A Shocking TED Lecture

[Eighthman]

http://blog.ted.com/2013/07/01/8-talks-about-china/

There's a new TED lecture given by a venture capitalist in which he strongly defends China's one party system in contrast to western democracies.  He argues that polls show abundant optimism in China and vast discontent in Europe and the US as an evidence of legitimacy.  He offers studies that corruption in China may not be as bad as many 'democracies' - and that China's leaders are often much better vetted than in US (think Bush Jr. and Obama).

It's kind of shocking to think of western governance being called 'hubris'.  Was Plato right about philosopher-kings ruling society? He describes the condition of the west as 'elect and regret'.

OTOH. maybe this all changes when China runs out of growth and their kids become unemployed debt laden video gamers. 

Who watches the watchers?  Sounds like 'my elite can beat your elite'.

[ArMaP]

My boss, a very intelligent man, used to read and analyse the news, said to me, some 2 or 3 years ago, that all these crisis were probably made so someone could point to them and say "see, democracy doesn't work, we need a different system".

Maybe he was right.

[Amaterasu]

I think He was right, ArMaP.