News report 14/08/2008:
"A British journalist was arrested and "forcibly restrained" by Chinese police yesterday while covering a pro-Tibet Olympic demo. ITN's John Ray was held for an hour - despite having official accreditation - and his camera crew stopped from filming as eight protesters were arrested at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, near the National Stadium in Beijing."
News report 27/08/2008:
"Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel."
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Is China A Socialist Country?
There are three components to the political economy of contemporary China. The first is the political, economic and sociocultural formations inherited from thousands of years of Chinese history. This historic experience cannot be discounted. It is the context, the sea within which China swims. The second is the worldwide development of capitalism and the economic forces and relations of production associated with it. As the demise of the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc demonstrate, it is impossible to go it alone and try to recapitulate the historic development of modern capitalism under the conditions of isolation from the world market. The third component of contemporary Chinese political economy is the history of national democratic and socialist revolutionary movements both in China and worldwide during the 20th century. All three of these components interact with one another to create the socioeconomic, cultural and political reality of China today.
To answer the question in the heading: Due to the deformations of colonialism and imperialist subjugation, China experienced a new democratic revolution led by a class conscious Communist Party. Under the leadership of the CPC, China regained continuity with its past and entered into a period of socialist reconstruction subject to the conditions of underdevelopment and scarcity. The success of socialist reconstruction allowed China to enter the stage of all around capitalist development under the leadership of the patriotic national bourgeoisie. Only the Chinese people themselves, with their destiny in their own hands, will determine the manner in which their country and nation continues to develop.
To answer the question in the heading: Due to the deformations of colonialism and imperialist subjugation, China experienced a new democratic revolution led by a class conscious Communist Party. Under the leadership of the CPC, China regained continuity with its past and entered into a period of socialist reconstruction subject to the conditions of underdevelopment and scarcity. The success of socialist reconstruction allowed China to enter the stage of all around capitalist development under the leadership of the patriotic national bourgeoisie. Only the Chinese people themselves, with their destiny in their own hands, will determine the manner in which their country and nation continues to develop.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
China Bashing – From the Left and the Right
Enough is enough! Its time to stop the China bashing. Both the Left and the Right just love to pommel China.
The Left just can’t countenance the fact that China decided to modernize itself rather than live in a self-contained, hermetically sealed equalitarian dystopia. Of course they would never choose, on their own volition, to live the type of life for which they’re so nostalgic. Let all those yellow Chinese live in pristine poverty and advance by ever so slow increments through the 21st century, the better to preserve their own white privilege. They certainly shouldn't take the bull by the horns and wrestle with the West for economic superiority, oh no for heaven’s sake no. My goodness those nasty market reforms have led to a spike in inequality and a diminution of social security, while bringing 100s of millions out of abject poverty. Well, the Chinese leadership is addressing those questions of developmental imbalance and has the means to redress them.
The Right just loves to bash China for its supposed human rights abuses and support of repressive dictatorships, the better to cloak its own culpability in both cases which far exceeds anything the Chinese have ever done. No matter that for over a century China was carved up by the great powers and subject to unequal treaties, a colonial sponsored drug trade, and impoverishment brought on by the destruction of indigenous industries and commodity dumping.
Definitely China, according to western critics, cannot have its cake and eat it too. They could care less about the welfare of the Chinese people, and have nothing but scorn for their accomplishments. To them the Chinese are but ants scurrying around at the behest of their totalitarian overlords. They would love to see China dismembered a la the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the better to pick up its pieces and throttle the emerging Dragon. Well the Chinese leadership, schooled in traditional Chinese statecraft will never allow that to happen.
The Chinese people know in their guts that 1989 was a watershed year. They could have gone the way of the Soviet Union and eastern Europe and devolved into social, economic and political chaos. Luckily they had a steadfast leadership that saw the writing on the wall. Take the slings and arrows of reprobation slung by the West or succumb to their admonitions and give up the ghost of their ambitions. Well they persevered and rather than bemoan China's demise, along the lines of Putin’s lament about the destruction of the Soviet Union, they laid the groundwork for the economic and geopolitical resurgence of today's China.
