4 ms·

If their values are stability and prosperity then why do they look down on Western governance which has resulted in both more stability and greater prosperity t

by aianus 7y ago

If their values are stability and prosperity then why do they look down on Western governance which has resulted in both more stability and greater prosperity than China?

dmoy 7y ago
It's kind of like (and this is a terrible metaphor/analogy, so sorry) why some companies have a higher market cap but lower revenue and profit. Trajectory matters. I don't know why you get downvoted for asking that, it's an eminently reasonable question to ask. Also most Chinese I've talked to don't look down on Western governments or structure of government, they just don't have any particular motivation for thinking it's better for them. I can't say what the average person in mainland actually thinks, of course.
dirtyid 7y ago
Because successful western governance is predicated from stability and prosperity developed through state capitalism. Not the other way around. Almost everywhere western governance model has been applied without first developing domestic industries via state directed mercantilism, the country either fails or stays poor. You need an authoritarian government phase to rapidly build a base. China is following the proven Asian Tiger model, it just takes longer to uplift 1.4b people, if that's possible at all. Almost every rich western country today behaved like China during their industrial revolution. Also they're not blind, every Chinese can look to Indian and know democracy + huge population either doesn't work or doesn't work fast enough.
- aianus 7y ago
  > Almost every rich western country today behaved like China during their industrial revolution I'm not a historian so please correct me if I'm wrong but the US gained independence, democracy, and the rule of law well before the industrial revolution. I'm pretty sure 90%+ of the population were still subsistence farmers back then. Outside of the world wars I'm not sure the US ever practiced state capitalism either. They didn't even have a central bank until 1913.

by aianus 7y ago

If their values are stability and prosperity then why do they look down on Western governance which has resulted in both more stability and greater prosperity than China?

dmoy 7y ago

It's kind of like (and this is a terrible metaphor/analogy, so sorry) why some companies have a higher market cap but lower revenue and profit. Trajectory matters. I don't know why you get downvoted for asking that, it's an eminently reasonable question to ask. Also most Chinese I've talked to don't look down on Western governments or structure of government, they just don't have any particular motivation for thinking it's better for them. I can't say what the average person in mainland actually thinks, of course.

dirtyid 7y ago

Because successful western governance is predicated from stability and prosperity developed through state capitalism. Not the other way around. Almost everywhere western governance model has been applied without first developing domestic industries via state directed mercantilism, the country either fails or stays poor. You need an authoritarian government phase to rapidly build a base. China is following the proven Asian Tiger model, it just takes longer to uplift 1.4b people, if that's possible at all. Almost every rich western country today behaved like China during their industrial revolution. Also they're not blind, every Chinese can look to Indian and know democracy + huge population either doesn't work or doesn't work fast enough.

aianus 7y ago
> Almost every rich western country today behaved like China during their industrial revolution I'm not a historian so please correct me if I'm wrong but the US gained independence, democracy, and the rule of law well before the industrial revolution. I'm pretty sure 90%+ of the population were still subsistence farmers back then. Outside of the world wars I'm not sure the US ever practiced state capitalism either. They didn't even have a central bank until 1913.