Is the Chinese system of Govt better than Western Democracy?

[Jesus_of_Nazareth]

Leaving aside that they are Communists (nominally at least - IMO National Socialist is more accurate) and that they have not yet got the hang of the rule of law in practice as well as in theory (but IMO no reason why they cannot sort that).

Nonetheless having a government that is essentially only a bureacracy - but which also does change at the top, with folks advancing through the system on both merit as well as connections and the usual horse trading / corruption that is the norm under all systems - does seem to have advantages, especially given that in practice the citizens of all systems are largely only directly impacted by local Government and have no actual control over those at the top (the pretence of folks voting nationally is a nonsense - all you get is folks voting for the variety of Xmas they like best, and none of them ever actually happen).

Personally I would favour replacing the One party with the Civil Service!, with membershio on merit (with exams!) and advancement at least partly due to accomplishments (and more exams!)....Democracy restricted to local government only. .....and the principles of the country based on pragmatism, Capilatism used to make the money (for both individuals and the nation) but with the over-riding purpose of advancing the interests of all the Citizens (that doesn't mean equally).

[pErvinalia]

predict shitstorm. Back later to fan the shit, if predicted shitstorm doesn't eventuate.

[Jesus_of_Nazareth]

Shitstorm welcome!

Actually a serious question........

[MrJonno]

Better for whom?

I would rather be a billionaire in China than a prisoner on death row in the US, but I would rather be middle class in the UK than in China

[Rum]

One of their main advantages is the ability to plan ten years at a time ahead and not be too bothered about the next round of elections. This is their major Ace in the current global game in my view.

I am not against the idea of a benevolent dictatorship, which seems to be more or less where they are trying to go, but the current system remains very opaque and god knows how many people are 'disappeared' by the party currently..

[Ian]

One potential problem with a one-party system which controls the media is that this control can be used to drum up support for the government at a time when the best thing for the well-being of the country would actually be for the government to fail and be replaced, in spite of any disruptions. I don't think it's any great stretch to say that the CCP's top priority is ultimately the survival of the party. When the economy is booming, they have little to fear in the way of revolt from the people. But if China's economic surging comes to a halt and even contracts a bit (a VERY distinct possibility within the next decade or so), the ability of the government to channel popular unrest away from Beijing would be much easier than in the west, where governments have little influence over the media.

The party cannot hope to rally people around believing in the ideological purity of the Chinese Communist Party any more, but when push comes to shove the party leadership won't have much trouble rallying people around the idea of believing in China. So the popular anger over an economic collapse due to failures from within can be morphed into xenophobia and nationalism, and the blaming of outsiders for their troubles. It's happened elsewhere in modern history.

[Jason]

I prefer the Vietnamese system: "Di di mao!"

[JimC]

Systematic corruption is consuming Chinese society from within, and ordinary folk have little redress against oppressive local police and bureaucrats. One day, either another revolution, or a failed one and a full-blown military dictatorship...

[Svartalf]

In other words, China is going on like it hass for the last 3 000 years or so.

[Cormac]

Fuck that. I won't live in a dictatorship.

[JimC]

Fuck that. I won't live in a dictatorship.

I wouldn't call it a dictatorship, at least not in the European or South American model. A corrupt oligarchy backed by a military whose leaders also have their snouts in the trough, perhaps...

[Rum]

Systematic corruption is consuming Chinese society from within, and ordinary folk have little redress against oppressive local police and bureaucrats. One day, either another revolution, or a failed one and a full-blown military dictatorship...

It does seem to have been the prevailing and persistent thread throughout what aver political system was in place over the centuries. I used to see it in Hong Kong all the time. And it isn't (often) seen as what we think of as corruption either. Confucianism (which arguably has not been interrupted much at all by events of the last few decades) demands respect of the elder. You can read that as for those with the most power. So any deal that is made for business and other purposes requires that you get into favour with the most senior (powerful) person in the system you are dealing with. 'Gifts' and other things follow.

We see it as corruption of course. The Chinese see it as smoothing the wheels and making good business decisions.

Of course when that results in diluted concrete causing buildings to collapse and high speed trains to crash, the consequences are obvious.

[Tyrannical]

I think we overestimate the value Chinese people put in freedom and democracy. Conformity and stability are more important to them, and thanks to an ever expanding economy have been successful in keeping the masses content.

[aspire1670]

I think I overestimate the value American people put in freedom and democracy. Conformity and stability are more important to them, and thanks to an ever expanding economy have been successful in keeping the masses content.

FIFY To show how very, very stupid your post is. Now back to your basement with you.

[Warren Dew]

Good question. Certainly I would prefer to live under a Deng or during the period influenced by him over the last few decades. Living under a Mao was much worse than living in the U.S., though, and both are products of the Chinese system.

I'm not sure whether I'd prefer living under the Chinese system over the coming decades. Corruption is increasing substantially both there and in the U.S. I think it's difficult to end that under their system without a bloody revolution. Of course, we have periodic bloody revolutions and civil wars wars as well; possibly we just think it's less likely for us because the U.S. managed to escape most of the grief from the last cycle by being protected by two oceans from the brunt of WWII.