Eric X. Li: A tale of two political systems

Translator: Lenka Tušar Reviewer: Nika Kotnik

Good morning.

Dobro jutro.

My name is Eric Li, and I was born here.

Sem Eric Li in rodil sem se tukaj.

But no, I wasn't born there.

Pravzaprav ne.

This was where I was born:

Rojen sem bil tu,

Shanghai, at the height of the Cultural Revolution.

v Šanghaju na vrhuncu Kulturne revolucije.

My grandmother tells me that she heard

Babica mi je pripovedovala,

da je moj prvi jok spremljal zvok streljanja.

the sound of gunfire along with my first cries.

When I was growing up, I was told a story

Med odraščanjem sem slišal zgodbo,

that explained all I ever needed to know about humanity.

ki je pojasnjevala vse, kar sem moral vedeti o človeštvu.

It went like this.

Zgodba je šla tako.

All human societies develop in linear progression,

Vse človeške družbe se razvijajo in napredujejo linearno.

beginning with primitive society, then slave society,

Začne se s primitivno družbo, sledi ji suženjstvo,

feudalism, capitalism, socialism,

fevdalizem, kapitalizem, socializem

and finally, guess where we end up?

in kje končamo?

Communism!

Pri komunizmu!

Sooner or later, all of humanity,

Prej ali slej naj bi vsaka človeška družba,

regardless of culture, language, nationality,

ne glede na kulturo, jezik, ali narodnost

will arrive at this final stage

dosegla to zadnjo stopnjo

of political and social development.

političnega in družbenega razvoja.

The entire world's peoples will be unified

Ljudstva vsega sveta bodo združena

in this paradise on Earth

v raju na Zemlji

and live happily ever after.

in živela srečno do konca svojih dni.

But before we get there, we're engaged

Preden pa to dosežemo, smo ujeti v boj

in a struggle between good and evil,

med dobrim in zlim,

the good of socialism against the evil of capitalism,

med dobrim socializmom in zlim kapitalizmom,

and the good shall triumph.

dobro pa bo prevladalo nad slabim.

That, of course, was the meta-narrative

To je seveda bila meta-pripoved,

distilled from the theories of Karl Marx.

povzeta po teorijah Karla Marxa.

And the Chinese bought it.

Kitajci so jo vzeli za svojo.

We were taught that grand story day in and day out.

To zgodbo smo poslušali dan za dnem.

It became part of us, and we believed in it.

Postala je del nas in verjeli smo vanjo.

The story was a bestseller.

Zgodba je postala uspešnica.

About one third of the entire world's population

Približno tretjina svetovnega prebivalstva

lived under that meta-narrative.

je živela to meta-pripoved.

Then, the world changed overnight.

Nato se je svet čez noč spremenil.

As for me, disillusioned by the failed religion of my youth,

Sam sem, razočaran nad porazom religije moje mladosti,

I went to America and became a Berkeley hippie.

šel v Ameriko in postal hipi na Berkeleyju.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Now, as I was coming of age, something else happened.

Ko sem postajal starejši, se je zgodilo še nekaj.

As if one big story wasn't enough,

Kot da ena velika zgodba ne bi bila dovolj,

I was told another one.

sem slišal še eno.

This one was just as grand.

Bila je prav tako velika.

It also claims that all human societies

Tudi ta je trdila, da razvoj vseh družb

develop in a linear progression towards a singular end.

linearno napreduje proti enotnemu cilju.

This one went as follows:

Zgodba je šla tako:

All societies, regardless of culture,

Vse družbe, ne glede na njihovo kulturo,

be it Christian, Muslim, Confucian,

bodisi krščansko, muslimansko ali konfucijansko,

must progress from traditional societies

se razvijejo iz tradicionalnih družb

in which groups are the basic units

s skupinami kot osnovnimi enotami

to modern societies in which atomized individuals

v sodobne družbe, v katerih so izolirani posamezniki samostojne enote,

are the sovereign units,

and all these individuals are, by definition, rational,

ti pa so v osnovi razumska bitja

and they all want one thing:

in vsi želijo le eno,

the vote.

volilni glas.

Because they are all rational, once given the vote,

Ker so ljudje razumni, bodo volilni glas

they produce good government

uporabili za sestavo dobre vlade in vsi bodo živeli srečno do konca svojih dni.

and live happily ever after.

Paradise on Earth, again.

Še en raj na Zemlji.

