Truth: many people in the West of China's rapid rise has been reflecting on Western democracy | system | United States | China dream _ the dream news
In the past few decades, Western countries, especially the United States, has been all over the world to sell your system model. Look closely, they sell mainly to two things: one is the market fundamentalism, another democratic fundamentalism, but the effect seems to be getting worse: the "color revolutions" as Ukraine's separatist unrest has been basically finished fading, the "Arab spring" with Egypt shocks of conflict has become a "Arabs in winter". Doing too many things is probably fooling others, Western many countries they really believe in such things, the results themselves were also hoodwinked. Take a look at today's West, Iceland, and Greece in countries such as insolvent, Portugal, and Italy, and Spain, country on the brink of bankruptcy, and most Western countries mired in a debt crisis, United States economy is not doing well, did not improve the living standards of the majority of 20 years, instead of falling, country is in debt. Such a result is estimated not expect myself in the West.
Contrasted with this is insisted on going his own way, China is never seen in human history scale and momentum of rapid rise of most people's living standards greatly improved. In the face of the fact that, eventually a lot of people began to reflect on the West of the West system. In March this year, Western liberalism's flagship magazine, the Economist, the most influential rare published under cover of a long essay: what's wrong with the democratic issues? (Hereinafter referred to as "the Economist article"), admitted that "the (Western) democracy in the world's development has stagnated, and may even begin to reverse." "From 1980 to 2000, just suffered some setback for democracy, after entering the new millennium, democratic setbacks in more and more". Author blamed the setbacks for two reasons: "first, the financial crisis that began in 2008 and the second is the rise of China". This also leads me to this article explores two themes: reflections on the system of the West and China's road of self-confidence.
First, the reflections on the system of the West: from the economy to politics
Shortly after the outbreak of the financial crisis of 2008, many people in the West began to reflect on the reason for this financial crisis. United Kingdom Queen asked the academics of the London School of Economics: why did not predict the arrival of the financial crisis. Many heavyweights by foreign scholars and politicians have participated in this reflection. Nobel economics laureate Paul Krugman wrote an article why the Economics get it so wrong? That "most economists clung to capitalism is a perfect, or near perfect system in perspective", "close our eyes to many things." Responsible for the crisis, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said he was in "shocked disbelief", because "the whole intellectual building" has been "collapsed", he "can't believe my faith in markets and understanding of how the market works is wrong." United States Economist buladefude·delang that: financier, self-regulation is a disaster, "Although in General, regulated in accordance with the long-term interests of the company, but financiers are too stupid, don't realize this, they just want to make money, and say, ' when I die, even if the flood wall. If this view is right, the United States will have a lot of trouble. ”
United States Pulitzer Prize winner, tangnade·balite, and zhanmusi·sidier in 2012 in the United States published the betrayed by the United States book, dream, caused a sensation. Authors conducted a survey of Americans over the past 20 years of real-life, believing that once inspired so many people "United States dreams" has ceased to exist, because most American incomes over the past 20 years has stagnated or even fell. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz says: "the United States claiming to be ' land of opportunity ', or at least more opportunities than any other region, 100 years ago, it might be appropriate. However, at least more than 20 years, this is not the case. "
For the Western economy has started to recover, he wrote: "if we look at the Western world, despite signs of recovery, but most of the North Atlantic country's real (inflation-adjusted) GDP per capita lower than in 2007 and in Greece, estimated economic contraction of about 23%. Best European country Germany over the past six years, the average annual growth rate of only 0.7%. United States economy is still smaller than pre-crisis 15% ". He also said that "GDP are not good indicators for measuring success. More indicators related to household income. United States the median real income today than in 1989 (25 years ago), lower level; median earnings of full-time male employees than level of more than 40 years ago. "
Reflections on the crisis in the West has also shifted from economic and political dimensions. Betrayed by the United States, author of the dream into the United States dreams betrayed by political reasons, arguing that United States politicians, the wealthy and large corporations, through money and power trading was shaken, "United States dreams" Foundation. United States Government tax cuts for the rich people, expect the wealthy to give United States create a lot of jobs, but this situation did not arise. Rich are not eager to profit repatriation back to the United States, but increased their money to the Cayman Islands and other tax havens. Stiglitz also said President Lincoln said, "the people, by the people and for the people" has evolved into a democratic system, "1% of people there, the rule of man, 1% man". Pope Francis is open to "modern capitalism" is called a "new totalitarian regime". He thought "capitalism will lead to wider social unrest. Capitalism is robbing the poor economy ".
