China has elections---yeah right!

There has been a fair bit on the news lately about the Chinese Communist Party Convention, for want of the correct description about the process this august body goes through to select the leadership that will prevail for the next ten years. In plain speak, that means the party hacks will jumble, rumble and stumble towards rubber- stamping the candidate who everyone knows has already been decided on. That my friends represent Chinese ‘democracy. Oops, there goes my free ticket to receive accolades for publishing my books in China---just kidding.

OK, it is easy for us in the so called ‘freedom loving democracies in the West and other nations that now purport to be ‘democratic.’ It is easy for us to sit in judgment of this huge and incredibly power economic giant. The time of ideological struggle and one-upmanship has really passed in the new reality of economic fact. We need China and China needs us, so it’s all very polite when it comes to discussing human rights issues.

Yes, we get to vote for candidates (chosen by the various parties) representing the various parties every three years in New Zealand. We like to call this democracy and for all intent and purpose, it is. The Chinese have ruled China since 1949, like a modern day dynasty and their way is often at odds with what we value.

One needs to remember the vastness; geographically and in population terms. I struggle to see and understand how our system could ever be transported into that giant of a country. Imagine the possibilities for corruption--- the mind boggles. Of course I am not saying that corruption is not rife in China, under the auspices of the Daddy Communist Party. The new ‘leader has even mentioned it as an issue.

Take the true meaning of Communism in all of its forms. I very much doubt that there is any model that comes close to the pragmatic control of the present regime.

Lenin, Marx et al. must be turning in their graves (not heaven of course as the ‘opiate of the people’—religion, would not allow for that) when they see how Communism has morphed in China to represent a ‘Capitalistic’ mishmash that has little that is true other than empty Party words, demanding loyalty and to shut the hell up if one has a brain that challenges the system.

One can be rich in modern China and as long as you don’t criticize the Party, then you will be fine. The only other way to have influence of course is to join the Party and go from there to build on your lifestyle. That the two classes coexist is typically Chinese. The Emperors of old had similar understandings with the rich upper-class sectors of society.

My blog is not anti-Chinese. Indeed there is no doubt that the Party has overseen the rise of countless millions from poverty and overseen the rise of a bourgeoning middle class. It is that very group that will challenge and demand the ‘niceties’ of democracy.

PS.  China has banned access to Google during this time of ‘the changing the guard.’ Read into that what you will.