The world’s oldest sophomore, Tom Friedman, has discovered the wondrous advantages of one-party autocracy over our current system of government. No, I am not exaggerating.
Watching both the health care and climate/energy debates in Congress, it is hard not to draw the following conclusion: There is only one thing worse than one-party autocracy, and that is one-party democracy, which is what we have in America today.
If you’re new to Friedman’s writing, or perhaps still nostalgically influenced by his presumably serious position as a columnist for the New York Times, you might think this is merely an attention grabbing opening lede which will be smoothly integrated into an otherwise sensible opinion piece as he develops his thoughts on this. You possibly also still believe in the Easter Bunny.
One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks.
The stifling lack of freedom? The soul-killing monotony of a centrally planned existence at odds with the natural independent inclinations of the human individual? Bad haircuts? Friedman doesn’t say. Because he’s not talking about those kinds of autocratic regimes. He’s discovered the good kind.
But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages. That one party can just impose the politically difficult but critically important policies needed to move a society forward in the 21st century.
Isn’t that cool? One party can just… impose stuff! What could go wrong?! I mean… we’re talking about critically important policies here. Why let such antiquated concepts as dissent or checks and balances get in the way when we need to “move a society forward in the 21st century”? Whatever that means. It sure sounds modern and new though!
It is not an accident that China is committed to overtaking us in electric cars, solar power, energy efficiency, batteries, nuclear power and wind power. China’s leaders understand that in a world of exploding populations and rising emerging-market middle classes, demand for clean power and energy efficiency is going to soar. Beijing wants to make sure that it owns that industry and is ordering the policies to do that, including boosting gasoline prices, from the top down.
I’m not sure anything is allowed to be an “accident” in an autocratic one-party regime, but let’s leave that aside. Isn’t it kind of leaping ahead to take China’s “committ[ment]to overtaking us” as a fait accompli? I’m pretty sure China isn’t terribly alone in their forecast of rising demand for energy. I’m also pretty sure it’s widely understood that the West’s fetish to move away from fossil fuels represents a great opportunity for alternative sources like wind and solar. The big difference here, it would seem, is that China’s one-party autocrats get to command the resources of an entire nation toward that (or any other) goal.
Gosh, that sounds impressive. How could a free market democratic nation possibly compete with that? Apparently, per Friedman (who perhaps ought to read more from a different Friedman), it probably can’t.
Our one-party democracy is worse. The fact is, on both the energy/climate legislation and health care legislation, only the Democrats are really playing.
Umm… starting to go off the rails a bit here. If we’re in a one-party democracy – and with the Democratic Party in charge of the presidency and holding both houses of Congress with large majorities we presumably are – where is this whine about “only” the Democrats coming from?
With a few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, arms folded and saying “no.”
Damn freedom of speech, and the dirty free choice that goes along with it! That “free speech” stuff was only meant to cover student demonstrations in the 60’s, anyway. Surely it has no serious purpose in opposing grand transformative waves of change that would make us more like China! Autocracy now!
Anyway, Friedman goes on with one of the more confusing and self-contradictory analyses of current partisan politics you’ll ever read. In summary, he asserts that partisan disagreement – which is entirely the fault of Republicans – is preventing effective government action on energy and health care. Also immigration.
And so, apparently, we must bow to the superior government of modern China which is destined to overtake us because all their Republicans are safely locked away in labor camps working hard at manufacturing electric cars while ours run around scandalously disagreeing with their enlightened betters.
Sounds like this one-party autocracy stuff is the wave of the future. We’d probably better adapt ourselves to it lest we get left behind. Where have I heard this kind of thing before? Oh yeah. That was in the New York Times too.
In a way he is right. Did you know that the inmates of Stillwater prison get single-payer health care. No one in the jail is denied needed health care. Therefore, the residents of Stillwater prison have the best lives of anyone in Minnesota. Huh, counter that, big shot blogger.
when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today
Someone get that man a Pullitzer!
Wait.
He has one.
Mind bogglingly stupid does not even begin to describe this. How can anyone who has studied the history of the 20th century suggest the virtue of one party rule? How many graves need to be filled before Friedman figures out that there is something inherently bad about unaccountable leadership? How many house churches need to be destroyed, how many pastors need to be put in prison, how many forced abortions, and so on?
I love China’s development policies:
No EPA
No citizen lawsuits
No historic buildings need to be preserved
No union labor
No minority setasides (wait, all of China is made up of Asian-Americans)
No NAACP saying that central corridor light rail is racist
Tianamen Friedman.
Why is it harder to build things in the US….below is who the rail authority in Wisconsin has to kiss up to to add commuter trains to existing trackage. No new construction (other than stations). Does China do this?
In-person individual and group meetings were held in January and February of 2007 with
Esperanza Unida, Lao Family Community, the Hispanic Roundtable organization, the
Milwaukee Urban League, the United Community Center, the Milwaukee Inner City
Congretations Allied for Hope, the Racine Housing and Neighborhood Partnership, the Social
Development Commission, the African American Business & Professional Association of
Racine, and the Local Racine Congregation. These meetings typically consisted of project staff
informing the group of upcoming public involvement, discussing the project status and gathering
comments. In general, these meetings were well received with the groups indicating their
general support of the project because of its ability to provide access to jobs.
Additional phone conference meetings were held in late 2006 and early 2007 with the
Milwaukee Council Labor Council, the Racine Interfaith Coalition, the Congregations to Save
Humanity, the El Conquistador, the Council for Spanish Speakers, the Mexican Fiesta, and the
Faith Representatives. Refer to Appendix D for copies of the letters that initiated this effort to
solicit comments from low-income and minority groups.
