Democracy—A Flickering Star?
In his 1937 Great Contemporaries, Winston Churchill wrote, "Whatever else may be thought about (Hitler's) exploits, they are among the most remarkable in the whole history of the world."
Churchill was referring not only to Hitler's political triumphs—the return of the Saar and reoccupation of the Rhineland—but his economic achievements. By his fourth year in power, Hitler had pulled Germany out of the Depression, cut unemployment from 6 million to 1 million, grown the GNP 37 percent and increased auto production from 45,000 vehicles a year to 250,000. City and provincial deficits had vanished.
In material terms, Nazi Germany was a startling success.
And not only Churchill and Lloyd George but others in Europe and America were marveling at the exploits of the Third Reich, its fascist ally Italy and Joseph Stalin's rapidly industrializing Soviet state. "I have seen the future, and it works," Lincoln Steffins had burbled. Many Western men, seeing the democracies mired in Depression and moral malaise, were also seeing the future in Berlin, Moscow, Rome.
In Germany, Hitler was winning plebiscites with more than 90 percent of the vote in what outside observers said were free elections.
What calls to mind the popularity of the Third Reich and the awe it inspired abroad—even after the bloody Roehm purge and the Nazi murder of Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss in 1934, and the anti-Semitic Nuremberg laws—is a poll buried in The New York Times.
In a survey of 24 countries by Pew Research Center, the nation that emerged as far and away first on earth in the satisfaction of its people was China. No other nation even came close.
"Eighty-six percent of Chinese people surveyed said they were content with the country's direction, up from 48 percent in 2002. ... And 82 percent of Chinese were satisfied with their national economy, up from 52 percent," said the Times.
Yet, China has a regime that punishes dissent, severely restricts freedom, persecutes Christians and all faiths that call for worship of a God higher than the state, brutally represses Tibetans and Uighurs, swamps their native lands with Han Chinese to bury their cultures and threatens Taiwan.
China is also a country where Maoist ideology has been replaced by a racial chauvinism and raw nationalism reminiscent of Italy and Germany in the 1930s. Yet, again, over 80 percent of all Chinese are content or even happy with the direction of the country. Two-thirds say the government is doing a good job in dealing with the issues of greatest concern to them.
And what nation is it whose people rank as third most satisfied?
Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Moscow is today more nationalistic, less democratic and more confrontational toward the West than it has been since before the fall of communism. Power is being consolidated, former Soviet republics are hearing dictatorial growls from Moscow and a chill reminiscent of the Cold War is in the air.
Yet, wrote the Times, "Russians were the third most satisfied people with their country's direction, at 54 percent, despite Western concerns about authoritarian trends."
Of the largest nations on earth, the two that today most satisfy the desires of their peoples are the most authoritarian.
High among the reasons, of course, are the annual 10 percent to 12 percent growth China has experienced over the last decade, and the wealth pouring into Russia for the oil and natural gas in which that immense country abounds. Still, is this not disturbing? In China and Russia, the greatest of world powers after the United States, people seem to value freedom of speech, religion or the press far less than they do a rising prosperity and national pride and power. And they seem to have little moral concern about crushing national minorities.
Contrast, if you will, the contentment of Chinese and Russians with the dissatisfaction of Americans, only 23 percent of whom told the Pew poll they approved of the nation's direction. Only one in five Americans said they were satisfied with the U.S. economy.
Other polls have found 82 percent of Americans saying the country is headed in the wrong direction, only 28 percent approving of President Bush's performance and only half that saying they approve of the Congress. In Britain, France and Germany, only three in 10 expressed satisfaction with the direction of the nation.
Liberal democracy is in a bear market. Is it a systemic crisis, as well?
In his 1992 The End of History, Francis Fukuyama wrote of the ultimate world triumph of democratic capitalism. All other systems had fallen, or would fall by the wayside. The future belonged to us.
Democratic capitalism, it would appear, now has a great new rival—autocratic capitalism. In Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, nations are beginning to imitate the autocrats of China and Russia, even as some in the 1930s sought to ape fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
The game is not over yet. We are going into extra innings.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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Sir: the authoritarianism you speak of is exemplified by the slow and inexorable takeover of virtually every decent career by the U.S. government. Just imagine the trepidation of a college graduate that does not want to work for the government. I speak from experience because I have recently exited the military after serving four years as an Officer. The money was more than parsimonious single man can spend, but the 27 months I spent in Mesopotamia was a priceless chunk of my 20s that I can never get back. Moreover, is not free will priceless in itself? Nevertheless, the euphoria one feels after breaking from the government eventually falls away when one faces with the reality that he/she cannot get decent pay outside the government (not to mention adequate medical benefits.)
