Chinese vs. American Political Philosophy

Summary

This video script explores China's rich historical and cultural heritage, emphasizing its long-standing civilization and contributions to the world. It highlights China's 'century of humiliation,' and the rise of Chinese nationalism, aiming to restore the country's global dominance through the 'Chinese Dream.' The script discusses Confucianism’s influence on social order, modern political ideologies like Marxism-Leninism, and China's strategic flexibility in leadership and military affairs. Lastly, it compares Chinese and American political thinking, noting the linear vs. lateral approaches and China's preference for strategy over conflict.

Takeaways

• 🌏 China's history is ancient and stretches far back, making it one of the oldest civilizations with significant contributions to the world, including inventions like paper, gunpowder, silk, and the compass.
• 🏛️ The Xia Dynasty, China's earliest dynasty, is considered potentially mythological due to the lack of historical evidence.
• 📉 China's decline in global dominance started during the Industrial Revolution, leading to a period known as the 'Century of Humiliation' when China was dominated by foreign powers.
• 🇨🇳 The 'Chinese Dream' reflects the modern Chinese belief in returning to their rightful place as a global power, with Xi Jinping promoting national rejuvenation.
• 📜 Confucianism is central to Chinese moral philosophy, emphasizing social harmony, respect for hierarchy, and filial piety, and has been revived alongside Communist values in modern China.
• 🛑 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) holds supreme power in China, and the legal system is subject to the party, meaning laws are flexible, and political opposition is not tolerated.
• 🇺🇸 In contrast to China's flexible and relativistic legal system, American law is more rigid, with the rule of law seen as supreme and above political parties.
• 🔄 Political dynamics in China differ from those in America; in China, conservatives are communists (left-wing), while progressives (right-wing) push for liberal reforms.
• ♟️ Chinese political strategy is often viewed as lateral and flexible, much like the game of Go, compared to the more linear, direct strategy often associated with American politics.
• ⚔️ Historically, China has not been an aggressive military power, preferring strategy and indirect conflict as emphasized in Sun Tzu's *Art of War*, rather than direct military engagement.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Shia Dynasty in Chinese history?

The Shia Dynasty is believed to be the earliest dynasty in Chinese history, but many consider it mythological due to the lack of solid evidence proving its existence. Its importance lies in the long historical narrative of China, though its actual existence is still debated.

Why do many Chinese people feel proud of their country's history and heritage?

Chinese people are proud of their history because China is one of the world's oldest civilizations, known for significant contributions like paper, gunpowder, silk, porcelain, and the compass. They see their country as historically dominant and believe its rightful place is at the forefront of global civilization.

What was the 'century of humiliation' in Chinese history?

The 'century of humiliation' refers to the period between the mid-19th century and 1949 when China was dominated by foreign powers due to its inability to adapt to the Industrial Revolution. This period caused national trauma, and many in China still feel resentment toward the countries that exploited China during this time.

What is the 'Chinese Dream' as described by Xi Jinping?

The 'Chinese Dream,' according to Xi Jinping, refers to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, embodying the long-held hope of generations to see China restored to its former position as a dominant global power. It reflects China's aspirations for power and prestige on the world stage.

How does Confucianism influence Chinese political and social structures?

Confucianism emphasizes respect for order, stability, and hierarchy. It advocates for wise and benevolent leadership where rulers care for their subjects, and subjects reciprocate with respect and obedience. This philosophy underpins China's emphasis on social harmony, respect for elders, and filial piety, concepts still relevant in modern China.

How did Communism initially impact Confucianism in China, and how has this relationship evolved?

When Mao Zedong brought Communism to China in 1949, Confucianism was disavowed and labeled as bourgeois. However, Confucianism has since been rehabilitated, and modern Chinese leaders invoke Confucian principles like social harmony, showing that Confucianism and the Communist Party's ideals now coexist.

What is Marxism-Leninism, and how is it applied in China's political system?

