Democracy – ‘End of History’, Really?

Written by Frank Li

In his famous 1989 article (The End of History?), Francis Fukuyama writes:

The triumph of the West, of the Western idea, is evident first of all in the total exhaustion of viable systematic alternatives to Western liberalism.

Too short-sighted! Fukuyama did not seem to understand the big, complex, and plural nature of the human nature and history!

In his 2014 article (At the ‘End of History’ Still Stands Democracy), Fukuyama writes:

Twenty-five years after Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall, liberal democracy still has no real rivals on the world stage.

Fukuyama further states:

The only system out there that would appear to be at all competitive with liberal democracy is the so-called ‘China model’.

But he followed with a list of challenges China faces, with the conclusion that

Yet if asked to bet whether, 50 years from now, America and Europe would look more like China politically or vice versa, I would pick the latter without hesitation.

Too close-minded! Fukuyama appears to be so obsessed with [liberal] democracy (What is Democracy, Anyway?) that he has simply failed to be open-minded about the new “China model”, which is also known as “state capitalism”.

Overall, Fukuyama appears to have three major problems:

1. He treats [liberal] democracy as if it were novel. Democracy has been a proven failure throughout human history, without a single example of lasting success! It was largely for this reason that our Founding Fathers built America as a representative republic, specifically precluding democracy. For more, read: America: What Did Our Founding Fathers Do, Actually (Version 3)?
2. He seems to have treated capitalism and democracy as an inseparable combination. The simple truth is that capitalism and democracy are completely distinct and separable. For example, it was the Industrial Revolution (i.e. capitalism) that decisively propelled the West ahead of China in the 19th century, and it is capitalism that has been propelling China back to the top by 2025, if not sooner. Democracy, on the other hand, is merely an option. China is achieving prosperity without democracy, while the West is being destroyed by democracy in the same way it destroyed Greece, ancient or modern: debt!
3. He has an extremely limited view of a brand new form of government like China’s, while hopelessly indulging in a 2000-year-old model called [liberal] democracy.

Most problematic is that Fukuyama appears to be locked in his past, twisting the current affairs to fit back into his short-sighted and out-of-date view of some 25 years ago. Because of that, he is still very bullish on the West, despite the fact that the West has gone almost from heaven to hell over the past 25 years, but very bearish on China, in spite of China’s economic miracle.

Twenty-five years are a long time for a human being. Unfortunately, Fukuyama seems to be mired in the past and unable to change over the past 25 years. But I did! For example, twenty-five years ago, I was full of sympathy to the students at Tiananmen Square. However, 10 years ago, I concluded that, despite the horror, it was a good thing, overall for China, to put-down the student-led pro-democracy demonstration in 1989. In other words, I have become older and wiser. For more, read: Tiananmen Square Protest and Put-Down, 25 Years Later.

Twenty-five years are an instant in human history.

Instead, keep an open-mind and appreciate its significance and implication with a better understanding of Chinese history as well as human history.

My view is opposite to Fukuyama’s. I am bullish on China’s ascension as the West clearly is in decline. Specifically on the U.S. vs. China, the image below shows the bottom line.

Very importantly, I believe the world will continue to exist with multiple forms of government. While the world will continue to be led by several countries (Three New Kingdoms), no country or ideology will dominate for very long, and any attempt to do so will fail.

Who will be the winner in the perpetual evolution of human history?

Specifically on the U.S. vs. China, which system has proven to be more adaptable: China’s or America’s?

China’s, of course! We, America, have been sleeping with the same political system for more than 200 years, changing for the worse only, over the past few decades, at least! Why? Because that is what democracy is predestined to be – Democracy is simply not a valid form of government! For more, read my new book: American Democracy.

In summary, not only is democracy not the end of history, it has replaced communism as the worst man-made destructive force on earth in the 21st century!