I predict that, in light of the recent rhetoric of service and sacrifice, the next President will activate the selective service system. However, young men and women will be given a choice: inner city clean up or War abroad. Of course, this will be packaged as a way to get our young generation trained in all of the necessary technical skills no longer available in the civilian sector, and as a way for the rising adults to get plenty of leadership experience--maybe even free college. In light of the economic disaster that is looming and what will become a desperate need to acquire natural resources, this predication is not at all quixotic.
This thesis presumes that there still exists such a thing as democratic capitalism in the US, rather than a softer version of autocratic capitalism (which is hardening with each passing day). The reach of the government is pervasive in every facet of life. Freedom of speech? Ha - announce at work that you frequent this site or support its views. Freedom of the press? Ha - one only need look at the past two weeks' worth of media attention given to Solzhenitsyn and Karadzic and understand the true propogandist role of that press. Freedom of religion? Well, perhaps not as severe as the clampdown in China, but one wonders what the relatives of the Branch Davidians who were burnt to a crisp believe exists of this freedom? Democracy? Ha - one only need look at how the two wings of the one-party system presented their candidates to us and what real policy beliefs separate the two (none). Market capitalism? Should I begin with describing the recent banking bail outs or the bail out to create more work for accountancy firms (a.k.a. Sarbanes-Oxley). The destruction of both political and market freedoms in the US began in earnest with Lincoln's War to Extinguish States Rights and proceeded at an accelerating pace as progressive ideas such as marxism and interest group politics took hold over the succeeding years. Other than varying degrees of material wealth, I don't know what will trully distinguish China, Russia, and the US in the near future.
Of note is that this site was blocked on the military computer network in Iraq under the heading:
extremest website
I just saw the opening ceremony to the Beijing Olympics and it was fantastic a well choreographed technical achievement. Chinese are smart hardworking people and it would be interesting to see how China develops in the future.
There space program already surpasses Russia’s.
Pat talks about these countries as if they exist in isolation...
"Moscow is today more nationalistic, less democratic and more confrontational toward the West than it has been since before the fall of communism."
Well, perhaps if they didn't have the imminent threat of US global hegemony on their doorstep, perhaps "democratic capitalism" would be on the rise in these countries. Considering Russia just came off of an oppressive communist past, I think they are doing just fine. Unfortunately, we are headed to where they used to be.
James,
but they're terribly greedy and corrupt. You can't trust a Chinese man any more than you can a Nigerian. And corruption is bound to take its toll on the economy.
Daniel,
I'm no fan of democratic capitalism, but you're very right that these [supra-]nations are thriving off rivalry.
@5Daniel
I'm surprised at Buchannan’s comments about Russia seeing how nearly all of it is western propaganda.
Justin Raimondo of antiwar.com did some good investigative reporting on the Litvinenko farce and the Ukrainian poisoning dioxin farce as well.
Russia is more democratic now than during the 90's when a western backed mafia oligarghy controlled every aspect of Russia its economy, media, duma parliament and president which they got through theft and murder.
All the so called independent media are essentially anti-putin propaganda newspaper and radio of the former oligarchs. Berezovsky still owns Komersant in Russia.
Democracy is a farce when an ethnic minority in the US comprising of less than 2% of the population controls all of the media, majority of political finance, book publishing, government appointees, judges, academia even the license to print money and ownership of central banks. Some website moderators will not even post comments critical of this ethnic group.
With there control of media we get opinions exclusively from there permitted perspective. That why in the US things like the attack on the USS Liberty, anti-immigration, critical view of Israel, propaganda leading up to the Iraq war and the forthcoming Iran war and who’s interest it serves.
It’s the same in Europe ( Britain France, Germany, etc).
Perhaps even were not exactly getting an unbiased historical accurate viewpoint on Hitler and why he was so popular with Germans.
What Mr. Buchanan's review of nations shows is that citizens
are not satisfied in proportion to the material goods they have.
Citizens of the US have to be the richest in terms of material things, yet they are not satisfied.
The citizens who are most optimistic and energetic are those with a cause they believe in even if it means sacrifice. That's what Hitler gave the Germans.
The most energetic and enthusiastic people today are the ones whose cause is jihad.
