There are so many countries in our planet, where the very few govern the many. So many countries, even advanced ones, where the very few have found a way to impose their will on the many.
In those instances, something has happened in the many that they were willing to surrender their will.
Hierarchies, natural ones, are needed so things can run better and more is accomplished. They are needed for efficiency.
Knowledge, know how, wealth, power establish hierarchies.
Take a company, for instance. The founder has developed expertise in an area or has invented a product that they have taken to market. When we choose to join that effort we are assigned a place within the hierarchy and we are paid for our work.
It makes sense that the founder get the most of the profits. Without their expertise or product, the company would not have existed. But it is essential that the worker be treated fairly.
If this can be done without unions, so much the better, since unions bring their own hierarchies and bureaucracy. But the fact that unions exist is evidence that often the company’s hierarchies do not deal squarely with the workers.
One of the problems of any hierarchy, be it in business or government, is a gradual tendency for those on top to overrate their own capacity while devaluing that of those beneath them. The more distance between those at the top and those in the lower ranks, the more likely the devaluing.
It happens everywhere. The task is to find ways to prevent it.
One way is to keep an open conversation.
This allows people at any level in the hierarchy to remind others of the role they play within the organization.
When there is a real conversation between those at the top and those beneath them, there is less of a chance of devaluing everyone’s contribution. Even down to the janitorial staff that, working the night shift, ensure that those coming in the morning will find a clean office.
When the conversation between top and bottom is genuine, then there is a sense that everyone’s contribution is acknowledged. And the lesser the likelihood of devaluing to occur.
Open conversation creates the opportunities for people to improve their skills and so aspire to move up the organization as jobs become available.
There is a similarity between the organization of business and the organization of governments.
In totalitarian or autocratic governments, the conversation between the top and the lower ranks is limited or non existent. Conversation understood as a two way exchange, where contrary views can be aired. Conversation understood as free speech.
Today in our world, in some powerful countries, there is none or little conversation between the upper and lower ranks. That is a problem because it shrinks the human spirit.
Those at the top do not want to listen to those at the bottom. The ruling elite has found a way to block the conversation and prefers to punish those who wish to start one.
The ruling elite wants to prevent challenges to its privileges.
But something happens to those who are consistently devalued and not allowed their views to be heard. Something that should have been developed is not. And the longer the suppression of those voices the greater the existential poverty that follows.
Today, China and Russia – Cuba and Venezuela in the Americas – are examples of such damage.
The opportunity to express one’s ideas is essential to the spiritual health of the individual and thus of the nation. It enhances creative possibilities. Not having it is a clear sign of oppression.
Chinese and Russian citizens may find comfort in the economic and military might of their respective countries but without freedom, human beings slowly degrade and contract. They become less than they could otherwise.
Chinese or Russian citizens may be entranced by their leaders but if freedom of speech is not available, they forsake the chance of achieving full development as human beings.
Here in the United States we are going through a difficult period, with opposing sides hardening and little effective effort made to establish a conversation between the two.
Bridges must be built.
Or the poorer our existences will be.
For those interested, Freedom House does an excellent job of mapping the distribution of democracies around the world.
Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net. Available as a podcast in anchor.fm, apple and google podcasts, buzzsprout.
They have benefitted enormously from the West, absorbing its science, technology and ways of doing things – everything they found worthwhile in every area of development – and then rose and rose, surpassing Russia and the Eurozone and pulling itself up to become a rival to America.
That they are seeking world dominance they won’t say but judging by the manner in which they carry on their appetite seems insatiable.
At no time has there been a greater challenge to democracy.
China is saying to us, ‘You cannot move up as fast as we can, and we will overcome you for we are unstoppable. We have become the factory to the world and all hurry to be part of our enormous markets.’
Turning to its people, China’s leadership says, ‘The world comes to us because they want money. We have that through our labor force, talented people and enormous markets. And because we have been so successful enriching others we have enriched ourselves. So we can make a bargain with all of you, fellow citizens. We will protect you, grant you the benefits of continued prosperity and provide you with all the conveniences of modern life. Furthermore, we promise you will grow proud as China rises to be the dominant nation on Earth. What we want from you in turn, is that you surrender your freedom of speech. We want from you, that you consent to being constantly surveilled to ensure there will be no dissent against the Chinese Communist Party. Think about this. It is a small concession to make, considering all the gains we will achieve as a united nation, not torn apart by petty political differences like in the rest of the West and particularly in America. What we, Chinese, are doing now, has never been done before. No nation has ever risen so fast from so low. We are a nation of destiny, showing the world by our actions, that we have discovered the best system to rule its citizens. For too long, Americans have believed that their system of government was the best. They speak grandly of exceptionalism. But take a good look at how they have treated their minorities, Blacks in particular, for centuries. And still they want to preach to the world. How dare they. At look at how money buys political influence. You make money and you go right to the front of the line, even if you are inept politically. Only in America can you turn an expertise in building hotels into a credential to lead a country. And Americans fell for it. And they did because they lack political education. Unlike here in our great land, where the hard working communist party, with 91 million members, devote their life to keeping the system flowing.