Sooner or later, electoral democracy will be

Prej ali slej naj bi volilna demokracija

the only political system for all countries and all peoples,

postala edini politični sistem za vse države in vse ljudi,

with a free market to make them all rich.

vključno s prostim trgom, s katerim bodo vsi bogati.

But before we get there, we're engaged in a struggle

A preden to dosežemo, smo ujeti v boj

between good and evil.

med dobrim in zlim.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

The good belongs to those who are democracies

Dobro je na strani demokracij,

and are charged with a mission of spreading it

in njihovo poslanstvo je širjenje le-te, tudi z uporabo sile,

around the globe, sometimes by force,

against the evil of those who do not hold elections.

v zlih deželah, kjer nimajo volitev.

(Video) George H.W. Bush: A new world order...

George H. W. Bush: Nov svetovni red ...

(Video) George W. Bush:... ending tyranny in our world...

G. W. Bush: ... konec tiranije na svetu ...

Barack Obama: ... enoten standard za vse, ki bodo na oblasti.

(Video) Barack Obama:... a single standard for all

who would hold power.

Eric X. Li: Now --

Eric X. Li: Torej ...

(Laughter) (Applause)

(Smeh) (Aplavz)

This story also became a bestseller.

Tudi ta zgodba je postala uspešnica.

According to Freedom House,

Po podatkih organizacije Hiša svobode

the number of democracies went from 45 in 1970

je število demokratičnih družb naraslo s 45 leta 1970

to 115 in 2010.

na 115 leta 2010.

In the last 20 years, Western elites tirelessly

Zadnjih 20 let zahodne elite neutrudno

trotted around the globe selling this prospectus:

po svetu prodajajo to reklamo.

Multiple parties fight for political power

Številne politične stranke se borijo za oblast

and everyone voting on them

in vsak njihov volivec

is the only path to salvation

je edina pot do odrešitve

to the long-suffering developing world.

dolgo zatiranega sveta v razvoju.

Those who buy the prospectus are destined for success.

Tisti, ki sprejmejo ta način, bodo zagotovo uspeli.

Those who do not are doomed to fail.

Drugi bodo pogubljeni.

But this time, the Chinese didn't buy it.

A te zgodbe Kitajci niso vzeli za svojo.

Fool me once...

Osel gre samo enkrat ...

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

The rest is history.

Ostalo je zgodovina.

In just 30 years, China went from

V le 30 letih se je Kitajska

one of the poorest agricultural countries in the world

iz ene najrevnejših poljedelskih držav na svetu

razvila v drugo največje gospodarstvo.

to its second-largest economy.

Six hundred fifty million people

650 milijonov ljudi

were lifted out of poverty.

se je dvignilo iz revščine.

Eighty percent of the entire world's poverty alleviation

80 odstotkov svetovnega reševanja revščine

during that period happened in China.

se je v tistem obdobju zgodilo na Kitajskem.

In other words, all the new and old democracies

Ali drugače, nove in stare demokratične družbe skupaj

put together amounted to a mere fraction

so predstavljale le drobec tega,

of what a single, one-party state did without voting.

kar je ena enostrankarska država dosegla brez volitev.

See, I grew up on this stuff: food stamps.

Odraščal sem ob teh bonih za hrano.

Meat was rationed to a few hundred grams

V določenem obdobju je bilo meso odmerjeno na le nekaj sto gramov na osebo na mesec.

per person per month at one point.

Needless to say, I ate all my grandmother's portions.

Seveda sem pojedel vse, kar je babica dobila.

So I asked myself, what's wrong with this picture?

Vprašal sem se, kaj je tu narobe?

Here I am in my hometown,

V mojem rojstnem kraju

my business growing leaps and bounds.

moje podjetje skokoma raste,

Entrepreneurs are starting companies every day.

nova podjetja se odpirajo vsak dan.

Middle class is expanding in speed and scale

Srednji razred se širi s hitrostjo in v obsegu,

unprecedented in human history.

ki nima primere v človeški zgodovini.

Yet, according to the grand story,

A glede na veliko zgodbo

none of this should be happening.

se nič od tega ne bi smelo dogajati.

So I went and did the only thing I could. I studied it.

Storil sem edino, kar sem lahko. Preučeval sem jo.

Yes, China is a one-party state

Da, Kitajska je enostrankarska država,

run by the Chinese Communist Party, the Party,

ki jo vodi Kitajska komunistična partija, vélika Partija,

and they don't hold elections.

nimajo pa volitev.

