Buchanan, sole voice against free trade?

[Henry C.K. Liu]

You are probably right that there is a sizable faction in Beijing University that
romanticizes America as a model of reform and democratization for China.  And when you
were there, they were probalby surprised that there are such people as leftists in
America.  When I refer to non- Americans, I was referring to a global context.
As for Americans' perception of their own system, you are also right that its may be a
class thing.  Also since the 60s the trend has been that more minstream Americans are
beginning to have a more realistic perception.  Still, the majority of Americans still
believe that their government is saving the world from evil and proverty.
Citizens of other countries are probably not more informed, but they generally don't go
around bragging about how their system is the best or that unless you measure up, we are
not going to trade with you.

Henry

Stephen E Philion wrote:


> On Wed, 3 Mar 1999, Henry C.K. Liu wrote:
>
> > The different between non-Americans and Americans is that the former never bought
> > into the myth that America is a demcractic, progressive, free or just society.  So
> > when Chomsky punctures the myth from time to time, only Americans are surprised.
> > Such revelation generally elicites nothing more than a yawn from non-Americans.
>
> Gosh, how I wish this were true Henry. You should give talks to students
> at Peking University, or just about anywhere in China for that matter.
> They are generally amazed to hear that America is far less democratic or
> just than what they have come to believe, not only from American movies,
> but from many of their teachers as well.
> When Chomsky gives talks in the States, btw, he is fond of noting that not
> all Americans are suprised to hear that  America is not the baastion of
> progressive freedom. In fact, he  claims that only better to do  an d more
> 'educated' audiences struggle with the obvious. Class tends to better
> indicate how people receive radical ideas about the distribution of
> surpluses than  one's "Americaness" or "Non-Americaness"...
>
> Steve