TABLE 4-31
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OUTREACH GROUPS
TABLE 4-31
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OUTREACH GROUPS
Civic Group
City
Saint Mark Catholic Church Kenosha
Congregations United to Serve Humanity Kenosha
Salvation Army/Kenosha Kenosha
Spanish Centers of Racine,Kenosha,Walworth Cty. Kenosha
Independence First Milwaukee
Nat. Assoc. of Minority Contractors Milwaukee
West North Ave Advancement Association Milwaukee
16th Street Community Health Center Milwaukee
Journey House, Inc. Milwaukee
Repairers of the Breach Milwaukee
La Casa, Inc Milwaukee
United Community Center Milwaukee
Council for the Spanish Speaking Milwaukee
Green Party Milwaukee
Southside Organizing Committee Milwaukee
CNI/Fondy/North Business Assoc. Milwaukee
Federation for Civic Action Milwaukee
Merrill Park Neighborhood Assoc. Milwaukee
NAACP – Milwaukee Milwaukee
Harambee Ombudsman Project Inc Milwaukee
Milwaukee Urban League Milwaukee
Mil. Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope Milwaukee
Riverwest Neighborhood Assoc Milwaukee
Layton Blvd West Neighbors Milwaukee
Milwaukee. Minority Chamber of Commerce Milwaukee
Hmong American Friendship Assoc Milwaukee
Washington Heights Neighborhood Assoc Milwaukee
West End Dev. Corp Milwaukee
American Indian Center Milwaukee
16th Street Community Health Center Milwaukee
Urban Economic Dev. Assoc. Milwaukee
African American Chamber of Commerce Milwaukee
United Migrant Opportunity Services Milwaukee
Esperanza Unida Milwaukee
Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, Inc Milwaukee
Goodwill Industries Milwaukee
Avenues West Association Milwaukee
Hispanic Chamber of Comm. Milwaukee
Sherman Park Community Assoc Milwaukee
Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Milwaukee
Milwaukee Careers Cooperative Milwaukee
Children’s Health Education Ctr. Milwaukee
Wisconsin Minority Bus. Opportunity Comm. Milwaukee
9to5 National Assoc. of Working Women Milwaukee
Community Brainstorming Conference Milwaukee
ICRC Milwaukee
Metro Milwaukee Fair Housing Council Milwaukee
Mid-Town Neighborhood Assoc Milwaukee
The Business Council, Inc. Milwaukee
Lao Family Community Milwaukee
Metcalf Park Resident Assoc Milwaukee
United Indians of Milwaukee Milwaukee
Interfaith Conference Milwaukee
Senior Citizens Club/Oak Creek Oak Creek
Salvation Army of Oak Creek Oak Creek
Salvation Army/Racine Racine
Hispanic Roundtable Racine
1000 Friends of WI – Racine Racine
Neighborhood Watch of Racine Racine
Racine/Kenosha Economic Inclusion Coalition Racine
George Bray Neighborhood Center Racine
Primera Iglesia Luterana Racine
Northside Bus & Professional Assoc Racine
St. Patricks Catholic Church Racine
Urban League of Racine & Kenosha Racine
Racine Interfaith Coalition Racine
Racine Taxpayers Association Racine
Interfaith of South Milwaukee South Milwaukee
Racine CEDCO Sturtevant
Salvation Army/Waukesha Waukesha
Assoc of Rights for Citizens w/ Handicaps Waukesha
La Casa de Esperanza Waukesha
The Salvation Army Wauwatosa
It’s kind of a trend at the New York Times…
Friedman is merely expressing what many progressives believe but usually don’t come out and admit: things would be a lot better if people just allowed us enlightened autocrats to make the right decisions for them.
It’s amazing how the Republicans are blamed for obstructing all these wonderful plans to remake society when the Democrats have:
– The White House
– A large majority in the House
– 60 votes in the Senate
If the Democrats wanted to they could pass just about anything they wanted to and the Republicans would be powerless to stop them. The problem of course is that then they would have sole ownership and responsibility for the initiatives and would have to be accountable for them come election time.
I love China’s development policies:
Mind if we bulldoze your home to build a strip mall?
No historic buildings need to be preserved
Yes, I see that you love their steroid-induced eminent domain abuse.
No minority setasides (wait, all of China is made up of Asian-Americans)
It is a bit difficult to be an Asian “American” if you are a citizen of the Peoples Republic of China. Also, not everyone in the PRC is Han Chinese.
No NAACP saying that central corridor light rail is racist
Haven’t heard much from the NAACP on this, but if they’re against light rail, then more power to them.
My wife and daughter, who were there in 2005, and a good friend of ours who lived there for more than five years, might dispute how enlightened the Chinese leadership is.
Oh, and there’s still opposition and dissent. It’s just that in a democracy you get to fight these things out in the halls of Congress and in the townhalls. In China the only recourse is to take it to the streets and where confronting your government usually means tanks and not SEIU thugs.
Both Dog Gone & Penigma are on the record (on Penigma’s blog) as stating that one party rule is an identifier of fascism. Wonder what they think about Friedman’s column?
Terry I am sure both are for it as long as it is the correct party. Dumb For Life party well maybe it could include the Green party but not the blue dog democrats they don’t think correctly enough.
I love China’s development policies:
Mind if we bulldoze your home to build a strip mall?
Mind if we relocate 1.5 million people because this valley will be under a few hundred feet of water in 10 years?
No historic buildings need to be preserved
Yes, I see that you love their steroid-induced eminent domain abuse.
See above
“Both Dog Gone & Penigma are on the record (on Penigma’s blog) as stating that one party rule is an identifier of fascism.”
True.
“Wonder what they think about Friedman’s column?”
As if they would ever tell you. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
When Obama controls the internet will he ban and censor the term Liberal Fascism?