The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com
- Patricia Zohn: Culture Zohn: I Walk the (High) Line
- Jackson Williams: Republicans Identify Their Problem: It's The Packaging!
- John Farr: For Independence Day, Ten Movies That Scream America
- Patricia Handschiegel: The New Power Girls: Video Series Episode 5 - Smarty People's Amy Swift Shares How to Network in Business
- Matthew DeBord: Wimbledon Tennis: Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim Updates the Greatest Sport Book Ever Written
- Tom Doctoroff: China's Digital Green Dam: The Party Capitulates
| Patricia Zohn: Culture Zohn: I Walk the (High) Line | Top |
| Just when you thought New York was down on its luck and was being demoted to the downfall capital, when Bernie Madoff was being sentenced to twice the average life span, when the politicians like Bloomberg, Klein, Patterson were fighting to hang onto their jobs, when restaurants were seducing diners with early bird specials, when arts organizations were carefully picking their way through a summer prediction of half empty houses, along came The High Line. Gansevoort Woodland at Night , Aerial View from Gansevoort Street to West 13th Street, looking South Wow. A wondrous and dynamic urban space, make that corridor, make that boardwalk, make that people mover, make that sundeck (which reminded me of the Paris Plage, and another answer to the Hamptons), make that theater, a melding of brilliant yet self-effacing architecture, design, landscape and people-watching all rolled into one. Sundeck Water Feature and Preserve , between West 14th Street and West 15th Street, looking South On a night when the air was perfectly clear, the sun was setting, the boats were circling Manhattan, and a genius wind was caressing, there really could be no finer place in all the land. How did this miracle-gro happen? A combination of public and private pushed this baby up the hill, through the weeds of the city and state, an indefatigable group of Friends and Family that had the vision to turn an abandoned elevated rail bed into one of the most stunning world-class walks, a promenade that lets you get up close to all our different species of building, introduces you to plant materials that form a heavenly spread of green and purple and lets you mingle with your friends and loved ones at a leisurely pace of your own. Chelsea Grasslands , between West 19th Street and West 20th Street, looking North Wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, the High Line has something for everyone, yet makes it seem as if its been pushing up through the granite forever. It's wood and concrete looks utterly pristine, and I reminded Patrick Cullina, the Veep of Horticulture and Park Operations who does indeed stroll chest-puffed-out-to-there to watch his babies grow, that like with a new car, that first scratch is always the hardest to bear. But Cullina who has been tending to this creation for the last year is willing to share its narrows and its wides with equal affection. Within the span of Gansevoort Street to 20th Street above 10th avenue he not only points out town squares and three star Michelin overlooks but special plants he is coaxing and new buildings by Frank Gehry and Jean Nouvel which are seen from their friendliest, humanistic perspective, not too close and 1/3 the way up so that we do not feel intimidated. Cullina is eager to dream about movie and theater performances, fabulous food and drink service, classes for teenagers and children, an endless cornucopia of urban delight. And when you are with him on a night like last night, you believe it could all come true. It is a park to rival Central Park, not in its vast greenswards and capacious rolling landscapes and tennis courts and jogging trails, but in its perfect mix of hardscape hill and dale that has been made as friendly as possible to the passer-by. Northern Spur Preserve , between West 16th Street and West 17th Street, looking South towards the Statue of Liberty The High Line has points of access every two blocks and already the extension past 20th Street is visible at the end grate, the very youngest plant shoots waiting patiently for their proud poppa to get them going. The planners don't seem to mind if you go down either by elevator or stair to check out distractions like the Standard Hotel groovy elevator or the Chelsea Market or the retail shops below because they know you will want to come back up. They want you to linger on benches that look organically extruded from the wood or pavement, life forms of their own, or on the risers of a theater-like space whose current production is 10th avenue in all its funky glory or on a double wide chaise lounge in a water park. Cullina, the architects Diller Scofidio+ Renfro and James Corner Field Operations and Piet Oudolf and civic leaders like the Mayor, John Alschuler , Chair of Friends of the High Line, Robert Hammond and Josh David, the visionaries, and so many others are to be commended for this enormous gift to all of us. Gansevoort Woodland , Gansevoort Street to Little West 12th Street, looking South The opening of the first section of the High Line, from Gansevoort Street to 20 Street, will be followed by the completion of construction and public opening of Section 2, from 20th Street to 30th Street, in 2010. The High Line closes at 10pm. | |
