Slate/Intelligence Squared appears to be planning an interesting live debate on March 13 - with Orville Schell and Peter Schiff arguing for the motion in the title and Ian Bremmer and Minxin Pei against. Details of the debate can be found at the slate and intelligence squared websites. The intelligence squared site - in particular - features a good and interesting set of … [Read more...] about Democracy Is Ruining Capitalism – Does China Do Capitalism Better Than America?
democracy
The need for clarity
Unlike many of the bloggers here, I'm not a big fan of Eric X. Li's writing and speeches from what I have so far seen and heard. I disagree with what he has said as they are either irrelevant, confused, contradictory or a strawman. I think I have expressed why I felt this way in the comments section of the latest blog on Li but there still seems to be some misunderstanding … [Read more...] about The need for clarity
Eric X Li, Chinese pluralism vs. Western universality
As regular readers of this blog may know, we are fans of Eric X. Li. In this video below at the Aspen Institute, Anand Giridharadas (of NYT) interviewed him in front of a live audience. As Giridharadas said at the introduction, Eric indeed shakes the foundation of prevailing Western views present in the room. I especially liked his confident and forthright answers to a … [Read more...] about Eric X Li, Chinese pluralism vs. Western universality
Rethinking democracy
This blog will essentially be a second part to the important discussions Allen and raventhorn started about democracy. I will present a philosophical discussion so that we may better think from a different and deeper perspective about this notion than everyday people may be used to by looking at its fundamental structure. … [Read more...] about Rethinking democracy
Former Deng Xiaoping translator, Zhang Weiwei, on Chinese thinking
Zhang Weiwei was a translator to former Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping. We have a prior article (translated from Chinese) of his arguing there is a progression for which 'democracy' can be achieved, but more than that, China should borrow and adapt practices that are useful for China's own conditions. In this interview (use this link if the embedded video below doesn't show) … [Read more...] about Former Deng Xiaoping translator, Zhang Weiwei, on Chinese thinking