That’s a good point. I am glossing over actual reasons why a liberalised China was viewed as being possible, and wasn’t a completely unreasonable view.
I think that how i personally remember it from the time was the arrogance these views were expressed with. The way they treated China’s liberalization as a forgone conclusion that is the only possible outcome. It was still in the thick of The End of History, and there was a lot of unearned triumphilism from the US establishment
this was during a time where the US was completely unchallenged economically, politically and military. There was quite a few times where this could’ve been the case, glad it never happened, as people now rightfully see just how western-style ‘democracy’ has really been.
That’s a good point. I am glossing over actual reasons why a liberalised China was viewed as being possible, and wasn’t a completely unreasonable view.
I think that how i personally remember it from the time was the arrogance these views were expressed with. The way they treated China’s liberalization as a forgone conclusion that is the only possible outcome. It was still in the thick of The End of History, and there was a lot of unearned triumphilism from the US establishment
this was during a time where the US was completely unchallenged economically, politically and military. There was quite a few times where this could’ve been the case, glad it never happened, as people now rightfully see just how western-style ‘democracy’ has really been.
The Us wasn’t unchallenged. They couldn’t win agaisnt the Taliban and had trouble agaisnt Iraq
Yes that for sure, my point is that it wasn’t really delusion by itself, this did contributed significantly to the fall of socialism in Europe.