| Jackson Williams: Republicans Identify Their Problem: It's The Packaging! | Top |
| Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota weighed in last Sunday on fellow Republican Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina: "Any time you have leading figures who are engaged in behavior that is sad and troubling and hypocritical...It certainly hurts the brand ." The brand? Interesting word choice, and Republicans have been using it quite a bit lately. We all know that political parties must be sold like shampoo or a new car. Yet politics is a somewhat different commodity. The coin of its realm is ideas and good government, not extra conditioning and leather seats. That's why the ministers of the trade -- politicians -- do themselves a disservice when they speak in the language of advertisers and media consultants. Talking inside baseball ("My latest internal poll has me up 5% and I've outraised my opponent by $400,000"), instead of, say, jobs and health care, is akin to Toto pulling back the curtain and revealing the mechanics. Such glibness turns public service into a mere game instead of the higher calling it should be, at least on a good day. Let's be clear: people understand that running for high office is a business that requires professional merchandising. After 200 years, we know the drill. At the end of the day, however, we usually vote on the ideas and vision of the candidates. This is why Barack Obama is president. Republicans need to focus on substance, if they can, rather than worry about re-branding. There is evidence this might be difficult. In September 2002, six months before the Iraq invasion, Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card explained why the war blueprint wasn't rolled out for consumption until after Labor Day: "From a marketing point of view," he said matter-of-factly, "you don't introduce new products in August." No wonder the GOP sees their current state of affairs as a perception problem, something that can be fixed with make-up and better lighting. Good luck with that. More on Barack Obama | |
| John Farr: For Independence Day, Ten Movies That Scream America | Top |
| As we head into Independence Day weekend, for those who'd like to move beyond the evergreen "Yankee Doodle Dandy", I want to suggest some classic titles scattered over the decades that each in their way evoke our country's unique character- to paraphrase a favorite movie title, encompassing the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... If you haven't seen any of these for a while, well now's the time. Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936)- Simple country boy Longfellow Deeds (Gary Cooper) inherits an immense fortune from a distant relative he doesn't even know, and must then navigate a sea of handlers and hand-out requests to make sense of his new life as multi-millionaire. But those who think they can manipulate this tuba-playing rube are soon in for a rude awakening. This charming slice of Americana from director Frank Capra is one of Cooper's most appealing comic forays, as his plain-talking homespun reflection of rural America-foxes all those smug and greedy city-slickers. Thus the movie reinforces the recurring Capra theme of solid individual integrity over the mob of established, monied interests. The husky voiced Jean Arthur delivers a note-perfect turn as Babe Bennett, a hard-nosed lady journalist who first ridicules, then falls for Longfellow, much to her surprise. One of the screen's authentic classics, this is pixilated comedy at its very best. Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)- Charting the early life experiences of Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) in Springfield, Illinois, this fictionalized biopic follows the future Civil War president from his first political speech in 1832 and the tragic death of girlfriend Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore) to his first trial case as a lawyer. Throughout, we glimpse moments of anguish and triumph in the making of a moral leader, as well as his courtship of society belle Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). The film culminates with Lincoln summoning uncommon ingenuity in defending two young men accused of murder. Fonda, who originally declined the role because of his awed reverence for Lincoln's legacy, embodies Abe with plainspoken assurance and gutsy idealism. Weaver, as the future Mrs. Lincoln, and Alice Brady, as the mother of two sons presumed guilty of murder, round out a luminous studio cast. Don't miss this stunning, mythic portrait of American greatness personified, by the legendary director of "Stagecoach." The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)- The great Sam Goldwyn produced this first, most ambitious movie about the plight of returning servicemen at the end of the Second World War. The film follows the unique readjustments to civilian life faced by three veterans: Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), a young officer coming back to a dead-end job, Al Stephenson (Fredric March), an older soldier returning to a loving family and stable career, and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), a sailor who has lost both his hands in combat. Each character is subtly drawn under William Wyler's expert direction, evoking the complex challenges that confront veterans