Three assumptions are made

Tri predpostavke o takem sistemu

by the dominant political theories of our time.

so znane v sodobnih vodilnih političnih teorijah.

Such a system is operationally rigid,

Tak sistem je operativno tog,

politically closed, and morally illegitimate.

politično zaprt in moralno sporen.

Well, the assumptions are wrong.

Vse te predpostavke so napačne.

The opposites are true.

Pravilna so njihova nasprotja.

Adaptability, meritocracy, and legitimacy

Prilagodljivost, vladavina najzaslužnejših in legitimnost so glavne tri značilnosti

are the three defining characteristics

of China's one-party system.

kitajskega enostrankarskega sistema.

Now, most political scientists will tell us

Večina politologov bo trdila,

da je enostrankarski sistem v svojem bistvu nezmožen samonadzora.

that a one-party system is inherently incapable

of self-correction.

It won't last long because it cannot adapt.

Ne more trajati dolgo, ker je neprilagodljiv.

Now here are the facts.

Poglejmo dejstva.

In 64 years of running the largest country in the world,

V 64 letih vodenja največje države na svetu

the range of the Party's policies has been wider

je nabor partijskih programov širši

than any other country in recent memory,

kot pri katerikoli državi v zadnjem času,

from radical land collectivization to the Great Leap Forward,

od korenite kolektivizacije posestev do Velikega skoka naprej,

then privatization of farmland,

od privatizacije kmetijskih zemljišč

then the Cultural Revolution,

do Kulturne revolucije,

then Deng Xiaoping's market reform,

od Deng Xiaopingove reforme trga

then successor Jiang Zemin took the giant political step

do ogromnega političnega skoka njegovega naslednika Jiang Zemina,

of opening up Party membership to private businesspeople,

ko je članstvo v Partiji omogočil zasebnim podjetnikom,

something unimaginable during Mao's rule.

kar je bilo nepredstavljivo med Maovo politiko.

So the Party self-corrects in rather dramatic fashions.

Partija se je torej razvijala na dramatične načine.

Institutionally, new rules get enacted

Institucionalno so se uzakonili novi predpisi,

to correct previous dysfunctions.

ki so popravljali prejšnje napake.

For example, term limits.

Tak primer je omejitev trajanja funkcij.

Political leaders used to retain their positions for life,

Politični vodje so si običajno dosmrtno lastili svoje položaje

and they used that to accumulate power

ter tako kopičili oblast in ohranjali njihove predpise v veljavi.

and perpetuate their rules.

Mao was the father of modern China,

Mao je bil oče sodobne Kitajske,

yet his prolonged rule led to disastrous mistakes.

a njegova predolga oblast je vodila v usodne napake.

So the Party instituted term limits

Partija je zato uzakonila omejitev funkcij

with mandatory retirement age of 68 to 70.

z obvezno upokojitvijo med 68. in 70. letom.

One thing we often hear is,

Pogosto slišimo:

"Political reforms have lagged far behind economic reforms,"

"Politične reforme so daleč za gospodarskimi,"

and "China is in dire need of political reform."

ter: "Kitajska krvavo potrebuje politično reformo."

But this claim is a rhetorical trap

A ta trditev je retorična past,

hidden behind a political bias.

skrita za političnimi težnjami.

See, some have decided a priori

Nekateri so se namreč a priori odločili,

what kinds of changes they want to see,

kakšne spremembe želijo videti,

and only such changes can be called political reform.

in le take spremembe bi lahko bile politične reforme.

The truth is, political reforms have never stopped.

Dejstvo je, da se politične reforme nikoli niso ustavile.

Compared with 30 years ago, 20 years, even 10 years ago,

Če situacijo primerjamo s tisto izpred 30, 20 ali celo 10 let,

every aspect of Chinese society,

je vsak vidik Kitajske družbe in vladanja državi,

how the country is governed,

from the most local level to the highest center,

od krajevnih uradnikov do najvišjega nivoja,

are unrecognizable today.

danes popolnoma drugačen.

Now such changes are simply not possible

Take spremembe preprosto niso mogoče

without political reforms of the most fundamental kind.

brez najbolj korenitih političnih reform.

Now I would venture to suggest the Party

Drznil si bom trditi, da je Partija

is the world's leading expert in political reform.

vodilni svetovni strokovnjak za politične reforme.

The second assumption is that in a one-party state,

Druga predpostavka je, da se v enostrankarski državi

power gets concentrated in the hands of the few,

oblast kopiči le v rokah maloštevilnih,

and bad governance and corruption follow.

