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I'm a huge fan of Foreign Policy, but I do think that this article is one of their weaker pieces. It basically boils down to saying, "Well, yes, China looks str
by quanticle 14y ago
I'm a huge fan of Foreign Policy, but I do think that this article is one of their weaker pieces. It basically boils down to saying, "Well, yes, China looks strong, but it has many internal weaknesses that may bring it down, and therefore we should be careful to plan for a future in which the Communist Party falls." Well, that may be true, but it's also unhelpful. It can be said for any country. I mean, no nation is invincible or omnipotent.
Yes, China has flaws in its growth model. But are those flaws large enough to knock down the Chinese Communist Party within the next two decades? I personally don't think so.
- vilius 14y agoI wish there was a place, where you could read objective summaries of HN articles. Like yours "Well, yes, China looks strong, but it has many internal weaknesses that may bring it down, and therefore we should be careful to plan for a future in which the Communist Party falls."
- F_J_H 14y agoI'm not sure that is an "objective" summary, and hence the challenge with the type of site/place you are wishing for...
- mhurron 14y agoThey don't necessarily have to be flaws big enough to bring down the Communist government, they just have to be big enough to bring down their rise as a global power, or at least cause something of a contraction.
- paulsutter 14y agoMoreover, even if the Communist party fails (or evolves) hardly means that China will have failed. China will have crises proportionate to their incredible growth rate. But China's strong cultural emphasis on hard work, investment, and planning for the future indicate a strong future for China and the Chinese people. I see more eagerness to find an achilles heel in China than I do blind faith that it will grow or dominate.