What is the role of government?

In my last post (Has Jeffersonian America Run Its Course?), I argued that Jeffersonian America has run its course. In this post, I discuss the role of government by focusing on the U.S. and China.

1. What is the role of a government?

Domestically, the role of government is everything “public”. Four examples:

• Public health, such as handling a pandemic.
• Public safety, such as fighting crimes.
• Public education: For a society to become truly advanced, public education not only is essential but also must be good.
• Public works, such as building and maintaining roads and bridges.

Internationally, the role of government is everything between the country and the world. Four examples:

• Defense.
• Diplomacy.
• Trade.
• “Humanity as One”.

2. America vs. China

Domestically, China has done far better than America in all four categories.

• Public health: Can you spell Covid-19? The argument would have been much stronger if Covid-19 had not been first detected in China. For more, read Newsweek: Most Rank China’s Handling of Covid Pandemic Better Than America’s.
• Public safety: China is overwhelmingly safer than America, especially in big cities. For more, read Crime Stats: compare key data on China & United States.
• Public education: Overall, China is far better at it than America, resulting in a far better-educated population than America. For more, read Shanghai is number one in world education rankings.
• Public works: Trump compares US airports to ‘third-world country’.

Internationally, China has done far better than America in all four categories as well.

• Defense: No 9/11-like attack on China. Fewer terror threats to China.
• Diplomacy: Global approval rating: China (34%) vs. America (31%). For more, read China’s global approval rating has surpassed the U.S.
• Trade: Read US Trade Deficit up to $67.1 Billion in August, 14-year high, despite the various trade wars the Trump administration waged against many countries.
• “Humanity as One”: Three examples;
  • U.S. withdrawal from U.N. Human Rights Council is “America alone”.
  • Trump administration moves to formally withdraws US from WHO.
  • Climate change: US formally withdraws from Paris agreement.

Note: on “Humanity as One”, the Biden administration has already started righting the wrongs by the Trump administration, but the damage to America is already done, with one basic question:

Can American government be trusted beyond one administration?

Now, why is America so bad at governance, especially when compared with China?

Let’s briefly examine America and China, respectively, before comparing them …

3. America

Let’s briefly examine yesterday and today …

3.1 Yesterday

America was founded by/of/for the rich, with the government being a necessary evil – The rich wanted a limited (or minimalist) government, which would not only leave them alone to become richer, but also be actually controlled by them (via money).

Worse yet, Americans must be prepared to defend themselves against the government by bearing arms (Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution).

In short, not only is the Federal government extremely limited in power by design, but it might also be viewed as the enemy of the people, against which Americans must be armed.

What a funny way to start a new country like that in 1776 (or 1789)!

For more, read What is the American Revolution, anyway?

3.2 Today

America remains a country by/of/for the rich, and many Americans continue to view the government as a necessary evil.

Worse yet, the American government remains a potential enemy of the people, against which Americans must arm themselves. As a result, it may take another civil war to address the gun ownership issue, just like America did with slavery in the 1860s.

And worse still, many Americans, including President Reagan, are foolishly proud of the fact that the “government is the problem”!

Worst of all, America is obviously losing in its head-on competition against China, but most Americans choose to live in denial or ignorance.

3.3 Summary

America does not have an effective government. Three recent events (i.e., COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., American carnage, and Texas weather crisis deepens Chinese belief they’re ‘on right path’) have made it abundantly clear.

For more, read Has Jeffersonian America Run Its Course?

4. China

In China, the government is [almost] everything and the head of the government is a father figure, with great wisdom and to be respected.

China got the role of government correct 2,000 years ago, and continues to be correct, with the century of humiliation being merely an aberration. For more, read What is China, anyway?

5. Covid-19: America vs. China

Two big things are required to contain Covid-19 (in this order):

• An effective government
• A good citizenry.

America has neither, but China has both – The image below highlights the result.

Now, as the U.S. has returned to “normal” after losing more than one million lives, China does need an exit strategy to end its zero-Covid strategy. I hope China will meet this challenge, and I am sure China will!

6. Discussion

Governance is hard.

Most basically, there must be a correct definition of the role of government – China has got it right, but America has not …

In other words, it is much harder to have an effective government than to have a bunch of successful individuals (e.g., millionaires and billionaires).

China has both – China got the former right first, and then took care of the latter, relatively easily. For example, over the past few decades, China has produced far more millionaires and billionaires than America has (China is making new billionaires much faster than the US). For more, read China overtakes US in rankings of world’s richest people.

In contrast, America has only the latter, and it will take a long time to have the former comparable to China’s.

7. Closing

On governance, America is behind China by quite a few decades at least!

America, reform our failing political system, as I have suggested (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline), or become a fiddle, second to China!