In our monthly newsletter I said I wouldn’t go into the politics of Teal Unicorn working in China. Afterwards, I thought WTH, when have I ever backed off a political opinion? So here we go.
A follower suggested I’d “lost the plot”, travelling and working in China, given their human rights record. I’m neither an economist nor a trained philosopher, but I am an amateur philosopher of work and you all made the effort to follow me because of it, so I feel empowered to comment.
Today, McKinsey is talking about how balance and harmony are essential in the global economy, which is the fundamental principle of Chinese society, along with discipline (as in self-control) and respect. I don’t think these are words you would ever have heard in a 1980s western capitalist thought piece: balance, harmony, discipline, respect. Could it be that Friedmanism is finally giving away to a more Eastern (and enlightened) philosophy?
Absolutely none of those four words apply to the current US administration nor any other party of the right around the world. Their approaches are based on greed and division through aggression and contempt. “Rugged individualism” as Muricans would say, and worship.
Once you see Chinese politics through a lens of balance harmony discipline and respect, then you can understand their goals even while being appalled by some of their methods. Moreover, when you look at any society on the journey through the Laloux spectrum of social enlightenment, you can see that China is where the West was several generations ago, when most governments had equally appalling attitudes to minorities and diversity. The USA is rapidly regressing on that spectrum back to a red culture and they will have to claw their way slowly back up again, whereas China is steadily rising. I’m entirely confident that China will eventually improve their behaviors and regret their past just as much as Europe has done. The British, Dutch, French, Belgians, Spanish, Portuguese, Muricans, Japanese, and least of all the Germans – nobody who has held great global power – is in a position to preach to China.
The enlightenment of China is about a century behind us in this area. They treat the Uighur much as the Australians treated the Aborigines, the British treated India, the Yanks treated the Indigenous and the slaves, the Germans the Jews, or the Belgians treated everyone black. It’s appalling but it’s not worse than us a few generations ago.
The Chinese government clearly acts in the interests of the nation, which is in marked distinction to the USA right now, or the UK Tories a decade ago.
China pursue social harmony and peace not anarchy and fear. The intent is the best possible society for everyone, by whatever means necessary. They pursue it ruthlessly. The same in Vietnam. Everyone keeps their mouth shut not so much because they are afraid per se, but because they have too much to lose: they are so much better off than even a decade ago. It is the exact opposite of Russia or the USA. The police in China are friendly, there are no Brown Shirts here, no redneck militias, no Nazis. They do not have military aspirations beyond Taiwan. Vietnam and Korea are also entitled to be a bit nervous about expansionism, but I think the world has learnt the lesson not to f*** with Vietnam, including China who got seen off in 1979, 1981, and 1984. With luck, China will have to solve the North Korea problem for us.
China’s attitude to Mongolia shows they are quite happy to have buffer countries around them. Sadly Xinjiang is strategically important to them to have land access to the West, hence the crimes and atrocities being performed there. I don’t condone it but I understand it.
Count how many global military bases the USA has and compare it to the number for China. And don’t get me started on Ruzzia. Absolutely China is a dictatorship but it is not a military fascist one, and it is not an expansionist one. It reminds me most of Lee Kuan Yew’s authoritarian Singapore.
China clearly prefers diplomacy to violent imperialism, unlike the USA, who have invaded more nations than anyone else since WW2, and continue to openly commit illegal assassinations to this day – it’s their overt policy. China are out-diploming (it’s a word now) everybody else in Central Asia and Africa. They know investing is cheaper and nobler than killing.
We are not ashamed to contribute to the further enlightenment of Vietnamese and Chinese societies, any more than we were ashamed to contribute to the nation with one of the highest rates of state-imposed slave labour and the only falling life expectancy: USA.
We do our bit to Make Work Better, and to make society better. It’s our job, our mission, our vision, and we are proud of it. We are also proud of what we do helping families – especially kids – in Vietnam. Did you know we publish books on family/parenting/relationships as well as on management?
Dr. Cherry Vu works hard offering pro bono advice to families in Vietnam, introducing progressive concepts to a very conservative society.
This is the third of our books for families, coming soon: “Cha mẹ Mở – Con sẽ ổn thôi”.
The profits from our books – plus other support from us – go to Trò Nghèo Vùng Cao (aka Cơm Có Thịt) and Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation charities.
How about you?