Marxism-Leninism, the ideology guiding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), advocates for a self-appointed political elite to rule society in the name of the people and maintain a single-party state. It stresses the suppression of political opposition, state control over property, and provision of social services like education and healthcare, although heavily propagandized.

How does the concept of law differ between China and the United States?

In China, the law is flexible and subject to the CCP's control, with the party holding ultimate authority over legal matters. In contrast, in the United States, the law is supreme and inflexible, holding everyone accountable, including political leaders, under the principle of equality before the law.

How do conservatism and progressivism differ between American and Chinese political systems?

In America, conservatives aim to preserve the status quo or return to earlier policies, while progressives seek social reform. In China, however, conservatives are communists who want to maintain the communist status quo, and progressives are those who seek reforms moving away from communism, often advocating for liberal ideas like democracy and free speech.

What is the difference between linear and lateral thinking, and how does it apply to American and Chinese politics?

Linear thinking, common in American politics, involves building ideas successively, with clear, logical progression toward decisions. In contrast, lateral thinking, typical in Chinese politics, emphasizes context and flexibility, where decisions are made based on circumstances rather than following a preset path. This leads to different strategic approaches, like the long-term, context-dependent strategies in Chinese political thought.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ China's Ancient Civilization and Historical Significance

This paragraph discusses China's deep history, tracing its roots back thousands of years. It highlights China's impressive accomplishments, such as inventions like paper, gunpowder, and silk. The text emphasizes the concept of the 'Century of Humiliation,' during which China was subjugated by foreign powers until Mao Zedong took control in 1949. The idea of the 'Chinese Dream,' a vision of reclaiming China’s dominant global status, is introduced through a quote from Xi Jinping, emphasizing the nation's pursuit of rejuvenation.

05:01

🛠️ Marxism-Leninism and the CCP’s Control in China

This paragraph explains the influence of Marxism-Leninism on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its establishment of a one-party state. The role of the CCP as the supreme political authority in China, overriding the law, is outlined. The narrative contrasts the CCP’s governance with America's system, where the rule of law is inflexible and applies equally to all citizens, including political leaders. The role of surveillance, restricted political freedoms, and how dissent is crushed in China is also discussed.

10:03

📜 Political Conservatism and Progressivism in China and America

This section contrasts political ideologies in China and the U.S. In America, conservatives generally seek to maintain the status quo, while progressives advocate for social reform. In China, the left-wing represents communist conservatives, while right-wing reformers aim to shift away from communism. The flexibility of Chinese political thinking, described as relativistic and contextual, is compared to the more linear, rigid thinking prevalent in American politics, where political beliefs are built progressively.

15:05

♟️ Strategic Flexibility in Chinese Politics and The Art of War

This paragraph dives deeper into China's flexible approach to politics and military strategy, drawing comparisons to the ancient text 'The Art of War.' Chinese political thinking is portrayed as context-dependent and adaptable, exemplified by Deng Xiaoping’s 'crossing the river by feeling the stones' philosophy. The narrative also contrasts Chinese strategy with American linear political thinking, drawing parallels between Chinese flexibility and the game of Go, and American directness and the game of chess.

20:05

⚔️ China's Non-Aggressive Military History and Strategic Caution

The final section discusses China's historical avoidance of military aggression, focusing on its preference for strategy over direct conflict. Citing Confucian values and Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War,' the paragraph underscores how China has traditionally seen war as a last resort and criticizes its lack of military combat experience. This is contrasted with the U.S., which has been consistently engaged in military actions since World War II. The paragraph concludes with reflections on China's strategic rise without relying on military force.

Keywords

💡China

China is a country with a rich history that dates back thousands of years, as mentioned in the video. It is known for its contributions to world civilization such as paper, gunpowder, silk, porcelain, the compass, and printing techniques. The term 'China' in the video is used to illustrate the country's historical significance and its current rise in global power and prestige, which is part of the 'Chinese Dream' narrative.

