“In the
end China will win”...my father once said.
The 70’s
western China watchers have had nothing but dire predictions for the ability of
the sleeping dragon to wake up from the stupor caused by a burgeoning and
hungry population, unabated natural
calamities, substandard manufacturing, backward technology, pollution
issues, Mao's cultural revolution prior to the Deng Xiao Ping leadership
and the curtailment of basic human rights and freedoms.
To the
chagrin of these critics China has emerged victorious. Chinese domination in
all significant fronts has been awesome; from economy to sports, from
technology to the arts, they have demonstrated enviable prowess. To be expected
is the effect it had on nationalism of the citizens; the same euphoria which
the Americans experienced in the 19th century is now in the
consciousness and awareness of the Chinese.
With it
is the jingoism that accompanies the feeling of superiority of their citizens
against all others. It makes them believe that anything they do is
tolerable if it is for the good of the nation. It probably goes further than
that in the way it fosters arrogance utterly disregarding universal precepts of
morality and fair play.
This groundswell of support will keep China’s resolve to maintain its super power status. As with the Americans of more than a century ago, the same kind of power status and approbation of its people gave rise to the notion of Manifest Destiny...to China it is their birthright minus the blessing and the comfort provided by a divine sanction which probably the Chinese have no need for. From early Chinese civilization they have always felt the confidence of being superior in culture and civilization and that their ultimate destiny will be one of universal ascendancy.
Perhaps this is what would be worrisome. China is a godless nation and therefore would not share some of the precepts of morality that emanates from the recognition of an Almighty. Some of the local reactions on the bullying of China at the Scarborough Shoals had some tinges of resignation and of leaving it to the divine for a comeuppance on the offending bully.
This groundswell of support will keep China’s resolve to maintain its super power status. As with the Americans of more than a century ago, the same kind of power status and approbation of its people gave rise to the notion of Manifest Destiny...to China it is their birthright minus the blessing and the comfort provided by a divine sanction which probably the Chinese have no need for. From early Chinese civilization they have always felt the confidence of being superior in culture and civilization and that their ultimate destiny will be one of universal ascendancy.
Perhaps this is what would be worrisome. China is a godless nation and therefore would not share some of the precepts of morality that emanates from the recognition of an Almighty. Some of the local reactions on the bullying of China at the Scarborough Shoals had some tinges of resignation and of leaving it to the divine for a comeuppance on the offending bully.
China
will probably be more successful than the US in handling their dominant
position in world politics. Despite their huge population they are able to hold
in check the resistance to their stringent ways of governing by applying harsh
penalties for subversion and the limiting of basic freedoms; human rights and
press freedom.
The
democratic principles adhered to by the Americans are the source of their
dynamism which propelled them to their greatest heights, but these are the same
principles that helped undermine their success as it allowed much protest,
protest actions, for perceived abuses of government and the mighty institutions
that are allied to government.
American
commitment to basic freedoms within their country is laudable but in many
instances has been a source of critical observations and pressures to
government as they tended to give much freedom to those who tend to abuse them
and those organizations who champion anti establishment advocacies. A leading democratic
nation, the US is sensitive to the opinions of their publics, much more
correctly, to politics which at times bend honest intentions to accommodate
what is politically expedient.
As in
other democratic countries the US is not exempt from the abuses the
establishment has in curtailing freedoms through machinations, manipulations
and conspiracy among the institutions that represent the structures that make
up their society. The government, the financial bloc, the political groups, the
military and civic organizations who champion the rights of civil society find
themselves in collusion with each other, in several instances contrary to the
individual citizens’ interests and well being.
Their
role in the international sphere started from their imperialistic dreams as
seen in their doctrine of Manifest Destiny. At its start Manifest Destiny was
just a way of justifying and idealizing their desire to spread American
influence to the whole world. At its basest it represented the penchant of
dominant countries to exercise power over puny countries using “shamful”
altruism as motive. Real intentions have been subsumed in the messages their
media and mercenary chroniclers have depicted in their propaganda not only
addressing their countrymen but the world at large.
The
Americans are masters of this artful deception. The guys who brought you
Balangiga Massacre, the carnage in San Juan bridge, the My Lai village
obliteration are the same guys who brought into our culture Coca Cola, Levi’s,
Ford, the Marcos regime, political corruption, a rambunctious and irresponsible
media. Through their crafty use of media to massage our minds we have become reasonable facsimiles of the white man minus the wealth.
These
have all being ushered in by Admiral Dewey in the spirit of Manifest Destiny in
that infamous afternoon when the hapless Montojo saw his fleet sunk against a
glorious Manila Bay sunset. This American naval victory heralded the brutal and
harsh colonization of a far eastern country. Our former colonizer, Spain just
looked on helplessly as a former ward nation underwent a harsh change of
masters. Not any of the western master nations could lift a finger in succour
of vanquished wimp nations.
Manifest
Destiny is not arguable and so is might is right, an unfortunate but factual
notion. However, it provides the other powerful nations like the US, UK
and France the reason to just stay away from the scene and let the travesty
happen. At the end of the day, nations instinctively avoid order threatening
situations and other issues which may be more inimical than beneficial for
their state. They once had their fling with Manifest Destiny in one form or
another, so, even without condoning China’s imperialist thrusts, they
understand and may cast a blind eye.
Only the noisome terns and frantic baby terrapins would be witness to the abuse committed on distant shoals. The bullied is alone.
Only the noisome terns and frantic baby terrapins would be witness to the abuse committed on distant shoals. The bullied is alone.
Woe to
the Philippines and the other countries that would be swept away by the Yellow
tide, the ever extending boundaries of Chinese sovereignty.
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