Second, the Western model of democracy out of the what's the problem?
There is no doubt that the Western model of democracy, particularly United States democracy out of the big problem. Westerners reflection on the Western model of democracy can be summarized as three issues, namely the failure of money politics, polity, debt economy.
"Money politics" in the financial crisis undoubtedly exposed in. The Economist article notes that "money won the United States unprecedented in the history of unprecedented political clout. Thousands of lobbyists (average more than 20 lobbyists per Member of Congress) to make the legislative process more lengthy and complex, and special interest groups also have the opportunity to get involved. " One example is Obama's health care reform bill, more than 2000 pages long, including a variety of additions and exceptions, frankly speaking, that is, execution of transactions resulting from the right to the weakest of the Act. "Money politics" milestones is the 2010 United States Supreme Court ruled that companies and organizations support the no limit on campaign contributions. The Washington Post columnist haluode·maiyesen exclaimed: "this ruling appears to confirm the Chinese United States democratic criticism of United States democracy is a rich man's game." Not long ago, the United States Supreme Court ruling individual campaign contributions have no ceiling, United States democracy really became "money primary", even the United States fears of right-wing Senator McCain to say: "the United States to scandals in the future."
United States conservative scholar Francis Fukuyama believes that "in the United States political system, money has become an electoral trump card, recognized by the Supreme Court was entitled to take advantage of strong economic strength to support candidates and policies favour it operates". "While China, on the contrary, China's system could not sacrifice the needs of the system as a whole, enables the enterprise to participate in Government decision-making, so as to meet their bottom line."
"Failure polity" main performance for Western national governance capacity General sharply fell: Iceland Government national governance incompetence led to has national bankruptcy; Greece and Italy of Government governance extremely chaos, led to has now of deep crisis; Belgium experience has more than 500 days no central Government of situation; EU internal settlement actual problem of efficiency very low; Japan like revolving door as to for Government, ten years nine phase; United States so huge of financial system ills sympodial, but financial crisis to has outbreak Eve, Government no perceived, Results from United States and bring disaster to the world, United States comprehensive national strength has also plummeted.
"Failed democracies" also reflected in United States political "polarization", that is, parties bitter confrontation led to "reject the political" and "treatment of paralysis". Fukuyama wrote that the United States had nothing to teach in China, said China's system can "quickly made major decisions are complex", and "better implementation of the decision. And American constitutional checks and balances while protecting personal freedoms, to involve the private sector dynamism, but it has now become confrontation, Division and rigid ".
Sitaien·Lingen, a professor at the University of Oxford and even warning: British and American democracy may have been repeating the fate of Athenian democracy collapse a "tipping point": "the separation of powers system is designed through the mutual checks and balances between the powers of the Government and ultimately better service to the public. Today, however, power trip over each other to form a stalemate, denied the importance of good governance throughout the country. Any bystander would easily and dismayed to discover that United States ' social inequality and government inaction ' is so inextricably linked. Powers conferred on the constitutional system, such as political action committees, lobby groups, think-tanks, media organizations such as extracting and usurping ". "In ancient Greece, when the rich become billionaires, and refuses to comply with the rules, the destruction of government institutions, sounded the death knell of the collapse of democracy in Athens. In today's Britain and the United States, had reached a precarious point. "
As for the "debt economy", today, almost yinchimaoliang received the most Western economies, debt-dependent economy, through new methods of servicing old debts to address economic and financial problems. From a political perspective, democratic politicians in order to vote in the West are competing to please the voters, cheques from a variety of direct and indirect benefits and depleted the National Treasury. Southern Europe's debt crisis is so formed, United States high levels of debt crisis in some sense is thus formed.
The Economist article acknowledges that "democracy is neither the greatest challenges from above or from below, but from the inside, from the electorate itself. Turns out, Plato that democracy will make citizens ' day to indulge in pleasures ' fears is full of foresight. Under a democratic system of Government had been formed not seriously used large structural deficits. Them to borrow to meet the short-term needs of the electorate, while ignoring long-term investment. France and Italy have been in more than 30 years to break even. Will this financial crisis has no doubt democracy exposed the unsustainability of debt ".