💡Century of Humiliation

The 'Century of Humiliation' refers to the period in Chinese history when China was dominated by foreign powers, which is a significant part of the country's narrative. This term is used in the video to explain the Chinese people's desire for a return to a dominant position on the world stage, as a correction to this historical aberration.

💡Confucianism

Confucianism is a moral philosophy that has historically been central to Chinese culture, compared to the role of Christianity in the United States. It emphasizes self-cultivation, wisdom, and social order. In the video, Confucianism is described as having a top-down view of social order, where those in power are expected to be wise and benevolent, and in return, they are owed respect and obedience.

💡Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

The CCP is the ruling political party in China and forms the basis of its political structure. The video explains that the CCP's ideology is based on Marxism-Leninism, which calls for a single-party state with no political opposition. The CCP is portrayed as the supreme authority in China, above the law, which contrasts with the American system where the law is considered supreme.

💡Social Harmony

Social harmony is a concept that is still relevant in modern China, stemming from Confucian principles. It refers to the ideal state of society where everyone knows their place and behaves accordingly, leading to a stable and orderly society. The video mentions how modern leaders from the CCP invoke Confucian principles like social harmony.

💡Liberalism

Liberalism is a political philosophy that values individual rights, free speech, and a government with checks and balances. The video discusses how American society was founded on liberal values and how both conservatives and progressives can be considered liberals depending on their stance on government intervention and social issues.

💡Conservatives and Progressives

In the context of American politics, conservatives are those who wish to maintain the status quo or revert to earlier policies, while progressives seek social reform and change. The video explains that in China, conservatives are associated with communism, and progressives are those who wish to move away from it, which is the opposite of the American political spectrum.

💡The Chinese Dream

The 'Chinese Dream' is a concept mentioned in the video that refers to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the aspiration for China to regain its historically significant position on the world stage. It is portrayed as a driving force behind China's rise in power and prestige.

💡Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong is a historical figure in China who led the country from 1949 until his death in 1976. The video discusses the period of Chinese history when Mao took power, which marked the beginning of China's official adoption of communism and the start of the 'Century of Humiliation' from a Chinese perspective.

💡Deng Xiaoping

Deng Xiaoping is credited with bringing liberal reforms to China after Mao's era. The video describes his leadership style as flexible and adaptive, using the metaphor of 'crossing the river by feeling the stones' to illustrate his approach to reform without a pre-determined plan.

💡Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

This term refers to the economic model adopted by China, which is a blend of socialist and capitalist elements. The video explains that this concept is flexible and can mean different things at different times, allowing China to maintain the power of the CCP while also bringing prosperity to the country.

Highlights

China has one of the oldest continuous civilizations, with history stretching back thousands of years, making it unique compared to newer nations like America.

The existence of the Xia Dynasty, China's earliest dynasty, is debated, as it may be more mythological due to the lack of strong historical evidence.

China is historically a dominant civilization known for significant contributions to global inventions like paper, gunpowder, silk, porcelain, the compass, and printing techniques.

The 'Century of Humiliation' refers to a period when China was dominated by foreign powers, starting with the Industrial Revolution and ending in 1949 when Mao Zedong came to power.

The 'Chinese Dream' is the idea of restoring China’s dominant position in the world, which is seen as a return to the natural historical order after 200 years of decline.

Confucianism, China's predominant moral philosophy, emphasizes social harmony, hierarchy, respect, and filial piety, remaining relevant even in modern politics.

Mao Zedong initially disavowed Confucianism as bourgeois when bringing Communism to China in 1949, but modern leaders have revived Confucian principles in governance.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) governs China under Marxist-Leninist principles, emphasizing a single-party state with centralized authority and limited personal political freedoms.

Unlike in America, where the law is inflexible and applies equally to all, in China, the CCP holds ultimate authority over the law, making it situationally flexible for party officials.

In China, political conservatism aligns with communism, making left-wing politics aligned with maintaining the communist status quo, while right-wing politics seek reform and liberalization.

Chinese political thinking tends to be relativistic and flexible, contrasting with the more linear and rigid American political mindset, which focuses on building concepts progressively.

