The article I read addresses democratic reform in Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong’s reform effort is both historic and potentially far-reaching. It constitutes the most comprehensive official attempt to implement meaningful local democracy on Chinese soil since Chairman Mao’s armies seized power and established the People’s Republic in 1949."What I find interesting is how governments are mimicking each other in the quest for democracy. Personally I do not see this system as being the ultimate solution for representation of the people. If you take a look at the representation in our government it would never be considered equal. How many women representatives are there in comparison to the women population? What about minorities? People with disabilities? Homosexuals? Poor people? It seems frivolous for Hong Kong to switch to a democratic system, when clearly democracy is not the ultimate solution, unless it benefits the circle of elites in Hong Kong. What could be an alternative system that is worth fighting for? I think that democracy is deffinatly not the solution for every country.
6 comments:
What would you recommend as a different solution for the government of Hong Kong? Why do you feel this isn't the correct one?
I had to do a project on Hong Kong for a class a while ago, and also took a History of China class (only in America do we try and fit thousands of years of history in to 10 weeks) and the interplay between the highly competitive, capitalistic HK and socialized China was really interesting to me.
Something like two systems, one country?
i don't really know much about hong kong, but i can agree that democracy doesn't always work in the ways it should (and ways it is intended to function in), but rather in a way in which those in power manage to manipulate it. Democracy in itself, however, shouldn't be viewed as such a horrible ideology
I also don't know very much about Hong Kong and it's political history, but it seems to me in our current economy that there are only two prominent forms of government: democracy and autocracy. I think of the two, democracy is probably the more liberating and progressive form. However, your criticisms in your response are really valid but I think they are criticisms of our democracy. If a democracy in Hong Kong is implemented in the way you suggest, then perhaps it could be successful there. Only time will tell.
Trust me there are things I like about democracy, do you know how privileged we are to live in the United States?
As far as a different solution for Hong Kong, I do not know... I am simply critiquing what I know does not work in the United States so that Hong Kong does not imitate those qualities.
You are right whit, democracy seems to be the best solution right now, but I still do not believe it is the best.
I do know that last night at Rennie’s I was involved in a pretty hot debate with some people responding to someone saying that "we live in the best country in the world." This ethnocentric opinion is reflected on many of our global policies, and from what I know China is interconnected with our country’s policies (free-trade, outsourcing of jobs). It also got me thinking about other systems of democracy and how the European system of government (Germany, France) does it right. With their education, healthcare, clean streets, unemployment benefits, extended checks and balances, and transportation. I only hope that the transition of Hong Kong’s governmental system will change in order to benefit the people and not the elite.
Honestly, I don't know what system is worth fighting for either. It seems like in most capitalist society, whatever system it is the people in power always find a way to manipulate it. But I don't think that Hong Kong should stop fighting for democracy, nor should it be frsutrated. Right now, Hong Kong people should at least fight for universal suffrage. No matter what, that's going to be more representative than a Chief Executive appointed by the Chinese government. It's also important to get more people interested in politics, especially young people. I'm from Hong Kong. People of my generation really don't care much about politics. None of my friends and I have ever voted or participated in any political events. As long as we are not affected personally or directly, we just don't care! And of course that's not going to get us represented!
It seems to me that whatever economic or political system anybody has, there is always a problem (well, I think it's a problem) with there being those in power, who have the wealth, and those without power and without wealth. It seems we are always coming up with a system that wil supposedly equalize things (economically, politically) so everyone has an equal chance, an equal voice, but then it always happens that some people find a way to get more power and more money than the majority have.
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