By Fareed Zakaria
The rise and fall of Bo Xilai is part of a much larger and potentially disruptive trend in China — the return of politics to the Chinese Communist Party.
We don't think of the Chinese Communist Party as a political organization these days. It is dominated by technocrats obsessed with economic and engineering challenges.
These men — and they are almost all men — are comfortable talking about detailed economic and technical data, laying out master plans for development. But they are not politicians, adept at handling large crowds or palace intrigue.
Read more about China and the big questions it faces in the near future at TIME.com
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Fareed made an excellent observation that China is run more like a corporation than a country. It is also a coincidence: I was recently asked to explain China's system to my colleagues, and this comparison was exactly the one I used!
But let's not forget that the last time China tried "politics", it was an unmitigated disaster that killed at least 30 million people. Far better be it that China is focused on pragmatic governance, wealth creation and engineering than incite political sentiments. If the US, with only a quarter of China's population, is rapidly becoming ungovernable, any attempts to re-politicize China's landscape will end in tears. Anyone who is familiar with China's blogs and can read Chinese should realize that a politicized China is very likely to be EXTREMELY nationalistic, xenophobic, and MUCH LESS accommodating to the liberal values of the West than China in its present form.
Now I remember why I never read anything with the name Fareed on it here. I have been involved in China trade and China politics since the era of ping pong diplocmacy. The concept that the Chinese Communicst Party does not run or control China is idiotic and fase. The premise that the Chinese Communists are not communists because they now speak much of the time about economics is racist. Fareed is a racist and an elitist who characterizes people by the topics they speak about. Thank god I now have a good reason to stop reading his rants again, he cannot even understand that the Chinese Communist Party is real and is functioning, just like he cannot believe the Muslim radicals are taking over the Middle East under his watch and assitance to Obama. He is an apologist for tyrrany of minority racists, dictators and religious fanatics.
I find it entertaining how you accuse Fareed of ranting and then you post your own mindless rants on here. Where in the article does he say the Communist party doesn't control China? Sober up for Christ's sake!
Are you sure you read the article? I read Fareed's articles and not once has he said that the CCP is not in control. Please go back to school and take a reading comprehension course. You desperately need it.
Aww! Poor thing! Another Teabagger throws a tantrum. "Mommy! Those liberals are so mean with their facts! It's NOT FAIR!!"
Fareed didn't say what you claimed. He is well informed to know that the Chinese Communist Party oversees and influences many aspects of people's lives and that it is made up largely of government officials, army officers, model workers and farmers.
Indeed with its tight organisation and steely discipline the CCP is the biggest political party in the world and on top of this pyramid structure is the National People's Congress. Joining the party brings significant privileges, which explains why membership is coveted. Members get access to better information, their children get better schooling, and many jobs are only open to members. Unfortunately personal relationships are often more important than ability. Members have chances to rub shoulders with decision-makers and influence their careers, lives or businesses etc.
What a stupid response. You are calling this racism? Leave that term for cases of real racism. Racism is a very serious thing and you are trivializing the term the way you are using it.
Interestingly, Fareed doesn't say any of the things you accuse him of saying. The only point you made which you backed up with evidence is "I don't read anything by Fareed." It's clear you didn't read this article, at least.
Too bad you felt the need to comment anyway, and reveal your massive ignorance.
Robert, please spare us all the classic anti-teaparty rant. Go find a small room and stab yourself. Nothing in the comment or the posting is left or right. Find somewhere else to whine.
B DAVIS , YOUR POST IS WRONG AND BIAS ABOUT FREED , take a break , think before you print .
B davis – THANK YOUR FOR THE BREATH OF SANITY! There is a reason that 50% of China's GDP is really state controlled and 20 of the top 20 firms are SOES. It's because they are COMMUNIST, not "corporate." When it says "communist" on the label that's probably what's inside. Nobody who wasn't would tolerate that hateful label for minute. – Greg Autry, co-author of Death by China
All the pseudo-intellectuals line up to defend their icon.
What a joke.
Did covering china since "ping pong" diplomacy turn your head around too? I'm not going to blindly defend something that I do not myself know of too well, but your arguments were over the cliff of Intelligence (ever heard of it?).
I am an Indian who has been studying china longer then your ping pong days, btw.
PLEASE! Stop using the term "racist" to describe everyone who doesn't agree with you. The word has been so misused and abused that it hardly even retains an identifiable meaning!
Here's a friendly suggestion- re-rad the article. This time slowly.
I would stop short from accusing anyone. The matter is complex. China has been communist and still is run by Communists. The trouble is that Fareed Zakaria fails to realize the real issue, and that is that now the Communists are Capitalists! That is the chamaleonic problem we face in China! I remember a similar problem prior to 1989 in Poland. The aparatchiks of the Communist Party were de facto Capitalists, with huge bank accounts in Switzerland. Within my own family there were dissidents exiled abroad, like myself, and the Switzerland account holders, like the family of my twin brother. We were a family divided exactly as now is China! Until we see the China problem in the background of the fact that, in China, the Communists are now Capitalists but remain Communists, like Bo Xilai, we will stumble like the China itself (and apparently Zakaria), is stumbling!
.
