This is a thoughtful, impressive piece. Bravo. I think, though, that your feeling that China lacks a proper Fourth Estate may reflect a Western bias about what that should look like. After all, when the Chinese describe their polity it is always followed by the phrase "with Chinese characteristics." So it doesn't look like what we think of as an institutional base of critique. But what I've noticed is that it has, instead, a very effective and sophisticated system of communication between the center and the fringe. That has always been a component of the successful dynasties.
For example, If some mandarin tries to take advantage of their position to the detriment of the people, word has a way of filtering back from the lowest levels to the Court. And said official was/is likely to use their head.
Yes, that could be a bias. But we are talking about restructing the entire world. Is it only a select few who get to consider this? How can We the People buy into it if we are only given the Headlines, not the inner content. How can we attend to it, make it our Way?
Also, if one only reads the official pronouncements and never sees well-considered critique, there is a quality of having it spoon-fed, if not actually force-fed, which again limits one's ability to fully take in on board oneself.
But as you say, this could be a Western POV. And THAT said, it could be on of the good things from the West worth preserving!!
This is a thoughtful, impressive piece. Bravo. I think, though, that your feeling that China lacks a proper Fourth Estate may reflect a Western bias about what that should look like. After all, when the Chinese describe their polity it is always followed by the phrase "with Chinese characteristics." So it doesn't look like what we think of as an institutional base of critique. But what I've noticed is that it has, instead, a very effective and sophisticated system of communication between the center and the fringe. That has always been a component of the successful dynasties.
For example, If some mandarin tries to take advantage of their position to the detriment of the people, word has a way of filtering back from the lowest levels to the Court. And said official was/is likely to use their head.
Yes, that could be a bias. But we are talking about restructing the entire world. Is it only a select few who get to consider this? How can We the People buy into it if we are only given the Headlines, not the inner content. How can we attend to it, make it our Way?
Also, if one only reads the official pronouncements and never sees well-considered critique, there is a quality of having it spoon-fed, if not actually force-fed, which again limits one's ability to fully take in on board oneself.
But as you say, this could be a Western POV. And THAT said, it could be on of the good things from the West worth preserving!!