The 19th Communist Party Congress this week in Beijing supposedly showcases the party’s unique approach to governing a society that other countries can learn from. Perhaps. But go back to South Africa circa 1983, and the approach might seem familiar.
In apartheid era South Africa, a Western visitor usually heard an explanation of the situation that went something like: “I tell you man…these blacks… they don’t understand democracy… they’re not ready for it… they respect power. Without us, man, there’ll be chaos.”
Replace ‘blacks’ with ‘Chinese’ and it’s a Chinese Communist Party apparatchik describing today’s China.
The premise underlying both systems? Populations genetically unsuited for consensual government and hence harsh rule by a governing clique being the only alternative to chaos.
Just like South Africa’s old Afrikaner-based National Party, the CCP fiercely refuses to allow citizens a fair say in who governs them.
One also heard South Africans declare: “The white man built this country…” and therefore deserved to rule it. Not so different than CCP boasts of pulling several hundred million Chinese out of poverty and creating modern cities, and therefore being rightly in control.
Sounds believable, but the CCP also impoverished them in the first place – and a more liberal government would have pulled a billion Chinese out of poverty. To improve matters in China, all the CCP did was stop starving its citizens to death.
Indeed, it’s never anything the government does that’s wrong.
In apartheid-era South Africa’s case: ‘Our blacks are happy… It’s the communists stirring them up.’ In China, one hears the same thing about ‘Western ideas’ doing the agitating.
Under apartheid in South Africa one could get in trouble for having dangerous thoughts about freedom and equality, just like today’s China. In South Africa there was banishment to remote villages. China has its equivalent.
Under apartheid in South Africa one could get in trouble for having dangerous thoughts about freedom and equality, just like today’s China. In South Africa there was banishment to remote villages. China has its equivalent.
If banishment wasn’t enough you could disappear – sometimes for good, courtesy of South Africa’s Civil Cooperation Bureau. Same thing in China.
And sometimes the ‘disappearing’ took place in plain sight. In black activist Steve Biko’s case, beaten to death by the police. In poet and human rights defender, Liu Xiaobo’s case, denied life-saving medical care by the Chinese authorities who imprisoned him.
South Africa had censorship, though by Beijing’s standards it was nothing much, and a vibrant opposition press operated. The Afrikaner regime’s censors would have admired what the Chinese Communist Party and its security police do with (and to) the Internet to isolate Chinese citizens from unauthorized thought.
And Beijing’s ability to get foreign media and academia to “self censor” would have been an enviable achievement to the South Africans.
Both regimes were obsessed with internal security and spent huge resources and effort to tamp down local unrest.
So-called subversive university students were a particular target of South Africa’s BOSS (Bureau of State Security). Not so different than Chinese consulates, Confucius Institutes, and local Chinese Students and Scholars Association groups intimidating Chinese students overseas.
“Pass Books” in South Africa told Africans where they were entitled to be. The Hukou registration system mandates where Chinese citizens can live.
“Pass Books” in South Africa told Africans where they were entitled to be. The Hukou registration system mandates where Chinese citizens can live.
South Africa also used economic pressure on its neighbors for political ends. Sound familiar?
And it went farther, supporting insurgency and sabotage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola. Meanwhile, Beijing economically bullies its neighbors, while backing rebels in Myanmar and Northeast India.
South Africa had something called the Broederbond – an all-male Afrikaner association that provided career and social advantages to members. Not so different than joining the Chinese Communist Party to improves one’s lot in life.
But there are differences. For example, there is no Chinese Nelson Mandela. He wouldn’t have survived the trip to Robben Island. And the apartheid government had plenty of outspoken opponents such as Desmond Tutu and Helen Suzman inside the country. In China?
South Africa also had a legal system and some fiercely independent judges. China’s legal system is something out of George Orwell.
South Africa also had real opposition parties and elections, free enough for those allowed to participate. And China?
But the biggest difference between South Africa under apartheid and today’s China is the response of Western elites.
With South Africa, the response was sanctions, divestment, and human rights campaigns.
With China, it’s mostly, ‘Now about that donation to our think-tank… or that investment in our nuclear plants?’ Or the US military equivalent: ‘You are coming to RIMPAC, aren’t you?’
But just like Africans, Chinese aren’t allergic to liberty. Look at Taiwan.
South Africa was fortunate to have F.W. De Klerk (as Afrikaner as they came) appear on the scene and negotiate for elections and an end to apartheid.