of all ranks - making sense of their own war experiences while readjusting to a changed America. Even with the requisite dose of sentimentality and romance, the film never strays far from its central premise that no matter what you return to in a time of peace, war changes you forever. Oscar-winner for Best Picture, Best Actor (March) and Best Supporting Actor (Russell, an amputee veteran, and non-actor!). Picnic (1955)- Hal Carter (William Holden), a down-and-out former college football jock, hops a freight to Kansas to ask his wealthy former roommate Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson) for a job. Alan's thrilled to see him (at first), but others distrust the rugged stranger, including Flo Owens (Betty Field), the socially ambitious mother of the girl Alan's been dating, town beauty Madge (Kim Novak, in her film debut). She senses the potential chemistry between Hal and Madge, an attraction that might hurt Hal's job search, and ruin Flo's carefully laid plans for her daughter's future. Matters come to a head at the town picnic. Joshua Logan's adaptation of the hit William Inge play captures the feeling of mid-twentieth century small town America as few other pictures have. Location shooting (in Technicolor) helps, with the crowd shots of real Kansans enjoying themselves during the picnic sequence particularly evocative. The two romantic leads do indeed heat up the screen, particularly during their memorable dance to the fifties standard, "Moonglow". Robertson, Field, Rosalind Russell and Arthur O'Connell round out a first-rate cast. Attend this "Picnic". Medium Cool (1969)- TV cameraman John Cassellis ( an unrecognizable, pre- "Jackie Brown" Robert Forster) meets and falls for struggling single mom, Eileen (Verna Bloom), against the least opportune of back-drops: the turbulent 1968 Democratic Convention, when brutal police reaction to student demonstrations put the city of Chicago in chaos. John and sound-man Gus (Peter Bonerz) must capture the unfolding crisis for posterity, and in this volatile situation, it appears nothing is safe, including any future for John and Eileen. Haskell Wexler's one-of-a-kind film seamlessly blends narrative and documentary forms, as the actors actually played their scenes as the Chicago riots were exploding all around them. The heightened sense of immediacy and danger is palpable. Extremely well-played by Forster and Bloom, this is a fascinating, irreplaceable American time-capsule for the ages. Look for Peter Boyle as an impassioned right-winger. Breaking Away (1979)- This strikingly buoyant coming-of-age picture set in Indiana tells of four local boys (and recent high-school grads) who must face their futures, but not before enjoying one last carefree summer. Protagonist Dave (Dennis Christopher) is obsessed with cycling, and on learning how many cycling champions come from Italy, cultivates an appreciation for all things Italian, much to the consternation of his conventional parents (Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie). Dave's cycling skills will eventually be tested against the snobby college guys in Bloomington's annual bike race. Director Peter Yates's heartfelt, life-affirming movie will prove a winner for older kids and adults. Christopher is appealingly quirky in the central role and the film also showcases the budding talents of future stars Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern as two of Dave's buddies. Dooley is outstanding as Dave's bewildered father, a solid Middle American you might actually buy a used car from. Tender Mercies (1983)- Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall), once a successful country music balladeer, has a severe drinking problem and has finally hit bottom. It's no surprise that when alcoholics reach this sad crossroads in life, they either wither away entirely or climb back up into the world. With the help of patient widow Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and her young son, Mac gradually finds the strength to reclaim his life. This quiet, unadorned gem, beautifully realized by Australian director Bruce Beresford from a brilliant Horton Foote screenplay, is an actor's showcase, and Duvall makes the most of it, turning in a bravura performance that won him a well-deserved Oscar. (Trivia note: screenwriter Foote had also done the script for Duvall's first film twenty years earlier: "To Kill A Mockingbird", where the actor played the mysterious Boo Radley). Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)- This riveting biopic of Vietnam protester Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) opens with his all-American upbringing in Massapequa, NY, and entry into the war as a deeply patriotic enlisted man. Later, Kovic returns home disillusioned and psychologically scarred from a bullet wound that's left him paralyzed from the waist down. Alienated and adrift in Mexico, the hard-drinking vet eventually begins to pull his life together, devoting his energies to anti-war activism. Helmed by Vietnam vet Oliver Stone, "Born" is a profoundly moving portrait of a macho athlete whose horrific battle experience causes him to reassess his politics and reorient his give-'em-hell attitude. Cruise, in an ambitious turn away from heartthrob roles, plays Kovic with precision and conviction, especially at his darkest moments, delivering