Ruel, I think your response is a good one, and it really is good to see more people thinking about issues rather than simply spouting whatever cnn or mtv has to say about them. But I still have to disagree with you.
First off, I think it's very very dangerous to start using foreign policy to cater to political minorities in other countries. Yes, there are politicians in China who want (some) positive change, but they aren't the ones in charge. Do we really want to base a foreign policy on appeasement of a political minority whose powerbase may be unstable? And if we were to suddenly take such a stance, the probable result is that the communist hard-liners would take credit for making us back down, which might even damage the image of the potential reformers. Better to wait and hope the reformers take power, then make concetions to THEM, not the current leaders.
As to the idea that information makes totalitarianism difficult... I fully agree with you. I must say, however, that there is a major difference between free flow of information and free trade. There was never free trade with the USSR, yet ALL of my friends who grew up there new that America was really a better place and that they wanted to come here. They are all patriotic people (especially the Ukrainians I know), but they have known for a long time that communism doesn't work and that Russia, etc. needed free market economies and free govs. to become better places for the people. As the article you quoted makes apparent, there already IS free flow of information to China, mainly thanks to the very medium you and I are using now, and politicians will find it quite hard to regulate that. The internet very likely will help bring down the Chinese communists, like you said, through information. Free trade won't accomplish this. The people have to see how much better capitalism and freedom are, and force the communists out, like the Russian people did. If the Chinese can see how Americans live, they will want the same. Simply selling goods in our markets won't accomplish that.
I also think Rusty is right on a couple of points. We won't sell much to the Chinese if they have most favoured trading status, but they will sell alot to us. I don't know if any of you have heard about some of China's "free trade" practices, but one of the good ones is having their army work in factories without pay so they can undersell workers from Taiwan, Mexico and other poor countries. If that kind of thing is scaled up, it WILL negatively affect other countries who adhere to human rights standards more fairly and have free market economies.
And my .02 on that Lew Rockwell guy (or whatever his name is). I think it's kinda sad how some people think they can look smarter simply by attacking everyone else. I'm also dissapointed he's from Alabama. Couldn't he just be form Quebec instead? (Just kidding about Quebec, really) He does, however, conveniently forget to mention the USSR's reaction to us stealing their Mig and raisind their sub. It's also funny how much he sounds like a communist. I was just waiting to read something about 'decaying capitalism' or 'western imperialism'.
First off, I think it's very very dangerous to start using foreign policy to cater to political minorities in other countries. Yes, there are politicians in China who want (some) positive change, but they aren't the ones in charge. Do we really want to base a foreign policy on appeasement of a political minority whose powerbase may be unstable? And if we were to suddenly take such a stance, the probable result is that the communist hard-liners would take credit for making us back down, which might even damage the image of the potential reformers. Better to wait and hope the reformers take power, then make concetions to THEM, not the current leaders.
As to the idea that information makes totalitarianism difficult... I fully agree with you. I must say, however, that there is a major difference between free flow of information and free trade. There was never free trade with the USSR, yet ALL of my friends who grew up there new that America was really a better place and that they wanted to come here. They are all patriotic people (especially the Ukrainians I know), but they have known for a long time that communism doesn't work and that Russia, etc. needed free market economies and free govs. to become better places for the people. As the article you quoted makes apparent, there already IS free flow of information to China, mainly thanks to the very medium you and I are using now, and politicians will find it quite hard to regulate that. The internet very likely will help bring down the Chinese communists, like you said, through information. Free trade won't accomplish this. The people have to see how much better capitalism and freedom are, and force the communists out, like the Russian people did. If the Chinese can see how Americans live, they will want the same. Simply selling goods in our markets won't accomplish that.
I also think Rusty is right on a couple of points. We won't sell much to the Chinese if they have most favoured trading status, but they will sell alot to us. I don't know if any of you have heard about some of China's "free trade" practices, but one of the good ones is having their army work in factories without pay so they can undersell workers from Taiwan, Mexico and other poor countries. If that kind of thing is scaled up, it WILL negatively affect other countries who adhere to human rights standards more fairly and have free market economies.
And my .02 on that Lew Rockwell guy (or whatever his name is). I think it's kinda sad how some people think they can look smarter simply by attacking everyone else. I'm also dissapointed he's from Alabama. Couldn't he just be form Quebec instead? (Just kidding about Quebec, really) He does, however, conveniently forget to mention the USSR's reaction to us stealing their Mig and raisind their sub. It's also funny how much he sounds like a communist. I was just waiting to read something about 'decaying capitalism' or 'western imperialism'.
