12-30-2018, 11:25 AM
(12-30-2018, 12:14 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: > A reminder: the concept of 'democratic centralism', an oxymoron
> because the centralization of power in an entrenched political
> elite can never be democratic, makes democracy impossible except
> in the Marxist-Leninist concept of the absence of capitalist power
> or influence in political life. Supposedly the Communist Party is
> the sole voice of the People, and if one does not like that voice,
> then tough luck.
That's absolutely right. But for political reasons, China has to
claim that it's a democracy. So if you read the 1978 document, you
can see that they've redefined the word "democracy" to mean that the
government must protect the right to criticize the CCP leaders.
Today, of course, even that definition of "democracy" fails, and that
started happening after the Tiananmen Square massacre and the collapse
of the Soviet Union.
In his speech last week, Xi said that Mao Zedong "after a long bloody
struggle [completed] the new-democratic revolution established
People’s Republic of China, established the basic system of socialism,
successfully achieved the greatest Chinese history’s most profound
social change, provided the fundamental political prerequisite and
institutional basis for all development and progress in contemporary
China."
This suggests that Mao established a new form of "democracy."
Later in his speech, Xi says:
Xi Wrote:> We want to improve democratic institutions, expand democratic
> channels, enrich the forms of democracy, improve the legal
> safeguards to ensure that the people enjoy extensive full
> accordance with the law, real concrete and effective democratic
> rights workable. We should strive to resolve the people’s urgent
> needs required by hope, let the people share the economic,
> political, cultural, social and ecological development
> achievements in various aspects, there are more and more direct
> and really get a sense of well-being, a sense of security,
> continued promote the comprehensive development of common
> prosperity of all people."
I was thinking of quoting this paragraph in my article, but I
don't even know what it means. Everything in this paragraph
is delusional politician double-talk.
Everything about his speech was delusional. This is the most paranoid
and dangerous government in the history of the world, and it's
completely out of touch with reality.