中國未來戰爭對象 – 可能性
美國 – 90%
日本 – 80%
越南 – 70%
印度 – 60%
菲律賓 – 40%
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Here is a more complete and hopefully better written comment re: Fareed's comments based on what Tim has written.
Now I remember why I never read anything with the name Fareed on it here.
I have been involved in China trade and China politics since the era of ping pong diplomacy. The concept that the Chinese Communicst Party does not run or control China is idiotic and false. The premise that the Chinese Communists are not "communists" because they now speak much of the time about economics is racist. It downplays the intelligence of the Chinese, and their incredible ability to deal with the rest of the world as an intellectual and spiritual force - and their commitment to the Marxist conception of politics and history, among other things. Fareed is an intellectual small time player and commentator on all this, who is most often wrong.
Here is a quote worth reading carefully if you think Fareed is worth listening to:
These men — and they are almost all men — are comfortable talking about detailed economic and technical data, laying out master plans for development. But they are not politicians, adept at handling large crowds or palace intrigue.
When the Chinese Communists took power in 1949, the party was dominated by charismatic revolutionaries and military leaders. Court politics, intrigue, ideological posturing, and mass politics were pervasive in the new system, and the leader, Mao Zedong, was the master politician. Mao presided over a period of "hyperpolitics" — political purges, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution — all designed to divide and destroy his opponents and consolidate his power.
It was against this backdrop that the next great leader of China, Deng Xiaoping, took power in the late 1970s.
Deng was determined to end the high drama of Chinese political life and focus on economic development. He turned the party into a professional organization that was run by technocrats.
By 1985, the party's top leadership, the Central Committee, was dominated by younger, college-educated graduates, and the Politburo's Standing Committee, the country's ruling elite, were all engineers.
That tradition of technocracy has persisted.
The Communist Party of China, a party whose history is tied up with peasants, workers and soldiers, is now the most elite party in the world. Its system of promotion favors engineers, economists and management experts over anyone with grass-roots political skills. For two decades, China has been run like a company, not a country.
But China is, in fact, a country — a vast, complex one with a long history of politics. And eventually, politics had to re-emerge.
China has reached a level of growth and development where the big questions it faces are not technical and engineering ones, but deep political and philosophical ones.
Fareed is a racist and an elitist who characterizes people by the topics they speak about, not about the truth of what they say or the strength of their proven track record of feeding, housing, and improving the conditions of their people. Fareed supports the radical Muslim takeover in the Middle East, even though it means the destruction of the people's rights - in the name of his confused concept of "political" change. He tries to relegate statements like "China is a country" to significance. I hope and pray that he does not influence or cause our present government to use these kinds of idiotic insights in deciding how to deal with China. It is purile nonsense. All men in China, in the 1960s it was the country leading the charge for women's rights - probably before whats his name was born.
Thank god I now have a good reason to stop reading his rants again, he cannot even understand that the Chinese Communist Party is real and is functioning, just like he cannot believe the Muslim radicals are taking over the Middle East under his watch and assitance to Obama. He is an apologist, ultimatley for tyrrany of minority racists, dictators and religious fanatics - who thinks he can somehow change the course of Chinese history and politics, just like the Americans before him who encouraged the Tianmen incident and now the incident with the blind lawyer.
Perhaps you might make more sense if you just waved your arms and said "Danger, danger Will Robinson". Maybe. Personally, Fareed sound a lot more rational than you.
First, get your head together. your thoughts all over the map, didn't know what the hack you are talking about. We do business in China, the undercurrent is always there, second generation of princeling is what Bo is. One hand iron fist, other hand grab money. China cannot tolerate another coup. People want a life, and they deserve it. Stability is utmost important. Let Bo go, Too much greed.
2nd try isn't much better. You may need consultation.
A piece of high-sound-nothing from b davis.
Dude!!!! have a lot to say about crap....
Mr Davis,
pls go and see a good doctor i believe you have completely lost it.
It is even better if you stop commenting his articles all together.
I have to agree with the other replies. What in Mr. Zakaria's post, for all that you copied and pasted a good deal of it, is racism demonstrated?
This is just another misleading article from CNN. China's political system has its own metabolism and every three or four years some senior leaders get busted. Bo is just the latest. That is all. More higher rank leaders end up in death roll or jail due to various reasons over the last decade or two.
Much like every other country on earth. How does this relate?
Actually, China is using capitalist means via a police state, which makes them the largest organized crime enterprise in the history of the world.
Have you counted the crime rate in USA
Tahir, what you just posted makes no sense and does not address the statement that was made above. The crime rate is the ratio of crimes in an area to the population of that area in a given year. He made a statement about the Chinese being a criminal organization. You made a stupid statement about something that you didn't understand as a retort.
Everything China's government does is a crime against humanity. No comparison to US crime rate
I agree. China is a huge world-class Ponzi scheme thanks to Richard Nixon. When such schemes are run by a ruthless and intransigent Politburo, wrong things may happen! The greedy U.S. barons that have invested in China instead of in the U.S. better be careful what they had bargained for! We better watch their China lobbyists: they are up to no good! They have sold their souls to god Mammon Made in China!
Good observation.
If you folks don't think the US is a police state, look again. The difference is in degree only.
