Some Thoughts about China
- No nation holds sway for long. In the 19th century Britain was at its zenith and
in the 20th century the USA had its moment in the sun. Will the 21st century be China's moment in the spotlight?
That seems like a distinct possibility.
- What the United States did to native americans in the 19th century, China has done to Tibetans in since 1950:
attempt to mold an foreign culture to their own norms and massacre or imprison any who resist. And the way the USA
handled native americans after 1968 is likely how Chinese will handle Tibetans after 2160: once
economic and political dominance is firmly assured, they can afford to be liberal and allow symbolic vestiges of independence.
If a minority group is firmly under control, the dominant group then can afford to make gestures of largess.
- When you attempt to see life without ideological distortions, the ironies are amazing. China,
reputedly a bastion of communism, is now fueling capitalist enterprises throughout the world
through industrial outsourcing. And the United States, which reputes to be a bastion of democracy,
is probably doing more to impair liberty and human rights than any country in the world. Its
huge military and clandestine operations are dangerously "above the law".
- The myopticism of most nations is alarming. Most Japanese are unaware of how deeply they wounded Chinese pride from 1895 to 1945.
Most Americans are unaware of the subtle ways they are currently wounding Chinese pride and alienating China.
- Mao Tse Tung was a was a superb political psychologist who shifted his rhetoric to retain power. Moreover, he did not
hesitate to use violence and propaganda to suit his ends. Though he unified the nation in some positive ways, he was
overly obsessed with personal power. Not unlike an ancient emperor, he build up a cult of personality worship. The
Chinese people have paid a heavy price for worshipping this fasle icon. I firmly believe transpersonal principles
and basic laws must count more than any given leader's personality or whims. That is why it is essential to limit the
term of office of leaders and also make constitutional laws difficult to change. Anyone who becomes "chairman for life" is on a mistaken path.
- China and Taiwan: not unlike a married couple wishing they could divorce, but too worried about loosing face to go through the paperwork properly.
- China has swallowed Tibet: that's an inevitable fact. However, the chemistry isn't complete – in the process of "digesting" Tibet, China itself will inevitably change. Tibetan thought will creep into Chinese consciousness. Any nation wishing to swallow up another nation should learn this lesson: be careful what you eat, because to some degree you become what you devour. This is what happened to Rome after swallowing Greece and Palestine. It is also what happened to the Moghuls after swallowing much of the Middle East. And Tibetan consciousness is now flowing into the Chinese psyche: the impact is not merely one-way. The influence on both sides will be powerful for many generations.
- Most Americans tend to forget the past quickly and focus on the present moment. By contrast, too many Chinese are so obsessed with the past that they lose sight of the present.
- The movement from communism to plutocracy in China appears almost inevitable. Yet if plutocracy stretches too far
and the gap between the rich and poor widens beyond a critical point, some form of radical neo-communism and major turmoil is likely to emerge.
- There are many things China is rightfully proud of: its literature and art, food and tea, its knowledge of acupuncture and the martial arts,
it traditional recycling methods, and basic understanding of how to enable a large numbers of people to live on limited land in a degree of relative harmony.
Not perfect harmony – but most of the time, some modicum of peace.
- Three things I'd like to see China rectify: (1)the way many laws exist only on paper without enforcement,
(2) the widespread use of capital punishment, and (3) a lack of independence of the press and judicial system –
I believe it is healthy for every nation to have an independent press and court system that is free of undue
political pressure that functions on the basis of law, not personalities.
Copyright (c) 2004, 2006 by T Newfields. All rights reserved.
www.tnewfields.info/BambooGroves/china.htm