into a Robber Baron Capitalist state.
In the LONG run this is good news. This seems to be a necessary transitory stage in the development of a major state into a mature power. Dickens wrote of England’s industrial growing pains, and Sinclair Lewis wrote of the US in the same stage.
The thing is in an increasingly wealthy state, the Robber Baron exploitation and disregard for the welfare and growing power of a growing labor class eventually leads to pushback. Labor unions, consumer safety regulations, and mainly an offset to centralized power.
We already see the first glimmerings of this in China but it’s very early in the process. There are decades yet and many setbacks to go.
What you are describing is fascism. That is, state directed private ownership with a military/nationalistic twist. Communism typically disallows private investment, especially from foreign nationals ie US outsourcing.
“I agree China is not a Communist country; it’s just a corrupt authoritarian one.”
Sadly, this is true. But the latter is one hellofa step better than the former, and I’m willing to bet we’ll see more positive changes over time.
That’s a good point, but one should also consider the relaxation that’s occured in terms of public freedom. And as my favorite president used to say, freedom is infectious.
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