The only reason China has done so well is because the Western Countries transferred their industrial base to China for cheap labor and the Chinese Government artificially deflate the value of its currency. Everything else said is just meaningless word salad. What has made this ( USA) country great is a free press and free speech that quickly points out incompetence of people in government and system failures in Government. The Chinese Government moved over a billion people out of poverty in less than 20 years. That is a economic miracle but the money to do it came from the West. When the money flow ends so will China's economic growth.
Stop living in your fantasy, China is turning into a consumer nation. Your train of thought of west >>> other nations are imperialistic. The West never give any nations anything, it just plundered many other nations for it's own gain, re read your history...no on second thought, read another country's full history.
BTW... You know that the so called wars for freedom in the Middle East are for oil, right?
Bruce Rubin the kwok head, the reason why China is doing so well is because America can only manufacturing BS artists/kwok zucking kwok zuckers such as you that no one wants to buy.
Afghanistan isnt an oil producing nation.
Yeah, you nationalistic right winger, the freedom of your media to slander and malign other people in the world. Your value system is plain warped. Hope there are not more like you in America!
Bruce is right - if we could only go back to 1790 or so.
Extremely well stated Tim, and so very true, too!!!
China couldn't be anymore nationalist than it already is. The government is encouraging ultra-nationalism precisely to hide its own crimes and the grief that it causes its people. So no, you are flat wrong.
China is a third world dictatorship that shouldn't even be compared to America's style of government in the same sentence. Anything they do differently would be an improvement. They should let their people govern, but they insist that their own people are too stupid to govern themselves. While at the same time parroting the idea of chinese being brilliant smart people in the West. It's ironic the mixed messages they send.
And it's clearer than ever that you sir are a racist troll.
One question that overthrows your little rant, who are in the top universities' science and engineering programs? Asians including Chinese.
Please don't come out of your cave, you'll get rocks thrown at you!
That's not true: Do you know what Guai Lo is? It's what the Chinese call anyone who isn't Chinese. It means "foreign devil." I got called that here in the US. Who's racist again? You must be Chinese since everyone but you is racist if they criticize China.
Bo Xilai must be a lawyer. You already know what happens when lawyers take over a coiuntry.
well, I'll take a lawyer for president over an oil company exec. any day.
We have a lawyer for POTUS now and look what an IDIOT and a DISGRACE he is ! Better we have an oil company exec who actually UNDERSTANDS how wealth is created !
Yes, oil execs know how to create wealth – for themselves and for stock holders.
We had an oil company exec just last time, have you forgotten so quickly? I haven't.
Yes Pauln, we had an oil exec who increased the national debt 3 trillion dollars in his eight years. Obummer increased it 6 trillion in only 3-1/2 years. Don't you like lessons?
Been there, done that.
Bill Clinton, who let Osama Bin Laden get away not only once but twice.
Oh yeah, also tried to bribe N Korea from getting the nuke bomb. How did that turn out ?
@Walken1:
Exactly! And just WHO do you think the "shareholders" of the American government are? (Hint: they're called "citizens"!)
Grow up. It's lawyer sthat have been running this country into the ditch for decades. Lawyers should only be practicing law. They have no business "running" anything.
He is a politicians. His father was a famous CCP general. His family got in trouble during culture revolution.
After, he became a career politician. Communist never got rid off dynasty problem. People could be a rising political star if they families have good connections. Bo fits that criteria. His father was one of the top military leaders that helped building PRC. While he was busy doing government job, he started business. So he is a business person. He is a typical 1%. he suffered a lot during culture revolution, but he does not have to work a lot to get to that position. Yes, he still has to fight political faction, but a lot ground work has already laid out for him.
His wife was a lawyer. Again, his wife's parents were also important members of CCP. She was more like business woman than lawyer. Her law firm was to help her business doing well
If there is a good thing about Chinese politics system, the lawyers are not as crook as you think. Maybe not, some of them may have to survive by bribing or making connection
the majority of US presidents have been lawyers or educated like lawyers. Even Lincoln, being born into a family of broke land squatters was a lawyer.
Zakaria forgot to mention that Deng Xiao-ping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jin-Tao were all governor in Tibet and participated in major bloodshed of Tibetan people before they were promoted to the highest position in China. Politics or not, Tibetan blood must be spilled if one wants to become leader in China.
Let's put this way, they do have administrative experience. They all know how to fight political war.
Governors of Tibet is not essential
It may not be necessary but it is a proving ground to show that they can deal with outsiders with lethal force in necessary or even if unnecessary. Tibet is a sensitive issue for them because they don't have moral legitimacy in that country and to show that they can effectively deal with protests and strikes with unequivocal violence and brutality further solidies their image. It is no coincidence that they all happen to be governors of Tibet before their supreme leadership post.
Jiang Ze-min never stayed in Tibet. He had no connection with that place whatsoever. Please don't just fabricate stories just to serve ur purpose. It just make you more like commies.
The connection of Jiang zeming and Tibet is probably both words have an "e"?
Romulan the kwok head, you sound like a lama lover who has emotional problem, may I suggest you see Dr. Phil? May I also suggest that you zuck Dalying Lama's kwok one more time and swallow another mouthful so that you'll be full of it?
