NationStates Jolt Archive

Just a quick straw-poll for an essay I'm writing:
'Does China need political change. If so, of what kind?'

You can answer the second part if you like, but the poll only covers the first part.
In answering, take into consideration the consequences of political change - that makes up part of the need. So if you think political change in China would result in an orgy of death, then the answer is no.

ta much

Does it need political change? Yes. The government in Beijing is too inefficient to run the type of state China has become, and it encourages corruption and economic distortion (such as that peg of the yuan to the dollar). In addition, the Chinese censorship of information is counterproductiive, and does not allow the state to use its greatest resource fully: its people.
So what does it need to do? It first needs to gurantee full liberty to religion, speech and the press, and must allow for competing parties other than the Communist one. Once that happens, I am confident that the rest of the necessary change will follow, preferably leading to a democratic China (and maybe even in union with Taiwan).

Does it need political change? Yes. The government in Beijing is too inefficient to run the type of state China has become, and it encourages corruption and economic distortion (such as that peg of the yuan to the dollar). In addition, the Chinese censorship of information is counterproductiive, and does not allow the state to use its greatest resource fully: its people.
So what does it need to do? It first needs to gurantee full liberty to religion, speech and the press, and must allow for competing parties other than the Communist one. Once that happens, I am confident that the rest of the necessary change will follow, preferably leading to a democratic China (and maybe even in union with Taiwan).

Interesting. Ta for your view.
I voted no, as I think the chances of political reform tearing the country apart are far too great. That's not to say I wouldn't like to see the above changes in China if they didn't involves thousands of deaths.

Interesting. Ta for your view.
I voted no, as I think the chances of political reform tearing the country apart are far too great. That's not to say I wouldn't like to see the above changes in China if they didn't involves thousands of deaths.
They may, but it is sort of expected from a country this big. I expect that a few thousand people will be killed by fringe groups grasping for power, but they would be of no serious threat. In the worst-case scenario, being civil war, hundreds of millions may die.

They may, but it is sort of expected from a country this big. I expect that a few thousand people will be killed by fringe groups grasping for power, but they would be of no serious threat. In the worst-case scenario, being civil war, hundreds of millions may die.

It's true. And look what happened in the last civil war...it gave us the CCP on mainland China, and the KMT in the other part of China...not a happy few decades since then.

No - need the stability that a big, inefficient governement provides.

Yes - need an outlet for the ambitions of the newly wealthy who are excluded from the Communist party.

Maybe Yes - if they can get to a 2 party state with a big inefficient government (like Washington), with room for the wealthy to have contribution but not total control, then Yes.

But I am a pessimist and do not think change can be managed so well so voted no.

...hundreds of millions may die.

So? There'd be a lot less people. :p

So? There'd be a lot less people. :p

Ugh... :(

Voted no. I still think about the last time people there tried to change...
If it is, well, it had better be a slow one. Such a government doesn't exactly react well to sudden, or radical change...

It needs a change, not a complete overhaul, however.

They need an influx of leaders who recognize China as the global economic power it is and end the protectionism they so love. They need to open up economically.

As it is, they could get hurt very hard by the devaluation of the dollar and the current Korean and Japanese banking crisis.