According to Albert Speer, Hitler's Minister of Industry, there was no reason to credit his boss for pulling Germany out of economic trouble since he had no plan, knowledge or means for anything even remotely serious as remedy for situation he found himself in. Things simply continued rolling and fell into right gear. If Germans had Internet access to Dow Jones Industrial Index then, maybe that "gear" would not belong to transmission box of Panzer charging to Ukraine but to gate of some Assilum for Criminally Insane where their Chancellor rightfully belonged.
Anyhow, I believe dear Albert had pretty credible "info" on that one. He also gave interesting speech in Nuremberg after being sentenced to long, although not so unpleasant stay at Spandau. Very few payed attention to that one so we have to endure Mr. Soros & Co.
We live by misconceptions and disinformation for hundreds of years now. We develop our standards on these. By mere logic, our civilization should already cease to exist. But it did not. Which leads to conclusion that no matter how much bull the Humanity is fed by, good number finds the way to refuse to buy it.
Dear Sir,
'Chinese are smart hardworking people and it would be interesting to see how China develops in the future. There space program already surpasses Russia’s.'
The Chinese have placed two people in low-earth orbit. Their space program does not in any way surpass the Russians. The chinese are hard-working; made so by the threat of execution or eviction. Any greatness in them is long-ago spent/squandered. Let us see them for what they are, a mass of scared slave laborers. That is all.
China will never conquer the world. They cannot even conquer themselves.
Thank you.
T.M.
Under Hitler economic conditions and the standard of living for the great unwashed were greatly improved in Germany. For this to happen it was not necessary for the leader to have a great or in-depth knowledge of economic theory. But Hitler did know that his people could only improve their lot through the "work with their own two hands".
And all this was achieved without an ounce of gold in the German national treasury. At that time most of the gold was in USA possession, and they were in the middle of a great depression.
As a high school student I was subjected to movies depicting Hitler's "rants to conquer the world" during "history" lessons. Well, in university I studied German as an elective and listened to Hitler's speeches in German.
Would you care to venture an opinion as to what the RECURRING theme of Hitler's speeches was? He told his people that economic improvement would only be achieved through working with their own two hands. Simple, what?
Compare this with the garbage and platitudes we are being fed now by out "leaders". (They are not leaders, but rulers).
I would venture the opinion that all that is necessary for economic success is that one spend less than one earns, ie. applying the same rules that the average Hausfrau intuitively understood.
This simple guide line applies not only to individuals but also to corporations and countries. There is nothing wrong with borrowing to purchase permanent or income-producing assets at a reasonable price. But borrowing to buy groceries or price-inflated assets is the road to financial disaster for the individual and countries.
H.F. Wolff
@7James
I too have read that the media in the US is more concentrated than in Russia.
Regarding Russia's confrontational stance to the west, this might be due to a perceived military threat. The Russians were promised, after peacefully letting go of Eastern Europe, that NATO would not move eastwards. Now the US is pushing for inclusion of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. So who is being confrontational to whom?
C'mon, Pat.
Polls in China and Russia? You can't be serious. Let me guess: the respective questionnaires read as follows; 1) Are you happy with the country's direction; or 2) If you are willing to express unhappiness with your country's direction, please write down your name and address, along with those of your children.
The same polling template is used in the ever-egalitarian Mideast, the whole of Africa and far away regions like Shangri la.
Meanwhile, those ultra-peppy Chinese and Rooskies, ever agog over their teleocratic milieu (three cheers for the majesty of The Party), smoke, gamble and drink like there's no tomorrow.
thank god for Pat B, one of the sanest voices speaking out since 1992 and before. despite attacks from many sides (sometimes even his associates), he keeps on truckin' at a high level of intellectual and historical truth. yes, he has a POV: thank God.
When I listen to the shills on PBS, their usual AEI treadmill "experts," trying to shape the dialog on the So. Ossetia/Abkhazia conflict--as well as the lies of our govenrment spokespeople--I think that Americans must have a very short memory span for history, and the terms of the beaten Russian Federation's "cooperation" after the fall of communism. The Soros-funded BS in Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan is coming home to roost. Kosovo is coming home to roost. And then I have to listen to Big John McC opine that "in the 21st century you don't invade other countries..." This is truly obscene, twisted and assumes Americans are simply dupes and idiots, whether useful or not.
If the neocons keep us on the warpath, and we nationalize our financial system by beggaring the US taxpayer for generations while the Russians and others nationalize their energy for control and profit, American will indeed be deeper down the drain than at any time in the last 75 years, about the same time one of the lousiest systems ever, thug-run "communism," lasted.
Keep slugging, Mr Buchanan.