The video embedded below is the second in a three-part series on democracy made by China Daily, based on an interview with Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez. In this segment, Carlos contrasts Western capitalist democracy with China’s socialist democracy, observing that the political process prevailing in countries such as the US and Britain is closer to plutocracy than democracy, owing to the persistent connection between wealth and power. “In the US, you can choose between Democrats and Republicans, but both are going to represent the capitalist class; and both are going to pursue American imperialism.” Giving an overview of the structures of China’s whole-process people’s democracy, he concludes that China is much more meaningfully democratic than the capitalist world.
Part 1 of the series can be viewed here.
Helpful information about a model of democracy that challenges western ideas that voting once every four years for a representative, is democracy.
Some questions:
Is the Chinese model participatory democracy? Is it a type of direct democracy? Or is there another term for the Chinese model? What role does the Party have in taking people’s interests into consideration?
I am from Vancouver, Canada and i wanted to say that the reason the Gov’ts of Canada and the USA slander China is that here in Canada and the USA Lies are constantly been told about China by these Gov’ts and mainstream media in both countries.A lot of people here in Canada and the USA believe these Lies by the News Media and Gov’ts.
So for the Gov’ts of Canada and the USA to keep a lot of these people in the dark to what is happening in China Canada and the USA keep telling these lies about China and the Mainstream News Media does the same. People here in Canada and the USA with a good political conscience do get the truth about China.The problem is that some people in Canada and the USA don’t have a good political conscience. It will take time for that to change.With the way things are happening at the present time that could happen sooner than later.
I agree with all that is being said. But my concern is, how can the US move from a capitalist democracy to a socialist democracy, employing much of what makes China’s communism so democratic, and how can the US reverse its hegemonic imperialism and return to a foreign relations purpose, based on common partnership rather than military brinkmanship, without engulfing the US in civil war and economic destruction?