Socialism with Chinese Characteristics is a flexible political concept, blending elements of socialism and capitalism to ensure CCP's authority and China's prosperity.

The Art of War, a Chinese military treatise, promotes flexibility and strategy in warfare, emphasizing indirect conflict and encirclement over direct confrontation.

Henry Kissinger compared Chinese political strategy to the game of Go, where long-term goals are achieved through encirclement, while American strategy is likened to chess, with direct conflict.

Historically, China has not been an aggressive military power, preferring strategic conflict avoidance and defense, unlike the U.S., which has been engaged in frequent military action since WWII.

Transcripts

unlike America which is a relatively new

country China is very old Chinese

history stretches so far back that it

sort of Gets Lost In The Mists of time

the earliest Dynasty the Shia Dynasty

might not even be real many believe that

it's mythological because there's so

little evidence that it ever even

existed so the point is that China is

old and Chinese history stretches as far

back as our records are able to take it

so China's unusual in that claim

thousands of years of history and not

only that but it's a historically

dominant civilization capable of pulling

off impressive Feats of architecture and

contributing many inventions to the

world like paper gunpowder silk

porcelain the compass printing

techniques and more what I'm basically

getting at here is that Chinese people

are proud and they think China is

special and you could even say

deservedly so China was a dominant

civilization all the way up until

modernity so all the way up until the

Industrial Revolution when the

Industrial Revolution came China was

slow to adapt and they were dominated by

foreign powers and that went on all the

way until maidong took power in 1949 so

that period where China was dominated by

foreign powers and was weak is referred

to in China as the century of

humiliation so many in China have a chip

on their shoulder from that especially

towards the countries that bullied them

and treated them as inferior the

important takeaway here is that many in

China see China as a historically

significant country whose rightful place

is to be in a dominant position on the

world stage so they see the last say 200

years or so as a historical aberration

which they think will be corrected soon

enough as China rises in power and

prestige on the world stage which is a

process referred to in China as the

Chinese dream here's shiin ping giving

his thoughts on it in my opinion

achieving the Rejuvenation of the

Chinese nation has been the greatest

dream of the Chinese people since the

Advent of modern times this dream

embodies the long-cherished hope of

several generations of the Chinese

people gives expression to the overall

interests of the Chinese nation and the

Chinese people and represents the shared

aspiration of all the Sons and Daughters

of the Chinese Nation the predominant

Chinese moral philosophy historically

speaking is Confucianism so basically

Confucianism is to China what

Christianity is to the United States but

that's a very rough comparison because

Christianity is a religion and

Confucianism is secular Confucianism is

a philosophy that calls for the

cultivation of oneself through learning

and the attainment of wisdom and doing

that in the context of a rigid social

order where you know your place within

it and behave accordingly Confucianism

has a top- down take on social order

that places the highest emphasis on

those that are in positions of power and

says that if they cultivate themselves

and behave well then good things will

follow Confucian thinking says that

those in positions of power need to be

wise and benevolent and responsible and

to take care of those below them if that

holds true then the people living under

them are supposed to reciprocate with

respect and obedience a mind State

brought on by their own

self-cultivation when that all holds

true then we have social harmony a

concept still relevant in modern China

this Dynamic is supposed to occur all

the way down and all the way back up the

social ladder so Confucianism calls for

paternalism all the way down the social

ladder and deference all the way back up

so rulers take care of their subjects

husbands take care of their wives

parents take care of their children and

older brothers take care of younger

brothers also those that are younger are

supposed to respect their elders

and even take care of them if necessary

whether it's their parents or their

grandparents or even respecting their

ancestors which is a concept called fial

piety so Confucianism emphasizes things

like respect order stability

conscientiousness and tradition and

these are all still relevant moral and

political Concepts in China when maang

took power in

1949 and officially brought communism to

China the official Communist party line

was to disavow Confucianism and to call

it Bourgeois so Confucianism officially

disappeared from China for a while but

since then it's been rehabilitated and

modern leaders from the Chinese

Communist party now openly invoke

Confucian principles like social harmony

which means that Confucianism and the

