This article by Yang Hengjun (杨恒均) in China Media Project reminds me of talking to Chinese friends of mine about elections back in early 2008. I had not a few dinners with my friend, Jane, during which I was quizzed about the on-going Presidential election. As you'll remember the Democratic Primary went on and on, and each time we met for a meal I went further into my explanation of the American National election system. First explaining what are primaries, then to having to explain the electoral college (nothing makes you feel like this is a stupid system than having to explain it to people from another country), and ultimately to super-delegates. I told her that, even the most educated people in America had never heard of such things until they came up in the spring of 2008. I was only a little surprised by her inquisitiveness, Jane is one of the most intelligent and hardworking people I've met in my life. But it is a little curious to be grilled on the inner workings of our "American experiment" especially by someone who lives in a country which generally eschews all notions of messy democracy.
Mr. Yang points out that many Chinese people misunderstand democracy, and I would add that they misunderstand politics as well. He mentions in his article how one man he was talking to pointed out that "the economy" was the largest concern to Americans polled on the recent midterm elections; this man cited this as meaning that most people in America were not concerned with "politics" and only cared about their well-being. I once met a group of economics students at an English corner hosted by their teacher, my friend, in the little pub outside Henan University in Kaifeng. They were all very eager to talk and mostly about economics, which is something of an pet interest to me. A few of their questions still stick out in my mind; one young man asked me "Where can I find articles about economics in English? I read the Financial Times online, but I can only read a few of their articles for free." I suggested The Economist (a favorite publication of mine). He said "Yeah I know about it, but I don't like it, its too political". Another students then asked me "When will China become a great economic power? Will Shanghai become a great financial center like New York?"
I must say it is odd to be asked a question like this. Maybe I ruminate on questions like this too much (it still sticks in my head after 2 years), but I can't help it. "When will China become a great economic power?" I really couldn't understand why he was asking me? I have no idea when China will become a great economic power, or what that question really means. Maybe I can guess at this, but I certainly am no expert on such things and most experts are pretty bad at prognostications. I couldn't help but think immediately of the first man's response to my suggestion of The Economist. "Too political"?? So much of economics is political. I guess if I could go back and answer that man again I would say that China can start being a "great economic power" when it recognizes that economics -growth, jobs, health, wages, prices- are all political.
Maybe I am a stereotypical democracy-loving-Westerner-come-to-China in my response and in my thinking.
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