San Migs
- 2013-02-21
This is what corporate types would refer to as something like an inability "to swim outside of the fish bowl" or "think outside of the box".
Creativity, individualism, standing up for your own beliefs and ideas, are concepts that are still new and even non existent in many parts of Asia and China.
Dragonized
- 2013-02-21
The biggest thing holding societies like China back is innovation imo. Countries that do not reward innovation but instead force everyone to adhere to a set structure of not only living, but thinking as well are bound to fall behind and self implode. I am still amazed to see a place with so many people but so little vibrancy and life.
San Migs
- 2013-02-20
People won't throw out their 'old ways' to be replaced by western democracies, they will take what they like about our systems and amend them to fit their own culture, history and socio-economic environment.
Problem is that is what caused things like the protests against mubarak and gadaffi in the first place. You can't just take bits of things that suit you about one system, or adopt it in a piecemeal fashion, does not simply work that way. There is a reason the USA became the worlds power from 1776 after throwing off the yoke of the british, obviously the young unions economic and legal and political systems were created in such a way that they simply worked, as what was achieved was unprecedented in history, ex colony becoming a superpower. I'd also wager a part of it was the legacy of parliamentary democracy introduced by the british and good old anglo saxon work ethic in the mix. Arabs are inherently tribal, so democracy can't work as in the west, and the Chinese need a big leader or emperor and the whole confucian system. It will be back to mud huts or the rice fields soon enough, its a ticking time bomb in those places.
Dragonized
- 2013-02-20
However, the reality is that this accountability presents itself via many different processes and institutions. People won't throw out their 'old ways' to be replaced by western democracies, they will take what they like about our systems and amend them to fit their own culture, history and socio-economic environment.
For someone who likes to talk about others for being too generalizing, you sure have no problems doing it yourself. Just another way to show that you are never wrong, [edited]
ASTF
- 2013-02-19
Absolutely, self-determination all the way. I think history shows us that the Chinese have done away with the corrupt and incompetent dynasties over time. If the current party fails to deliver I'm sure their heads will roll sooner or later and I'm sure the Arab spring served as a reminder to a few in Beijing of what happens if you are only a vehicle for corruption. Having had their fingers burned in the recent past I can't imagine they'll been keen on foreign involvement or particularly receptive to being told what the best way to do things is from an outsider's point of view, they are a proud lot. We should also be careful to avoid the whole 'end of history' trap. I think accountability of leaders is something that most people can get on board with, even if we (and you see this with voter apathy in western democracies) don't always inact that accountability to its fullest extent we like the idea of it being there just in case. However, the reality is that this accountability presents itself via many different processes and institutions. People won't throw out their 'old ways' to be replaced by western democracies, they will take what they like about our systems and amend them to fit their own culture, history and socio-economic environment.