principles of the Chinese Communist

party now officially coexist in China

the Chinese Communist party or the CCP

in forms the political structure of

China and the ideology of the CCP is

based in Marxism leninism Marxism

leninism is Vladimir Lenin's take on

Marxism as he tried to apply it to

Soviet Russia and it calls for a

self-appointed political Elite to seize

power and then rule Society in the name

of the people and it also calls for a

single-party state that crushes any kind

of political opposition it frames any

political alternatives to itself as a

threat to the people and uses the power

of the state to put it down private

property is banned and everyone works

for the state and there also tends to be

a fair amount of Social Services like

housing or health care or an education

but that education is heavily

propagandized to pull all this off the

ruling single party heavily surveils the

public which can also mean

propagandizing children and telling them

to inform on their parents if they hear

their parents saying anything

politically subversive there are air

amount of personal freedoms in modern

China so Chinese people can generally

choose their jobs or choose who they

want to marry or maybe even leave the

country but there's still not much in

the way of political freedom because the

CCP doesn't allow it an important

takeaway here is that in China the CCP

is the highest political Authority all

citizens are subject to the CCP and the

law is also subject to the CCP so the

CCP is above the law

and officials within the CCP can dictate

the law and be held to the law

situationally as they see fit so if

you're a regular citizen in China and

you want to say sue a high official in

the CCP for breaking the law say for

violating the Constitution you're not

going to be able to do it which all

means that in China the law is a

flexible concept and the CCP is supreme

in America law is much more inflexible

the law is above all cens in America and

also above political parties everyone is

equally accountable to it the point is

to not have contextual flexibility even

if a president is caught breaking the

law the president can be held

accountable for it to the extent that it

can even cost the president their job of

course there are circumstances where

some people are punished more heavily by

the law and others are able to

manipulate and Float above it but those

examples outrage us precise precisely

because they violate our principles we

demand equality before the law making

the law Supreme and

inflexible this makes law a powerful

subject in America and much of our

political thought centers around what

the law should or shouldn't be let's

break down the left and the right in

America and China in America you have

conservatives on the right and

progressives on the left conservatives

want to keep things as they are or roll

back policy IES to an earlier era

progressives are interested in social

reform they want to change society into

something new so conservatives defend

what we have and progressives criticize

Society in order to create change

America was founded on the values of

liberalism which basically means having

a government with checks and balances

and also having equal rights backed by

law and those rights include Free Speech

voting rights and property rights so

liberal societies are both democratic

and capital istic conservatives tend to

be associated with older versions of

liberalism and are more capitalist

minded and progressives tend to be

associated with more modern versions of

liberalism and are more socialist minded

in my opinion liberalism is a political

philosophy that sits sort of like a

submerged triangle below conservatism

and progressivism that bubbles up as a

distinct demographic when liberal values

like free speech are being debated in

America both conservatives and

progressives can be liberals or

illiberal depending on their take on

liberalism and how much they want the

government to intervene in social issues

I understand my take on this is

unconventional but I believe we don't

categorize these things accurately in

mainstream political discussion and in

my opinion this is a more accurate

representation of American politics I've

already made a video dedicated to

liberalism in America that fleshes out

how it relates to the left and the right

right so if you want to hear why I just

said fleshed out in more detail I would

just go check that out getting over to

Chinese politics after maong communism

was the entrenched status quo in China

so after maong conservatives are the

people who want to keep it that way so

in China the conservatives are

communists so in China conservatives are

the left wi since communism is pretty

much as far left as you can get in terms

of mainstream political opinion people

who want to change society into

something new are further to the right

of Communism which means progressives in

China people who want to move away from

communism and reform Society into

something new are the rightwing in China

so the left in China are communist

conservatives and on the other side of

the political Spectrum you have the

right-wing liberal reformers who

advocate for things like multi-party

democracy and Free Speech okay so we're