Third, China road going wide
Going its own way and the rapid development of China, attracted worldwide attention. Today, the Western people to reflect on their own system problems almost all of the frames is China. In October 2012, Spain's former Prime Minister feilipei·gangsaleisi's visit to China later in Spain the national newspaper wrote an article saying "visit China every time, regardless of how long later, reflect the new situation in the world's history would be a surprise: with extraordinary speed, China's rise, while the Europeans are struggling not to sink", "we do not know how to stop this process, much less reverse it."
If the West had been selling around the world, "market fundamentalism" and "democratic fundamentalist", then China's success precisely because China, out of these two myths, boldly explore, out of a line with their own conditions of public success and went wide.
"Market fundamentalism" market is the core of this "invisible hand" can solve all economic and social problems. Actually, "market original taught aims doctrine" of crisis in non-Western world already exposed undoubtedly: Western Shang century 80 generation and 90 generation in African introduced of "economic structure adjustment", results to economic crisis and social crisis ended, Western 90 generation in Russia introduced of "shock therapy" also to failed ended, but market original taught aims doctrine who also is wrong-headed, eventually put Western themselves also drag into has today of financial crisis and economic crisis.
Judging from the practice of the past decades, China's "socialist market economy" model, this Government "visible hands" and marketing this "invisible hand" combine, combine plans and marketing, combining nongovernmental economy and State-owned economy, which greatly promoted the development of China. This model also continues to improve, but has brought China's rapid rise. Fukuyama admitted: "nearly 30 years ago, reflects the rapid development of China's amazing economic effectiveness of the Chinese model, growth is expected to remain for 30 years is generally considered". "Facts prove that Western liberal democracy may not be the end of the evolution of the human history. With the rise of China, the so-called ' end of history ', need to be further refined and improved. Treasure of the human mind for the Chinese traditions have a place to stay. "
"Democratic fundamentalist" is the core concept is only a Western-style democratic model, in particular, a multi-party system and universal suffrage, were calling for democracy, a country's success depends on whether it adopts this democratic model. But practice has proved that this model in Western and non-Western countries are in great difficulties. In Western countries, the model's biggest dilemma is not "advancing with the times". In non-Western countries, which is the biggest dilemma "acclimatized".
For Western countries, only the times, to push their own political system in order to get rid of difficulties and crises of today. But in many Western democracies, has been kidnapped by highly organized and mobilized vested interests, substantive reform could not be started. In 2011, after more than 500 days after the absence of a central Government, Belgium has published a large number of people a thousand group of the Declaration, which States: "in addition to democracy, world innovation is everywhere. If the company must continue to innovate, scientists must be constantly challenging discipline barriers, players must constantly break the world record, an artist must constantly. But when it comes to the social and political organization, we apparently still satisfied with the programs in the 1830 of the 19th century. Why should we have to cling on for 200 years antiques don't let go? Democracy is a living organism that democracy is not in the form of fixed, unchanging, and should continue to grow with the needs of the times. ”
In non-Western countries, almost all the Western democratic model for "unaccustomed" and fall into despair or hopelessness. Country is a political, economic and social levels of the organism, the Western model of democracy is at best changed the political imagery of this organism, two levels cannot be changed, especially the social dimension of change is very difficult and very slow. "Colour revolution" and the failure of "Arab in winter", explains the issues that arise.
Compared with Western democratic models, the exploration success of China national democratic construction. Western model to focus on the "form" and "procedures" that seemed as long as the correct "form" and "procedures", a country is allowed to end, once and for all, the result is a model of Western democracy today has become "dogma" and "rigidity" synonymous. Chinese democracy to focus on the "content" and "results" on, boldly explore their own democratic "form" and "procedure", the result is a road going wide. It is in this sense that we can better understand Deng Xiaoping's discussion of how to assess the quality of the political system. He considers key to see the three "content" and "results": first look at stability of the political situation in the country, and secondly see if I can enhance the unity of the people, improve the lives of people, the third sustainable development of productivity can be seen.
If these three criteria are used to evaluate the experience "color revolution" and "Arab spring" country, then these countries belong to the inferior performance. Political instability in these countries, split the people, people's life has deteriorated because the tremendous damage to productivity. If you take the three criteria to be judged by Western countries, most of them fairly stable, although as before, which is to a large extent because these countries still have to eat their shirts, over hundreds of years of wealth accumulation (including large amounts of ill-gotten wealth) and the construction of the capital, and two, most countries have not met. Their people are not United, not many people improve the quality of life, their social divisions worse than in the past, their economies have also been caught in the financial crisis, debt crisis or an economic crisis.
