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Complicated thoughts on freedom and democracy
I have translated the following article from the Global Times because I think it demonstrates the depth of thinking that some Chinese people have when it comes to Western calls for democracy. It is not that I am saying the following article is right, but it shows that democracy is not a black and white issue in China. Translating this article also demonstrated that the Chinese language really struggles to differentiate the concepts of nationality and ethnicity, which ensures that Chinese people have a very different understanding of the two concepts. The article below has three main points: The concepts of race, nation and sovereignty are inseparable, that Western nations have double standards when dealing with the issue of national (ethnic?) separatism, and that the Western media should not criticise the Chinese people’s support for the games.
Who is practising irrational nationalism?
Wang Dasan (Beijing academic), published in the Global Times on 24 April 2008
In response to the Western media’s untrue reports about the Tibet March 14 incident and the discussions that have insulted China, Chinese people at home and abroad have recently organised a series of activities, including the MSN red heart petition that supports the Olympics and criticises CNN. Faced with the anger of the Chinese people, instead of some Western media organisations analysing their own ‘pride and prejudice’, they believe that the Chinese people cannot understand and accept the common values of ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. Therefore, the only way of solving China’s ‘international image crisis’ is by appealing to ‘irrational nationalistic urges’. The Western media organisations are using the ethical superiority complex contained in the ‘common values’ to constantly warn Chinese people to keep calm, analyse the ‘common values’ and solve the problem.
Let me ask you – which citizens of a country can remain ignorant when their motherland has been insulted? Chinese people hope that the world, through the confusion of the above discussion, can recognise the following simple facts and logic:
Firstly, the awareness of nationality is the naturally inherited and deeply-rooted political ideology of a modern nationality-centred nation. Its basic premise is that in support of sovereignty, the inseparable nature of race, nation and territory needs to be guaranteed. In regards to this, even the ethnic melting pot of the US, which has ‘no American ethnicity, but only American beliefs’ (quote from George W Bush) is no exception. Due to this, the President needs to pray that ‘God protects America’ at his inauguration, students need to assemble and recite their allegiance every morning, and the national flag is hoisted above every street and alley. If this is not resolute US nationalism, then what is it? In order to please Mexican consumers, a Swedish wine company recently used a picture of the US-Mexican border prior to the 1848 US-Mexico War as the background of an advertisement. This aroused the anger and protests of many US netizens and even some politicians, thus demonstrating Americans’ awareness of nationality and their sensitivity to territory and sovereignty.
Secondly, when some Western countries deal with their own problems of national separatism, they focus on their own national interests. However, they see the national separatism problems of developing countries as political problems of ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. This clearly demonstrates double standards. The Chinese people’s resolute opposition to Tibetan Independence is not because they lack knowledge and interest in freedom and democracy, but because they resolutely oppose any country using ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ to interfere with domestic Chinese politics, break up China’s territory, and damage China’s national interests. In regards to this point, ensnared with the honeyed words of ‘freedom’ and democracy’, the indignant actions of the Chinese people are also being framed as Boxer Rebellion-style immaturity.
Thirdly, every political value has its own conditions and limitations. As soon as the political value moves towards the extreme, it will become contrary to its original meaning, especially if it requires violent promotion. Even if you acknowledge that ‘common values’ exist in the world, you need to accept that different nationalities and cultures have different understandings of these ‘common values.’ This then is the true meaning of freedom and democracy. Western people usually view Western media reports and discussions, protests by Tibetan Independence separatists, and even discussions about boycotting the Olympics as ‘freedom of speech’ and as a ‘basic right’. According to this theory, isn’t the Chinese people’s opposition to Tibetan Independence and support of the Olympics also ‘freedom of speech’ and a ‘basic right’? Shouldn’t there also be understanding and respect for this? Why does the Western media change this ‘basic right’ into an irrational nationalistic urge, and even a Boxer Rebellion-style reaction?
Facts demonstrate that when those Western people that do not care about the basic rights of the Chinese people take their own nationalism and take it to the extreme, they are actually wanting to take ‘One World One Dream’ and split it into ‘Two Worlds Two Dreams’. This is something that the world cannot accept.
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Posted: 2:38 PM, 3/5/2008 in ChinaShare on Facebook |
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Good article
| That was a pretty good article; reminds me of the event I went to at the Asia Foundation in SF about <a href="http://www.micahfk.com/blog/2008/03/11/good-governance/">the role of governance</a>. Though not solely on China (it was supposed to focus on Southeast Asia), it still dealt with the concept of how people view the idea of democracy differently. |
Posted by Demerzel at 9:54 AM, 4/5/2008 |
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Chinese links?
"I have translated the following article from the Global Times ..."
Could You send the link to me?
If you have other links, in chinese, which cover this topic from a chinese perspective, I would be grateful if You cold send them to me also.
Why I'm asking?
Well, there are turbolent times in Europe now. The tension is sharpening.
And recently, where I live, in Sweden, there is a law put forward by the government, The FRA law, http://frapedia.se/wiki/Information_in_English.
This law has made many people upset, and many are beginning to questioning what kind of democracy they live in.
Many people think that with this law, You can't criticize China.
And whats even more interesting, some people now also begin to express (a hope) that China perhaps may come up with new political solutions, perhaps a new form of Democracy. |
Posted by googlesworld@hotmail.com at 8:33 PM, 29/6/2008 |
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