China: Former HK Governor Says China is a "threat to democracy"

This is too interesting not to post. Christopher Patten, former British governor of Hong Kong, has spoken with the BBC on the topic of China. See what he has to say about China as a threat to democracy:

The threat looming from China is not to do with cheap exports but the "dooming of democracy", former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten has told the BBC.

Lord Patten said China promoted the idea that one could get rich without needing democracy - and such an idea posed a threat to the West.

The prose is rather breathlessly exaggerated, but there is an interesting idea behind all the panicky-sounding words. Now, I'm not so sure about the supposed "dooming" of democracy -- that sounds much too excessive a pronouncement (and anyway, democracy as an idea has PLENTY of passionate adherents around the world).

No, the idea to think about is how China is an influence on the rise and spread of real, meaningful democracy in certain places in the world -- and I mean it's a bad influence. I think, though, that the chilling effect China has on democracy is more to do with emerging systems (or the potential for such emergence) than with the established democracies of the West per se. You don't need another rant from me about China's international shadow (and how it often cynically protects thugocracies) or the entire mess with HK democracy and even Taiwanese democracy.

As for the idea that you can get rich without needing democracy . . . Well, that's another can of worms that I don't have time to open right now. All I'm going to say now is that China's economic "miracle" (or whatever you want to call it) has come with a huge non-financial price tag in mass human misery (but away from the shiny cities that China likes to show Westerners), environmental degradation, and the intensification of internal social schisms. The rich have gotten richer, but in many cases the poor have gotten poorer, and these are real problems for the Middle Kingdom in the long run. The China cheerleaders can rah-rah all they want, but the reality is that China is not a free country and indeed in many ways is a pressure cooker internally.

As for me, I remain committed to the idea of free markets and free people. If you really want a rant, here's me ranting about money-making and democracy in a Taiwanese context.

OK, I'm back to pre-holiday work and madness!