http://www.opendemocracy.net/interesting_times_0 Comments for "Interesting times, " en http://www.opendemocracy.net/interesting_times_0#comment-433322 Hi I totally agree with you that China must develop a strategy asap to cool down the overheated economy. I did see some hope when the CCP annouced the 'go west'policy but apparently it is not very well performed. For level of corruption in the better developed area is high, those officials would be reluctant to allow the 'cash cow' to go west. China would be another 'Iran' if these problems are not tackled and honestly I do not think Hu and Wen have the gut to deal with it. I'm waiting and see praying. Sun, 18 Apr 2004 06:45:47 +0000 spursummer comment 433322 at http://www.opendemocracy.net http://www.opendemocracy.net/interesting_times_0 The closest parallel I can find with China's breakneck economic development is the late seventies in Iran. What happened there was the growing disparity between the developing cities, especially Tehran, and the unajusted, unprepared workers sucked in from the countryside. South Tehran, where these labourers had to be housed in large numbers, became the recruiting ground for the religious revolutionaries. Corrupt government, the presence of "spiritually polluting foreigners" and a resurgent spiritual movement led by a charismatic Ayatollah, combined with the abuses of a secret police that finally alienated the middle class from the Shah's regime, allowed the last real revolution of the 20th century to succeed. My point for discussion is: does China need to learn from those "interesting times" in Iran and what lessons is it likely to draw? That centralist top-down government should be maintained at all cost to assure "stability"? That "spiritual movements" and their charismatic leaders are the greatest danger to watch out for? That development in China needs to diversify away from the cities and the coast? That great care should be taken not to alienate the newly prosperous middle classes by heavy handed political policing? I welcome your thoughts.<div class="forum-topic-navigation"><a href="/the_white_indigenous_british_people_0" class="topic-previous" title="Go to previous forum topic">‹ The White indigenous British people</a> <a href="/why_we_need_to_take_immigration_seriously_reply_to_zrinka_bralo_0" class="topic-next" title="Go to next forum topic">Why we need to take immigration seriously. (reply to Zrinka Bralo) ›</a></div> http://www.opendemocracy.net/interesting_times_0#comment China people Fri, 27 Feb 2004 08:08:07 +0000 terastra@terabytz.co.nz 32837 at http://www.opendemocracy.net