Maersk, Looks like your kwok was given birth in china itself that you claim to know so intimately about things there?
Brain washing Intelligence gathering. Makes sense? Ask your internet pal who is based out of china.
Another excellent article by Fareed. Having worked in China for the last 17 years I have witnessed the expansion of industry and economics at a pace almost incredible. The management of those wild forces is certainly requiring masterful direction from the government. In that environment, it is totally possible to encounter bumps along the road, yet there is an agreed upon global plan that this huge government continues to implement rather successfully.
The only way to compete with china is to gift it democracy.It will become bankrupt in one year.
When are we Americans going to figure out that we cannot "gift" democracy to another country? If we elect anothere crop of GOP oligarchs, we won't even have it here.
you make it sound like if having Democrats in office will solve the oligarchy problem. When people vote in an election, they choose between conservative oligarchs and liberal oligarchs. It's nearly possible to remove the elitist problem by voting simply because the politicians of both parties utilize the elitist mechanisms already in place for them
When are you going to figure out that the comment you responded to was sarcasm?
Great article. Whenever I talk to people who have been impressed by China's economic progress tell me that the average Chinese are better off than any time in history. However, the point is not one of morality, but of reality. Can the Chinese system survive a deep and open political division? The CCP has ruled with absolute authority. In such countries the apparent stability can be misleading. The Soviet Union, Egypt, Libya all serve as a reminder that no single individual or a Party has ruled a nation for ever. Good, bad, or ugly, that is the reality.
And the US is proof that a two party system will be dysfunctional twice as fast!
Are the Communist Party officials in China any worse that our own politicians here? Somehow I don't think so. At least in China, there is no all-powerful military-industrial-complex paying off the politicians as is the case here! For example, back in 2006 many Democrats promised to get us out of Iraq once elected to Congress but in 2007, the voted with George W.Bush and kept us in instead. What a letdown that was!
"At least in China, there is no all-powerful military-industrial-complex paying off the politicians as is the case here!"
lol really? if it isn't that way in China, it's the other way around, a lot of people don't seem to realize that China is a hyper-capitalism
Chinese government own the military complex.
Remember the invasion of Viet Nam. Funny, that was couple years after the Viet Nam war, and China was one of the supporter (the other one was Russia)
China also spent a lot money upgrading its system to invade Taiwan
get your fact straight
Joseph, at least they don't have fools such as Curious George who didn't even know the difference between Iraqtion and erection as politicians.
You, sir, are a text book troll. Stop trying to instigate and bemoan that which you obviously don't know. You are a pitiful example of what is wrong with humanity. In the immortal words of Rodney King, 'Can't we all just get along?'
In China, the government IS the "all powerful, military industrial complex."
They don't spend as much of their GDP on military as the US does, but as their economy grows, so does the military spending rate.
The major difference between China and the US is that China is not a Democracy, and there is less sense of personal property. If the government needs to raise taxes to pay for something, they just do it, and the peasants comply. There is less need for bread and circuses to ensure another term of election, because leaders aren't elected by the people in the first place.
Actually, the People's Liberation Army in China is a very powerful political force. Rather than paying off the politicians, the politicians need to pay it off to ensure loyalty and continued support.
It is rather hard to run a massive dictatorship, even if it is a relatively benign technocratic dictatorship, without the support of the army.
Isn't Bo involved with actually killing somebody? Was that part of his New Left philosophy? Or maybe he was just an embarresment.
His wife was. I will not be surprised that many Chinese officials have blood on their hands. The reason Wang Li Jun went to embassy was couple of his trust assistants were arrested and tortured. One was tortured to death. At least two committed suicide because thy couldn't stand the torture. I have the feeling most of Chinese officials got involve in that kind of stuff.
The obvious reason for his demise was the corruption and his wife's killing of Neil Haywood.. there could have been more interesting stories besides that. However, his intention to challenge the top is the reason for his demise
The actual reason was Bo's intransigence to the power. He wire taped Hu Jin Tao's phone conversation
Didn't you use wiretapping on almost every political problem China have? Stop spreading your mis-informations.
Monster, are you referring to Nixon and Watergate? That's the only case of a politician wiretapping his political opponents that I am aware of, and that was 40 years ago. That's hardly wiretapping "on almost every political problem". Nixon resigned before he could be impeached. Or are you implying that in China politicians wiretap eachothe all the time?
so you believed whatever you read/hear on-line... get a bit smarter... what if they are all false? #NA
"Fareed made an excellent observation that China is run more like a corporation than a country."
Thirty years ago people were saying the Soviet Union was too much like a corporation. The converse is also true. Corporations are too much like the Soviet Union.
Now THAT is a noteworthy observation.
This incredible pace of economic growth has slowed down incredibly . And with increasing western unemployment everywhere caused by cheap Chinese goods countries are becoming more protectionist than ever and will import a lot less from China . Also automation in western factories is increasing dramatically and that will have a great effect on Chinese exports. China's growth is unsustainable and its internal market can not nearly absorb its incredible production capacity. This will cause much higher unemployment in China as it is happening right now in many of its provinces. The effect will dramatically cause great upheavals in China which will inexorably lead to an inevitable collapse of its political . We don't know when it will happen but it will surely happen sooner than we think.
