Nicholas Sengoba
7 October 2008
opinion
Excitement about China's development, progress, unprecedented advancement (name all the superlatives) is so thick, that it could be chopped with an axe.
China's stupendous display at the recently concluded XXIX Olympiad symbolised by the imposing Bird's Nest stadium has catalysed a raging debate about its rising global influence and domination.
Miserably unravelling in its wake, is the apparent fall of Western Europe and particularly USA.
The current melt down and chaos in the financial markets in USA botch the defence of the latter.
Yet the unimpeded prolonged growth of the Chinese economy, the ubiquitous commodities made in China in almost every shop and household in the world, stands as confirmation of the undisputed ascension of the former.
Granted, all empires have their time to rise and fall. But the dance at China's inauguration and the weeping at the grave of the West might be premature or at best misplaced.
The main reason is that for any State to meaningfully claim the status of an influential world power, it should have more than military might, a strong economy that floods the world with (pirated) manufactured goods and posses a potentially huge consumer market. Yet that is a summary of China's current status. China is still very wanting in the most important prerequisites for global domination.
First among these is the possession and spread of a popular, open and accommodative civilisation. Chinese language and culture is too distinct and close knit to quickly and comfortably appeal to a global audience with a view of establishing spheres of influence.
The West with the aid of English language and culture has spread its tentacles far and beyond. English language globally is the language of education, information and communication technology, literature, religion, sports, the arts, music, dance and drama, administration, law and order, aviation, plus global financial transactions etc.
On return from a month long visit to China, a Ugandan won't speak Chinese or English with a Chinese accent. Yet if he had a stop over in a European city en-route to Nigeria, he may adopt a European accent to show that he has arrived. Our names are Patrick and Phionah and not Choi and Chang. We eat fish and chips and not garnished dog meat with noodles.
We follow the Oscars, and the English Premiership instead of listening to our Presidents lecture us about our future.
We wear Western three piece suits (not collarless Mao suits) in the tropical heat because that is the accepted epitome of smartness in the world of fashion and business (as dictated by the West).
Anything made in the West is durable and authentic even if it is obtained second hand. Brand new items from China and Taiwan are disdainfully regarded as fake and an imitation of the real thing from the West. China has a gargantuan task to break this mentality and impose one that is favourably Chinese oriented in order to turn the mind away from the West.
Secondly and most important is that for a civilisation to endure, it should have individual freedoms and civil liberties as the cornerstone of that civilisation. The questionable status of these two issues overshadows the progress in China's heavily commanded and controlled capitalism.
What sustains Western ideology and influence is that with all its weaknesses (racial discrimination, slavery, warmongering and plundering of weak states), there are attempts at building a system that guarantees the rights of the individual.
Collectively, the citizens have a great influence on leadership which may be changed periodically in fair and acceptable elections - the shenanigans of Jeb Bush in the American elections of 2000 in the State of Florida not withstanding.
Western civilisation is assured of steady perpetuation since fair contest deems that there will always be an infusion of fresh blood and divergent ideas borne out of its competitive democratic system. This in itself throws opportunity and incentive to the creative side of the mind. The current upheavals in the American economy may help write a new chapter in Western civilisation.
t offers an opportunity for voters to pick the first black man to lead the world's so-called most powerful nation -Barack Hussein Obama - to ameliorate America's politics. The potential for change in leadership bequeaths upon Western civilisation the chance to recreate itself from time to time to ensure its relevance at every opportune moment in history.
It's the insurance policy that the West takes out against any crisis that it may face in future -that there are people out there who may offer a solution if the guy in charge is at a loss.
This is what the intransigence of China's political systems denies its own civilisation and possibility plus potential to easily spread its influence. China will grow to become an influencing sensation but not the leading world power. The West is still and will remain on top of the tree.
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