A DEAD END*

A DEAD END

By Paulo Rebelo

CHINA does not know what democracy is. It never knew. From immemorial times its population was governed successively by clans, imperial dynasties and for 3/4 of the century by communism.

Thus, Freedom of Expression and Democratic Rule of Law, which are well praised by us, for China the are mere and curious Western philosophical abstractions, above all, because famine and absolute misery have been overcome by the Communist state-run capitalism, more concerned with providing people with material goods, consequently, paltry social welfare in which basic needs are met, Personal Civil Rights are irrelevant issues not fundamental to the Chinese collective interest, something incomprehensible to Western man.

Paulo Rebelo