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To: pater tenebrarum who wrote (39247)	11/20/2000 12:00:18 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

>>US election 'joke' stirs democracy debate<< STAFF REPORTER in Beijing Many people in China are using the bizarre election outcome in the United States as a chance to assess the relevance of the democratic process to the mainland. Newspaper headlines such as "America Makes a Great International Joke" have provided excellent fodder for a Chinese government sick of being told by America how best to run the country. "I think this is a great opportunity for the world and for China in particular to thumb their noses at the idea of American democracy. Is this political stability?" one Chinese journalist said. "Also, for an advanced country like America to not even be able to count the votes makes them look really stupid." For others, the US quagmire - with Democrat Al Gore resorting to the courts to challenge Republican rival George W. Bush's claim on the White House - is evidence of the merits of the democratic process, where the divergence of public opinion shows clearly through poll results. "I don't think what's happening reflects badly on democracy. Instead, I think it proves the opportunity of democracy, that there can be this kind of competition. That simply does not exist in China," said businesswoman Zhu Mei. "Ultimately, whoever is elected, the consequences will be about the same for China. America has proven itself as a stable democracy. I don't think the current problems will change that. In fact it might make it stronger." While some people feel an increasingly democratic society is inevitable, others are less than convinced Chinese are ready to vote for their leaders. "I think our conditions in America and China are quite different," Beijing cab driver Zhang Taoyan said. "In America, average people have full knowledge of their histories and social circumstances. It's not like that in China. We aren't informed enough about what is going on to be able to fairly vote for our leaders, even if we were given that right." While a debate about the relevance of the Electoral College system to today's politics rages in the United States, some Chinese have also been surprised to learn about the lack of a direct election there. "I think I can speak for most people in China, that when we think about an election, it should be one person and one vote," Mr Zhang said. "The Electoral College sounds pretty feudal to me, and if we had democracy here, I'm sure everyone would want one vote per person." worldtribune.com The appearance of political instability in the US can't be helping the confidence of foreign investors.