Perhaps it was just a crime perpetrated by a politician and his wide. Calm down. Calm down.
China and Chinese post Mao learned very quickly, the value of $$ (Dollar) from all their scholars who came to the US to study Capitalism up and close. (Starting in the early 70s).
They abhored American politics and government while apprenticing in corporate America and learning the true meaning of how to run a government business style. Shamelessly, they implemented it in China and on Chinese people.
The People of China are much more subservient than revolutionary/evolutionary Americans.
Therefore, Chinese dictatorship a la American Corporation style works perfectly for them.
Now that China has a large cash reserve, corporate-dictatorship works perfectly well: a blend of communist dictatorship with a lot of money.
There will come a day when even subservient Chinese will not withstand the brute force of corporate dictatorship.
It is backward and embarrassing to rule an intelligent nation by way of FEAR and THREAT on a daily basis.
And we, the people. of American, brag about our democracy and human rights, stand aside and watch this macabre.
being of Chinese descent myself, I can tell you that modern Chinese people in China don't care about much other than money / basic medium of survival. Dignity, as shameful as it is for me to say it, is not a premium. It's like you can kick modern Chinese people around all you want as long as they have access to the goods, or at least have an illusion of an access to the goods.
something wrong with your worldview and value.
I disagree with the idea that Chinese are more subservient than Americans. I've lived in both countries for extended periods of time and I witnessed far more protests in China than I ever did in America (of course, you won't read about them). The main difference, from what I could tell as an outsider in both countries, is that Chinese protests were almost entirely related to working conditions, wages, and the elimination or relocation of jobs in heavy industries. I think the Chinese people are giving the government a pass as long as the times are good – but when the economy starts to slow down, I think there's a huge potential for things to turn ugly. The Chinese people aren't as docile and brainwashed as a lot of westerners seem to think they are; China isn't North Korea.
uggh, anyone with an intelligent view on the future please log in to our blog, powerof0 . blogspot . com...anyone who would like to submit a piece please send to my login name @gmail....please include any links you want to add. Intelligent posts only, no replies to negativity.
What happens in China is very important to the world, especially Americans because ignorance will directly to a war, not a reginal war between China and the US, but a full-scale war, and most likely a nuclear war and space war. For example, Taiwan Relationship Act will force the US attack China in case China invades Taiwan to stop Taiwan from seeking independence. Then, without occupying large pieces of Chinese terretory, it is almost impossible to stop DF21A missles sinking US carrier battle groups. US forces land in Shanghai and Hong Kong after bombing these megacities into ruins and China responds by launching thermos nuclear weapons against US bases and naval forces. US retaliates by launching thoustands of nuclear weapons against major Chinese cities like Beijing. In the blinding lights of nuclear exposions in both countries, people will find the eternal harm of ignorance and a lack of understanding between countries and constantly depicting other other as monsters. In the past darkness, here arises the morning glory of new hope if people stop demonizing each other and stop demogoguing and stirring up hatred.
A more likely war scenario is Status Quo. China has little to gain by reclaiming Taiwan. The US has nothing to gain by bombing China. In fact, there's simply no scenario where either country could force capitulation from the other with anything short of total nuclear annihilation, which would be mutual.
If there is ever a conflict with China, it will probably be economic in nature, not political.
US is obligated by law to defend Taiwan.
http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
The professor encouraged: “How about China?”
Sherrill tried, stopped and tried again: “I think that the US needed to speed up its decision making process: discuss less and do more. For China, it should be the opposite: more discussions and a slower decision making process. Either way, I feel that China had a more challenging task of political reform."
Sherrill hesitated: "Looking back, at 2012, China had an urgent need for political reform to deal with increasingly serious corruption, very possibly as a direct result of over concentration of power. According to credible interview records with people from China, the corruption was bad. For example, some government human resources officers sold positions to the highest bidders almost openly. It was this type of abuse of power that led to popular discontent and wide spread instability, and, finally, the war with Taiwan.”
What happens in China is very important to the world, especially Americans because ignorance will directly LEAD to a war, not a regional war between China and the US, but a full-scale war, and most likely a nuclear war and space war. For example, Taiwan Relationship Act will force the US attack China in case China invades Taiwan to stop Taiwan from seeking independence. Then, without occupying large pieces of Chinese terretory, it is almost impossible to stop DF21A missles sinking US carrier battle groups. US forces land in Shanghai and Hong Kong after bombing these megacities into ruins and China responds by launching thermos nuclear weapons against US bases and naval forces. US retaliates by launching thoustands of nuclear weapons against major Chinese cities like Beijing. In the blinding lights of nuclear exposions in both countries, people will find the eternal harms of ignorance and constantly depicting other other as monsters. In the past darkness, here arises the morning glory of new hope if people stop demonizing each other and stop demogoguing and stirring up hatred between the Chinese people and the American people.
Look at this war broken between China and USA – http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
But, but ... the United States is not managed by extremists. Thank god there is no idealists here. LOL
Best defense is good offense? I like the $10,000 hair cut effect to shift focus. Old school. That was gold.
