Lest anyone miss the slant of this, let me be clear at the outset. This article should be read as if asking yourself in the run-up to an election, 'Am I generally satisfied with the direction things are going or not?' When you find your answer, you are about where this article gets to. Now the next step, the question which would be for a future article (and which you would ask when deciding who to actually vote for) is, 'could things be better than they are?'. Such an article would sound quite different from this one. And please excuse the Anti-American rant if you are a non-right leaning American. I do realize if you are reading this, you probably are...
When can we expect the inevitable to occur, for the Chinese to cast off the shackles of dictatorship for democracy, freedom and real human rights? The truth, I would posit, is that slowly it is already happening. Much, much too slowly, yes, but it is unlikely there will ever be, a big ‘BOOM!’ for the foreign media to grab onto that will signify the moment of its arrival. If there is a truth illustrated by the case of China, particularly when contrasted with the flatulent rhetoric coming from the U.S., it is that freedom and democracy are sprawling concepts, ones that cover a broad swath of activities. A democratically elected government with a true opposition is without question the cornerstone of any true democracy, and an independent judicial system backed up by a legitimate constitution follows close behind, but there are other important factors signifying its existence as well. Existence, as opposed to arrival.
In China, Shanghai, followed closely by Beijing, is the best demonstrator of this. The government holds significant sway in both places and elsewhere, but it is handcuffed and chained to freedom. Money is really in control, if anything is – and not just big money. Small money is having its impact in the form of consumerism at all levels of society. The freedom for anyone with a bit of cash to go out, find and acquire whatever accessories they wish to accessorize their lives with, large or small. At present, the government would be hard-pressed to limit this freedom, at least in any systematic way. Choice has flooded and overwhelmed quickly and decisively - and continues to do so unrelentingly. It would be difficult to imagine the scale of the reversal and crackdown that would be required to even shift this course, much less actually reverse it.
A little puposeful digression.
The stereotypical American’s has always had a preference for the grand, unmistakable and unavoidable entrance. Loud, dramatic and abrasive. Unsurprisingly, those infamous all-American highly erratic crusades for democracy and freedom generally have a similar appearance. The ‘Big Bang Approach’ is thought best - that is, ‘BOOM!! LOOK, DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM – THEY’RE HERE! HURRAY!! REJOICE!! THANK GOD!!’ A wonderfully idealistic approach, but not one terribly attuned to reality, unfortunately. Take Iraq. Democracy was supposed to arrive (with a BANG!) with the toppling of that Saddam statue several years back, but of course it hasn’t quite worked like this. Worse still, somehow in the mind of the average right-leaning American, Hollywood fantasy has become reality. Certain global terrorists are more like a character straight out of a James Bond film. Or the leader of an unimaginably huge virtual corporation. Something that doesn’t really exist quite to the extent as imagined and described, but as long as it believed to and people seem to think it does, they may as well pretend to hang onto their supposed role as chief executive and chief spokesman.
But back to democracy in China.
Democracy, that is the ‘BOOM! HERE IT IS!’ sort, is unlikely to happen in China because the booming economy of the last years has been felt at all levels of society and by in large, I would posit, it feels quite good. Especially if it comes down to a take it or leave it question - even for those seemingly being left behind. If incomes are pitiful in too many cases, at least they rising. If you were making $1 a day (as many in China are), then over a short period of time it became $2, this may not change your life and you may remain unsatisfied, but it’s an improvement and a damn significant one. You’re not likely to rock the boat too hard as long as it continues in this direction.
More importantly, there is a true middle class in China being created by the day. Every new modern shopping mall being erected – and there are loads of them springing up across the country – is a consequence of this, and quite a meaningful one. People suddenly have money to spend, and there are plenty of things to buy. Not only has progress been rapid, most significantly a generation of Chinese knows only this. They have never experienced anything but this intense, wealth creating, rapid development.
Along with something else even more significant – liberalization.
Finding another country today on such a quick and decisive path of liberalization is all but impossible. This is China’s most significant achievement, one largely neglected by the foreign mass media and the one that most clearly foreshadows the future.
Looking around, we can see Europe, liberal without question, but grappling and fumbling with racial issues provoked by the supposed threat of immigration and integration. It doesn’t only affect Muslims and Muslim countries, contrary to the talk in the media – ask any Westerner trying to set-up shop from scratch in Europe and you will begin to understand the mighty obstacles standing in the way. Liberalization, this is not. North America is no better, largely owing to the American government’s outright paranoia over just what might slip through its borders if it isn’t vigilant. Let’s not even discuss what’s going on in Russia.
Which leaves China standing alone as a sort of beacon - as improbable as this is – not of democracy, but of liberalization. Increasing freedom. Not an entirely pretty sight in China's case, but there is an increasing level of openness, tolerance and acceptance to be seen. This process of liberalization may have a very long way to go, but at least the direction is clear, at present. So China is certainly not a liberal state, but it is a liberalizing one. And this matters immensely because true and lasting democracy is a by-product of liberalization – it’s not the other way around. Precisely why the actions of the U.S. are so disturbing and frustrating to witness at the moment.
So where does this leave democracy and China?
Quietly, democracy is at least on the radar in China, even in the media, surprisingly enough. It’s not around the corner, as one certainly wishes it was, but it is being talked about, which is a lot better than nothing. A recent article in the state-controlled (and unfortunately all too often nonsensical) English newspaper China Daily was illustrative.
'China's modernization will remain a dream without democracy with Chinese characteristics and learning from the world's modern democratic systems.
Without democracy, there would be no institutionalized and efficient public supervision. In this case, "mobilizing all possible resources for major undertakings" could degenerate into abuses of power. Cracking down on corruption, restraining monopoly interest groups and punishing 'oligarchies' which harm the nation and people could never be done in this context.
Without democracy, there would be no respect for people. Wisdom and creativity are ar the core of human dignity. In the absence of care for and encouragement of people's creativity and wisdom, creating a new type of country would remain a dream...China would never transform from a country with a huge population to a country with a huge contingent of first-rate professionals."
Obviously, there is plenty still to question and attack in these statements. The point however, is the carefully controlled press is being allowed to vent some views which, certainly up to recently, would be rather radical (or heretical) in China.
So as an outsider, I can say this much: experiencing this profound process of rapid liberalization, particularly in Shanghai, has been one of the most heartening experiences imaginable, and quite a relief after several years of living in Europe and watching various far-right, racist parties (and the small percentage of people who support them) fermenting themselves into minority positions with a frustratingly disproportionate ability to influence the political agenda in precisely the wrong direction. This, along with feeble and ineffective leaders in power in countries such as Denmark and Britain who have allowed themselves to be somewhat seduced by the perceived threat of this right-wing rhetoric, has been the unpleasant side of an otherwise pleasant European experience.
As for the emergence of meaningful democracy and true human rights in China? The sooner the better, if you ask me – I want to believe it’s on the way (if only a very tiny spec on the horizon). I hope I’m right.
