Human history cites countless examples of successful civilizations that soon after their prime subsided into total oblivion.. From the Mayans, to the Chinese, to the Indians. Where were all these concepts of capitalism, socialism? I think in a complex world.. our understanding of it needs to evolve.

Ash, Westlake, USA

!?! The recession was caused by Clinton "pushing through legislation to give people loans". Right, because bankers always do as govt suggest & the invisible hand of the market was easily crushed by Clinton's iron will!!! Stop watching Fox News and think for yourself for a change. Stop being stupid.

michael, SF, USA

The Chinese people are smart, hard working and ambitious. The LOVE Americans for the most part. Their government is a mess, much like our government is a mess and every other government is a mess.

It would be wise for us to promote friendship and cooperation with the Chinese people.

D.M. Schmidtman, Cotati, U.S.A.

The headline makes it sound as if the Chinese care, when in reality I seriously doubt even 10% will have listened to/have heard of Radio "Free Asia". Better things to do and all that.

Howard, Manchester,

i would be very surprised if many Ameriican (or British) students far less Chinese students would be able to say who the Sun King was and what his claim to fame was. commissioned some great buildings tho and had lovely outfits.

ron oliver, edinburgh, scotland

I'm skeptical about the whole ordeal. "American Fundings" aren't bode well with many in the world. Since 2000, United States have been viewed as serving it's interest at the expense of others. Despite popular belief, US media was heavily regulated, though not as obvious as China.

Phadil, Kuala Lumpur,

To: Cheng He Hui in London
I believe you and T.J. Cassidy are actually in agreement. Just as most Westerners are ignorant about Chinese history, one assumes that most Chinese are ignorant about Western history. You are being overly defensive; it is obvious that you have a chip on your shoulder.

Chadwick Smith, Atlanta, GA, USA

Hey Andreas Andreou, Cyprus - Feel free to start a radio station in the US spreading communism. You are free to do so here if you have the money, not so sure they have that freedom in China. That is the beauty of a free society. True dignity buddy.

Michael, Seattle, USA

The US recession is not caused by a few capitalist CEOs on Wall Street. But by Democrats in the US government who pushed thru legislation to give loans to people who could not afford it. It started in the Clinton Presidency and the fallout hIt Bush.

Umah, Atlanta,, USA

Capitalism knows no politics. Capital serves totalitarian and libertarian alike. Capitalism is apolitical. Why slaughter the language by using "Capitalism" as a euphemism for "Totalitarianism" when you can easily say "Totalitarianism." That way you get the Right, Left, and Red in one fell swoop.

Willem, Kansas, USA

William, Atlanta

I teach English to mainland Chinese undergraduates in small groups. After a few weeks the students, mostly girls, begin to come around to the western democratic point of view, even to the extent of wanting to stay on in the UK and not go back to China. There is no hate involved

Colin , Carmarthen, United Kingdom

As an 72 year old white former Marine and American Citizen I'm extremely impressed by the Chinese Citizen. It is my hope they can do a better job of controlling destructive corrupt politics and greed than the United States. Greed and corrupt politics is Americas epitaph as we spiral into hell.

Wayne Vanover, Minden, United States

We have Chinese here in the USA. Alot of them. Some are my friends. We have people from all over the world here, many my friends too. Its hard being american and looking at another country and hating the people when so many are here. The People have a right to respect, rule of law and dignity.

William, atlanta, USA

"I wonder if anyone else in China besides Bao Tong knows who Louis XIV was. T. J. Cassidy, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A."
Typical narcisstic myopic Eurocentric arrogance. How much do we know about the ancient Chinese civilisation relatively?

Cheng He Hui, London, UK

"Radio Free Asia, a US-funded station" is the quote of the day. I would love seeing China funded stations all over the US promoting communism now that the US economy is in recession because of the greed of a handful capitalist bank CEO's. It won't happen because China has dignity!

Andreas Andreou, Cyprus,

Let the record do the talking. Fortunately for Bao Tong, he has the history to prove his theory right.

Elvis, Boston, MA, USA

Note the paragraph [The essays were broadcast on the Chinese-language service of Radio Free Asia, a US-funded station, and have been posted on the internet."] so not at all biased lol

Harry, London, UK

I wonder if anyone else in China besides Bao Tong knows who Louis XIV was.

