Socialist America, Democratic China

I believe that a socialist shift within our own government as well as a capitalistic transition within the government of China is not only possible, but probable. With time, each society and their respective government will recognize, adopt and modify the beneficial characteristics of the other nation. This is by no means a new process. For hundreds of years this process has been vital to the evolution of histories' greatest nations, and it is happening now right before our eyes. For instance, CNN calls Obama's progressive tax reform as a socialist shift. Whether it is or not, there is a definite shift to the left within our own government, as seen in our recent election of both a Democratic President and Congress. China has already begun this process. The China of 2008 is very different from the China of 1949. Since the Chinese Civil War, the socialist policies of Mao Zedong have been not diminished, but capitalist characteristics have been adopted and modified to conform to 21st century economics. The failure of the 'Great Leap Forward' in agriculture, among other things, opened the way to Găigé kāifàng, the period of economic reform which placed many municipalities and heavy industries into the private sector. This reform, although capitalistic, has benefited China greatly.

As I have mentioned before, it is natural for a group of people to move, overtime, towards a moderate "center." Whenever this group strays too far from the center, there is always a tendency for a group to move back to this center through a variety of ways. May this be through means of rebellion, as with the Chinese Civil War, or elections, as with our own government, all peoples are centripetal. On the other hand, for a nation and its people to undergo a 180 degree change in government policy would be impossible. Change can only be taken in moderation, otherwise the peoples will resist in an attempt to return to the center. Due to this, the center is a moving target, a sort of pendulum. In the case of the United States, that pendulum seems to be moving to the right. When it will apex is uncertain, especially when political issues are compounded by an economic instability, and until it does reach a turning point we are likely to see many more socialist policies, much like FDR's New Deal. The same can be said for China. As our guests mentioned, a more democratic and capitalistic government is possible, especially if China stays on the path of reform they are following now.