Unrest in
Ferguson: China's state-run Huanqiu poses a novel question
about the crisis: how
do Americans cope so well with a problem that
would much more
greatly disturb Chinese?
How Does U.S. Remain
Calm in the Face of Ferguson Riots? (Huanqiu, China)
The Ferguson
riots have been cause of some soul-searching in Beijing – but not for the
reasons one might think. According to this editorial from state-run Huanqiu, such social unrest would create
great concern in China, whereas in the United States there appears to be a
sense that this crisis, like so many others, will soon pass. In seeking to explain
this, the editorial confesses that this may reflect a lack of Chinese self-confidence.
Riots triggered by a grand jury decision not to indict a White
policeman who shot a Black teenager have spread to about 170 cities nationwide.
After deploying some 2,200 National Guardsman to forcibly suppress people where
the riots began in Ferguson, Missouri, the situation seems under control, although
the impact on American public opinion is extremely pronounced.
CNN and other high-profile U.S. media outlets declared that
"America has a problem" and The
New York Times said that Ferguson residents regard the police as an
"occupying force." When increasing numbers of people express
suspicion toward law enforcement agencies, it poses a huge threat to the
structure of the country. Some time ago, media outlets reported on a survey
that showed that more than half of Americans believe that their political and economic
systems are broken.
If such a situation were to
prevail in a developing country, it would be considered similar to a "color revolution."
Yet even if American society has numerous vexing difficulties, on the whole the
country remains calm. Barring any major surprises, the current pretests will
soon cool. Such is the view of a majority of America's elite.
Where does this confidence come from? Some people believe it
derives from the American system itself. That is too simplistic to be accurate.
Yet some American elites aren't concerned about the rioting in Ferguson and
continue to act with composure and self confidence. Nevertheless, the media response
shows that self-confidence is wavering and the nation is shaken.
U.S. social confidence has a number of sources.
First, the U.S. is the largest developed country with a high
standard of living and GDP, and cannot be compared to a resource-limited
country like Japan. The gap in per capita incomes might be small, but at the
end of the day the United States has far more potential staying power.
Second, America's global standing is great, and on a number
of major global issues it has the final say. Every so often when a problem
arises that would hobble a small country, it serves to verify U.S. strength.
Third is the preeminence of U.S. soft power and the
perception that the country is has the world's "least bad" system – a statement
that so many Americans believe. It has become almost a mainstream conviction of
American society to say that the system of the United States is not a good one,
but there are no countries with anything better. Therefore, some U.S. leaders remain
unmoved, seeing that U.S. society is in crisis from time to time but remain sure
these will pass.
Will this always be the case? Probably
not. One hypothesis asks: If China overtakes the United States as the
leading economy the world and the standard of living in the world's most
populous nation rivals that of the United States - will American society remain
so confident?
Resource consumption in emerging countries will certainly
have to rise for the foreseeable future, perhaps even doubling. This will
squeeze consumer consumption in the U.S. and Europe and will indeed have an
impact on the confidence of American society.
Posted by Worldmeets.US
Understanding of politics is rooted in the material world,
as is the looting that took place in Ferguson. Yet in the United States, Mainland
China, Hong Kong, Ukraine or Egypt, preconceptions and many other subjective
elements decide how distinctive interpretations are given to riots and protests.
Certain factors make China wary of political instability
because they are supported by the West, and when elaborated, Western positions have
significant influence here. China's political system is still at an early stage
when compared to its Western counterparts, and it still needs "nurturing"
in order to develop the "sophistication" to deal a variety of issues more
confidently.
The Ferguson riots show that the United States is probably more
riven by social problems than China, particularly since the U.S., if not in "decline,"
is no longer "rising" like China is today. We must consider the
question of why American society can remain calm as a whole, whereas if confronted
with similar issues, Chinese society would have a far greater sense of concern.
This could reflect more of an awareness of crisis in China, but it may also be
due to a lack of self-confidence. In order to rebuild that confidence, we need
to understand the root causes of the problem rather than look for the right
prescription in the United States.
