democracy in China ? / Chinese History

[~jK~]

Edited September 30, 2009 by ~jK~

[~jK~]

I'm just sitting down to study Chinese history 101 for the first time and based on what can see from China's past, I'm not seeing any 'seeds' of democracy and it looks like there will always be some sort of non-democracy type rule for quite some time.

Not that this is a problem... the kingship model has a number of advantages.

Yoda

 

Yoda -

The system of electing the leaders in China is largely the same that Perot tried to install in USA back in the 1990's.

 

In my opinion it is a Tremendous advance over the USA system - read & search the URL's & make your own opinion.

 

Here it is spelled out: (my labeling may be wrong but the chain of command is hopefully correct)

The Levels

"The Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for three levels: the province, county, and township. However, two more levels have been inserted in actual implementation: the prefecture, under provinces; and the village, under townships. There is a sixth level, the district public office, below counties, but it is being abolished. The People's Republic of China administers 33 province-level regions, 333 prefecture-level regions, 2,862 county-level regions, 41,636 township-level regions, and several village-level regions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_div...of_China#Levels

Each of the levels correspond to a level in the Civil service of the People's Republic of China."

 

The village elects a village leader (mayor).

The Village leaders elect a district cheif (senator).

The district cheifs elect province heads. (Like a Goveor.)

The District Province heads the other top offices. (maybe the chiefs take part in this too)

http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Prog...-gov.html#lists

The Hall of the People in China, - where most of the politics is aired - AKA - The Great Auditorium, with volume of 90,000 cubic meters, seats 3,693 in the lower auditorium, 3,515 in the balcony, 2,518 in the gallery and 300 to 500 on the dais. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hall_of_the_People

 

The Main difference between Chinese government system & USA government system is that in the Chinese system - everyone that is voting for someone - Personaly KNOWS that someone - sometimes for all their life.

And There is no Contributions or TV or mass media involved... It is based on personal knowledge - Not

the Belief System of USA's TV electorial system...[/b]

 

Check out who elected/OWNS Obama: Think Actors, Media and who OWNS the Media in USA as you read the list: http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contribut...te_id=P80003338

 

Time in HK: 3:00 PM

Edited September 30, 2009 by ~jK~

[Marblehead]

 

The Main difference between Chinese government system & USA government system is that in the Chinese system - everyone that is voting for someone - Personaly KNOWS that someone - sometimes for all their life.

And There is no Contributions or TV or mass media involved... It is based on personal knowledge - Not

the Belief System of USA's TV electorial system...[/b]

 

And this, IMO, gives the potential for their system to be 'better' than what we have in the United States. The concept is truely 'republic'.

 

Happy Trails!

[Yoda]

jK,

 

Thanks for the TV info! I'm interested in learning Cantonese, so I'll look for a channel or two in that format.

 

Your pal,

Yoda

[Yoda]

jK,

 

Thanks for the politics lesson too! Extremely cool about the local elections!!! I like how each stage elects the next!

 

Per the wiki, it's still top down on a national level: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_t...public_of_China

 

 