going to step up the complex it just a

little bit more here Chinese political

thinking is generally thought to be more

relativistic and flexible than American

thinking which is probably due to

cultural differences as the two

countries developed separately so

American political thinking is often

described as linear which means building

thoughts successively on top of each

other so an example of linear thinking

is to say something like democracy is

good and research shows that democracy

improves human well-being so therefore

democracy spreading to more places is

even better and on top of that we should

even help spread democracy to more

places so it's a series of thoughts that

progressively build on each other then

once Americans do that and arrive at a

policy decision they stick with it and

pursue it with a kind of tunnel vision

Chinese thinking is often described as

being lateral or holistic and what that

tends to mean is that it's based on

context

or how things relate to other things so

if you ask the lateral thinker is

democracy good you might get a response

back that goes something like it depends

good compared to what or whose democracy

are we talking about or good in what

sense or if you ask the lateral thinker

is democracy spreading a good thing they

might say something like it depends

where are we talking about it spreading

so lateral thinking is looking at things

based on context or how it relates to

other things to give another example

Americans tend to think that civil

rights are Paramount so anything that

infringes on civil rights is bad

Unthinkable even if you try to propose

something to an American that might

infringe on civil rights they just don't

even want to hear about it they don't

care what the proposed benefit is civil

rights are Paramount so a Chinese

thinker on the other hand might judge

the subject of civil rights more

relativistically so they might judge

civil rights based on how it affects

other things like social harmony or

security or maybe the economy so they're

not going into it with preset linear

logic but instead judging the subject

relativistically dang Xiao ping for

example the man who's considered

responsible for bringing liberal reforms

to China after ma admitted that he never

had a grand plan to achieve that but

instead compared his leadership style to

crossing the river by feeling the stones

so instead of having a pre-laid plan on

how to reform China he instead kept a

flexible mentality and judged

circumstances as they arose contextually

I don't know about you but I personally

have a hard time imagining an American

leader saying or admitting something

like that in American political culture

we pretty much expect the opposite we

expect our prospective political

candidates to lay out exactly what they

would do once they get in office and

then if we do hire them we expect them

to stick to those plans and we judge

them if they don't so I'm not

necessarily saying that one approach is

necessarily better than the other I'm

just comparing the differences between

the two cultures here I think this is an

important concept that isn't easy to

grasp so I'm going to keep going with

examples socialism with chines

characteristics is another relativistic

Chinese political Concept in America we

tend to think that capitalism is good

and socialism is bad so therefore

anything that moves in the direction of

socialism is bad and should be resisted

which could be a changing mentality but

historically that's been our general

position in China capitalism is a dirty

word but they're open to the concept of

capitalism as long as you don't call it

that so dang Xiao ping introduced the

concept of capitalism to China by

calling it socialism with Chinese

characteristics but it's a flexible

concept it means whatever it needs to

mean in order to keep the CCP and power

and to bring prosperity to China in my

opinion in that order of importance so

it could be heavily capitalistic or it

could be heavily socialistic but either

way it's flexible so socialism with

Chinese characteristics could mean two

very different things when xiin ping was

talking about it compared to when dang

Xiao ping was talking about it and you

could even translate socialism with

Chinese characteristics to mean

socialism with flexible characteristics

China's famous Treatise on Military

strategy The Art of War is all about

flexibility it literally argues that you

need to become so adept with the subject

of war that you can wield it like an art

form adopting wildly different

strategies to accommodate whatever

circumstances might arise for example

saying when able to attack we must seem

unable when using our forces we must

seem inactive when we are near we must

make the enemy believe we are far away

when far away we must make him believe

we are near even when attacking sunzet

advocated for a flexible mindset saying

in battle there are not more than two

methods of attack the direct and the

indirect yet these two in combination

give rise to an endless series of

Maneuvers the direct and the indirect

lead on to each other in turn it is like

moving in a circle you never come to an

end who can exhaust the possibilities of

their combination I think this

flexibility makes Chinese political

