May 25, 2007

LOSING BATTLE:

China Publishes Commentaries Shunning Democratic Reforms (Edward Cody, 5/25/07, Washington Post)

China dropped another hint of internal debate over political reform Friday, publishing commentaries saying the country should shun European-style democratic socialism.

The brief commentaries, by a pair of established Beijing academics, ran side by side in People's Daily, the official Communist Party organ. Both argued that China could borrow useful policies from democratic countries but should remain faithful to the "socialism with Chinese characteristics" that has been official doctrine here since the 1980s.

"The path of democratic socialism is not able to save China," said Xin Xiangyang of the government-sponsored Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Only the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics can make China flourish."

The commentaries, by contesting the idea that democracy would be good for China, suggested some within the party are pushing for political reforms to match the dramatic economic loosening that has taken place during the past 25 years.


Of course, democratic socialism is just as deadly. Ask the French.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 25, 2007 10:44 AM
Comments

Remember Comrades, the Boxer ju-ju makes round-eye bullets bounce off.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHING/BOXER.HTM

That's all that Communusm is, you know: hesperophobia. Even Lenin had that figured out, when he shifted to going after "imperialism." It is nothing more than the psychopathology of ressentment, whereby the wreched of the earth try to deal with their own self-hatred and sense of having been surpassed.

Posted by: Lou Gots at May 25, 2007 11:09 AM

All "Socialism with Chinese characteristics" means is "The Chinese Communist Party stays in power forever."

Just remember that simple equation the next time some distinguished Sinologist, businessman in the China trade, or self-proclaimed "friend of China" constructs an elaborate argument to explain to you why democracy or liberty isn't just what the Chinese need just yet.

If you do, you'll have a far more profound understanding of China than any of them.

Posted by: X at May 25, 2007 12:49 PM
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