Exploration of the road of China has achieved remarkable results. China democratic system of construction increasingly mature, from consultations democratic to "singles + election" of appointing capable people system, from "new democratic centralism" of decision-making mechanism to various modern network representative Government platform,, China Supreme leaders of ordered succession, and China ruling team of excellent quality and capacity, China a received a five years planning of smooth developed and implementation, and China most national on future of optimistic attitude,, are show has China Road and system construction of huge achievements. The Economist cited the year 2013 the Pew Global opinion poll, are very reluctant to admit China's competitiveness. This poll: 85% direction for the development of people in their own countries "very satisfied", while in the United States the ratio for the 31%.
In the long run, with the further rise of China, the whole world will be greater reflection on the problems brought about by the Western model, the chaos and disaster, in particular the "market fundamentalism" and "democratic fundamentalist" absurdity. The historical destiny of China's unique cultural heritage, distinctive and unique local customs of country decided the path of China's own choice, decides the direction of China's future. Exploring on their own path of development, China has achieved decisive success. As early as at the beginning of China's reform and opening up, United Kingdom historian Toynbee predicted: China may be "conscious, controlled fusion," China and the strengths of other civilizations, "might end provides an entirely new cultural starting point of human civilization". China has come a long way, China will continue along this road, and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make their own unique contribution to human civilization as a whole.
Author: Zhang Wei
(Author: Socialist theory system with Chinese characteristics, Shanghai Research Center)
