If China remains culturally closed, the Chinese Century will never come to pass. Instead, the United States–a country that has struggled with race and racism for centuries, and in the process has become more culturally open and resilient–will dominate this century as it did the last.
That's from Reihan Salaam, who discusses how far the problem of Asian racism is from being solved.
Not surprised, being an Asian myself.
I think the article is too narrowly focused on racism as a dividing line limiting growth and international integration.. Nationalism is also a dividing line which makes it difficult for countries to integrate and grow. “We are Number 1″ chants by the US has diminished our influence around the world, even if we are making improvements in racial integration.
As to South Korea being impeded by an aging population, its problem will be solved by the collapse of North Korea and the difficulty of assimilating this third world population.
Culture has a greater influence, and American culture is still something that is more influential in affecting social structure and corporate governance abroad. But, it can only go so far, and, in countries where religion is the organizing principal, it may actually spur a counter revolution.
Someone should ask Reihan if he thinks China would be better off if it had instituted race-based chattel slavery in the 17th century.
I’m often sickened by politically correct culture, but it’s vastly preferable to the in-your-face racism that exists in regions where political correctness has yet to catch on (which is most of the world). I highly recommend it as a “solution”.
Well said, mk.
Bill:
As to South Korea being impeded by an aging population, its problem will be solved by the collapse of North Korea and the difficulty of assimilating this third world population.
Really? ‘solved?’ Not ‘eclipsed’, instead?
C:
Political correctness is not a “solution” to racism. PC is racist itself; just “reverse racism” by giving some (but not all) historically disadvantaged groups a legal leg-up.
MLK Jr. got it right when he dreamed that men would one day be judged by the content of their character. PC is “judge not”, even when someone believes something violently anti-social. MLK says “judge on the merits.” That is the solution.
Yes, this will definitely be The American Century, as long as the Chinese continue for the next 90 years doing what they did for the last 9: lend us vast amounts of money with which we, in turn, demonstrate our more enlightened racial attitudes by lending to California minority homebuyers to default upon.
Anybody want to bet the Chinese will keep this up for the rest of the century?
One big problem for the Chinese, or any east Asian country, is that an influx of white men into their societies will coincide with a massive increase in sexual competition from, mostly, white men. Most “racism” is nothing more than male sexual competition, ala the type described by Gunnar Myrdal’s study of segregation and Jim Crow in the American South, where such social structures existed for the sole reason of keeping black men from having sex with white women.
I don’t buy the claims about “historical isolationism” of China as a guide to the future. Chinese empires dominated their region militarily/politically to the extent to which they could, given the economic and technological constraints. This manifested most spectacularly when 18th century Qing destroyed/subjugated the then-existing Mongol state in the steppes (incidentally, causing many of them to flee to settle in Russia). Xinjiang got taken over even earlier than that, a no mean accomplishment given contemporary transportation methods. That is – when the Chinese were weak, they stayed behind the Wall; when they got the good cavalry and steppe troops under the Manchus, they marched into the steppe and wrecked havoc. This may all look boring and low key from big Western distance, but to the people around them (Mongols, Tibetans, Turks, Vietnamese in some cases) Chinese expansion was no joke.
Why do I bring this up? Because economic and technological factors now make a much bigger area potentially amenable for Chinese expansion/domination or even outright conquest. They didn’t have navy then, but they do now (or maybe will, soon enough). Their military couldn’t match Western or Japanese militaries then, well, not for much longer. And so on. That’s not to say that they cannot be contained, but the potential threat is certainly there, regardless of all those stories about isolationism.
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