WILDE THINGS
by Fingal WildeS
hanghai has always been an important city, ever since
its founding in 746, but from a modern perspective
its phenomenal growth over the past 40 years can
be attributed to the policies of Deng Xiaoping, who
took over the leadership reins of China in 1978. Deng was the
architect of the concept of capitalism (or socialism) with Chinese
characteristics, which was described by Murdoch University in a
paper in 2004 as “moving from a state planned and state owned
economy towards state regulation of a hybrid economic system
with the existence of a private economic sphere that remains very
close to the state system that spawned it.” The turnaround in
Chinese economic performance was nothing short of remarkable,
particularly when you consider the harm done in the 1966 – 1976
Cultural Revolution, foisted on the long suff ering people of China
by the ailing Mao Zedong, under the infl uence of the Gang of Four.Let’s ditch the dry academic prose, and put some colour to
Murdoch University’s description. From my perspective, capitalism
with Chinese characteristics is something like a pact with the devil,
and the devil wears Prada. In other words, we will house you,
employ you, feed you, give you internet access (albeit restricted),
and let you enjoy the good things in life such as smartphones,
branded clothing, and the freedom to make as much money as
you want. The reason for restricted internet and news access is
that you have to be protected against western capitalist ideas andA Pact with the
Devil, and the
Devil Wears Prada
Since 2011, I have visited Shanghai six times, and each time I have marvelled at the
effi ciency of the city, the modern lifestyle, the incredible speed of construction, the
growth of its economy, the vibrancy of daily life, and the cosmopolitan nature of the many
nooks and crannies just waiting to be discovered. Shanghai has a rich heritage, and a
bright future, and the question is how they have managed to achieve all this?defi nitely you need to be protected against western democracy
thoughts, and God forbid any mention of the Dalai Lama or Tibet.It is indeed a pact with the devil, and if you really work the system
you may wear Prada, or drive a Porsche (Shanghai has the largest
Porsche dealership in the world, let alone China), or become
obscenely rich. It is a quid pro quo – you sell your soul to us, and
we will ensure that you live the good life, relative compared to the
past. Basically a Chinese version of the Picture of Dorian Gray.I’m sure that as they read this, the western capitalists will be
nodding in agreement, and start pointing to North Korea, Venezuela
and Cuba as examples of communist shitholes, as Donald Trump
may describe it. Yes, these countries are the nadir of humanity,
with unpleasant dictators and appalling levels of human rights
abuses. But hang on, what about so-called democracies? Look at
South Africa, a so-called democracy, but run by corrupt and vile
politicians feeding gluttonously at the trough, and elected by an
electorate as thick as bricks (for those who think that the South
African electorate is not stupid, please wake up and smell the
coff ee).
And then we get to that great bastion of democracy, where a
good 40% of the electorate makes South African voters look
like veritable geniuses. I’m talking about America, where the
Republicans are close cousins to the ANC. To them, just like the
ANC, the vote is paramount, and power is the elixir of life. Stuff
integrity – just look at the recent Alabama senatorial race, where a
paedophile, supported by Trump, only lost by a few hundred votes.From where I am sitting, China for the past 20 years has been
very similar to what the US and western Europe was like in the
1950’s and 1960’s, with booming economies and relatively happy
populations, not too fi xated on politics. Call it what you like.
Capitalism, or capitalism with Chinese characteristics, it is much
of a muchness.As Bill Clinton would say, “It is the economy, stupid!”52 WORDS IN ACTION http://www.abrbuzz.co.za