čemur sledita slabo vodenje in korupcija.

Indeed, corruption is a big problem,

Korupcija je res velika težava,

but let's first look at the larger context.

a najprej poglejmo širše.

Now, this may be counterintuitive to you.

To se vam bo morda zdelo kontradiktorno.

The Party happens to be one of the most meritocratic

Partija je politična ustanova,

political institutions in the world today.

ki dosledno vodi po principu vladanja najzaslužnejših.

China's highest ruling body, the Politburo, has 25 members.

Najvišje kitajsko vladajoče telo, Politbiro, ima 25 članov.

In the most recent one, only five of them

V njegovi zadnji sestavi le pet članov

came from a background of privilege, so-called princelings.

prihaja iz privilegiranih ozadij, so potomci vplivnih očetov moderne Kitajske.

The other 20, including the president and the premier,

Ostalih 20, s predsednikom in ministrskim predsednikom

came from entirely ordinary backgrounds.

prihaja iz popolnoma običajnih okolij.

In the larger central committee of 300 or more,

V širšem centralnem komiteju z več kot 300 člani

the percentage of those who were born

je odstotek tistih, ki so bili rojeni v oblast in bogastvo, še manjši.

into power and wealth was even smaller.

The vast majority of senior Chinese leaders

Velika večina starejših kitajskih vodij

worked and competed their way to the top.

si je z delom prislužila pot do vrha.

Compare that with the ruling elites

Primerjajte to z vladajočimi elitami

in both developed and developing countries,

v razvitih državah in tistih v razvoju.

I think you'll find the Party being near the top

Odkrili boste, da je Partija v vrhu

in upward mobility.

sistemov z mobilnostjo napredovanja.

The question then is, how could that be possible

Vprašanje je, kako je to mogoče

in a system run by one party?

v sistemu, ki mu vlada ena stranka?

Now we come to a powerful political institution,

Prišli smo do močne politične inštitucije, ki je Zahodnjakom malo poznana -

little-known to Westerners:

the Party's Organization Department.

Organizacijski oddelek Partije.

The department functions like a giant

Ta organ deluje kot ogromen

human resource engine that would be the envy

kadrovski motor, ki bi ga želelo

of even some of the most successful corporations.

marsikatero od najuspešnejših podjetij.

It operates a rotating pyramid

Upravlja in nadzira vrtečo se piramido,

made up of three components:

sestavljeno iz treh delov:

civil service, state-owned enterprises,

civilna služba, podjetja v državni lasti

and social organizations like a university

in družbene organizacije, kot je univerza

or a community program.

ali lokalni programi.

They form separate yet integrated career paths

To so ločene, a povezane poklicne poti

for Chinese officials.

za kitajske uradnike.

They recruit college grads into entry-level positions

Diplomante zaposlijo na vstopnih mestih

in all three tracks, and they start from the bottom,

v vseh treh delih, začnejo pa na dnu,

called "keyuan" [clerk].

imenovanem "keyuan" [uslužbenec]

Then they could get promoted

Od tam lahko napredujejo

through four increasingly elite ranks:

preko štirih vse višjih položajev:

fuke [deputy section manager], ke [section manager], fuchu [deputy division manager], and chu [division manger].

fuke (namestnik pododdelčnega vodje), ke (pododdelčni vodja), fuchu (namestnik vodje oddelka ) in chu (oddelčni vodja).

Now these are not moves from "Karate Kid," okay?

To niso gibi iz filma "Karate Kid", prav? Gre za resno zadevo.

It's serious business.

The range of positions is wide,

Nabor položajev je širok,

from running health care in a village

od vodenja vaške zdravstvene oskrbe prek tujih naložb v mestnem predelu

to foreign investment in a city district

to manager in a company.

do vodenja podjetja.

Once a year, the department reviews their performance.

Enkrat letno oddelek pregleda njihovo delo.

They interview their superiors, their peers,

Opravijo intervjuje z njihovimi nadrejenimi, kolegi

their subordinates. They vet their personal conduct.

in podrejenimi. Opazujejo njihovo vedenje.

They conduct public opinion surveys.

Izvedejo raziskave javnega mnenja.

Then they promote the winners.

Najboljše povišajo.

Throughout their careers, these cadres

Med njihovo kariero se ti kadri

gibljejo znotraj in med vsemi tremi deli.

can move through and out of all three tracks.

Over time, the good ones move beyond the four base levels

Čez čas se najboljši prebijejo mimo vseh štirih stopenj

to the fuju [deputy bureau chief] and ju [bureau chief] levels.

do nazivov fuju (namestnik vodje urada) in ju (vodja urada).

