by Mark Stern
It is my belief that it is critical to alter the image of China presented by the Democratic and Republican parties in order to minimize war. To that end I make the following points, not intending to glorify China or suggest it does not have its faults.
First, the notion that the US is democratic and China is autocratic is harmful — one can argue China is more, albeit differently democratic than the US. The US is an oligarchy, not a democracy. Monied interests determine policy, particularly on economic matters. While ultimate decisions in China are made by the party elite, it is usually after engaging local communities in discussions.
In China there are corporations, but the state exercises considerable control over them. In the US corporations exercise considerable control over the government.
Furthermore, China is largely for the people, however it arrives at that result. The result is that China has eliminated most extreme poverty in a conscious effort over the last decade or two. There is no homelessness; indeed, there is a glut of housing. There is little or no unemployment. China provides universal health care, free education, and housing. The US does little of that. Instead, it expends its resources on military spending and its “manifest destiny.”
As for global warming, China is a major polluter, but far behind the US despite having a much larger population. It has effective high-speed transit and electric cars. While it is the no. 2 polluter, it is working to address that, while the US is headed in the other direction.
As for overseas military bases, the US has more than 600; they encircle both China and Russia, who together have about 40. The US has been perpetually at war for 90% of its 240 years. And it has used nuclear weapons twice. China has not been at war since Korea and Vietnam, and has never used nuclear weapons. The US military budget dwarfs China’s.
China has not invaded Taiwan. Indeed it anticipates Taiwan will become part of China over time for economic reasons. The US has invaded Iraq and Afghanistan in recent times.
China’s investment in other countries has its negative sides, but no more so than the US; and it has been generally regarded with more trust in Africa, and to some degree in Latin America. Furthermore, China does not, for better or worse, discriminate against popular governments, like those in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia.
As for treatment of indigenous peoples, China has a mixed record. It enshrines their right in its Constitution, but also tries to indoctrinate them into a socialist view of the world. Tibet, for one example, is a semi-autonomous region where the people have education, medical care and education; for all the Dalai Lama sympathy expressed by liberals, under the Dalai Lama’s rule most if not virtually all of the people were feudal serfs, a/k/a slaves.
Mark Stern is a Massachusetts attorney. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.