In just one generation, China has achieved through capitalist development what it could not accomplish by exporting Maoist socialism. Credit for this unprecedented global clout is generally given to Deng Xiaoping, who once reminded his people that “to be rich is glorious.” This heresy, which became a popular slogan, was a turning point in China’s … Read more
In the Indonesian presidential election this week, incumbent president, Joko Widodo is seeking re-election against Prabowo Subianto, a businessman and politician, and a former general in the old Suharto regime. President Suharto, as we know, was deposed in the wave of democratization that finally reached this vast neighboring country in 1998. In the ensuing political … Read more
It has always been the ambition of governments that seek dramatic changes in society to try to shape the mindset of their citizens with a view to controlling their behavior. This they typically do through the deployment of a system of penalties and incentives aimed at stamping out deviant behavior and promoting “good” behavior, as … Read more
In a previous column written after the 2016 presidential election, I interpreted the rise of Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency as the “revolt of the periphery.” The avalanche of Mindanao votes for the maverick former Davao City mayor, I thought, was emblematic of the strong reaction to an “imperial Manila” and everything else that that … Read more