Saturday, June 25, 2005

Engagement or Isolation?

Fareed Zakaria's recent Newsweek column poses an interesting juxtaposition between the effects of US foreign/economic policy towards Vietnam vs. Cuba. Generally, Zakaria suggests that the policy of limited engagement and openness towards Vietnam has led that country's communist regime to loosen its grip on power, at least compared to Castro in Cuba. I think this is correct. Nixon's China policy, although generally designed to pressure the Soviets, opened that country's two billion eyes to the wonders of capitalism and the prosperity that results therefrom. Of course, politically, China remains a despotic hell-hole. But given the Hobson's choice between residing in China or Cuba, I would quickly choose the latter where I can at least purchase toilet paper to wipe my persecuted ass.

Economic freedom is a necessary condition for political freedom. As such, a policy of "open" relations places outward pressure on repressive regimes to adopt liberal economic polices in an effort to save their volatile, faltering economies from collapse. As state control over the economy wanes, the desire for expanded liberty is sure to follow. Although the Chinese government has managed to adopt economic reforms while suppressing political discourse, I predict this current balance can not last.

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