There, they enter high officialdom.

Takrat postanejo višji uradniki.

By that point, a typical assignment will be

Na tem mestu je njihova tipična naloga

to manage a district with a population in the millions

vodenje področja z večmilijonskim prebivalstvom

or a company with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

ali podjetja s stotinami milijonov dolarjev prihodkov.

Just to show you how competitive the system is,

Da si lažje predstavljate konkurenčnost sistema,

in 2012, there were 900,000 fuke and ke levels,

leta 2012 je bilo 900.000 položajev fuke in ke,

600,000 fuchu and chu levels,

600.000 položajev fuchu in chu,

and only 40,000 fuju and ju levels.

ter samo 40.000 položajev fuju in ju.

After the ju levels,

Po položajih ju

the best few move further up several more ranks,

se najboljši prebijejo prek naslednjih nekaj nivojev

and eventually make it to the Central Committee.

in naposled dosežejo Centralni komite.

The process takes two to three decades.

Ta pot traja dve do tri desetletja.

Does patronage play a role? Yes, of course.

Ali je pokroviteljstvo pomembno? Seveda je.

But merit remains the fundamental driver.

A glavno vodilo so zasluge.

In essence, the Organization Department runs

Organizacijski oddelek pravzaprav vodi

a modernized version of China's centuries-old

posodobljeno različico kitajskega stoletja starega

mentoring system.

mentorskega sistema.

China's new president, Xi Jinping,

Novi kitajski predsednik, Xi Jinping,

is the son of a former leader, which is very unusual,

je sin bivšega vodje, kar je zelo nenavadno

first of his kind to make the top job.

in je prvi te vrste, ki je dosegel vrh.

Even for him, the career took 30 years.

Tudi zanj je pot do tja trajala 30 let.

He started as a village manager,

Začel je kot vaški vodja

and by the time he entered the Politburo,

in ko je bil sprejet v Politbiro,

he had managed areas with a total population

je vodil področja s skupnim prebivalstvom 150 milijonov

of 150 million people

and combined GDPs of 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars.

in skupnim BDP-jem 1,5 bilijona dolarjev.

Now, please don't get me wrong, okay?

Prosim, ne razumite me narobe.

This is not a put-down of anyone. It's just a statement of fact.

Nikogar ne želim blatiti, navajam le dejstva.

George W. Bush, remember him?

George W. Bush, se ga spominjate?

This is not a put-down.

To ni blatenje.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Before becoming governor of Texas,

Preden je Bush postal guverner Teksasa,

or Barack Obama before running for president,

ali preden se je Barack Obama potegoval za predsedstvo,

could not make even a small county manager

ne bi mogla biti niti vodji majhnega okrožja v kitajskem sistemu.

in China's system.

Winston Churchill once said that democracy

Winston Churchill je dejal, da je demokracija

is a terrible system except for all the rest.

grozen sistem z izjemo vseh ostalih.

Well, apparently he hadn't heard of the Organization Department.

Očitno ni slišal za Organizacijski oddelek.

Now, Westerners always assume that

Zahodnjaki predvidevajo,

multi-party election with universal suffrage

da so večstrankarske volitve z vsesplošno volilno pravico

is the only source of political legitimacy.

edini vir do politične legitimnosti.

I was asked once, "The Party wasn't voted in by election.

Nekoč so me vprašali: "Partija ni bila izvoljena na volitvah,

Where is the source of legitimacy?"

od kje torej izhaja njena legitimnost?"

I said, "How about competency?"

Odgovoril sem: "Kaj pa sposobnost?"

We all know the facts.

Vsi poznamo dejstva.

In 1949, when the Party took power,

Ko je leta 1949 Partija prevzela oblast,

China was mired in civil wars, dismembered by foreign aggression,

je bila Kitajska v državljanski vojni, razkosana od tujih napadov,

average life expectancy at that time, 41 years old.

povprečna življenjska doba je bila takrat 41 let.

Today, it's the second largest economy in the world,

Danes je Kitajska drugo največje svetovno gospodarstvo,

an industrial powerhouse, and its people live

industrijska gonilna sila, njeno prebivalstvo pa živi

in increasing prosperity.

v rastoči blaginji.

Pew Research polls Chinese public attitudes,

Raziskave Pew Research so merile mnenja kitajske javnosti

and here are the numbers in recent years.

in tu so številke zadnjih let.