But back to America. Look at how they kill themselves because of their unrestricted access to guns. Take a city like Chicago – the South side – the killings go on and on, administration after administration, whether it be Obama or Trump, they just keep killing each other. And look at how poverty is widespread. As for their cultural life, sure, now and then they will make a good movie or write a good song, but we, too, are working on that. Fellow Chinese citizens, the restrictions that we have imposed on free speech and surveillance will not last forever. We estimate, that with proper political instruction and our steady development it will take us no more than another 25 years – a conservative estimate – before we become the most powerful and most advanced nation in the world. In that time, we will have achieved total superiority. And yes, everyone in America will be wanting to speak Mandarin for that is the most beautiful language the world has ever heard. Your children and your grandchildren and heirs to follow, will revere you for the sacrifices you are now making on their behalf. The fact that we will achieve superiority will not mean that we will impose our system on others, but as other nations see how effective we are they will try to emulate us. And yes, eventually Taiwan will be part of the mainland, in the same way Hong Kong is returning to our embrace. The big Panda embrace. How can you not like that feeling?
Others will follow our lead willingly, joyously, for we will lead through our example.
In America, today, Joe Biden is trying to get his citizens to renew themselves, but our leadership feels his efforts have come too late.
Joe Biden has ambitions plans for the renewal of infrastructure, for education, for research and development, but already the Republican party is objecting, so Biden’s ambitious reforms will be trimmed, which is good for China.
America is just too divided while we are united, which is our great strength.
We believe that America will not be able to make the necessary reforms to their system to catch up with us.
Let us give you one example. China tried to be part of the International Space station but we were no accepted. They were afraid we would learn too much. And so we have started to create our own. On April 28th we launched Tianhe or ‘Harmony of The Heavens,’ the first of three modules that will form our own space station by the end of 2022. Does that not make you feel proud of what our system can do?
Slowly, over time, America will acknowledge our superiority, but there will be those who will want to resort to violence. Leaders who prefer to fight an enemy without than confront the enemy within. Envious people. But we will be prepared. We are building more and more nuclear weapons to act as a deterrent.’
That is the message the Chinese leadership is giving to their people.
What will Russia do in the face of China’s rise?
Putin has cast a spell on the Russian people which has interfered with their political development but my take is that the Russian people lean more to the West than to China.
Eventually, as Russia emerges from their stupor, they will elect a more pro-Western government.
But can America answer China’s challenge?
Can we make the necessary structural changes and shine?
Can we evolve to having a dialogue amongst ourselves and eradicate racism?
Can we improve our education and health systems sufficiently that every citizen will have the opportunity they need to be the best they can be?
Can we defeat crime?
Can we stop the high level of incarceration that is a sign of poor investment in our people?
Can we stop killing ourselves?
The answer lies in pulling ourselves together and working toward a common purpose. To do it we need bipartisan leadership willing to dialogue.
China has become a challenge to the essence of your system. A challenge far more subtle than the one that Fascism and later the Soviet Union presented to us during the last century.
Before us now stands a nation which has risen faster than any other. A nation that has used their market power (at 1.4 billion people, more than three times our own) and unquestionable ability and made itself the most desirable destination for businesses the world over.
The prospect of being in China is so enormously attractive to business, that most will look the other way when the matters of suppressing the Chinese people’s free speech and the repression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang are raised.
Money talks, reason the Chinese autocrats. And for business that is what is most important.
The Chinese autocrats are careful observers of our system and have learned that it is money that wins elections in America. If you don’t have it in abundance, then you can’t win an election in this country.
In America, the Chinese autocrats are convinced, money is the true free speech. (they are trying to convince their own citizens of the same)
China needs only to look at the electoral contest for the US Senate in the state of Georgia earlier this year. If money had not poured in from the Democratic Party coffers, the Republican party would have won at least one of the two seats at stake and then held a majority in the Senate. President Biden’s hands would have been tied, with no other recourse than to try and convince Mitch McConnell to let the administration pass a bill or two.
China knows that our system is riddled with malfunction.
It has taken forever to address racism in our land and violence tied to it is widespread.
Legislators (in both parties) will do whatever possible to rearrange the boundaries in their districts to ensure their supporters are in the majority and thus retain their seats.
There is a vast number of highly paid lobbyists in congress doing whatever they must to win favor for their business interests.
The Chinese autocrats know that the injustices in our system will not go easily away and may take decades to fix. They can see it in their own Hong Kong – where the financial sector is vastly rich but the rest struggles and housing is punishingly expensive.
And so China has come to feel certain that their political system is superior, and will eventually lead them to become the world’s most powerful nation.
So long as their people remain productive and hungry to become wealthier, China will have the most attractive market in the world, and western business interests and their lobbyists will do whatever is necessary to keep pouring in.
With their growing riches, the people in China will continue to bow to their leaders and accept the electronic surveillance of their activities, while looking the other way when dissenters and non conformists in their midst are caught and silenced.
The prospect of world supremacy is now within reach, says the Communist Party to their people, and if some don’t get to see it, then their children will, so every sacrifice is worth it.
