[b]We will keep feeding them CocaCola, Pepsi, Marlboro, Britney Spears and Playboy until the Chinese masses have been assimilated.[/b]

why not?

it worked on russia and eastern europe.

sony walkmans and levi strauss jeans brought down the commies faster than 10-nuc mervs.

good post, t-stox.

[b]First of all, their culture is not European in any way, so the doodads that so impressed Russians and Eastern Europeans will likely not be as impressive to the Chinese.[/b]

is that why ford, gm and chrysler are beating feet to open dealerships in mainland china?

[b]Second, Chinese culture is almost devoid of any idea as to what freedom is. They've been ruled by emperors and tyrants for millenia. They don't have the thirst for freedom that oppressed Russians and Eastern Europeans did.[/b]

tell that to dead that fell at tiennamen square. and as far as the russians go, they have, historically, been one of the most authoritarian ruled peoples in history, predating even the czars.

edit:

i forgot to add: the chinese thirst for freedom actually ended up in the establishment of a free china...formosa/taiwan. too bad chiang didn't kick mao's ass over the mountains after mao fled on "the long march". the defeat of the quo ming tong (i know i butchered that spelling!) was a disaster of the highest magnitude (not that they were the gurdians of democracy, either).


[b]Third, the Chinese are more savvy and ruthless than the Russians ever were. A few have kept billions cowed for decades.[/b]

mao's death toll vs. stalin's would make for hours of interesting discussion...but, in the long run i think ol' uncle joe might even best mao's great leap forward and all the red guard cadres combined.

the japanese are not very 'western', either. at one time they, too, could certainly be described as "saavy" and "ruthless". but...isn't baseball now their national sport (ok...perhaps behind sumo wrestling and keirin racing!)?