I am from China. I have been studying in the United States for several years. In some aspects, China and the United States are as different as two countries can be.
China has a long history. When the Mayflower reached the shore of Cape Cod in 1620, the 14th Chinese emperor of the 17th dynasty was worshiping his 5,000-year-old ancestors.
The United States is the melting pot of the world. Everyone can be American. While a black player on the Chinese national soccer team would be seen as an abnormality, the U.S. soccer team, and the United States itself, is made up of people of all heritages.
The biggest difference between the United States and China is that China is one of the few countries still controlled by a communist party. Inherent in such a system is a lack of freedom and democracy. I, like many Chinese people, was one of the admirers of American democracy.
However, since coming to the United States, I have found that there is something happening here that I do not understand.
Three things puzzle me.
First, medical care: In the United States, the richest country in the world, there are about 40 million Americans who do not have medical insurance. I believe most Americans support the idea that the government should pay the bill for people to have basic medical care. Why has it not happened?
Second, the War in Iraq: I was not surprised by the invasion of Iraq. At that time, it was the choice of most Americans, even if that choice was made under the incorrect influence. What surprised me is that when people were informed of the truth and saw how they were manipulated into supporting the war, President Bush still got elected to a second term and the Iraq policy carried on as before. Now with the majority of Americans wanting to end the war, it seems that there is still no light at the end of the tunnel.
Third, gas prices: This is even more bizarre to me than the previous two cases. With the knowledge of the oil companies ripping everyone off, the government is not doing anything, even though most Americans are complaining.
All these examples make me think that the United States government is not really that different from the Chinese government. Here are a few examples:
They are both partially controlled by the big companies or groups of people who benefit from the system. In the United States, the insurance companies and oil companies are the beneficiaries.
They both have huge political systems. To me, the governments are like slates of glass. The thinner they are, the more transparent they would be, and therefore, the opinion of the people can be seen by the policy-makers on top.
However, the U.S. and Chinese administration systems are thick enough that public opinions are being filtered and deflected. Furthermore, when the political system gets too complicated, it will start to think for itself - just like intelligent computers in movies. Instead of reflecting the public opinion faithfully, it will think for the public and come up with its own ideas that it believes are best for the people. I believe many European nations have the real democracy by having their government as small as possible.
Propaganda is heavily used by both governments. On this front, I have to say that the Chinese government has a lot to learn from its U.S. counterparts. In the United States, people are being influenced so artfully that they still believe that they are as independent as ever.
People's attentions are being carefully deflected to some issues which are totally not that important to them. People are worried more about Paris Hilton's health in jail than their own medical bill. People debate gay rights day in and day out, even though their own rights are being eroded by the government.
However, there is one huge difference between the two systems: At the end of every four years under such a government, every American has the right to vote. If we believe that the ballot-counting system is as clean as it should be, the American people have the ability to shape their country's future.
This is the luxury that the Chinese are still fighting for. This means that American people are able to change history, just like they did with the war in Vietnam, just like they did with the civil rights movement.
To conclude, I would say the real difference in democracy does not lie in the governments of the two countries, but in the people. The huge administration system is like a beast. In China, there is no leash on the beast. In the United States, there is one.
However, the beast is very clever; it can delude the people or make people pull on each other. As the superpower of the world, Americans' choices affect not only themselves, but also the world. To all U.S. citizens, I then send this message: Please make the right choice like you did many times in history.