thinking difficult to understand

especially from an American perspective

think of how much effort seemingly the

entire world puts into trying to

understand Chinese political strategy

and think about how much easier it is in

comparison to understand American

political strategy and American goals

and motivations Henry Kissinger a man

with extensive diplomatic experience

with China famously compared Chinese

strategy to the game of Go where any one

given move is hard to understand the

conflicts aren't direct since peces and

go are taken by being encircled and the

strategy is broadly conceived in

long-term goals and he compared American

strategy to chess where the conflicts

are direct as the pieces clash with one

another and the intentions behind any

one given move are much more clear you

could say that you play the game of

chess by using linear thinking you think

I can move here and here and here and

then I'll get a Checkmate and I will win

and go in comparison is played much more

like crossing the river by feeling the

stones another way to think about this

linear lateral distinction is that

linear thinking is vertical and lateral

thinking is horizontal so for example if

I wanted to explain capitalism using

vertical thinking I could say something

like you need the freedom to exchange

goods and services with others backed by

private property rights and I could go

further to say things that you could

expect from capitalism like in terms of

prosperity and inequality so it's

building Concepts on top of each other

like blocks if I wanted to give a

lateral horizontal explanation of

capitalism I could say something like

capitalism is like having a wolf in a

room with 10

sheep I guess that's a cynical

explanation of capitalism but it's still

a lateral horizontal one it's explaining

capitalism by comparing it horizontally

to other subjects in this case by

explaining how it relates horizontally

to animal nature crossing the river by

feeling the stones is another example of

a horizontal explanation it's explaining

dung Xiao Ping's leadership style by

comparing it horizontally with a

technique of crossing a river again

these are generalizations I don't think

anyone thinks in a purely linear or a

purely lateral way I think we blend the

two together based on our personal

preferences and based on the subject the

point here is that you can expect to see

more linear thinking that judges

subjects independently using logic and

reason in a vertical fashion in American

politics and he can expect to see more

lateral relativistic and flexible

thinking in Chinese politics one last

quote and then I'll move on here's

Kissinger's impression of maong after

their first meeting who he said had an

elliptical style of conversation most

political leaders present their thoughts

in the form of bullet points ma Advanced

his ideas in a Socratic manner he would

begin with a question or an observation

and invite comment he would then follow

with another observation

out of this web of sarcastic remarks

observations and queries would emerge a

direction though rarely a binding

commitment which seems to me like a

lateral thinker strategically avoiding

linear conversation the last subject I

want to talk about is war it's possible

that China will become aggressive as a

military power as it rises on the world

stage but historically speaking China is

not an aggressive country the basic

story of China is a story of a country

that's kept to itself and had its own

internal conflicts and most of the

direct conflicts that China's been in

historically speaking are from foreign

countries invading it so it's possible

China will become aggressive but

historically speaking it's not an

aggressive country you can find roots

for that in Confucianism and you can

even find roots for that lack of

militancy in The Art of War which treats

War as not a glorious subject but a

somber subject opening with the

statement that war is a matter of life

and death a road either to safety or to

ruin and even says to fight and Conquer

in all your battles is not Supreme

Excellence Supreme Excellence consists

in Breaking the enemy's resistance

without fighting winning through

strategy and encirclement and not direct

conflict unlike the United States which

has been using its military in conflicts

pretty consistently since World War II

China uses its military so seldom that

they're often criticized for not having

enough experience to be battle ready

they're literally criticized for not

having enough people in their military

with actual combat experience to be able

to go to war so things could change but

historically speaking China is not an

aggressive country they prefer strategy

and not direct conflict on that note I'm

going to wrap things up so hope you got

something out of it and I never ask this

but if you could consider for this one

video doing the YouTube algorithm stuff

you like the liking commenting um even

writing like a placeholder comment any

kind of interaction with the video makes

YouTube pay more attention to the video

and share it with more people either way

I appreciate you watching so till next

time thanks for watching thanks for

listening and I'll see you on the next

one one more

disint the one you behind