State and Democracy (was Re: Who Killed Vincent Chin?)

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

Daniel:
>>An objective look at what exists is not the same as an endorsment of it.
>>I'd defer to your judgment if you could objectively demonstrate the
>>existence of organized social forces who have the strength to overthrow the
>>present regime while at the same time resisting imperialist attacks or
>>attempts at cooptation.
>
>Well, first off, I think the word "objective" here is either jargon or just
>a joke, and is in general a concept to be a bit wary of.

OK, then, define objectivity as you think best, and then give us an
analysis of the social forces in China, according to your criteria.


>the rosy picture doesnt wash.

I don't think my posts on China give a rosy picture at all.  What's rosy
about capitalism anywhere?  I simply don't think that China, judged by
capitalist standards in the periphery, is the worst country to live in.  It
appears that you disagree, since you write:


>an "obvious" homology with both Russia and
>Yugoslavia (not Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia in a word
>anything regional?)

I think that China has a very good chance of becoming like Taiwan,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Indonesia and is trying to do so by the
same means.  Not a rosy picture.


>By not seeing any grey here, you end up
>giving way too much credit to the CCP for its alleged "achievements," just
>as you point to its brutal repressions as sadly necessary (or "objective
>necessity"?!) to preserve the revolution and/or to prevent chaos.
<snip>
>It could be a much kinder, gentler CP.

The CP can produce its Gorby, no doubt.  As in the late USSR, however, it
seems that those who are interested in reforms tend to be liberal, not
looking for a socialist alternative to what exists.  Who in China is
looking for a socialist alternative, except for a tiny minority?

Anyway, I hope I'll be proven wrong by history.

Yoshie