Undercurrents of Liberty in China

Doug Bandow BEIJING, CHINA—Everything in China is big.  Including the battle over its future. I recently returned from the People’s Republic of China.  It’s always a fascinating place with a future as yet unresolved.  The country is growing economically, but no one really believes the government’s statistics.  The “one child” policy has created a birth dearth that may leave the PRC old before it grows rich.  The PRC’s future is not yet determined.  Politics remains authoritarian, and it isn’t obvious that democracy would yield a meek Beijing. Nationalism could become an even more dangerous force without the current government’s power to close off discussion.  Nevertheless, the young are restless.  Those I met had little patience with the Chinese Communist Party.  Many hoped to go to America for school, for both its educational opportunities and personal freedoms.  Moreover, they weren’t afraid to speak out in front of others. I was talking with some students about economic policy and how politics works (and fails!) in America.  One young man blurted out:  “I prefer elections, like in America for Congress.”  No one spoke up for government control over what people could read or study.  I travel the world and normally have no trouble visiting any website, no matter how controversial, wherever I am.  So I wasn’t thinking about the Great Firewall of China when I initially logged o...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs