An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right

« Obama In China: SNL Style

Useless Recovery »

Why Rising China Can’t Compete With the ‘American Dream’: La Tribune, France

Posted by WILLIAM KERN in Arts & Entertainment, International, Media, Miscellaneous, Places, Politics.
Nov 23rd, 2009 | Comments

OBAMA, HU JINTAO AND NEWLY-APPOINTED E.U. PRESIDENT, HERMAN VAN ROMPUY

Continuing with our theme tonight about whether the ‘China Model’ is a sound replacement for one that marries political and economic freedom, this article by the editor in chief of France’s La Tribune is skeptical of Beijing’s chances.

Contrary to the Saudi article we posted earlier headlined ‘China Model’ May Leave ‘Washington Consensus’ in the Dust, Francois Lenglet of La Tribune asserts that whatever economic clout China may have amassed, Beijing lacks a number of intangibles that will make it impossible to leave America behind.

For La Tribune, Francois Lenglet writes in part:

“The hour of the Chinese hyper-power is still uncertain. China has demographic weight in its favor, and its military and bubbling economy will surpass Japan next year. But it lacks an essential attribute that it will need to reign unchallenged: pragmatic dictatorships don’t fire the imagination. Their values are alarming. Even the USSR was more seductive – and not only to intellectuals – because it adhered to a universalist ideal and the promise of a new society.

“As for American power, it doesn’t only reside in the 7th fleet, the coffers of Fort Knox or the prices on the Dow Jones. America fires the imagination because it sends a message of freedom, individual achievement and respect for property: the American dream is beloved the world over. The Chinese themselves obtain American passports the moment they are able. That power of attraction has permitted the globalization of the American mode de vie [way of life], from the Big Mac to universal accounting rules, not to mention television shows.”

By François Lenglet, editor in chief

Translated By Lisa Cabral

November 17, 2009

France – Le Tribune – Original Article (French)
George W. Bush, visiting the Chinese capital several years ago, insisted on attending Sunday morning mass, making red leaders blue with rage. It’s a safe bet that Obama will be more polite and merely demand a visit the Forbidden City: the time for provocations is over. To follow in the footsteps of the first U.S. president to visit China [Nixon], he’ll be tempted to pay tribute to the power of yesterday rather than tomorrow.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.

Ads by Project Wonderful! Your ad here, right now: $0

joeinhell

As he goes whistling walking past the graveyard at night.

When his ancestors were building mud huts and eating anything didn't move fast enough to avoid being eaten, He thinks that he has some insight into the Chinese, who had a huge functioning empire with the largest cities in the world and a system of harsh but instant resolution of what would be considered legal wrangles now. A system of civil examinations that brought to the fore some the world's most admired governors.

Hey, dummy, in the late 1790s, when the Chinese told the British Government delegation of over 2000 people that the English produced nothing that they needed or wanted, they were not lying. They were totally self sufficient.

Their products were so much in demand in the Western countries that I read one study that said over 60 per cent of all the silver extracted from the conquest of South America until the revolutions went to China. That was the only pay other than sea otter pelts that they accepted.

It took the great drug pushers based in Hong kong fifty years to totally destroy a great country. The opium wars were really wars about the british selling for silver the black mud. Not just the British. The father of Theodore Roosevelt was a drug dealer in China, the grand parents of both Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt's were also drug dealers. Funny that the drug dealers of the Mafia's children all disappeared, eh? Wonder when we will elect one of them president and note that his father was in the Columbian trade.

The simple fact that George W Bush was elected president, indicates that the western world has a lot to catch up on. I would bet cash money that within 30 years the Chinese will have half of all excellent French chefs as cook and Americans will be working as servants. Wail about the Chinese moving ahead.and remember to whistle when you go by that graveyard at night.

I am not a Chinese scholar, but I do not recall such a fumbling half wit with an exaggerated notion of self worth as Bush ever running China. Hell, even the Christian evil Chiang Kai Shek wasn't that ignorant of a pig.

Don Quijote

Joeinhell,

The fact that a bunch of Brits in ships that had crossed two oceans were able to defeat the Chinese Empire on it's own turf says all that needs to be said about 18 & 19th Century China and it's leadership...

blog comments powered by Disqus