From: 54yang@cua.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Review of the Republican National Convention
Date: 23 Aug 92 16:49:06 GMT
Organization: The Catholic University of America

In article <1992Aug22.220126.17633@u.washington.edu>, y8321@milton.u.washington.edu (Yih-Jin Young) writes:
> In article <1992Aug22.135529.1@cua.edu> 54yang@cua.edu writes:
>>
>>I like to ask a question to those who watched the speeches in the convention.
>>What are the issues caught your attention the most?  Media and Americans
>>are talking about
>>
>>       Tax, Foreign policy, Family values, homosexuality,
>>       Social welfare, etc. etc.
>>
> I am most interested in how the American society has changed since the time
> George Washington, the founder of this nation, led the war against the British
> for independence.  After serving two terms in Presidency, he insisted to
> leave the office.  Remember, people wanted him to be the President for the
> third term badly.  He rejected.  Mr. Bush, on the other hand, insists to be
> reelected despite of the fact that people are not so fond of him.  Mr. Perot

Try to think yourself as if you were George Bush, and try to think yourself
in a race with some guy you regard as very bad, then you may be justified
to run for the  second term just because you believe you are better than
the another guy for the nation.  Trying hard to hold power does not
always mean that this person interested in power only, maybe (maybe) 
he want this power in order to do good things or avoid bad things.
Politics can be dirty (for personal interest only), but not necessarily
dirty.  So I think it's okey for Bush to compete for the 2nd term.
> 
>>As a Chinese educated in the "Communist" China, we have heard a
>>lot of arguments similar to the Democrats (although not the same),
>>when we hear the Republicans the first time, we may just feel
>>they are too much representing the "capitalists".  But when I
>>give a second thought, I find it is not so easy to choose among
>>the two sets of arguments.  What is your opinion?
> 
> Since the American society is so diverse, economically, religiously, ethnically,
> and politically,  therefore it is not easy to propose a platform that would
> meet everyone's need.  The stratedies that the two parties use are based
> partly on their political traditions and partly on their targeted votes.

Well, yes, but, we may also see this issue culturally or ideologically,
these two parties have two different sets of values and ideas.  This
is what interests me the most.  My point is that the Chinese students
and dissidents from mainland China tend to agree with Democrats' values
and ideas, and more suspect Republicans' ideas and values.  This may
be due to the education these Chinese people received in the years
when they were in China.  The education made them regarding something
"natural" while not necessarily natural.  If we can try to another's
standpoint (yes, just give a try), then we may find that the ideas
and values we have accepted may not hold the whole truth.
	BTW, I know that old generation Chinese Americans tend to
be in the Republican camp.

> If one were to choose one from the two, it would not be easy because neither
> of them meet individual's complicated need.  In my opinion, the best way out
> is to have a third party which would balance the two parties' platform in
> a reasonable way.  Specifically, to promote development of the nation
> (economy,  education, health, etc) on the one hand and to maintain social
> equality on the other hand ( welfare systems, etc).  The new party's position
> will be in the middle, not too liberal and not too conservative.  It could
> gain the support from the voters and possibly do a nicer job than either
> party.
> 
> As a matter of fact, ancient Chinese philosophers have proposed the law of
> middleness (Chung Yong) as the guidance of life.

Chong Yong (means, or middleness) has been an ideal of the Chinese
ruling class.  I doubt it never was real in Chinese history.  Especially
in modern politics, Chong Yong becomes not possible.  Well, in some
small scale tactics it may be possible, but not possible in strategy
and plateforms of political parties.  People want to know clearly
what position and policy you hold.  Actually, if there is a room
for the party of middleness, then it must have appeared in the US
politics.  Therefore, I'd conclude that the value or ideal of
Chong Yong is not (and never be) a realistic value in politics.
You have to choose from two extremes.  Then the question becomes,
which one would you tend to choose (if not definitely).

Fenggang Yang
CUA