And America, like Britain and other European powers before her, will accept that its time has passed, all the while muttering to ourselves, ‘but isn’t money free speech? Or did we get that wrong? Did we let our soul end up in business’ pockets?’
And we will remember Teddy Roosevelt,
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first and love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
We talk frequently about how we can rise to the occasion and indeed have done so often. But China’s challenge is quite different. They are aggressively seeking markets everywhere, Africa, the rest of Asia, Latin America, even in Europe, while saying, ‘Like what you see? It’s our political system that makes it possible. Be like us, adopt our system and riches will be yours too.’
Implicit is the message, ‘Money rules. Make that your focus.’
But isn’t that what most of us believe also?
The Chinese have, very cleverly, adopted a most tangible aspect of our system – the importance of money to reward productivity – and then paired it with an equally appealing notion to many. ‘Leave the political thinking to us. Don’t trouble yourself with such cumbersome thoughts. Let us all make lots of money, but let it be clear that such money will not allow you entry into the higher ranks of the political system that rules the nation.’
‘There will be no Donald Trumps here in China’s system – people making their fortunes in business and then parachuting into political leadership. The highest posts in our system are reserved for those who have devoted themselves from an early age, to the business of running a nation and apportioning its fortunes.’
‘Why should riches and politics, both, be the privilege of the very talented or very persuasive?
‘If we divide up those two realms, we will all be better off. Politics must be a discipline separate from the accumulation of riches. It requires special talents to better distribute the wealth. That way it is done fairly, and not according to the wishes of the person who made the money and whatever biases they may have. We communists say, come to China and make money, but we will keep enough of it for the government to better spread it around and make the nation stronger and fairer.’ (later on, we’ll want more of what you’re making, but not now)
If China can keep money from corrupting the communist party, they will be very hard to beat.
But they can be beat.
How?
By using our liberties to strengthen our nation.
China is exposing our weaknesses. Our challenge is to correct them quickly enough.
Why is it that the richest nation in the world has such problems with poverty, with access to medical care, with providing quality education to all our citizens? In New York City, year after year, the school system cannot deal with the blatant segregation that keeps Blacks and Hispanics marginalized.
Why is it, that racism has been allowed to fester in the country for as long as it has?
Why is it, that in the richest nation in the world there is so much violence?
What is wrong that we feel such distrust for our fellow citizens that we must keep ourselves armed to the teeth and cannot consent to regulations limiting the purchase of weapons?
The rest of the world looks at us and says, ‘yes, America, you have shown much creativity in many fields, but there is something very flawed about you. We would like to try out the Chinese model instead.’
The rest of the world looks at us and says, ‘yes, America, you have great companies, Apple and Google, Amazon and Facebook, Intel and Qualcomm, Disney and Netflix, but in a very short time, China has come up with Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei and they are a force in electric vehicles and a leader in artificial intelligence. Yes, the Chinese have stolen technology, but they are creating their own, too.’
The rest of the world looks at us and says, ‘There are imperfections to both systems, yours and the Chinese, but the Chinese model seems to work faster, so we may just go with them. Do understand that we, too, are in a hurry. And our people will accept that some freedoms will be restricted and deferred.’ (never mind how long)
For the first time ever, then, the rest of the developing nations in our world are seeing close competition between two systems that believe in markets and want to pursue maximum riches.
And while China keeps rising in spite of their freedoms being severely curtailed, to those who point out the contradictions in our system, we answer, ‘The path to equality of opportunity is most desirable but tough. We’ve been at it for a while but have not been able to prevent the wealthy from dominating politics to secure their privileges at the expense of the rest. But we believe that, eventually, we will have a fairer nation.’
Eventually? When will that be?
Can we in America take the challenge that China now poses and speed up our renewal?
I hope so. But China will keep beckoning and whispering in the ears of businesses, ‘come, my friends, make money and trust that you will be able to go back and hire lobbyists and finance campaigns to keep yourselves in power. But you must not say a word about the ‘reeducation’ of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the suppression of freedom in Hong Kong or our plan to retake Taiwan.’
‘Trust us,’ says China to our businesses, ‘the soul of America is in your pockets. We will help you keep it that way. Shake that money and all will listen. It’s the money folks that are the true gods of this world and money the true free speech. Never lose faith and may the best nation win.’
And if we here in America fall for it and forget that free speech is the right to dissent, even if we are wrong, then we will play China’s game. If we forget that free speech must always respect other people’s rights, whether we approve of them or not, then we will play China’s game. And so fall under the spell of autocracy and dictatorship – governments that make gods of their leaders and compel the person to bow.
Soon enough the Thought Police will come for our neighbor.
‘Did you hear what happened to Fred?’
‘No, what?’
‘He was down at the pub and talked too much.’
‘How so?’
‘He was being critical of our leaders.’
‘Hmm… you know… I warned Fred about that. He’s a good guy… has a good business… makes money…. has a nice house,too… what’s the point?’
The point is we tarnish our humanity when we surrender our right to express our own thoughts.
With our humanity tarnished, we then become less creative, lose personal power and diminish our capacity to fully love.
Oscar Valdes 