the finest work of his career. Co-written by Stone and Kovic, "Born" reflects the pain and anger felt by an entire generation of returning US soldiers, and will leave a lasting impression. American Beauty (1999)- Leading an empty suburban life with his uptight, real-estate-agent wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), and depressed teenage daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), sardonic forty-something Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) decides to overhaul his body--and his life--when he falls madly in lust with gorgeous nubile Angela (Mena Suvari), Jane's flirtatious best friend. This superlative drama by theater director Sam Mendes peers at the dark side of American middle-class life with ripe, risqué humor and aching poignancy. Both screenwriter Alan Ball and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall were honored along with Mendes at the 1999 Academy Awards for their evocation of suburban alienation, but Kevin Spacey, whose cool, cynical narration constitutes the film's central nervous system, deserved all the acclaim he received for bringing Lester to life (including a Best Actor Oscar). Working in a subplot involving Lester's new neighbors, an unhinged Marine (Chris Cooper) and his artsy, drug-dealing son (Wes Bentley), Mendes gives this "Beauty" a gut-wrenching finale that completes Lester's transformation. Transamerica (2005)- Just a week before pre-operative transsexual Bree Osbourne (Felicity Huffman), formerly Stanley, is about go under the knife to complete her male-to-female transformation, she learns that she has a 17-year-old son named Toby (Kevin Zegers), who's in trouble with the law. Encouraged by her therapist, Margaret (Elizabeth Peña), to come to grips with her past, Bree bails Toby out of jail and takes him on a cross-country road trip to Los Angeles. Expertly handled by first-time director Duncan Tucker, this funny, touching film belongs to a tradition of beautifully observed movies about nontraditional American families. Huffman is riveting to watch, especially in the scenes with her disapproving mother, Elizabeth (Fionnula Flanagan). But it is her rapport with Zegers, perfect as the troubled Toby, that gives the film its heart and soul, especially as he believes Bree is a goody-goody church type-not his father. Their trip-so often the arc of growth in great road films-is mutually nourishing and eye-opening. Settle in with "Transamerica" for a frank, heartfelt outing. For close to 2,000 more outstanding titles, visit www.bestmoviesbyfarr.com. Also check out John's video blog profiling great films at www.reel13.org. More on Tom Cruise | |
| Patricia Handschiegel: The New Power Girls: Video Series Episode 5 - Smarty People's Amy Swift Shares How to Network in Business | Top |
| It's often said that it's "not what you know but who you know." Within ten minutes of being around Smarty People's Amy Swift you completely why people say just that. Amy's events in Los Angeles and beyond have brought in some of the most successful high profile women entrepreneurs in the country to teach, learn and network. She was a force behind the events hosted by the high profile organization Ladies Who Launch and has since become one of L.A.'s preeminent business social butterflies. One minute you'll see her at a private party at Arianna Huffington's house, the next she's rubbing elbows with female business visionaries like Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes. Power Girls know who to know -- and are the people to know -- in business. Headed up by Swift, Smarty is based on success from three essential elements for women: solid foundation/solid practices, support and collaboration from community, and ongoing education and opportunity for expansion. It comes in the form of highly chic, low-key but high impact events networking some of the most recognized and accomplished women in business. I've attended one of Smarty's events and was a panelist under her charge while she was with Ladies Who Launch. Amy packs the kind of cool sensibility and no-nonsense logic. As a moderator, she asks the questions everybody wants to know and engages the audience every step of the way. It's not a surprise that she's one of the most successful connecters in women's business. This week, fellow entrepreneur and New Power Girls co-creator Meghan Cleary and I sat down with the networking expert to find out her three top tips for meeting people and making contacts in business. Shot at the gorgeous Oceana hotel in Santa Monica, CA (with gifts from Alltop.com, Bliss, Cosabella, Sortingwithstyle.com and John Kelly chocolates), we asked the big question: How she does it. Check out the interview and Swift's top tips for networking in business. Share what's worked for YOU with networking. Enter to win the NPG video series gift bag. The New Power Girls how-to video series will be published every Wednesday for the next six weeks and includes great women entrepreneurs like Paige Adams-Geller of Paige Premium Denim, author and writer/director Andrea Buchanan and more. Be sure to check back! Special thanks to Oceana Santa Monica , Bliss , Cosabella , Alltop.com , John Kelly Chocolates , Shoe Therapy: What Your Shoes Say About You , and Sortingwithstyle.com for supporting The New Power Girls! | |
