There has been terrible violence in India's Assam region recently and the violence has spread to other parts of India. Since this is a blog on China, not India, I am not going to dig too much into the cause or even meaning of the riots. But I do want to point out the relatively "favorable" coverage India is getting. In almost all reports I see, India is cast as the force … [Read more...] about Riots in Assam
reform
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
Chimerica: James Fallows & Niall Ferguson
This is the full session between Niall Ferguson and James Fallows at the recently held Aspen Ideas Festival. Allen had posted excepts and we promised you the complete discussion as soon as it became available. Niall Ferguson had coined the term "Chimerica" to describe the symbiotic relationship between the economies of China and the United States. He currently sees this … [Read more...] about Chimerica: James Fallows & Niall Ferguson
Iran & China: Is World Press Coverage Similar or Different?
Events of the last week in Iran have been widely reported by the world press. Not long before, the press also reported on the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident of 1989. Were these two distinct events reported in a similar manner or were they treated as different and unique events? Let's take a look at each and see what we can find. 1) Who are the good guys and … [Read more...] about Iran & China: Is World Press Coverage Similar or Different?
China in the Year 2020: Three Political Scenarios
In our Dalai Lama Warns of Looming Violence thread, Wukailong linked to this essay covering three political scenarios that China might face in the year 2020. The author, Cheng Li is Senior Fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution and William R. Kenan Professor of Government at Hamilton College. His summary is as follows: … [Read more...] about China in the Year 2020: Three Political Scenarios