Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered praise for China while stating in an interview that he believed the U.S. could have a positive relationship with the country, saying it had made "more progress in addressing extreme poverty than any country in the history of civilization."
The Democratic presidential candidate offered a nuanced view of Beijing, criticizing it for a move toward authoritarianism and stating that it looked out for its own interests first, but also saying it had made progress in helping its own people over the last several decades.
The Hill
A balanced assessment. That is precisely why China is dangerous: its economic "success" has relied on authoritarian (actually fascistic) government -- and so its example (its soft power) risks threatening the stability of our freedoms and democracy. It may have been a myth that liberal democracy and economic development necessarily go hand in hand, but I would certainly prefer continued respect of our fundamental freedoms than a model so single-mindedly focussed on authoritarian (and hence anti-environmental) growth.
ReplyDelete