I heard from a reliable source that the Communist Party had been moving cautiously toward implementing a form of democracy systematically just as they have done to build the highly successful market economy that is driving China’s prosperity today.
Then in 2008, the last year of the G.W. Bush presidency, lack of government oversight and greed from Wall Street and American banks almost crashed the world economically and China’s leaders reeled in shock—cancelling their plans.
I read Moving China Toward Democracy: A Confucian Framework written by Kyle Baxter. It is a thoughtful piece. If Baxter’s ideas will work is still to be determined.
What has been the cornerstone of most Chinese governments has been a form of Legalism, with its harsh punishments.
If Confucianism were to be the bedrock of a democratic government in China, China’s critics in the West would have nothing to complain about.
China has never really adopted Confucian principles for political rule. Since Confucianism values individual rights along with family values, this transition would pave the way for China to retain its cultural identity and join the world as a democratic partner.
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping said it best, “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.”
See the Influence of Confucius
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the author of the award winning novels My Splendid Concubine and Our Hart. He also Blogs at The Soulful Veteran and Crazy Normal.
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