Gradualism is naturally the most feasible approach to any situation. Since the fall of the iron curtain, these two Communist power houses have chose to move towards democracy. China has chosen to take the natural, more gradual approach to democracy where as Russia has chosen the fast-paced, more dangerous approach.
These two nations have chosen to change their economies from a collectivized command one to a market oriented one in order to increase the standard of living in their countries. As we have seen in recent years, China is booming and becoming more and more successful, while Russia seems like it is regressing back to parochial ways. It is impossible to compare anything but Russia and China’s approaches to change, and the results that incurred.
The two nations have vastly different economies and to compare one economy to another would be illogical. China and Russia’s approach to change are vastly different, almost like night and day. China’s political and economic policy has always been to do things gradually. Whereas Russia believed in going through the necessary changes quickly, so that the hardship would in turn pass just as quickly.
In the implementation of their policies, we have seen that China’s approach has led to a 29% of growth in their industrial field. But in comparison, Russia only yielded 15% with their approach. But one must keep in mind that China has more industrial sectors than does Russia, so their job in improving industry is notably easier than Russia’s feat in developing an Politically, the two nations have the same policies that they held in their economies. China believes in gradually letting the people have more access to political freedom. And again, Russia’s policy has been to flood them all at once with these new found freedoms.
Unfortunately Russia’s policy hasn’t been the most naturally feasible approach again. Their people have been suddenly bombarded with all of these new found freedoms they have never experience before. They are like little children let loose in a candy store. There are all of these new things available to them, and most of the younger generation wants too try everything at once. All of these citizens experimenting with their new freedoms are creating political chaos.
The Russian citizens don’t have time to savor their new freedoms and are just trying to grab them from left and right. For they are probably afraid that if they don’t take their freedoms quickly, they will leave as quickly as they came. On the other hand, China refuses to allow their citizens run the nation. Instead they are continuing to shun democracy. They refuse to have democratic elections, pro-democracy demonstrations, and still censor the press. They are still trying to maintain that wall that separates them from the rest of the world. From a democratic aspect, China’s approach is appalling.
China is refusing basic democratic rights that the Western nation citizens take for granted. China is under the misconception that they can give it’s people little crumbs of freedom and keep them from wanting more. China’s leaders think that they can keep controlling that many people for an undetermined amount of time, they don’t realize that once the people know about a better life, nothing can stop them from pursuing that life also.
So looking at Russia and China’s political policies, it is safe to say that what is good for the economy may not necessarily be good for the people. When looking at evolution and physiology, one will also notice that changes naturally happen gradually. Over time, living organisms change and evolve, but the key ingredient is time.
