Time: Mon Mar 03 08:46:21 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id IAA09816; Mon, 3 Mar 1997 08:07:39 -0700 (MST) Date: Mon, 03 Mar 1997 08:37:58 -0800 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: C-NEWS:ForeignCorrespondent TAMING THE CHINESE DRAGON <snip> > Foreign Correspondent > > Inside Track On World News > By International Syndicated Columnist & Broadcaster > Eric Margolis <emargolis@lglobal.com> > > ,,ggddY"""Ybbgg,, > ,agd888b,_ "Y8, ___`""Ybga, > ,gdP""88888888baa,.""8b "888g, > ,dP" ]888888888P' "Y `888Yb, > ,dP" ,88888888P" db, "8P""Yb, > ,8" ,888888888b, d8888a "8, > ,8' d88888888888,88P"' a, `8, > ,8' 88888888888888PP" "" `8, > d' I88888888888P" `b > 8 `8"88P""Y8P' 8 > 8 Y 8[ _ " 8 > 8 "Y8d8b "Y a 8 > 8 `""8d, __ 8 > Y, `"8bd888b, ,P > `8, ,d8888888baaa ,8' > `8, 888888888888' ,8' > `8a "8888888888I a8' > `Yba `Y8888888P' adP' > "Yba `888888P' adY" > `"Yba, d8888P" ,adP"' > `"Y8baa, ,d888P,ad8P"' > ``""YYba8888P""'' > > TAMING THE CHINESE DRAGON > by Eric Margolis > February 27, 1997 > >`China,' a worried reader writes, `scares the hell out of >me.' Another angry writer asks, `How can you claim China is >progressing? Everyone knows China is the world's worst >violator of human rights.' > >During the era of Chairman Mao, when China was indeed an >international threat and a ferocious tyranny, many in the >western media fawned on China. In a remarkable irony, after >the late Deng Xiaoping liberalized almost every aspect of >life in China, setting the nation on the path to more >political and personal freedom, the western media turned >against China like a scorned lover, making it international >public enemy number one. > >What most critics don't understand is the difference between >a totalitarian state and an authoritarian one. > >In a totalitarian state - like the Soviet Union, Maoist >China, or modern-day Cuba and North Korea - the communist >party controls every aspect of people's lives. The party >grants all jobs, and thus personal income. It doles out >places in schools and universities; pensions; medical care; >internal and external travel; and consumer goods. > >Naive Canadian tourists to Cuba, for example, often say they >see no signs of a police state. A true totalitarian state >does not need police on every corner: it has terrorized >people into policing themselves. Every apartment building, >every city block, factory and school, every military unit, >has an official communist `watcher,' and secret informers. >Deviation from the party line means loss of apartment, job, >pension. Aged parents can loose their pensions and be >evicted. Children denied schooling, medical care, and >careers. If you fail to report political deviation of a >friend, relative or co-worker to the secret police, you and >your family will be punished, or jailed. > >This was the system Deng inherited from Mao. In addition, >much of China's youth had become automatons, brainwashed >into the demented cult of Maoism. I vividly recall China of >the 1960's and early 70's, a giant prison camp where all >inmates wore the same uniforms and spouted the same moronic >slogans. > >Deng junked economic marxism, allowing Chinese a great >degree of economic freedom - which, let's recall - is >equally important as political freedom. Freer speech and >some open criticism of government was permitted. Attempts >to change the regime were not. This is authoritarianism: >People can do what they like, so long as they avoid >political action. > >Today, 90% of all village committees in China - the basic >unit of government - are elected. The party's power is >slipping fast. China is slowly writing a body of law to >protect citizen's rights. Opponents of government are no >longer `enemies of the people.' China's economic explosion >has broken the grip of government over people's lives and >over many regions - notably Szechuan and the south. > >Having abandoned totalitarianism and communist economics, >China is reverting to its 5,000-year old traditional system >of Confucian authoritarian government. Many Asians prefer >this system to western-style, special-interest democracy. > >Still, China remains a serious abuser of human rights. The >Lao Gai, China's gulag, is packed with political prisoners. >Tibetans, Muslims, and political opponents, are brutally >suppressed. > >But China seems clearly headed for more dramatic >liberalization. A booming 21st century economy will further >diminish the power of the central government. The current >regime, under Jiang Zemin, is clearly transitional. Dinosaur >Communism in the Soviet Union and East Europe was brought >down by the rebellion of a new generation of younger >leaders. The same will happen in China - but perhaps not as >quickly. > >China has never known democracy. Expecting this great, >ancient nation to instantly blossom into an Asian Athens is >a nonsense. We should stop acting like missionaries with >China and allow it to develop at its own pace -albeit with >our steady but discreet prodding over human and ethnic >rights. Scourging China will only drive it backwards. > >copyright eric margolis 1997 > >***************************************************************** > >--------------------------------------------------------------- > To receive Foreign Correspondent via email send a note > to Majordomo@lglobal.com with the message in the body: > subscribe foreignc > WWW: www.bigeye.com/foreignc.htm > For Syndication Information please contact: > Email: emargolis@lglobal.com > FAX: (416) 960-4803 > Smail: > Eric Margolis > c/o Editorial Department > The Toronto Sun > 333 King St. East > Toronto Ontario Canada > M5A 3X5 >--------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================== Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S. : Counselor at Law, federal witness email: [address in tool bar] : Eudora Pro 3.0.1 on Intel 586 CPU web site: http://www.supremelaw.com : library & law school registration ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this ========================================================================
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