Imagining A Federal, Multi-Party China Of State Funded Parties

Imagining A Federal, Multi-Party China Of State Funded Parties

China will not become a democracy like America. Tibet will not become another country. Taiwan will not seek or get full independence. But China can not remain as it is. China has to become a federal, multi-party democracy of state funded parties. The Chinese Communist Party could still rule for a decade or two uninterrupted if such a change were to be brought about. But the CCP is nowhere close to budging, not even an inch, on democracy. They don't feel a counter force.

Mainstream China itself will have to rise. Tibet and Taiwan alone can't do it.

Tibet In The 1950s Was Politically Feudal

The idea of an unelected spiritual leader also being the political leader has no place in this century. The Tibetan diaspora has to engineer a church and state separation. I am a Buddhist, I think the world of the Dalai Lama. But political leadership must be separate and elected.

The protests in Tibet lack political clarity. The oppression and discrimination are very real. And it is obvious the protesting crowds have been inspired by what happened in Burma in Fall 2007, and in Nepal in April 2006, January-February 2007, and February 2008. Street action is the best way to fight entrenched authoritarianism.

The efforts in Nepal succeeded because there was political clarity. That was lacking in Burma, and is lacking now in Tibet.

Chinese Action

China's economic growth for the past few decades has much to teach the rest of the Third World. Don't throw the baby with the bath water. The communist party's autocracy is not a reason to disrespect its amazing economic stewardship.

China: Bank To The Third World

China has been a banker to America. But why America? China instead should become a banker to the Third World. Kind of like micro credit, but between countries.

Wake Up CCP

The only way Taiwan will become just another province of China is if China becomes a multi-party democracy. Because China is not a democracy, it finds itself on the side of dictatorships in many parts of the world, be it Burma, or Darfur. That is no way to become a world power. China has worked hard to learn western technology. Mao's Marxism was imported from the west. The Chinese Communist Party should now work hard to learn western democracy. But it need not be a photocopy. It can be an improved version.

China can not realize its full potential as a one party state. But if the CCP is the reason why China becomes a federal, multi-party democracy of state funded parties, then the CCP gets to continue to be in power for decades. That would make things smooth. It would become a model democracy. In American democracy money has too much influence. China could be the new and improved version of democracy.

Human Rights

There is a document called the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. There is a reason it starts with the word universal. Religious freedom is a basic human right. In a federal, multi-party China, Tibet will be one of many states. The Dalai Lama may be the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, and Buddhists all over the world, but he will not be a political leader. A regional Tibetan party may compete at the ballot box with the CCP for state power in a state parliament. That is the future we have to move towards.





In The News

Obama recaptures edge over Clinton USA Today 48% of Democratic voters favoring Obama and 45% Clinton.
Media Asks "The Beginning of the End for Clinton?" NPR A "drumbeat" has started to sound in the media the past week with the speech on race by Sen. Barack Obama and with the announcement of Bill Richardson's endorsement of Obama - "this could be the beginning of the end for Clinton." ...... Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning." ..... there will be no knockout blow, no head shot. Rather it will be a long, slow exit that causes pain to everyone involved
First a Tense Talk With Clinton, Then Richardson Backs Obama New York Times despite two months of personal entreaties by her and her husband ...... described Mr. Clinton as more philosophical than angry about it. ..... rejecting the candidacy of a close friend ...... “There’s something special about this guy,” Mr. Richardson said of Mr. Obama. “I’ve been trying to figure it out, but it’s very good.” ...... Richardson stopped returning Mr. Clinton’s calls days ago ....... as of Friday, Mr. Richardson said, he had yet to pick up the phone to tell Mr. Clinton of his decision. ...... Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said ....... a positive campaign about hope and opportunity ...... Richardson is the 62nd superdelegate to endorse Mr. Obama since Feb. 5, compared with fewer than five who have moved into Mrs. Clinton’s column since then.

