China 2100
A very interesting article on changing Chinese political direction, written by the inimitable John Derbyshire. He makes some very good points, and if I interpret his general thrust correctly--that China's government is changing into an entirely new, heretofore unimagined form--then I have to agree with him. They'll never be a representative republic, but they won't necessarily be East Germany, either.
Frankly, the idea of a representative republic was invented in a completely different time, when the world was a fundamentally different place. Do not misunderstand me; I like living in the United States, and I love my country. But times and systems change. And, as Derb points out, the Chinese are uninhibited by antiquated, religiously-based moral constraints. Their goal is hegemony, and like all good hegemonists, they will use any and every tool available to help them reach that goal: communism, capitalism, technocracy, democracy... They're all the same to the Chinese. They use whatever is convenient to their purpose from each philosophy, and discard the rest. They are the ultimate societal scavengers--and scavengers have a disturbing habit of waiting for others to kill their enemies, then feasting upon the remains.
Like it or not, China is moving up, and their willingness to embrace new technology unreservedly will probably serve them well. Far too many Americans have been ingrained, by everyone from priests to the popular media, with a subconscious but very serious case of technophobia. There is a growing opinion in this country that some technologies--like cloning--are simply "bad," and must therefore be banned. Part religious reactionism, part neo-Ludditism, this sort of knee-jerk response is exactly what will give countries like China the opportunities they are desperately seeking. It may be perilous to play god, but it's even more perilous to pretend to know the mind of God.
Frankly, the idea of a representative republic was invented in a completely different time, when the world was a fundamentally different place. Do not misunderstand me; I like living in the United States, and I love my country. But times and systems change. And, as Derb points out, the Chinese are uninhibited by antiquated, religiously-based moral constraints. Their goal is hegemony, and like all good hegemonists, they will use any and every tool available to help them reach that goal: communism, capitalism, technocracy, democracy... They're all the same to the Chinese. They use whatever is convenient to their purpose from each philosophy, and discard the rest. They are the ultimate societal scavengers--and scavengers have a disturbing habit of waiting for others to kill their enemies, then feasting upon the remains.
Like it or not, China is moving up, and their willingness to embrace new technology unreservedly will probably serve them well. Far too many Americans have been ingrained, by everyone from priests to the popular media, with a subconscious but very serious case of technophobia. There is a growing opinion in this country that some technologies--like cloning--are simply "bad," and must therefore be banned. Part religious reactionism, part neo-Ludditism, this sort of knee-jerk response is exactly what will give countries like China the opportunities they are desperately seeking. It may be perilous to play god, but it's even more perilous to pretend to know the mind of God.
posted by Jar(egg)head at 12:31
1 Comments:
To say here in the US people think cloning is “bad” is not an accurate statement. Many scientists and physicians strongly believe that it would be unethical to attempt to clone humans. Not only do most attempts to clone mammals fail, about 30% of clones born alive are affected with "large offspring syndrome" and other debilitating conditions. Several cloned animals have died prematurely from infections and other complications. The same problems would be expected in human cloning. In addition, scientists do not know how cloning could impact mental development. While factors such as intellect and mood may not be as important for a cow or a mouse, they are crucial for the development of healthy humans. With so many unknowns concerning reproductive cloning, the attempt to clone humans at this time is considered potentially dangerous and ethically irresponsible.
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