As regards a political reversal a la what took place in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe, don’t hold your breadth. Over a million of the best and the brightest amongst the Chinese people have studied abroad, gotten advanced degrees and have either returned to China or commute back and forth on a regular basis. This elite has seen the West and its political process and are not all that impressed. Many feel that China would not be well served by the chaos driven politics of most democratic countries. They can however see the advantages that a system of checks and balances has for restraining corruption and resolving societal conflicts. I would bet my bottom dollar that Chinese jurisprudence and the means to implement conflict resolution, be it via trade unions, environmental NGOs or other advocacy groups will develop apace over the next decade.
So I would advise the critics of the Left and the Right that China is still in the throes of a vast socio-politico-economic experiment. It will find new ways to address its developmental conflicts and imbalances. It will learn from the West as well as from its own experience and the experience of many others. It will make mistakes and there will be reverses. But I can assure you that the China of 2028 will look nothing like the China of 2008.
The Left just can’t countenance the fact that China decided to modernize itself rather than live in a self-contained, hermetically sealed equalitarian dystopia. Of course they would never choose, on their own volition, to live the type of life for which they’re so nostalgic. Let all those yellow Chinese live in pristine poverty and advance by ever so slow increments through the 21st century, the better to preserve their own white privilege. They certainly shouldn't take the bull by the horns and wrestle with the West for economic superiority, oh no for heaven’s sake no. My goodness those nasty market reforms have led to a spike in inequality and a diminution of social security, while bringing 100s of millions out of abject poverty. Well, the Chinese leadership is addressing those questions of developmental imbalance and has the means to redress them.
The Right just loves to bash China for its supposed human rights abuses and support of repressive dictatorships, the better to cloak its own culpability in both cases which far exceeds anything the Chinese have ever done. No matter that for over a century China was carved up by the great powers and subject to unequal treaties, a colonial sponsored drug trade, and impoverishment brought on by the destruction of indigenous industries and commodity dumping.
Definitely China, according to western critics, cannot have its cake and eat it too. They could care less about the welfare of the Chinese people, and have nothing but scorn for their accomplishments. To them the Chinese are but ants scurrying around at the behest of their totalitarian overlords. They would love to see China dismembered a la the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the better to pick up its pieces and throttle the emerging Dragon. Well the Chinese leadership, schooled in traditional Chinese statecraft will never allow that to happen.
The Chinese people know in their guts that 1989 was a watershed year. They could have gone the way of the Soviet Union and eastern Europe and devolved into social, economic and political chaos. Luckily they had a steadfast leadership that saw the writing on the wall. Take the slings and arrows of reprobation slung by the West or succumb to their admonitions and give up the ghost of their ambitions. Well they persevered and rather than bemoan China's demise, along the lines of Putin’s lament about the destruction of the Soviet Union, they laid the groundwork for the economic and geopolitical resurgence of today's China.
As regards a political reversal a la what took place in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe, don’t hold your breadth. Over a million of the best and the brightest amongst the Chinese people have studied abroad, gotten advanced degrees and have either returned to China or commute back and forth on a regular basis. This elite has seen the West and its political process and are not all that impressed. Many feel that China would not be well served by the chaos driven politics of most democratic countries. They can however see the advantages that a system of checks and balances has for restraining corruption and resolving societal conflicts. I would bet my bottom dollar that Chinese jurisprudence and the means to implement conflict resolution, be it via trade unions, environmental NGOs or other advocacy groups will develop apace over the next decade.
So I would advise the critics of the Left and the Right that China is still in the throes of a vast socio-politico-economic experiment. It will find new ways to address its developmental conflicts and imbalances. It will learn from the West as well as from its own experience and the experience of many others. It will make mistakes and there will be reverses. But I can assure you that the China of 2028 will look nothing like the China of 2008.
The 29th Olympiad - Final Thoughts
China by winning the gold medal count with a total of 51 versus 36 for the USA has become a true sports powerhouse. The Chinese count has gone up each successive Olympics since their entry in 1984, but the latest advance is a quantum leap forward with China becoming only the third nation, after the US and the USSR, to lead in gold medals since Germany did so in 1936. The US media has trumpeted the total medal count which placed the US ahead of China 110 to 100, but when points are assigned to each category (gold=3, silver=2, bronze=1) China edged out the US 223 to 220. This was due to the fact that more than 1/2 of the Chinese medals were gold, whereas only 1/3 of the American were. It can also truly be said that in Chinese sports "women hold up half the sky." More than half their gold medals (27) and total medals (57) were won by women.