After Years of Political Turmoil, Nepal Busily Prepares for Vote Washington Post a decade of insurgency that claimed an estimated 14,000 lives and left this nation the poorest in the world outside Africa ..... Its first attempt at democracy was in 1950, but for more than five decades, the king and parliament engaged in power plays that sapped the country. The political turmoil was punctuated in 2001 when the crown prince gunned down 10 members of the royal family, including the king, before shooting himself. ......... scattered violence continues ..... Armed groups calling for autonomy for Nepal's southern Terai region, on the Indian border, have threatened to stage attacks and disrupt the vote. ...... Maoists have been accused of several other attacks on candidates, and on Tuesday a Maoist group was accused of charging a police post after rival candidates fled inside for protection. For their part, the Maoists accused police in another district of threatening to open fire on locals if they did not vote for the Nepali Congress party. ......... Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party has said he will succeed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala .... the first act of the constituent assembly will be to abolish the monarchy

Political Memo Clinton Treats Obama Pastor With Extreme Caution New York Times
Former rival endorses 'extraordinary' Obama Independent
Richardson Throws Support to Obama Washington Post
Obama Aide: Bill Clinton Like McCarthy The Associated Press
Gallup: Obama has narrowed Clinton's lead to 2 points USA Today Over the past two days, Clinton's advantage has narrowed from 7 points to 5 points and now to 2. ...... the race is back to a near tie. It is possible that Obama's aggressive efforts to diffuse the Wright story, including a major speech ... have been effective.
Obama outpaces Clinton again at fundraising Bizjournals.com in January, Obama raised $242,745 in the Pittsburgh region, compared with Clinton's $146,055

Tibetans appeal for world's help, but they're resigned to getting ... International Herald Tribune with the world counting on the emerging superpower to keep the global economy ticking as the United States appears headed into a recession. ....... Nancy Pelosi, lent her voice, calling China's crackdown "a challenge to the conscience of the world." ...... Pelosi was the first major foreign official to meet the Dalai Lama since the start of the unrest. She visited him in Dharmsala ...... a planned meeting between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Dalai Lama. ..... last year China temporarily barred U.S. warships from docking in Hong Kong after U.S. President George W. Bush presented the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor.
After repeated clashes with China, Taiwanese voters look for a quiet spell advocates wedding Taiwan's high-tech expertise with China's white-hot economic boom to restore the island of 23 million people to its former place as one of Asia's four economic tigers, together with Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong. ...... 57-year-old Ma, who has a doctorate in law from Harvard .... a democracy that often descends into brawling on the floor of Parliament.
Dalai Lama gives Pelosi a warm welcome in India
Wall Street's slump becomes Main Street's problem

From Wall St. to Main St., an economic slump deepens The broadening of the economic slowdown, the plunge in home prices and near-paralysis in the financial system are fueling worries that what most economists now see as an inevitable recession could end up being especially painful. ...... the downturn will last longer and inflict more bite on workers and businesses than the last two recessions, which gripped the U.S. economy in 2001 and for eight months straddling 1990 and 1991. ..... rising incomes in China, India and elsewhere spell growing demand for meat. ...... economists say, as the impact of lowered interest rates kicks in later this year, encouraging businesses to expand and hire. Tax rebate checks to be mailed out by the government this spring may lubricate spending as well. ..... the economy will shrink only modestly during the first half of 2008, then resume expanding as more money washes through the system. ....... Households have borrowed against the increased value of their property to buy cars, send their children to college and add home theater systems.

Bhutanese reluctantly stepping into world of democracy

Obama Has Clear Money Advantage The Associated Press Clinton lived hand to mouth during the rush of presidential primaries while Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama outspent her and put money in the bank. ...... Obama raised at a clip of nearly $2 million a day in February, an open spigot of money that left him with $30 million in the bank for March. ..... even though he outspent Clinton 2-to-1 heading into the March 4 contests in Texas and Ohio, he lost both those primaries ...... On Friday, a month before the primary in Pennsylvania, Obama launched three ads in the state, two of them brand new. One is a 60-second commercial that is mostly biographical; the other two are 30-second spots that portray Obama as a politician who fights special interests and who works in a bipartisan way. ....... the general election money can only be used in the fall. Whoever loses the nomination would have to return that money to the donors. Clinton has been the most aggressive at raising general election money, with nearly $22 million in the bank. Obama has $8 million set aside for the fall.