This century is often said to belong to China as its amazing growth has taken place without an American-style capitalist democracy. I contend that should China replicate a US democracy, such internal national change would result in an immense global change. The world’s economy is now heavily dependent on the production machines of China, and in turn, these are dependent on certain social and economic functions. Therefore, an alien change to this, would create alien changes to the global economic landscape.
Let’s ponder the following: if the Chinese are to have two main parties competing for a “Red-House”; if the Chinese were to have a Congress; the paraphernalia of mid-term and end-term elections: if they held presidential elections generating armies of political rivals; if the Chinese dedicated time and resources to elections and their campaigns; if the Chinese media followed the model of say Fox News, then Chinese workers may be distracted from intensive production. They may be inclined to spend more time on American modes of political awareness, for spin, for tea parties and for endless debates. Such political matters could perhaps have an impact on the entire world economy and bring unexpected changes.
With an eye ever tuned to media representation and the likes of certain media houses, the Chinese government would be compelled to wage wars with neighbouring countries, and use their energies to spread their democracy. They would require resources to fund their allies, among them a ‘coalition of the willing’, and of course the Chinese would need to budget for war veterans returning from conflict zones.
Lisbeth Moeller, a writer who specialises on China and East Asia, claims that China’s populace appears to appreciate a level of democracy under the current circumstances that is more advanced than what Western definitions concede. Chinese citizens already perceive their society as democratic in ways they consider important, thus diminishing the requirement for a regime change.
We must conclude the Chinese people, comprehend and inscribe a form of democracy that suits their society. Therefore, an American-style democratic model may not best serve the world.
- The reader is a German director of a research center based in Abu Dhabi