Satisfaction with the direction of the country: 85 percent.

Zadovoljstvo z usmerjenostjo države: 85 odstotkov.

Those who think they're better off than five years ago:

Tisti, ki živijo bolje kot pred petimi leti:

70 odstotkov.

70 percent.

Those who expect the future to be better:

Delež tistih, ki pričakujejo boljšo prihodnost:

a whopping 82 percent.

debelih 82 odstotkov.

Financial Times polls global youth attitudes,

Financial Times je anketiral mnenja mladine po celem svetu

and these numbers, brand new, just came from last week.

in tu so najnovejše številke, objavljene šele prejšnji teden.

Ninety-three percent of China's Generation Y

93 odstotkov kitajske Generacije Y

are optimistic about their country's future.

je optimističnih glede prihodnosti njihove države.

Now, if this is not legitimacy, I'm not sure what is.

Če to ni legitimnost, ne vem, kaj je.

In contrast, most electoral democracies around the world

Nasprotno pa se večina izvoljenih demokracij po svetu

are suffering from dismal performance.

sooča s klavrnimi izkupički.

I don't need to elaborate for this audience

Vam mi ni treba posebej razlagati,

how dysfunctional it is, from Washington to European capitals.

kako disfunkcionalne so, od Washingtona do Evropskih prestolnic.

With a few exceptions, the vast number

Z le redkimi izjemami

ogromno število držav v razvoju, ki so prevzele demokratične režime,

of developing countries that have adopted electoral regimes

are still suffering from poverty and civil strife.

še vedno trpi revščino in državljanske spore.

Governments get elected, and then they fall

Vlade so izvoljene,

below 50 percent approval in a few months

v nekaj mesecih jim podpora pade pod 50 odstotkov,

and stay there and get worse until the next election.

obstanejo in slabšajo položaj do naslednjih volitev.

Democracy is becoming a perpetual cycle

Demokracija postaja neprestan krog volitev in kesanja.

of elect and regret.

At this rate, I'm afraid it is democracy,

Bojim se, da v tem trenutku demokracija,

not China's one-party system, that is in danger

ne kitajski enostrankarski sistem, resno izgublja legitimnost.

of losing legitimacy.

Now, I don't want to create the misimpression

Ne želim ustvariti napačnega vtisa,

that China's hunky-dory, on the way

da je Kitajska v najlepšem redu in na poti k nekakšni supervelesili.

to some kind of superpowerdom.

The country faces enormous challenges.

Spopada se namreč z gromozanskimi izzivi.

The social and economic problems that come

Družbeni in gospodarski problemi, ki spremljajo

with wrenching change like this are mind-boggling.

tako sunkovite spremembe, so osupljivi.

Pollution is one. Food safety. Population issues.

En od njih je onesnaženje. Varnost živil. Prebivalstvo.

On the political front, the worst problem is corruption.

Na političnem prizorišču je najhujši problem korupcija.

Corruption is widespread and undermines the system

Zaradi svoje razširjenosti spodkopava sistem

and its moral legitimacy.

in njegovo moralno legitimnost.

But most analysts misdiagnose the disease.

A večina analitikov to bolezen diagnosticira napačno.

They say that corruption is the result of the one-party system,

Trdijo, da je korupcija posledica enostrankarskega sistema

and therefore, in order to cure it,

in za njeno rešitev je treba pomesti s celotnim sistemom.

you have to do away with the entire system.

But a more careful look would tell us otherwise.

A bolj podroben pogled bo razkril nasprotno.

Transparency International ranks China

Organizacija Transparency International uvršča Kitajsko

between 70 and 80 in recent years among 170 countries,

med 70. in 80. mesto v zadnjih letih na lestvici 170 držav

and it's been moving up.

in vsako leto je višje.

India, the largest democracy in the world,

Indija, največja demokracija na svetu,

94 and dropping.

je na 94. mestu in pada.

For the hundred or so countries that are ranked below China,

Med okoli sto držav, ki se uvrščajo za Kitajsko,

je več kot polovica izvoljenih demokracij.

more than half of them are electoral democracies.

So if election is the panacea for corruption,

Če so torej volitve čudežno zdravilo za korupcijo,

how come these countries can't fix it?

zakaj še vedno obstaja v teh državah?

Now, I'm a venture capitalist. I make bets.

Ukvarjam se s tveganimi naložbami. Sklepam stave.