(Original title: reflections on the system of the West and China's road of self-confidence)
May 02, 2014, 11:40 Qiu Shi
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求是：中国迅速崛起 西方不少人开始反思制度|西方民主制度|美国梦|中国梦_新闻资讯
过去数十年中，西方国家，特别是美国，一直在全世界推销自己的制度模式。仔细观察，他们主要推销两个东西：一个是市场原教旨主义，另一个是民主原教旨主义，但产生的效果似乎越来越差：“颜色革命”随着乌克兰的分裂动荡已基本褪色完毕，“阿拉伯之春”随着埃及的冲突震荡已变成了“阿拉伯之冬”。大概是忽悠别人的事做得太多了，西方不少国家自己也真相信这些东西了，结果自己也被一并忽悠。看一看今天的西方，冰岛、希腊等国先后破产，葡萄牙、意大利、西班牙等国处在破产边缘，绝大多数西方国家都深陷债务危机，美国经济也没有搞好，多数人的生活水平20来年没有改善，反而下降，国家更是债台高筑。这样的结果估计西方自己也未曾料到。
与此形成鲜明对照的是坚持走自己道路的中国，正以人类历史上从未见过的规模和势头迅速崛起，多数百姓的生活水平大幅提高。在这样的事实面前，西方终于有不少人开始反思西方自己的制度问题了。今年3月，西方自由主义最有影响的旗舰杂志《经济学人》罕见地刊发了封面长文：《民主出了什么问题？》(以下简称“《经济学人》文章”)，坦承“(西方)民主在全球的发展停滞了，甚至可能开始了逆转”。“1980年至2000年间，民主只是遭遇一些小挫折，进入新千年后，民主的挫折越来越多”。作者把这种挫折归咎于两个原因：“一是2008年开始的金融危机，二是中国的崛起”。这也引出了本文探讨的两个主题：西方的制度反思与中国的道路自信。
一、西方制度反思：从经济转向政治
2008年金融危机爆发后不久，西方许多人士就开始反思造成这场金融危机的原因。英国女王询问伦敦经济学院的学者：为什么没有预测到金融危机的到来。西方学界和政界许多重量级人物先后参与了这场反思。诺贝尔经济学奖获得者保罗·克鲁格曼撰文《经济学为什么错得这么离谱？》，认为“大多数经济学家死抱着资本主义就是一个完美、或近乎完美制度的观点”，“对很多东西视而不见”。对这场危机负有责任的美联储前主席格林斯潘说：他处于“极度震惊和难以置信”的状态，因为“整个理智大厦”已经“崩溃”，他“不敢相信自己对市场的信念和对市场是如何运作的理解是错误的”。美国经济学家布拉德福德·德朗指出：金融家的自我监管是场灾难，“虽然总体来说，被监管符合金融公司的长远利益，但金融家们太愚蠢，认识不到这一点，他们只想赚钱，然后说‘我死后，哪怕洪水滔天’。如果这种观点是对的，那美国将会有很大的麻烦。”
美国普利策新闻奖获得者唐纳德·巴利特和詹姆斯·斯蒂尔于2012年在美国出版了《被出卖的美国梦》一书，引起了轰动。作者对美国人过去20来年的实际生活进行了调查，认为曾经激励过那么多人的“美国梦”已经不复存在，因为多数美国人的收入在过去20年停滞不前，甚至下跌。诺贝尔经济学奖获得者约瑟夫·斯蒂格利茨如是说：“美国自称‘机会之地’或者至少机会比其它地区更多，这在100年前也许是恰当的。但是，至少20多年来的情况不是这样”。
针对西方经济是否已开始复苏，斯蒂格利茨又写道：“综观西方世界，尽管有复苏的迹象，但大部分北大西洋国家的实际(通胀调整后)的人均GDP还低于2007年；在希腊，经济估计收缩了约23%。表现最出色的欧洲国家德国在过去六年的平均年增长率也只有0.7%。美国的经济规模仍比危机前小15%”。他还说，“GDP不是衡量成功的好指标。更相关的指标是家庭收入。美国今天的中位数实际收入比1989年(即25年前)的水平还要低；全职男性员工的中位数收入还不如40多年前的水平”。
西方对危机的反思也从经济层面转向了政治层面。《被出卖的美国梦》作者剖析了美国梦被出卖的政治原因，认为美国的政客、富人、大公司等，通过权钱交易动摇了“美国梦”的基础。美国的政府替富人减税，期待富人能给美国创造大量的就业机会，但这种局面基本没有出现。富人不热心把利润汇回美国，而是更多地把钱财转移到开曼群岛等逃税天堂。斯蒂格利茨也认为：林肯总统所说的“民有、民治、民享”的民主制度已经演变成了“1%的人有、1%的人治、1%的人享”。罗马教皇佛朗西斯则公开把“现代资本主义”称为“新的专制制度”。他认为“资本主义将导致更广泛的社会动荡。资本主义是掠夺穷人的经济”。
二、西方民主模式出了什么问题？
