School of Vice's response to XMEN's message

Barbaric and distressing sights of execution of convicted citizens like this one is a common occurrence in China under single party rule since the Chinese Communist Party seized power in 1949 - School of Vice

This message to School of Vice: Pertaining to Eric on TED.

To School of Vice,

What Eric was saying is true for a country like China of more than 1.3 billion, but do not expect other countries to follow Chinese’s model of political system. What may work for China does not always work for other countries. Perhaps those surveys presented by Eric were in fact true, but I think the majority of Chinese population might not agree with the One Party ruling, but this is only presented from Eric’s point of view and not shared by those who are living outside of China. Look around you when you are leaving your home today, and see how many Chinese people are living next door to you. If China is so well informed and managed by its government policies, you would not see Chinese are migrating to other countries. The One China Policy might be great for those who are running the government of elite Chinese, but look from a larger perspective and you will see that China is not anywhere near the United States when it comes to freedom of expression and pollution control. If China is so great under its Politburo, Eric would have moved to China already and Eric would have a chance to present his analysis on TED, but since Eric is living in the United States of America, thus, Eric is able to complete his studies and established such informative presentation and shared with TED. Eric it is only happens in the United States of America because of a legitimacy of Plural Democracy. I wish Eric would move back to China and stake his claim of legitimacy when he is openly speaking about the Chinese Policy out in the open such place not available in China. I rest my case, but thanks to Eric, it made possible for Eric to speak openly comparing to the fail of democracy while Eric is promoting China One Policy. Eric, I tell you, if this is not TED and this is not America, you would not have a chance to speak your mind my friend.

Thanks


XMEN

****

Dear XMEN,

Sorry I've just seen your message regarding this TED talk delivered by Mr Eric Li. If truth be known I had not given it much thought or interest despite the fact that it was posted by the blessed Ms Jendhamuni Sos! Nevertheless, I went back to the post and tried to make some sense out of it so I could say a few words about it in courtesy to your message. And yes my hunch about its contents and purport is, alas, justified. Unless, this man was pulling our leg or fooling around and or had a complete change in direction after the 5.50 minute mark where the words 'Adaptability', 'Meritocracy' and 'Legitimacy' appeared as characteristics of the Chinese single party governing model [all written in capital] that I stopped wasting my time following through the rest of the lecture.

Now why did I stop at that point? Because until then he had made a series of amusing observations about the grand narratives that have turned out to be just great, but ultimately unrealisable dreams and delusions of mankind. Some years back a man of Japanese descend - Francis Fukuyama - working at the US State department came to similarly grand conclusions about the triumph of market democracy and capitalism some years after the collapse of the old Soviet Empire and the lack of any alternative challenge to this exploitative corporate market model in an essay suitably and grandiosely entitled "The End of History". I remember having a discussion about the author's essay and its main thrust of argument from what I had read in the reviews of his work in the press at the time and the reference I made to it as a complete 'nonsense' during a small seminar with a distinguished professor of mine who was clearly taken aback by my rather impertinent tone and strong choice of word. But, of course, School of Vice was a lot younger at the time and much more rebelliously outspoken too!

Well the reason I stopped following this talk by Eric at point 5.50 minute was because he started eulogizing about China's single party system by using the words 'adaptability', 'meritocracy' and 'legitimacy' to characterise that system. What an insult he is, not only to the hundreds of students and protesters who were crushed to death like insects at the Tiananmen massacre by the PLA, but also to all freedom loving people everywhere.

There's not enough space for me to give a full elaborate rebuttal to this 'nonsense' from Mr Eric here. I don't know exactly what Mr Eric is or was smoking at the time; and I personally couldn't care less, and wouldn't waste time on it or over it had it not been raised by readers such as yourself and others.

I recall the words of some of my tutors who said something about both the Left and the Right of the political spectrum being extreme and oppressive. I do accept, however, that at this point in history most people would rather opt to live with the so-called 'Free World' rather than under any other alternative systems of governance on offer. At the same time, it is foolish to imagine that any of these systems are above defects or improvement, and we have witnessed growing signs of unease and disenchantment with transnational capitalism and the world of powerful faceless corporations that Karl Marx and other economists have long envisaged and feared would come to rule our lives and make us all cogs in the wheel of its machine.

As for Mr Eric I suspect he is out to 'spin' a detestable one-party ruling model, and just like Francis before him, may have his axe to grind or a pay check to draw.

It would not do justice to the topic at hand for me to go through it in passing like this. We should bear in mind that whilst the two main ruling models to some extent adopt some features belonging to the other [e.g. Marxian critique of capitalism has led to the movement towards state welfare reform or provisions] it is ‘liberal democracy’ on the whole rather than any known single party system including, but not limited to, that of China, that has shown itself to be more amenable to the climate of progressive social historical development along that ‘linear’ trajectory mentioned by Mr Eric, who I hasten to add, at this juncture is doing a great job promoting what Marx himself terms "Oriental Despotism" which is not my cup of tea, nor I trust yours also.

Kindest,

School of Vice