It wouldn't be fair to end this talk without

Ne bi bilo prav, da končam ta govor,

putting myself on the line and making some predictions.

ne da postavim svoje trditve na kocko in napovem nekaj izidov.

So here they are.

Tu so.

In the next 10 years, China will surpass the U.S.

V naslednjih 10 letih bo Kitajska prehitela ZDA

and become the largest economy in the world.

in postala največje gospodarstvo na svetu.

Income per capita will be near the top

Prihodek na prebivalca bo blizu vrha vseh držav v razvoju.

of all developing countries.

Corruption will be curbed, but not eliminated,

Korupcija bo zajezena, a ne odstranjena,

and China will move up 10 to 20 notches

in Kitajska se bo pomaknila 10 do 20 mest navzgor,

to above 60 in T.I. ranking.

nad 60. mesto na lestvici Transparency International.

Economic reform will accelerate, political reform will continue,

Gospodarske reforme se bodo pospešile, politične reforme se bodo nadaljevale

and the one-party system will hold firm.

in enopartijski sistem se bo trdno obdržal.

We live in the dusk of an era.

Priča smo mraku neke dobe.

Meta-narratives that make universal claims

Meta-pripoved z univerzalnimi trditvami

failed us in the 20th century

nas je razočarala v 20. stoletju

and are failing us in the 21st.

in razočaranje traja tudi v 21. stoletju.

Meta-narrative is the cancer

Meta-pripoved je rak,

that is killing democracy from the inside.

ki razjeda demokracijo od znotraj.

Now, I want to clarify something.

Nekaj želim pojasniti.

I'm not here to make an indictment of democracy.

Nisem tu, da bi obtoževal demokracijo.

On the contrary, I think democracy contributed

Prav nasprotno, menim, da je demokracija prispevala

to the rise of the West and the creation of the modern world.

k vzponu Zahoda in gradnji sodobnega sveta.

It is the universal claim that many Western elites

Univerzalna teza, ki jo Zahodne elite tvorijo

are making about their political system, the hubris,

o njihovih političnih sistemih, in njihov napuh

that is at the heart of the West's current ills.

so vzrok trenutnih bolezni Zahoda.

If they would spend just a little less time

Če bi le malo manj časa namenili

on trying to force their way onto others,

vsiljevanju njihovih načinov drugim

and a little bit more on political reform at home,

in ga več namenili domačim političnim reformam,

they might give their democracy a better chance.

bi se morda njihovim demokracijam bolje pisalo.

China's political model will never supplant

Kitajski politični model ne bo nikoli izpodrinil

electoral democracy, because unlike the latter,

demokracije in volitev, saj si nasprotno od nje

it doesn't pretend to be universal.

ne domišlja, da je univerzalen.

It cannot be exported. But that is the point precisely.

Ne more se ga izvoziti. A ravno to je njegovo bistvo.

The significance of China's example

Pomen primera Kitajske ni v tem,

is not that it provides an alternative,

da predstavlja alternativo,

but the demonstration that alternatives exist.

ampak v tem, da pokaže obstoj alternative.

Let us draw to a close this era of meta-narratives.

Povzemimo to obdobje meta-pripovedi.

Communism and democracy may both be laudable ideals,

Tako komunizem kot demokracija sta lahko hvalevredna ideala,

but the era of their dogmatic universalism is over.

a obdobje njunih dogmatskih univerzalizmov je mimo.

Let us stop telling people and our children

Nehajmo pripovedovati ljudem in otrokom,

there's only one way to govern ourselves

da obstaja le en način, kako nas voditi,

and a singular future towards which

in enotna prihodnost, proti kateri se morajo razviti vse družbe.

all societies must evolve.

It is wrong. It is irresponsible.

To ni prav. To je neodgovorno.

And worst of all, it is boring.

In kar je najhuje, dolgočasno je.

Let universality make way for plurality.

Naj univerzalnost da prostor pluralnosti.

Perhaps a more interesting age is upon us.

Morda nas čaka bolj zanimiva doba.

Are we brave enough to welcome it?

Smo dovolj pogumni, da jo sprejmemo?

Thank you.

Hvala lepa.

(Applause)

(Aplavz)

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks.

Hvala. Hvala lepa.

Bruno Giussani: Eric, stay with me for a couple of minutes,

Bruno Giussani: Eric, ostanite na odru še nekaj minut,

because I want to ask you a couple of questions.

za vas imam še nekaj vprašanj.