Your pal,

Yoda

 

~~~

 

 

Questions to whomever:

 

How free is internet access in China? I don't know anything about it but I've heard that US corporations like google cooperate to filter out stuff but I have no idea what that means in practice. Is one able to see the above wiki link?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my very limited experience it seems that the Chinese, especially youthful Chinese, are very happy with their government verses in the USA everyone seems fairly critical of our own system.

 

Could that mean that the Chinese system is simply better? Chinese gov't doesn't allow much dissent in the airwaves? Different cultural personalities? Glass half full vs half empty? China's past underdog international status creates more national pride?

 

What is health care like in China? I've heard it said that Chinese hospitals require cash up front but that it's affordable.

[~jK~]

jK,

 

Thanks for the TV info! I'm interested in learning Cantonese, so I'll look for a channel or two in that format.

 

Your pal,

Yoda

 

Yoda,

We cannot judge one nation without judging all nations - equaly.

Both USA & China do not want preverted material on the net, someone working to create a civil war in the nation, someone posting 'how to make destruction' etc...

I see the website: "Per the wiki, it's still top down on a national level: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_t...public_of_China "

 

Remember - anyone can write whatever they wish in Wiki . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I suggest that you study Mandarin over Cantonese for a number of reasons.

Cantonese is in the process of being phased out in an effort to avoid confusion in communication in China that began 0ver 2,000 years ago when the Emperor discovered there were up to 19 ways to write some words...

 

Cantonese is the most difficult language in the world (no joke) to learn as it has 6 t0nes to be mastered whereas many Cantonese say it has 9 tones. Here is the 6 tones

http://www.uiowa.edu/~linguist/faculty/bec...01/cantone.html

Here is a page on the the 9 tones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Cantonese

In contrast - Mandarin (Chinese call Mandarin: Putongwa - 'Wa' means language - the 'a' has a sound like the 'ah' that we southerners make when we understand something ) has only 4 tones.

To speak Cantonese - you will need lessons from a Cantonese speaking person.

If you learn Cantonese in USA - when you speak it - people will laugh and say 'un mein bak' which means 'I do not see the sun and moon as white' which means 'I don't understand'. - When you learn Chinese - you must learn it from -several - different angles before you get its use to be understood -by you.

Back to the 'wa' sound - it also means Bull Sht! or Great! or 'I am really suprised !'

The shops -rarely- sell Cantonese material in the USA...

Cantonese speakers understand Putongwa but Putongwa speakers rarely understand Cantonese.

There are 73,000 Chinese words in the dictionary. When using the 9 tones - it is more than twice as difficult.

There are more reasons but I think you get the picture...

 

9: 42 AM in Hong Kong

Edited October 1, 2009 by ~jK~

[~jK~]

jK,

 

Thanks for the politics lesson too! Extremely cool about the local elections!!! I like how each stage elects the next!

 

Per the wiki, it's still top down on a national level: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_t...public_of_China

Your pal,

Yoda

 

~~~

Questions to whomever:

 

How free is internet access in China? I don't know anything about it but I've heard that US corporations like google cooperate to filter out stuff but I have no idea what that means in practice. Is one able to see the above wiki link?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my very limited experience it seems that the Chinese, especially youthful Chinese, are very happy with their government verses in the USA everyone seems fairly critical of our own system.

 

Could that mean that the Chinese system is simply better? Chinese gov't doesn't allow much dissent in the airwaves? Different cultural personalities? Glass half full vs half empty? China's past underdog international status creates more national pride?

 

What is health care like in China? I've heard it said that Chinese hospitals require cash up front but that it's affordable.

 

 

Y-

I studied Chinese medicine enough to the point that I haven't been sick over the last 10 years but when I've gone with friends - they did not pay over 5$ for clinic or hospital treatment at state owned treatment centers. The medication is charged for but it is afordable.

Private hospitals are a different story.

Here is a few websites where you can write: Hong Kong Baptist Hospital http://www.hkbh.org.hk/en/index.htm

Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital http://www.ha.org.hk/haho/ho/hesd/100152e.htm

 

All hospitals, in Hong Kong, are under this one government branch: http://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_index.asp

 

Y-

As a 'generalized' statement - The people of China are as happy as a fat hog in warm mud on a cold day with their government.

 

Go on facebook or the others to ask them direct.

Edited October 1, 2009 by ~jK~

[~jK~]

[Yoda]

jK,

 

Thanks for the info!! You are a great resource!!! It's my understanding that you are absolutely right: the best Chinese to learn for most students is the standardized one, but my Taoism teacher recommended Cantonese for my purposes.

 

Your pal,

Yoda

[~jK~]

jK,

 

Thanks for the info!! You are a great resource!!! It's my understanding that you are absolutely right: the best Chinese to learn for most students is the standardized one, but my Taoism teacher recommended Cantonese for my purposes.

 

Your pal,

Yoda

 

Good Luck ! It is more than a dying dialect - It is only spoken in Hong Kong area which is very small. It is about as common as the Gullah language of S.C. 's Island area... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah_language

[Yoda]

So I reached the 1950s in my Chinese History course... amazing story!!! Recent history is seriously brutal stuff but the worst of it is over, fortunately.

[Marblehead]

So I reached the 1950s in my Chinese History course... amazing story!!! Recent history is seriously brutal stuff but the worst of it is over, fortunately.

 

Yes, there has been a lot of brutality in China's history. Sad but that's the way it was.

 

Happy Trails!

[gendao]

"Haha Lung" has an interesting book on martial arts secret societies and their connection to post-Ming politics...branching even to Sun Yatsen.