无疑，西方的民主模式，特别是美国的民主制度出了大问题。西方人士对西方民主模式的反思大致可以概括为三个问题，即金钱政治、失灵政体、债务经济。
“金钱政治”在这场金融危机中暴露无疑。《经济学人》文章指出，“金钱获得了美国历史上前所未有的政治影响力。数以千计的说客(平均每位国会议员有超过20名说客)让立法过程变得更为冗长和复杂，让特殊利益集团更有机会参与其中”。一个例子就是奥巴马的医改法案，竟长达2000多页，包括了各种补充和例外条款，说白了，就是钱权交易后产生的、执行力极弱的法案。“金钱政治”的标志性事件是2010年美国联邦最高法院的裁决：对公司和团体支持竞选的捐款不设上限。《华盛顿邮报》专栏作家哈罗德·迈耶森惊呼：“这个裁决似乎证实了中国人对美国民主的批评，即美国民主是富人的游戏”。不久前，美国联邦最高法院又裁决个人竞选捐款也不设上限，美国民主就真成了“钱主”，连美国右翼参议员麦凯恩都忧心忡忡地说：“美国今后将丑闻不断”。
美国保守派学者福山也认为，“在美国政治体系中，金钱已经成为选举的王牌，最高法院认可企业有权利用雄厚的经济实力来支持有利于它经营的候选人和政策”。“而中国恰恰相反，中国的制度不可能牺牲整个体系的需要，让企业参与政府的决策，从而满足它们的底线”。
“失灵政体”主要表现为西方国家治理能力普遍大幅下滑：冰岛政府国家治理无方导致了国家破产；希腊和意大利的政府治理极其混乱，导致了现在的深层次危机；比利时经历了500多天无中央政府的局面；欧盟内部解决实际问题的效率极低；日本像走马灯一样地换政府，十年九相；美国如此庞大的金融体系弊病丛生，但金融危机到了爆发前夕，政府毫无察觉，结果给美国和世界带来了灾难，美国的综合国力也随之直线下降。
“失灵政体”还体现在美国政治的“极化”，即党派激烈对抗导致“否决政治”和“治理瘫痪”。福山甚至撰文《美国没有什么可教给中国的》，说中国制度能“迅速做出复杂的重大决定”，而且“使决定得到较好的落实。而美国人的宪法制衡原则虽然保障了个人自由，使私营部门充满活力，但现在已变得对立、分化和僵化”。
牛津大学教授斯泰恩·林根甚至警告：英美民主可能已经到了重蹈雅典民主覆灭命运的“临界点”：“三权分立制度的设计初衷是通过政府权力间彼此制衡，最终更好地为公众服务。但今天，权力互相牵制形成了僵局，整个国家得不到亟须的良好治理。任何一个旁观者都会轻易而惊愕地发现，美国的‘社会不平等’与‘政府不作为’是那样的密不可分。原本赋予宪政体系的权力被诸如政治行动委员会、智囊团、媒体、游说团体等组织榨取和篡夺”。“在古希腊，当富人成为巨富，并拒绝遵守规则、破坏政府体制时，雅典民主崩溃的丧钟就敲响了。今日之英美，也已到了岌岌可危的临界点”。
至于“债务经济”，今天几乎多数的西方国家经济都成了寅吃卯粮的债务依赖型经济，即通过借新债还旧债的方法来解决经济和财政问题。从政治角度来看，西方民主制度下的政客为了拉选票都竞相讨好选民，开出各种各样的直接和间接的福利支票而耗尽国库。南欧国家的债务危机就是这样形成的，美国居高不下的债务危机某种意义上也是这样形成的。
《经济学人》文章承认“对民主最大的挑战既不是来自上面也不是来自下面，而是来自内部，来自选民自身。事实证明，柏拉图有关民主制度会令公民‘整日沉迷于愉悦时刻’的担忧充满了先见之明。民主制度下的政府业已形成了不把巨额的结构性赤字当回事儿的习惯。他们通过借债来满足选民的短期需求，而忽略长期投资。法国和意大利已经30多年没有实现收支平衡了。金融危机已经将这种债务民主制的不可持续性暴露无疑”。
三、中国道路越走越宽广
中国走自己的路并迅速发展，令世界瞩目。今天，西方有识之士反思自己制度问题时的参照系几乎都是中国。2012年10月，西班牙前首相费利佩·冈萨雷斯访华后在西班牙《国家报》上撰文说：“每一次访问中国，无论时隔多久，反映世界新局势的历史现象都会令人感到惊讶：中国以异乎寻常的速度崛起，而欧洲人在挣扎着不要沉没”，“我们不知道如何阻止这一进程，更不用说逆转了”。
如果说西方一直在全世界推销“市场原教旨主义”和“民主原教旨主义”，那么中国的成功恰恰是因为中国摆脱了这两种迷思，大胆探索，走出了一条符合自己民情国情的成功之路，而且越走越宽广。
“市场原教旨主义”的核心是市场这只“看不见的手”可以解决所有的经济乃至社会问题。其实，“市场原教旨主义”的危机在非西方世界早已暴露无疑：西方上世纪80年代和90年代在非洲推行的“经济结构调整”，结果以经济危机和社会危机告终，西方90年代在俄罗斯推行的“休克疗法”也以失败告终，但市场原教旨主义者还是执迷不悟，最终把西方自己也拖入了今天的金融危机和经济危机。
