An editor of the Washington Post on democracy

[cema]

As a Chinese journalist, you may have your own definition of democracy which corresponds to your history and your way of seeing the world.

I wonder what his definition of democracy is, and to what history and what seeing the world it corresponds.

Democracy in one sense means the majority decides, but it also means the rights of the minority are protected. As UK late Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, democracy is the least bad system that we have ever thught of. So democracy is never perfect. It always has problems. Our democracy here in the US has many contradictions, problems and challenges. So democracy is not a cure that could turn everything bad into good. It has its own advantages and its disadvantages.

Has he graduated from the kindergarten already?

Update. Apparently, my point was not understood. Read inside for more enlightenment.
Update. The editor is now saying he was misquoted by the Chinese agency. His point was milder, but still along the same lines.

Comments

[fivestarz.livejournal.com]

Забавненько.

A few ... ago tried to enlighten some guy about North Korea. As little as I knew about the subject, I carelessly mentioned, that's not even the country's real name, but, more like, a location. The name would be something like Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
A shock. REPUBLIC?! PEOPLE'S??! DEMOCRATIC???!

In fact, the longest leisure trip he ever took was, I think, Cape Cod. The guy doesn't even have a passport...

[cema.livejournal.com]

I am not surprised. But everybody in this discussion (so far) has travelled far and been educated.

[fivestarz.livejournal.com]

Didn't even mean to surprise you.

Interestingly, this fella has masters in computer science. Go figure...

[cema.livejournal.com]

University education in this country tends to be one-sided. Students are supposed to choose several classes from outside of their major, but whether they choose politics or milking yaks is almost completely up to them.

[fivestarz.livejournal.com]

Точно.
Tell me this, when are you going to choose to come over here and milk some yaks?
Actually, yak milking is quiet optional, and there might be some other options, if you will.

[cema.livejournal.com]

I want to, and I will.