China, democracy, autocracy and confusion.

Here is a very educated person. This is Yuen Yuen Ang (Ang Yuen Yuen) an  Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University. Before joining Michigan, she was Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. This is an interesting talk about China, democracy, autocracy and confusion.

Link :  https://youtu.be/2_bNB4S_HTw

My comments : 

Here is a morning rush. This is before coffee. 

Well all countries are autocratic - in one form or another. 

(Autocratic means an absoluteness in wielding power). 

They have to be autocratic (at some point) because all countries have laws. 

Contrary to popular belief laws are quite unchanging. 

If the laws are unchanging then they are autocratic. 

Take the Sedition Act here. It is 72 years old. 

Totally useless and archaic but the Sedition Act is still there. 

So it is the laws of the land that make your life miserable. 

It is not exactly the Prime Minister or President or whether the country is communist, socialist, democratic etc that governs your everyday living. 

It is the laws of the land that are autocratic. 

If the law is bad and you cannot change it then it is autocratic.

The Sedition Act is one example.

Whether a law is autocratic or not also depends on your own morals and values.

You do not want a law that can arrest a boy and girl for sitting together inside a cinema. 

That is an autocratic law. 

But others think that laws which do allow a boy and girl to sit together in a cinema are autocratic. 

So what exactly is autocratic differs from man to man, from society to society.

Lets prosecute gays - we have this law in our country. 

So do many other countries. 

These are autocratic laws? 

Yes or no?

On the other foot (I am tired of hands) lets allow gay marriages. 

Lets allow gays to marry, divorce, inherit property, sue for alimony etc.

 

The anti-gays will say such pro-gay laws are "autocratic" because to them these are unjust laws. 

For them, justice means gays must be prosecuted and punished. 

Gays must not be allowed to marry and divorce. That is for normal humans. 

By their very nature laws must be autocratic. 

Why? Because as long as the law is in effect, you must obey the law. 

You cannot say 'Well..today I don't feel like obeying the law".

You have no choice. You must obey the law.

You must obey the law that gays must be punished.

You must obey the law that gays can marry.

You must obey the law that boys and girls can / cannot sit together in the cinema.

You must obey the Sedition Act.

So please choose your autocracy carefully. 

Communist Russia (aka the Soviet Union) was officially called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR. They forgot to mention communism in their name. But they had a Communist Party.

The official name for China is People's Republic of China. 

No mention of either 'socilaist' or 'communist'. 

Just People's Republic.  They do have a Communist Party of China.

North Korea calls itself the Democractic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK.  

Again no mention of socialist or communist.

In fact no 'communist' country officially calls itself communist. 

But they all have at least one  Communist Party. 

Germany is officially called the Democratic Republic of Germany.

Lets throw in some economic policy.

Singapore is a full fledged democracy. 

Their laws guarantee freedom of speech.

But do you think Singapore has freedom of speech? 

So here is a free market democracy and autocracy at the same time.

Malaysia is a democracy. 

But we do not have fully free speech in Malaysia. 

The Sedition Act, anti-gay laws, Muslim (sometimes all) boys and girls cannot sit together etc

Do we have a free market economy? No we do not. 

Autocratic democracy and autocratic free market?

The government systems may be completely different between China, North Korea, Malaysia, USA, Germany etc. But the one thing all countries MUST share are the laws. And it is the laws that define the everyday life of the people.  The laws can be autocratic. Tak faham? Read the above again.

So whats in a name? What is the big deal about what is the name of your democracy, socialism, communism etc?

It is more important how much justice and fairness you deliver to the people.

1. Justice is achieved when people have freedom of speech.
2. Justice is achieved when the people have uninterrupted economic opportunities. 

Just these two things are enough.

Justice is achieved when there is constant change in the country's leadership - whether there are popular elections or no.

More importantly justice is achieved if there is constant change in the Civil Service.

Justice is achieved when the laws are constantly improved / upgraded / changed to ensure 1 and 2 above.

Free politics makes every man a voter. One man one vote.

China wants to make every man a millionaire. One man one millionaire.