从过去数十年的实践来看，中国的“社会主义市场经济”模式，把政府这只“看得见的手”和市场这只“看不见的手”结合起来，把计划和市场结合起来，把国有经济和民营经济结合起来，极大地促进了中国的发展。这个模式虽然还在不断完善之中，但已经带来了中国的迅速崛起。福山也承认：“近30年来，中国经济令人惊异的快速发展体现了中国模式的有效性，一般认为有望再保持30年的增长”。“客观事实证明，西方自由民主可能并非人类历史进化的终点。随着中国崛起，所谓‘历史终结论’有待进一步推敲和完善。人类思想宝库需为中国传统留有一席之地”。
“民主原教旨主义”的核心观念是唯有西方那种民主模式，特别是多党制和普选制，才叫民主，一个国家成功与否都取决于它是否采用这种民主模式。但实践证明，今天这个模式在西方国家和非西方国家都陷入了极大的困境。在西方国家，这个模式最大的困境是无法“与时俱进”。在非西方国家，这个模式最大的困境是“水土不服”。
对于西方国家来说，唯有与时俱进，推动自己的政治体制改革，才能摆脱今天的困境和危机。但西方很多国家的民主，早已被各种高度组织和动员起来的既得利益集团绑架了，实质性改革无法启动。2011年，在经历了500多天没有中央政府之后，比利时的一大批有识之士发表了一个《千人集团宣言》，指出：“除了民主，现在全世界的革新无处不在。如公司必须不断创新，科学家必须不断跨越学科藩篱，运动员必须不断打破世界记录，艺术家必须不断推陈出新。但说到社会政治组织形式，我们显然仍满足于19世纪30年代的程序。我们为什么必须死抱着两百年的古董不放手？民主是活着的有机体，民主的形式并非固定不变的，应该随着时代的需要而不断成长。”
在非西方国家，采用西方民主模式几乎都因“水土不服”而陷入失望或绝望。国家是一个包括政治、经济和社会三个层面的有机体，西方民主模式最多只是改变了这个有机体的一些政治表象，另外两个层面根本改变不了，特别是社会层面的变化非常之难、也非常之慢。“颜色革命”的失败和“阿拉伯之冬”的出现都说明了这个问题。
与西方民主模式相比，中国民主建设的探索是成功的。西方模式把重点放在“形式”和“程序”上，好像只要有了正确的“形式”和“程序”，一个国家就可以万事大吉、一劳永逸了，结果是西方民主模式今天已经变成“教条”和“僵化”的代名词。中国民主建设把重点放在“内容”和“结果”上，大胆探索适合自己的民主“形式”和“程序”，结果是道路越走越宽广。正是在这个意义上，我们可以更好地理解邓小平关于如何评估政治制度质量的论述。他认为关键看三项“内容”和“结果”：第一看国家的政局是否稳定，第二看能否增进人民的团结、改善人民的生活，第三看生产力能否得到持续发展。
如果用这三个标准来评价这些经历了“颜色革命”的国家和“阿拉伯之春”的国家，那么这些国家的表现都属于劣等。这些国家的政局动荡了，人民分裂了，百姓的生活恶化了，因为生产力遭到了巨大破坏。如果拿这三条标准来评判西方国家，那么它们多数还算稳定，虽然不如以前，而这很大程度上是因为这些国家还有老本可吃，有过去数百年财富积累(包括大量的不义之财)和制度建设的本钱，而后两条，大部分国家也没有达到。它们的人民不是更团结了，百姓生活改善的也不多，它们社会分裂的情况比过去严重了，它们的经济也先后陷入了金融危机、债务危机或经济危机。
中国道路的探索取得了举世瞩目的成绩。中国民主制度的建构日趋成熟，从协商民主到“选拔+选举”的选贤任能制度，从“新型民主集中制”的决策机制到各种现代网络议政平台等，中国最高领导人的有序接班、中国执政团队的出色素质和能力，中国一个接一个五年规划的顺利制定和实施、中国绝大多数国民对前途的乐观态度等，都展现了中国道路和制度建设的巨大成就。《经济学人》文章引用了2013年的皮尤全球民意调查，非常心不情愿地承认了中国模式的竞争力。这个民调显示：85%的中国人对自己国家发展的方向“非常满意”，而在美国这个比例为31%。
从长远看，随着中国的进一步崛起，整个世界都会更多地反思西方模式带来的问题、乱象乃至灾难，特别是“市场原教旨主义”和“民主原教旨主义”的荒谬性。中国独特的文化传统、独特的历史命运和独特的民情国情决定了中国自己的道路选择，决定了中国未来的方向。在探索自己的发展道路上，中国已经取得了决定性的成功。早在中国改革开放之初，英国历史学家汤因比就曾预测：中国可能“有意识地、有节制地融合”中国与其它文明的长处，“其结果可能为人类文明提供一个全新的文化起点”。中国已经这样一路走来，中国将沿着这条道路继续前行，实现中华民族的伟大复兴，并为整个人类文明做出自己独特的贡献。
作者： 张维为
(作者单位：上海市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心 )
(原标题：西方的制度反思与中国的道路自信 )
2014年05月02日11:40
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