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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (2236)	7/9/2001 8:43:14 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23908

Gustave, those are some interesting facts. I knew there was a level of localized economic balkanization, but hadn't thought the ramifications completely through. My whole emphasis is that China's government MUST begin the process of accountability to the people sooner rather than later. How they took the first steps can either be at a national or local level. Either way would create the beginnings of a system responsive to all the needs and desires of the citizenry, and not just a select few. Now if localized political freedom and autonomy encourages inefficient subsidization of special sectors and economic redundancy, it is incumbent upon a "Federal" government in Bejing to insure that competitive forces are permitted to work. Subsidies have to be financed through higher taxes with come from the pockets of the people. The Federal government can "motivate" the local government to cease these subsidies. Personally, I would tend to align myself with the belief that "all politics are local", but I can see where political openess could occur at a higher level, such as the creation of a Chinese paliament, as occurred after the English civil war. But there also has to be an established law based upon non-arbitrary constitutional guarantees that is upheld by a professional military and police force, separated from political activities. This could only be achieved at a higher governmental level, so maybe it would make sense to begin a "top-down" approach to democratization. The article claims that the CCP is a "weak central government". Given the corrupt structure, which amounts to now more than fiefdoms of individual politicos, each vying with one another to dominate the other, I can see where they are coming from. Every government is "weak" to a certain extent in this regard. But a strong Federal framework of laws that overlay local provincial laws will bind the nation together. But those laws have to be created from a process that creates checks and balances and accountability. Accountability not just to themselves, and the sweet-heart deals they give one another in carving up political and economic power, but accountability to the people they rule over. Hawk