I think many here, and in general in Western countries,

Marsikdo tu in na sploh v Zahodnih državah

would agree with your statement about analysis

bi se strinjal z vašimi trditvami in analizami,

of democratic systems becoming dysfunctional,

da demokratični sistemi postajajo disfunkcionalni,

but at the same time, many would kind of find

a marsikdo bi hkrati tudi težko sprejel misel,

unsettling the thought that there is an unelected

da obstaja neizvoljena avtoriteta, ki brez nadzora ali posveta

authority that, without any form of oversight or consultation,

decides what the national interest is.

odloča o nacionalnih interesih.

What is the mechanism in the Chinese model

Kateri je vzvod kitajskega modela, s katerim lahko ljudje izrazijo

that allows people to say, actually,

the national interest as you defined it is wrong?

nestrinjanje z določenim nacionalnim interesom?

EXL: You know, Frank Fukuyama, the political scientist,

Eric X Li: Politolog Frank Fukuyama

called the Chinese system "responsive authoritarianism."

je kitajski sistem označil za "odziven avtoritarizem".

It's not exactly right, but I think it comes close.

To ni čisto točno, a mislim, da je blizu.

So I know the largest public opinion survey company

Poznam največjo agencijo za raziskave javnega mnenja na Kitajskem.

in China, okay?

Do you know who their biggest client is?

Veste, kdo je njihova največja stranka?

The Chinese government.

Kitajska vlada.

Not just from the central government,

Ne le centralna vlada,

pač pa tudi mestna in provincialna vlada

the city government, the provincial government,

to the most local neighborhood districts.

ter celo najožja četrtna okrožja.

They conduct surveys all the time.

Raziskave izvajajo neprestano.

Are you happy with the garbage collection?

Ste zadovoljni z odvozom odpadkov?

Are you happy with the general direction of the country?

Ste zadovoljni s splošno usmeritvijo države?

So there is, in China, there is a different kind of mechanism

Na Kitajskem obstaja torej drugačen vzvod

to be responsive to the demands and the thinking of the people.

za odzivnost na zahteve in mnenja ljudi.

My point is, I think we should get unstuck

Moje bistvo je, da bi se morali odlepiti

from the thinking that there's only one political system --

od prepričanja, da obstaja zgolj en politični sistem -

election, election, election --

volitve, volitve, volitve -

that could make it responsive.

ki je odziven na mnenja ljudstva.

I'm not sure, actually, elections produce

Nisem več prepričan, da volitve še vedno ustvarjajo odzivne vlade po svetu.

responsive government anymore in the world.

(Applause)

(Aplavz)

BG: Many seem to agree.

B. G.: Očitno se mnogi strinjajo. Ena od značilnosti demokratičnega sistema

One of the features of a democratic system

is a space for civil society to express itself.

je prostor, znotraj katerega se lahko civilna družba izraža.

And you have shown figures about the support

Videli smo številke, ki predstavljajo podporo vladi in organom na Kitajskem.

that the government and the authorities have in China.

But then you've just mentioned other elements

Omenili pa ste tudi druge elemente,

like, you know, big challenges, and there are, of course,

velike izzive, na katere opozarjajo podatki v nasprotni smeri:

a lot of other data that go in a different direction:

tens of thousands of unrests and protests

na desettisoče nemirov in protestov,

and environmental protests, etc.

okoljski protesti itd.

So you seem to suggest the Chinese model

Videti je, da Kitajski model nima prostora izven Partije,

doesn't have a space outside of the Party

for civil society to express itself.

znotraj katerega bi se lahko civilna družba izražala.

EXL: There's a vibrant civil society in China,

Eric X Li: Na Kitajskem je živahna civilna družba,

whether it's environment or what-have-you.

ki se izraža glede okolja in ostalega.

But it's different. You wouldn't recognize it.

A je drugačna, ne bi je prepoznali.

Because, by Western definitions, a so-called civil society

Po zahodnih definicijah naj bi bila t. i. civilna družba

has to be separate or even in opposition

ločena ali celo nasprotujoča političnemu sistemu,

to the political system,

but that concept is alien for Chinese culture.

kar pa je tuje Kitajski kulturi.

For thousands of years, you have civil society,

Tisoče let že obstaja civilna družba,

yet they are consistent and coherent

ki pa je usklajena in povezana

and part of a political order, and I think

ter del političnega reda,

it's a big cultural difference.

kar mislim, da je velika kulturna razlika.

BG: Eric, thank you for sharing this with TED. EXL: Thank you.

BG. Eric, hvala da ste to delili na TED-u. Eric X Li. Hvala lepa.