Now that Indiana has spoken, we’ll have 6 months of theater in U.S. until November election. As a Chinese American I do not look at the election on whether it’s good for China or not. Some may feel Trump is a blowhard, while Hillary will press China harder on human rights and South China Sea, but I feel Trump will accelerate the decline for U.S. and will be a danger for U.S. and the rest of the world.
Thomas Frank recently wrote a new book “Listen Liberals”, that excoriates Democratic Party for drifting away from the base of labor and middle class in favor of professional class and elites. He sees the rise of Trump and Sanders as a reaction to the inequality. His critique of meritocracy I think applies equally to what’s happening in China. Xi Jinping recently visited various old rural communist bases and emphasize the need to elevate the poor and purify the party. He very much is aware of the pitfalls of corruption and privilege by directing the military from disengaging in commerce and profits. The recent scandal and investigation of Baidu and military hospital is really overdue.
Chinese tradition of respect for the elders is a Confucian virtue. Last year when I visited Shanghai, and was standing in a subway train, I was offered a seat by a young student which I smiley declined. Recently I read a debate on Weibo about an elderly woman going on a long distance bus with standing tickets as all seats were sold out, she was sick and going to a hospital with her daughter. A young woman demanded her seat as she paid for the seat and refused to share it. She was upbraided by the daughter after someone else offered the seat and the episode was debated online whether she was right to demand the seat. I was somewhat surprised that half go by the legal right argument.
Whether Trump will triumph in November is minor compare what China will be. Despite all the negative prognosticators I think China is going in the right direction, and hopefully the younger generation can learn to takeover.
Hidden Harmonies China Blog
As China Re-Awakens, Finding New Harmonies in a Brave New World...
alanking says
Hi, appreciate the very good posts on your site.
On this post, regarding a possible Trump Presidency, you said:
“but I feel Trump will accelerate the decline for U.S. and will be a danger for U.S. and the rest of the world.”
I suspect the former is true, and while the latter is also true, but I dont think it is any more likely than
a Hillary Presidency.
I am not saying I will vote for Trump, but my own sentiments by now on US politicians has turn so bad
that:
1. while previously I will try to look for the “lesser evil” for president, by now I tell myself, “lesser evil is still evil”.
2. another way to look at it, is that previously, I would say “I rather choose the devil I know (Hillary), than the devil I don’t”, but by now, it has reached the point where I say, “the devil I know is so bad, I rather go with the one I don’t”
3. Obama thought me a very good but bitter lesson, and that is, “a naked wolf is preferable to a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Thus if Hillary is the latter, Trump is the former, as such, I will prefer him to Hillary.
There is more to this than just “beware of wolf” type mentality, fact is, the US has been able to throw it’s weight around all over the world, over throwing or invading any country or government (regime)
it does not like, all on the pretext that it is “moral”, “righteous”, “democratic”, “full of freedom”, “has
equality of justice”. But the fact is all such notions are false, the US is no more democratic, “full of freedom”,
“has equality of justice” than many other countries. What it has is simply the strongest MILITARY POWER.
However the image that the US has the “moral rectitude” seemed to be pervasive all over the world,
thanks to superb western media propaganda. Of course, such an attitude is also the result of the previous communist bloc having terrible propaganda machines during the previous era (that is now long gone). Unfortunately, most citizens of the world are still looking at the rear-view mirror when it comes to evaluating news sources, and as such the US, along with her vassal states in Europe, has been able to do what Putin described as “selling black as white, or white as black”, and getting away with it!
Because of this, if there is a president in the US the helps dethrone such an image, I feel it is to be welcomed, and I cannot imagine a better President to do it than Trump. I know it is hard to take, as an American, but I can no longer only think of America, the rest of the world deserve a fair shake.
pug_ster says
America’s 2 party system is broken and it shows. Maybe we should start voting for Libertian or some other kind of 3rd party candidate. American propaganda should start promoting for them instead shutting them out and promoting the 2 clowns from the Democrats and Republicans.
Allen says
This is obviously something that reasonable people can disagree. Why will Trump accelerate the decline? Why will Hillary decelerate it?
On a slightly different note, I saw this article recently http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-war-delusion-16021. There are obviously yearnings for a less aggressive less hegemonic America.
Trump may be no saint, but will Hillary lead America down a road more peaceful than Obama?
Think hard about that…
alanking says
@Allen
In my opinion, the decline of US accelerated ever since G.W Bush started the Iraq invasion in 2003. At
that point, the US has shown to the world that “democracy is superior because democratic countries will not
start a war of aggression on another country” is a complete myth. Ever since then, US continued it’s wanton path of destruction with Pakistan (drones), went back again to Afghanistan (with no more successful results), overthrew Gaddafi, and turned what was a superior country economically in Africa (Libya) into a complete hell hole and cozy nest for terrorists, followed by nonsensical backing of the maidan coup in Ukraine (and created a practically failed state), then the “Assad must go” type mentality that helped feed the growth of ISIS. Would Trump accelerate this faster than Hillary?, it’s doubtful, but who knows. I doubt even Trump knows what he will actually do if and when he is the President! But like I said, if any one could help bust the myth of US superiority in “democracy”, “human rights”, “freedom”, “equal justice” etc, it would be Trump, more than Hillary… And I think that’s what the world badly needs, believe it or not! It may not be fair, but hey, that’s how things work. People worship or respect the wrong people all the time!