China has only got a version of De Klerk’s predecessor, P.W. Botha.
So when watching the 19th Party Congress, keep in mind 1983 Pretoria as to how things are. While Taipei 2017 shows how they could be.
..and these Murican fools are utterly blind to their own stupidity. An entire nation suffering from Dunning-Kruger effect…. and they think to control the world?….
Indian poverty is endemnic and ETERNAL. The caste system alone will ensure that the "untermensch" will remain in their alloted places.
Our feckless establishment knows this only too well, but will NEVER formally acknowledge it, as our own huddled masses toiling under the whip of neo-liberal economic slavery may just start demanding what the Chinese people have. Such is the stuff of nightmares of our corrupt owner-ship class and their bought-and-paid-for minions in government and media.
As a Westerner, I’m so embarassed when these establishment clowns open their mouths and allow pure, unadultered nonsense to issue forth…
It’s one of Goldman’s click baiter since no one even care to comment on his spew any more. He now has a few totally retards to go where he does not dare to go in writing about china. If only Chinese are as stupid as the rest of world where his kind manipulates at will.
A moronic president, a congress full of dimwits, a retarded press that sees Russian meddling even in Pokemon Go, a navy whose ships keep colliding with merchant vessels in peace time,and now Mr Newsham and his idiotic analogy of Apartheid and CCP. Seriously? Exceptionally duuh.
It is so blatantly obvious that he is biased and not objective in every way. I am sure he is one of those who are waiting and waiting for China to fail. Dream on.
well, I guess it is true, once a US Marine, always a Moron
He is just a moron and expect people to believe the trash he writes. India is a democracy and how many people has been pulled out of poverty?
No he’s just sold his life to right wing WWII war and atrocity denying Japanese for a pretty penny to write things demonizing China.
I seriously wonder how he become a opinion writer for AT. Did some referred him? DId some Japs offered sponsorship for AT and slid him in as one of the "conditions"? Did AT sought his "expertise" out herself? lol…..
Simplistic comparison. On population alone you could guess the outcomes would be vastly different. Democracy has its evils as well. If China had been democratic it would never have advanced as much as it did. In fact they could still be debating on something as silly as driving on the left or right side of the road. Get my drift?
Why do westerners have that need to push democracy as the on everyone else?
It is not necessarily the best political or economic system. The current western political systems favor the rich. Conjure money out of think air. It is better to fix your own system to be a shining light for others to emulate. There is plenty wrong with western democracies.
A more useful comparison would be that of the governing philosophy of the CCP and results with that of the Indian establishment.
Anyone still remember the scandals of British politician writing unfounded rumours, bad mouthing Chinese government for fifteen thousand pound a month? Looks like Japanese government have found a new taker.
In South Africa, the whites invaders were in power and were denying all rights to the natives. It is not the same in China. The analogy is utterly incorrect. Moreover, China has, over the last forty years, lifted more than a billion people out of poverty and has vowed to eradicate poverty completely by 2020. The Chinese Government works for the Chinese population and is closer to the Chinese population, than many do-called western democratic countries.
AT, where did you get this retard writer from?
Scraping the bottom of the barrel surely.
I see Mr. Newsham was hard at work to earn his salary from the Neo fascist in Japan. Comparing CCP to Apartheid regime is like comparing Donald Trump to Hitler. Sure CCP isn’t a saintly organization, but to say that CCP prevented ordinary Chinese from participating in politics are wrong. CCP is open for any Chinese who want to join and participate in political activities. There are even factions in there. Apartheid just outright ban all Native Africans from joining the political activities in their country.
Desmond Tutu. Examine his visit to China. Draw conclusions.
Wait until this imperialist mob take over South Africa entirely – they have already destroyed our environment and safety in Oudtshoorn with their low level governmnet / quasi military flight training operations by their government owned AVIC, CAAC etc (because they are not allowed to operate over Chinese airspace) and all with the assistance and connivance of the so-called Democratic Alliance who "just hate government administative corruption" (yea sure!) and who thought "it was a good idea, as "we owe the Chinese" and to blazes with the Oudtshoorn residents rights and their constitutional rights to environmental protection!!
Most moronic comparison i’ve seen. Author must be an Afrikaner white supremacist reminiscing about the good ol’ days of apartheid. Sees apartheid parallels in everything.