Finally someone in US has got it alright, from the understanding of Cultrural Revolution to the Reform, for Chairman Mao to currently leaders. Thank you, Fareed. Does it really have to take a middle-eastern to explain to the Americans?
I also need to point out that Mao's advance of CR was not only for his personal advantage; it's more multi-purposed, multi-faceted. I don't think all of it was evil.
Evil is often a matter of perspective. Many leaders are willing to do nasty things in order to accomplish what they feel is in the "greater good."
Is it evil to destroy a political opponent rather than let your country go down the wrong path? Is it evil to kill them? What about a whole village? Does it change if the village is actively harboring revolutionaries who wish to destroy your country? What if you just *think* they want to destroy the country?
War is ugly –
During the Stanlingrad Campaign, a new Russian or Genman soldier's "Life Span" after being sent into the battile field was less than 23 hours. With today's military techonologies, a new soldier may last perhaps 3 to 4 hours in a major confrontation between big powers.
China's government is fairly effective despite the fact they have these kind of shocks every three to four years. We need some serous journalists, not cheer leaders.
I heard his wife killed a british business man, he tried to cover it up for her using his power.
Let eternal peace be granted to china as they seek to release their shackles on corruption. Xie xie ni
When you have more than one person in an organization you will have politics. Politics exists because of human nature. In a large organization(US, Chinese or Germany) each member will say they are there for the benefit of organization. Each one of them will have his own interests(agenda). What most westerners seem to forget in a communist country, people who works for the government can yield tremendous power. As such, most of them are corrupted. One has to live in China in a few years before appreciating this fact.
Mr. Bo at one time was a brilliant politician. He tried to market himself as a different brand, a brand that was well received by general population. However, his way of doing it is not acceptable to the current faction of the Party, such as citing Mao's quotes, singing Mao's songs, and waving red flags. In China, the winner becomes King; the loser becomes the hunted thief. Right now Bo is the thief that is caught.
If Mr. Zakaria is speaking/writing, he's lying. Don't ever believe anything this liar says.
Much like CNN, if he can't be trusted with the simplest things, forget about the somewhat complicated matters.
Farred should be the first to note that democracies are the most expensive forms of government. In addtion the larger the country the more expensive it becomes and at the end they fall apart from within. Imagine if tomorrow you decided to make China a full democracy. The markets would collapse, revenues, cheating would be rampant; they will be a chaos of biblican propostion in a country just as large as China. Take India which has more natural resources than China but is also more democratic. Its people are suffering from poverty and receive much less assistance from their goverment. Secretary Clinton with all her smarts has missed the mark in making the fuss aboujt the chinese blind dissident who wears Armany suits, Dior ties and so on and on. Her actions simply hurt and make life of the remaining chinese people more difficult.
We could only wish we had a few technocrats running our country, at least we could then get bridges and roads and schools and electrical grids and plumbing infrastructure and dams and similar repaired, enhanced and replaced, high speed rail and green technologies going forward and similar. What we have here is a bunch of idiocrats, who can see neither the forrest or the trees, the rest of the planet, our own decaying highways, electrical systems, bridges, dams, plumbing, etc. or, the homeless men, women and children weeping in our own backyard. Twain compared the Congress of his times to idiots and, no doubt he'd do the same today. . .
Mr Zakaria, I wish I had ever heard of Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai, and Neil Heywood when I was assiduously seeking access to certain politicians, particularly the son of Hu Jintao who was "a businessman".. China operates through a system of "keys".. apparently one such was Neil Heywood, to Gu Kailai, to Master Bo.. that was 2006-2008.. My problem was arranging a settlement of a suit that was vexing to those technocrats you mention, particularly the ones charged with "Africa investments".. They couldn't make any payments to Kabila in the Congo as they would be blocked by Courts worldwide.... I had plenty of lawyers including several US Trade representatives and Embassy officials promising me intros for a fat fee.. BUT none could deliver.. HOWEVER.. after following this saga, I am convinced that Mme Gu Kailai, through Neil Heywood.. could... for a fat fee of course..
With two you get egg roll.
fk the chinks
http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
Troll = u!!!
with your kwok zucking mouth?
Kwok Suk... isn't he the Chinese ambassador to the UN?
Hey you, no human rights in China. You don't need to use that filthy Tea Party lingo above to express your unmittigated hate for the Chinese. There are already more than enough decent words in the English language to do that! Besides, who are you to say that there are no human rights in China anyway?
Wonderful analysis, but the author missed the point to assume that Bo Xilai represented the desirable China. Based on all the issues emerging on how he tackled the issues of curruption and related and his wife's alleged murder, it is hard to fault the way the Communist regime has dealt with his political ambitions.
Remember, everything coming out now is because he is to be disgraced to remove his political clout.
No doubt he did some things wrong, but you can hardly believe everything that is now being said about him. It is pretty easy to manufacture "facts" when you control all the media. And since he is now out of favor, he must be thoroughly disgraced.
http://www.debka.com/article/21976/
Fareed needs to take his Muslim loving ass back to India!
The Muslims would chop off his head, throw his body in a ditch and post the video on Islamo You Tube.
It truly doesn't matter what we think about China. They own billions of dollars of our debt, and it keeps going up. Eventually, they'll get to a point where they'll to us to jump and we'll say how high.
