Democracy in East Asia

Some have long insisted that democracy is incompatible with Asian values, but then again, the most visible proponent of that theory was Lee Kwan-Yew, the benevolent dictator of Singapore. Ross Terrill has an interesting argument in opposition, including this dead-on statement about North Korea:

The nature of Kim Jong Il’s Stalinism precludes trust, effective inspections, or meaningful transmission of aid to the starving masses of North Korea. It becomes clearer with each lie from Pyongyang that only regime change there will free the Korean peninsula from nukes and grievous tension.

I strongly recommend Terrill’s book, The New Chinese Empire, to anyone who wants to understand the historical context of Chinese hegemony and the true significance of the Koguryo issue (in contrast to the Tokdo dispute, which is almost entirely a case of pre-election silliness for which nationalists in both nations share blame, and which will disappear from the headlines within a month, safely packed away for the next election).

When you hear the words “traditionally a part of China,” be concerned.