| Matthew DeBord: Wimbledon Tennis: Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim Updates the Greatest Sport Book Ever Written | Top |
| There's some debate on this, but many, many fans, journalist, and writers agree that John McPhee's 1969 book, Levels of the Game, is the greatest sports book ever written. Using an extremely intimate and carefully paced narrative style, McPhee recounted a deceptively important tennis match: a semifinal at the 1968 U.S. Open between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner. What gave Levels of the Game its enduring oomph was that it dealt not just with the intricacies of the match itself--its psychological, emotional, and athletic give-and-take (Ashe eventually won, and then won the '68 Open, the last amateur to do so)--but with the changing story of American life. On one side of the net, you had Ashe, who represented the cool, youthful, post-civil-right sports hero, coming of age in an America that was becoming more liberal, in every sense. On the other side, you had Graebner, a terrific player but also an establishment figure. Republican. Solid. Suspicious of Ashe and his mercurial talent, but respectful of the black man's prodigious skills. A lot of sports books have been written since, but no one has ever really captured Levels of the Games' distinctive mix of politics, personality, and the thrill of competition (the book originally appeared as a long essay in The New Yorker magazine). However, last year's epic Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal provided many sports fans with the opportunity to label that match--which Nadal won in a extended fifth set, in the English summer gloaming--the greatest ever played. John McEnroe was among them, and he had played in the previous greatest match ever, the 1980 Wimbledon final that he lost to Bjorn Borg. So was Sport Illustrated's L. Jon Wertheim, who has just published an unapologetically McPhee-esque book about the Federer-Nadal match, Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played. Wertheim covers tennis regularly, but he's also attracted to sports on the fringes of everyday life; his previous two books were about a pool hustler and mixed-martial arts fighter. By tackling Federer-Nadal at Wimbledon '08, he's come back to the mainstream. Obviously, this isn't the late 1960s, so the social, cultural, and political dynamics that were affecting America then aren't present in Wertheim's story. Additionally, the match took place in England, and was played between a Swiss and a Spaniard. So it isn't the tale of chaotic, challenging change. Instead, it's an analysis of the contemporary athlete, in the postmodern context. It's an analysis of what it's like to compete on a grand stage, for millions, in front of the global audience, and still be a tennis player, striking a ball back forth on slippery grass, across a simple net, keeping the shots between the lines. Doing craft while simultaneously chasing brilliance and reinventing history. The match is now viewed as a zenith for Nadal, who had defeated Federer three times in a row at the French Open, which precedes Wimbledon by a few weeks. Nadal, however, had lost to Federer in the two previous Wimbledon finals. So unlike Levels of the Game, which presented two players who were good, but in Ashe's case not yet great, and in Graebner's case, never a top-flight player, Strokes of Genius gives us indisputably the two finest players in the world, at the game's greatest venue. (And we won't see a replay this year--which is probably fitting--as Nadal withdrew from the tournament, citing injury.) In many ways, Wertheim's take on the final pits the gentleman-artist against the force of nature. Federer is a portrayed as a modest cosmopolitan from a well-mannered European nation who just happens to have a ungodly ability to play superlative tennis. Nadal is shown as a family-oriented powerhouse who stormed Federer's dominance, almost punishing the Swiss' elegance with blunt, physical capability and a will to win. And everyone knows the outcome of the '08 final now: as darkness fell and the tiebreakerless fifth set stretched on, Nadal showed himself to have become a vastly improved grass-court player, Federer gradually lost his passion to continue, and in the end the Swiss relinquished his crown and with it, a bit of his soul. (Although he got some of it back at this year's French, when he finally won on the red clay.) As Wertheim recounts this eventuality, he delves into all sorts of intriguing minutia, shifting back and forth between the action on court and the quieter drama that defines the existence of high-level modern jocks. He explains the differences between Federer and Nadal's rackets. He introduces us to Federer's essential relationship with his then-girlfriend, now wife and manager, as well as to Nadal's connection with his uncle, who's also his coach. He even offers perspective on why Federer has more...um, body hair than Nadal (suffice it to say that McPhee never had to deal with athletes and the question of "manscaping.") It's ultimately a dual portrait of pure execution, the type of mythical contest that shouldn't have a loser, but somehow must. But it's also a window into what it means to be a great competitor in the early 21st century, in a sports environment that barely resembles the world that McPhee inhabited. You wouldn't think it could be done, taking Levels of the Game and using it to make something equally compelling. But Wertheim has, and that's his personal triumph. | |