In all other respects these Olympics were triumphant. Scandals and tragedies which have marred previous Olympics were held to a minimum. The much vaunted pollution problems never materialized, the weather held up and the venues were spectacular. The Chinese people proved to be gracious hosts. Now China can turn back to addressing its many developmental problems. If they're as successful in their other endeavors as they have been in this one, China can look forward to a bright future.
In all other respects these Olympics were triumphant. Scandals and tragedies which have marred previous Olympics were held to a minimum. The much vaunted pollution problems never materialized, the weather held up and the venues were spectacular. The Chinese people proved to be gracious hosts. Now China can turn back to addressing its many developmental problems. If they're as successful in their other endeavors as they have been in this one, China can look forward to a bright future.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
2 Elderly Chinese Women Sent To Labor Camp For Protest Plans (Not)
Headlines such as the above are meant to inflame public opinion against China. It conjures up images of two poor elderly Chinese women, torn away from family and friends, subjected to the most brutal, unconscionable form of punishment, condemned to a sure death in a Chinese Gulag.
The reality, however, is quite different. The headline is a pure fabrication. As reported by the Guardian newspaper in the UK
Actually the story, as is usually the case, is more complicated than reported in the Western press. The two women have been protesting the expropriation of their homes, probably for some construction project (although that's speculation on my part) since 2001. They applied for a permit to protest at an Olympic staging area set aside for that purpose. A report in the Chinese language edition of Voice of America says that in the past they exploded firecrackers outside the government compound at Zhongnanhai, opposite the Forbidden City, to draw attention to their complaints. So in actual fact the Chinese authorities have been dealing with these two "trouble makers" for quite a while and have been rather indulgent of their activities, probably in deference to their age. The sentencing of the women to re-education was a formality which prevented them from receiving a protest permit as anyone who is under such a sentence cannot apply.
The whole fandango was, therefore, a bureaucratic attempt to get a couple of ornery old ladies to cool it. They've been making a fuss for over seven years and I guess the authorities just have had enough. So they got a slap on the wrist and were told to go home and behave or else.
Now this turns out to be the type of minor spat that is common anywhere in the world and can be read about in the local 'round about town column. It has been blown all out of proportion to the reality of the situation and become fodder for the hysterical Western press that wants to portray China as an evil ogre out to oppress its people. However you may want to criticize the Chinese authorities for their handling of the situation it doesn't constitute the type of action indicated by the headline. These women have not been shuttled off to some forlorn labor camp. The headline is misleading and false. It casts malicious aspersions on China as being some sort of barbaric miscreant country. So while I may have some questions about how the whole imbroglio started and how its been resolved I do not think it appropriate to distort and misrepresent the actual facts about how these two unfortunate women have been treated.
The reality, however, is quite different. The headline is a pure fabrication. As reported by the Guardian newspaper in the UK
On August 17 the two women received an order dated July 30 from Beijing's Re-education Through Labour Commission, sentencing them to one year for "disturbing the public order".The key words here are "sentenced" and "restrictions placed on their movements". Contrary to the headline, which has been reproduced in media outlets worldwide, the women were not sent anywhere but home. They have basically been told to shut up and were put on probation.
It places restrictions on their movements and warns that if they breach any of the requirements they will be sent to a labour camp.
The system does not require formal hearings or allow appeals.
Li told the Associated Press the women were now at home under the observation of a neighbourhood committee. No cause had been given for the order. When Wu and Wang returned to the PSB on August 18 officers said they could not apply to protest because of their sentence.
Actually the story, as is usually the case, is more complicated than reported in the Western press. The two women have been protesting the expropriation of their homes, probably for some construction project (although that's speculation on my part) since 2001. They applied for a permit to protest at an Olympic staging area set aside for that purpose. A report in the Chinese language edition of Voice of America says that in the past they exploded firecrackers outside the government compound at Zhongnanhai, opposite the Forbidden City, to draw attention to their complaints. So in actual fact the Chinese authorities have been dealing with these two "trouble makers" for quite a while and have been rather indulgent of their activities, probably in deference to their age. The sentencing of the women to re-education was a formality which prevented them from receiving a protest permit as anyone who is under such a sentence cannot apply.
The whole fandango was, therefore, a bureaucratic attempt to get a couple of ornery old ladies to cool it. They've been making a fuss for over seven years and I guess the authorities just have had enough. So they got a slap on the wrist and were told to go home and behave or else.
