Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: nihil who wrote (26702)	12/8/1998 5:14:00 AM
From: Dayuhan	Respond to of 108807

Democratization in China is proceeding very slowly, and the authorities deny that democratization is the objective of reform. Clearly economic reform is in full play. One of the odd little sidelights to this trend is semantic: since the economy is reforming but politics are not, what do we call them? Not communist, certainly, but certainly not democratic. At what point on the economic scale does a repressive left-wing oligarchy become a repressive right-wing oligarchy? Or will it reach a point where nobody can tell the difference? Here in the Philippines we called Marcos right-wing because he supported the US, even though he did more to bring the economy under state control than many left-leaning governments elsewhere did. It all underscores, perhaps, the silliness of the terminology of ideology. <iAn economic crisis could cause political disaster. Very true. But I wonder what happens in the absence of a major crisis, which they may still be able to avoid in the immediate sense. If the current trend - economic liberalization without political liberalization - continues long enough for the current generation of leaders to fade away, one wonders what positions the incoming generation will take. Ultimately, economic modernization will force them to expand the scope and quality of public education, and as that happens, I would guess that tight political control will be increasingly harder to maintain. Interesting scenario being played out in Korea, with the government brokering deals to make sense of the chaebol. Just announced that Samsung is going to trade its vehicle manufacturing for Daewoo's electronics. Odd way of doing it, but at least they're doing something, unlike the Japanese. Take a look at the Asia Forum thread, much interesting discussion on these topics. Steve