| Tom Doctoroff: China's Digital Green Dam: The Party Capitulates | Top |
| The Chinese central government's decision to delay the "mandatory installation" of the "Green Dam Youth Escort" filtering software on new computers, announced yesterday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), highlights an evolving relationship between the Communist Party and the Chinese people. Despite being light years from introducing dramatic, multi-party political reform, it is increasingly small-d "democratic" (i.e., responsive) to the demands of a new, economically-empowered middle class. According to meticulously composed propaganda, the Green Dam was intended to "block violence and pornographic contents on the internet to protect minors. It could also help parents control how much time their children spend online." The Chinese, a switched-on, pragmatic people who, by the way, are vigorous consumers of digital porn, instantly grasped the government's real goal was to control the free flow of information. The government has officially noted "technical issues" and "concerns about data security" as reasons for the delay. But everyone knows the truth. The CCP, in its zeal to control the thoughts and actions of its people, crossed an infra-red line of a people who, in exchange for political subservience, demand a government that advances economic interests and the freedom to live without heavy-handed bureaucratic interference. The Green Dam, a ham-fisted attempt to monitor online dialog, directly threatened both quality of life and access to the outside world. The people, in on- and off-line worlds, revolted. Digital primal screams were deafening. Even editorial page debates were lively. On the street, the Green Dam became a joke. I have often argued that China, a Confucian society that cherishes order and stability as the prerequisite for individual and national advancement, does not crave bottom-up representative democracy. Furthermore, most Chinese have confidence in the ability of the central government - as opposed to local and provincial organs - to advance the interests of the majority. As the financial crisis sweeps across the globe, citizens are impressed with their leaders' far-sightedness. From aggressive stimulative policy to announced welfare reforms, most Chinese believe their country will emerge stronger than ever on the global stage once the tsunami recedes. In marked contrast to the Japanese, the Chinese people have faith in the wisdom of their rulers. But that faith is not blind. As any society passes into a post-industrial era, self-expression becomes necessary and apparent. In regimented China, a society in which rules and restrictions are omnipresent and genuine individualism has not taken root, the internet is a vital channel for information and, critically, emotional release. The Chinese maintain a less "functional" relationship with all things digital relative to Westerners. The Chinese are not simply "engaged" with the internet. They flock to a virtual universe to free themselves - and forge new relationships - in way that is not possible in the real world. They do it anonymously, no holds barred, according to a study conducted by JWT and IAC. In response to the statement, "Online I feel free to do and say things I wouldn't do or say offline," fewer than a third of young American agree and a large majority (41%) disagree. Among Chinese respondents, almost three-quarters agree (73%), and just 9% disagree. Similarly, there is a clear difference in outlook when it comes to the notion that "it's perfectly possible to have real relationships purely online, with no face-to-face contact." About a fifth of Americans agree (21%), while almost two-thirds of Chinese do (63%). The Green Dam threatened this deep love. The people said "No!" And the government threw in the towel. (My bet: the Party will find a face-saving way - an "indefinite delay" - that allows the issue to fade away. But its tactics will not be clear for a few months. American "free trade" complaints will have had little to do with the outcome.) Am I saying that the government's decision to delay the enforcement of Green Dam installation presages dramatic political reform? Certainly not. The vast majority of Chinese believe an empowered central government guarantees individual and national gain. But this is a clear case of an evolving relationship between rulers and ruled. There will be experiments in intra-party checks and balances, particularly at the local level. The judicial branch, particularly in the commercial arena, will have a wider berth to make decisions free of political interference. KPIs will be used to judge the performance of apparatchiks and some criteria will focus on "community satisfaction." Accountability standards will be promulgated and, more than occasionally, enforced. China will become more "democratic" but not in an electoral sense, at least not within the next couple decades. Societies do evolve. And China continues on its own journey to become a modern nation, with a government accountable for its behavior. But the contours of the Middle Kingdom's political structure will always assume the shape of its distinct worldview. | |
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