Now this turns out to be the type of minor spat that is common anywhere in the world and can be read about in the local 'round about town column. It has been blown all out of proportion to the reality of the situation and become fodder for the hysterical Western press that wants to portray China as an evil ogre out to oppress its people. However you may want to criticize the Chinese authorities for their handling of the situation it doesn't constitute the type of action indicated by the headline. These women have not been shuttled off to some forlorn labor camp. The headline is misleading and false. It casts malicious aspersions on China as being some sort of barbaric miscreant country. So while I may have some questions about how the whole imbroglio started and how its been resolved I do not think it appropriate to distort and misrepresent the actual facts about how these two unfortunate women have been treated.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
AHG!
Michael Neumann’s recent contribution at Counterpunch discusses the charge that Russia responded to the Georgian assault against South Ossetia in a “disproportionate” manner. Imagine that. The U.S. government, which responded to Iraq’s fictitious possession of WMD’s with a bombing campaign of “Shock and Awe”, accuses Russia of behaving in a disproportionate fashion! Wasn’t Saakashvelli’s initial bombardment of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali a “disproportionate response” to begin with? The double standard and sheer hypocrisy of the Republocrats is truly astounding.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Will China Prove Me Wrong?
The economic downturn we're experiencing domestically is having worldwide ramifications and the lessening of consumer demand here in the States is leading to factory closures and job lose in China. Other factors are also contributing to this phenomenon as reported by MSNBC
You would think that the Chinese leadership should be well-prepared for this eventuality. Hell, if they are Marxists they should know that there would eventually be a severe economic crisis affecting the capitalist world in which they have been participating. The signs have been there for all to see.
This should be a time when the superiority of the socialist system shines through. Over the last two decades China has amassed vast monetary reserves and has leveraged foreign investment to become the manufacturing capital of the world. Over the last decade it has spent vast sums on improving and expanding its infrastructure. While still a developing country and with daunting problems it has accumulated enough physical and human capital to be in a position to make the necessary adjustments to avoid the economic crisis that the Western capitalist countries are encountering.
The Chinese economy should immediately begin to shift its focus away from exports to vigorously expanding its domestic market. This should be facilitated by the fact that so much needs to be done. Living standards for hundreds of millions of people need to be raised from a low to a middle level of consumption. Health care facilities and personnel need to be expanded. Environmental recovery needs to be accelerated. The burgeoning middle classes have large reserves of pent up demand. The credit system which fueled US consumption for decades is just beginning to establish itself. If properly implemented and regulated this can serve as an economic engine to fuel China's economic expansion for decades to come.
I'm no economist but I think I know something about China. The world can see for itself the discipline, resourcefulness and pride of the Chinese nation during this Olympiad. Coupled with what should be the superiority of the socialist system which I feel underlies to this day the Chinese economy, China should be able to confound the naysayers and doomsayers who see an impending collapse.
You would think that the Chinese leadership should be well-prepared for this eventuality. Hell, if they are Marxists they should know that there would eventually be a severe economic crisis affecting the capitalist world in which they have been participating. The signs have been there for all to see.
This should be a time when the superiority of the socialist system shines through. Over the last two decades China has amassed vast monetary reserves and has leveraged foreign investment to become the manufacturing capital of the world. Over the last decade it has spent vast sums on improving and expanding its infrastructure. While still a developing country and with daunting problems it has accumulated enough physical and human capital to be in a position to make the necessary adjustments to avoid the economic crisis that the Western capitalist countries are encountering.
The Chinese economy should immediately begin to shift its focus away from exports to vigorously expanding its domestic market. This should be facilitated by the fact that so much needs to be done. Living standards for hundreds of millions of people need to be raised from a low to a middle level of consumption. Health care facilities and personnel need to be expanded. Environmental recovery needs to be accelerated. The burgeoning middle classes have large reserves of pent up demand. The credit system which fueled US consumption for decades is just beginning to establish itself. If properly implemented and regulated this can serve as an economic engine to fuel China's economic expansion for decades to come.
I'm no economist but I think I know something about China. The world can see for itself the discipline, resourcefulness and pride of the Chinese nation during this Olympiad. Coupled with what should be the superiority of the socialist system which I feel underlies to this day the Chinese economy, China should be able to confound the naysayers and doomsayers who see an impending collapse.
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