Not quite.. as The Cheney once observed "Deficits do not Matter"... if the Chinese balk we simply threaten default like Argentina and.. most recently.. Greece.. give them back 25% on the dollar in new Treasuries whilst cancelling the Old.. 2 Trillion gone with the wind... involuntary exchange for $500b... US debt reduced by 1.5T.. now that is tangible debt reduction..
Apparently deficits don't matter to Obama, either, because he took Cheney's deficit and tripled it.
It's not that complex as you think, or wish. It's just that someone has his/her karma due... simple as that. Whether you believe in karma is irrelevant... What you do (your deed – good or bad) will be 'converted' into your karma... you will definitely receive it even if you cannot care less... In general, CCP has been doing a good job, but this doesn't mean they don't need changes... Changes will happen gradually, but not overnight... Where on earth has everything perfect? Don't just believe 100% of what you read/hear on tweeters – there are just too much gossips, and oftentimes brainless nonsense, or evil-intentioned rumors... from a Chinese.
A Chinese, writing from where??? Probably not China, as I'm pretty sure CNN is censored there...but, if not, you still proabably haven't been to America. I have been to China and though surprised with the amount of progress you've made since Mao, am still weary of the fact that it comes at the cost of a freedom and joy your nation has yet to even begin to understand. All governments have some form of corruption, yes, but not all governements are ruled by one party and not all governements actively eliminate all forms of popular threat to its authority.
CNN is not censored in China, only BBC and YouTube. Oh and Facebook, but that's a different story since it's more business related.
http://www.Hear-The-Truth.com
i agree with walter..how high!
Fain
Finally, the US and China are fiighting a total war.
http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
http://battleofhouston.blogspot.com/
The CCP is the illegitimate, b@ss t@rd child of Mao Zedong. I don't give any of its leadership an ounce of credit or trust and certainly don't pretend that the world or U.S. could ever benefit from anything it accomplishes. Just more of the same old shame upon shame after shame...but as all true Christians know, this is one mess only God can (and will) clean up.
Please take the religous nonsense to the belief blog...
Easy way to defeat china is to give it the gift of democracy.It will take one year to bankrupt china.This is the current US policy to defeat china with democracy and get rid of chinese loans.
Easiest way to stop China? Unionize the work force.
Go ask American Airlines.
Please check out this essay on whether China is Communist or Corporate:
http://www.deathbychina.com/archives/934
Excellent link! Throughout my tour in Beijing, just after the olympics, the guide kept asking me "now you see the REAL China, right? Not like in your TV or newspapers?" Of course, I didn't fall for any of this "facade" there, or in Shanghai. When I asked him in private what he thought about communism he sporadically burst out laughing saying, "not for ten thousand years!" Poor guy didn't know what to say. The highlight of my journey, Lhasa, Tibet, displayed just how "free" the PRC really is; "progress and unity" under the holy Chinese Kalashnikov.
Anyone who reads Mao's Little Red Book will see that this kind of modern, subtle and intellectual type totalitarianism is exactly what he had dreamed of.
Have you ever been to Alabama to check how free America is?
Have YOU ever been to Alabama, John?
I suspect not.
Finally a decent article. Mr. Zakaria you are a very talented, intelligent man, I just wish you could exercise your abilities free of political agenda and just write as a neutral observer as you just did now
Fareed is an ideologue.
Another attempt at analysis by pundits who writes strings of reasonable words, but ultimately fails to make any real sense.
Anyone who thinks of China as an efficient technocracy – or perhaps an improved form of controlled free market really has no idea what is happening in China. The first part of the growth is the easy part, it's the low hanging fruits that has undoubtedly create massive wealth very quickly. If you think of any early days of industrial revolutions, he bold and adventurous will become wealthy – and this is what has been happening in China.
The real story behind the gains in China's economy is not one of brilliant selfless technocrats. China is successful because Deng's revolution was essentially a purely cutthroat capitalism. The real success is driven by the entrepreneurs and at a more shady level, the well connected princelings and relatives of the technocrats that Zakaria speaks in such glowing terms about.
Peel away the massive gains in China and you see what the microblogs in China have been discussing for more than a decade. China is a vastly unjust country when it comes to growth. The disparity in wealth in China makes Wall Street look like a Kumbaya singalong.
Zakaria is a great believer of Plato's ideal of technocrats ruling justly, but China is precisely a perfect example of the flaw in those who believe in big governments and technocrats. Go to the provinces and the villages, and you will see technocrats not working selflessly for the public good, but officials expropriating land unjustly to enrich relatives. You find children of mid level technocrats believe they have special powers over the general public.
Each level of government in China can exercise power with impunity.
China is not a glowing story of a well oiled machinery of a technocracy dispensing progress to the greater good. It is a perfect reminder that when it comes to the question of Who Guards the Guardians? There is no credible answer beyond the need to limit the powers of the rulers in any society.
Please put it in my butt!!! Oh God, please!
Haven't you been fingering your azz the way the Indians do anyway?
Im just trying to bring you guys the fakest news possible, while CNN chokes it in a coke bottle and lets it seep down my throat cause I love semen!
Fareed Zakaria never met a taxpayer funded donation to a public sector union pension bailout disguised as an infrastructure project that he didn't like.
