From: usenet@news.acns.nwu.edu (Usenet on news.acns)
Subject: Re: Insensitive mainland chauvinist view. (Was: Who Cares 150 F-16s.)
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 15:42:44 GMT

In article <79611@ut-emx.uucp> joe@astro.as.utexas.edu (Joe Wang) writes:
> In article <1992Sep11.225319.9934@news.acns.nwu.edu> usenet@news.acns.nwu.edu  
(Usenet on news.acns) writes:
> >If they elect warlords, then let the warlords be the representitive. 
> >Why do you think that Chinese people will elect warlords? 
> >Trust them. Put confidence on  
> >Chinese people. If a warlord is elected by a REAL election, then this  
warlord
> >has something that people trust.
> 
> The problem is that you may have a highly popular leader who advocates
> policies that are good for Hunan, but which are disastrous for the
> rest of China.  This person find it very, very easy to get elected in
> Hunan on a platform on Hunan independence.
> 
> You can't simply let provinces secede at will.  The trouble is that
> it's always in the advantage of an individual province to secede, but
> if they all secede they everyone is at a disadvantage.
> 

I don't think so. Take Hunan for an example, Hunan is mainly an agricultural  
province though it also has some industries. It need to import heavy industrial  
products from other provinces and probably export agricultural products and  
light industrial products to other provinces. In a word, it is not necessary a  
good idea for Hunan to secede. I also believe people in Hunan will not vote to  
leave at present unless all of the people in Hunan are crazy. What I mean is  
people are not fool. They will choose a best way for themselves if they are  
given a chance. 

In fact, I am not even sure the majority in Taiwan will vote for independence.  
They just don't want reunification. I also think in the long run, it is not  
economically beneficial for Taiwan to secede if later China changes its current  
system and go towards a more democratic society. But, even they do vote for  
independence, we still need to respect their choice. I bet they will make their  
choice under careful and serious consideration and will be responsible for  
their own future.

> If you don't see the problem, then ask yourself, why do we have
> governments in the first place?  If a group of people are such good
> managers, then why do they need to force people to pay them money?
> Why can't taxation be completely voluntary with each individual paying
> the amount that they think the government deserves?  If provinces can
> secede, why can't individuals?

If what you said is true, why the Roman Empire collapes, why the Ottoman empire  
collapes, why the former USSR collapes. I am not suggesting breaking a country  
into small parts. I am only suggesting to respect people's choices. Large is  
not alway good and neither is small. There is a optimal ( or near optimal)  
state and this optimal state changes according to various conditions as in  
mathematics and engineering. I believe it is the wisdom of majority of people  
that will find the optimal state ( or near optimal one). So, let them choose  
their future.

Carl