Normally, I enjoy reading Fareed's essays but this one left too many loose ends. For instance, the essay did not explain or summarize the reasons for Bo's departure.
In any event, it was insightful to compare China to a corporation, and to point out the enormous influence of the technocrats. To count Bo and others like him completely out, however, ignores the history of the technocrats. Deng Xiao Peng, who Mao labeled a "capitalist roader", spent several years in a re-education camp before he re-emerged as the leader of the CCP.
Is it just me, or is China a fascist (I don't mean Nazi!) oligarchy?
How easy it is for all these right-wing nutjobs on this web page to bash the so-called "dictatorship" in China without saying anything about the M.I.C. running the government here in Washington, D.C.!!! I bet that almost none of these people know anything about the history of China nor about it's culture. If any of these uneducated lemmings knew how China tried a so-called "democracy" in the last 100 years and failed at it miserably, they'd shut up!!!
Thank you, George. I totally agree.
Fareed Zakaria – global expert on any topic ??? Give me a break .. This person will write an opinion on anything he knows zero about. This story is very complex .. No one has ALL THE FACTS.
Yup, totally agree. Once upon a time I actually considered Fareed worth a read now and then, but over the last couple years he has become completely unpalatable. Fareed is more the a head of a personality cult than an experienced commentator. No person has the time or capacity to be that informed on so many far flinging topics as he has of late, but he pours the kool-aid and they drink it up so what are you going to do?
"whether he believed this things is immaterial"
That statement may have some limited truth, but it also betrays a fundamental problem. Sociopaths rising to power are destructive to civil society, justice, and good effective government. No matter your system – communist empire, democratic republic, absolute monarchy or anything else – a sociopath rising to power brings about destruction. In a technocratic authoritarian place like China, one hopes that those identified as sociopaths could be executed before they get too far.
Overly obsessed with China....jealously or fear? China is only relevant to USA from India's perspective not from American. So is India using Americans to promote its agenda against China? Seems to be.
Fareed is such an ideologue and looks at everything through the "glasses" of his favored viewpoint.
Now if they can only get rid of politics in the U.S. and have our country run by people with real brains instead of hot air, then maybe we can start to turn our country around too. Politics: There can never be too little of it.
However, let us try to find out that the Americans know the meanings of "politics".
In terms of the communism and capitalism, China is the former and US is the later.
It seems that ALL Americans can see that China is a dictatorship and ruled by one party which is the Chinese Communist Party, and US is a two party democracy.
How many Americans can see that both Republicans and Democrats are Capitalists?
Are both Republican Party and Democrat Party Capitalist Party?
Therefore, the fact is that US is a dictatorship as well, and one party, which is the American Capitalist Party, because both Republicans and Democrats are Capitalists, rules Americans. US election is nothing but mere formality, since no matter who won the US election Americans are always ruled by Capitalists.
The chances are that the fact is very few American can see that.
Forget about the name and form, look at the facts only for a moment, the difference between China and US is that one is one party rule and says it is one party rule, the other is one party rule and says it is two parties democracy.
I hope Americans can see the following as well.
If, I mean if, let us assume that US is a democracy.
I hope Americans can see the fact of US democracy effectively eliminates all ways and means that might fix our problems if it might take more than three years, since we will not let these continue it we did not see the result in three years.
Unfortunately, fix a mistake often takes longer than making it.
I get it that USA is using India to do its dirty work against China. But for the life of me i can't understand why Americans are not repsonding the Indians double crossing them in Iran???? I say stop all transfer of nuclear technology to India which will jepardize the safety of billions of people in that region, to begin with. This question will be asked of the US presidential candidates as it will involves the American conscience they are so proud of.
The PRC is a one party Leninist state. They may have given up on communism but they haven't given up on the Leninist policies & methods of a one party state. In China, the CCP makes the policy decisions, the govt implements those decisions. Don't forget all political & business leaders in China are CCP members. The CCP controls the armed forces, the banks, the energy & transportation industries, the police, the major schools, the judicial system, the Supreme Peoples Court, and much of the manufacturing industry. As one Party member once said, the CCP is like God, invisible but everywhere. Nevertheless the Bo Xilai scandal has exposed cracks in the emperor's armor.
I completely agree with Mr. Zakaria on this article. However, China has already built world-class corporations such as Haier and Huawei. It has had massive injections of technology into its economy and military-industrial complex, mostly through espionage, reverse engineering, and forced technology transfers from foreign multinationals. It has built world class universities. And it has invested enormous sums of money into its infrastructure, making its transport network the envy of the world and enabling it to gain enormous technical prowess. These will not go away overnight. The US is still reaping the rewards of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Hoover Dam, and other massive public investments made during the Great Depression, as well as those made even before (such as the railroads).
Of course many of China's investments have gone into environmentally and socially destructive white elephants such as the Three Gorges Dam, but a whole generation of expert civil, hydrological, electrical, and geophysical engineers has arisen out of it. China will likely survive as a rapidly emerging power for at least a generation, and by then a new meritocracy may emerge. The only disadvantage is that China does not have a great entrepreneurial spirit or independent justice system that can allow the private sector to flourish without state intervention as it has in the United States and India.