T. J. Cassidy, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.

I've lived in China for several years. Freedom is defined differently in China than in the U.S. You have the freedom to do many things or generally run businesses in a very dangerous manner. Dumping toxic waste into rivers, etc. But you don't have the freedom to speak out about negativity.

Cranston Smith, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Chinese economy is a bubble that will burst shortly. Somehow Chinese communism went hand in hand with American capitalism after 1989. However, the chasm of deep irrecoverable debt that America now finds itself in will be shortly occupied by the Chinese as they find no one can afford their products

howardhofelich, KAILUA KONA , Hawaii

My feeling is that the Communist Party is managing China just like a business: like any management team, it lays out a nice corporate vision and strategies, let harder and smarter workers earn more and keep improving the best practices. Democracy and freedom? Think what you get in your workplace!

Vicki Yan, Beijing, China

Been to china 5 times. They have a dramatically rapid improvement in living standards . I dislike the communist party and its quiet corruption. But at the same time applaud the clever economic miracle. The chinese are very smart and hard working so it no wonder they have accomplished so much

Nick Hodgson, Encinitas, USA

I hope China tries to become more capitalist (which they won't). Their wages would rise (yea) - and all of the factories there would close down and move elsewhere... So then they could try to become a service economy like the US. Good luck!

Kevin, Portsmouth, US

China is not America's friend first off, and as for the free market that does exist in this country and you have a problem with it? It's an easy answer! Love it, or leave it. Help change it, or live with it. Lead or get out of the way...and thats the way I see it.

Steven Lucas, Princeton, IN, USA

This wasn't "pure capitalism" - we had governments demanding lenders issue risky loans. Then (at least here in the US) pledging to back up any risky loans with taxpayer money through two proxies known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That is hardly a free market at work.

Mike, Dallas, USA

Kara, 'pure capitalism'...really? lol.

Universal public education through grade 12, welfare, medicare, social security, prescription drug benefits, unemployment benefits, $700 billion bailout bill...we are closer to European Socialism than we've ever been, and that is why we are so screwed up.

Jason, Phoenix, USA

There has never been pure captialism.

It's always been half assed.

Let the banks fail. Let the investment banks fail.

Let all the idiots who put their money with the criminals taste of poverty.

There is simply no reason to be xenophobic about who makes our cars.

Send the criminals to jail.

Jeff Barea, Denton, USA

Kara

1) There is no country currently operating under pure capitalism.

2) 2008 was clearly the result of government medeling where it shouldn't have been and some in the Democrat and Republican partys that abused Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac for personal gain.

Walt, US Southwest, US

Kara, we have never had "pure" capitalism, whatever that is. We have massive tax-funded social programs like Social Security and Medicare. We're halfway to socialism already, no way in hell are we going the rest of the way.

Rob Munn, San Diego, USA

why doesn't Kara live in a Communist country for once, please...the US will happily release one of its burden!!!please go....

dave, DC, USA

What pure capitalism? We haven't had pure capitalism since before the federal reserve was created. Do you really think it's pure capitalism when fannie and freddie got together with the community restoration gang to encourage mortgages to people who should have never had them in the first place.

Joe, Jupiter, USSA

Kara,
The crash of '29 was simply panic-selling and pessimism feeding on itself. Markets go up & then come down in capitalism. What Hoover and Roosevelt did extended the depression until WWII.
Now we have a crises caused by socialist politicians injecting their will on a capitalist system.

Ed, Ft. Walton Beach, USA

Are you kidding me, Kara of Clarksburg? The instances you almost cite were BOTH triggered by Gov't meddling. And, you'll notice that "pure" capitalism has NO Gov't involvement. The US gov't regulates virtually everything these days, and that is particularly true with the Financial segment.

SAM, Cleveland, OH, USA

Kara -

It hasn't been pure Capitalism for a long time - govt intervention always fouls it up. We need to reduce the controls AND get big business out of the govt. But that won't happen - where there's people involved there will always be 'special favors'.

John Smythe, Jonesboro, USA

Hey Kara, I've been to China. You don't want to live there unless you are the top 1%. Everyone else lives in abject poverty. The difference is only political leaders are rich.

Try to imagine what NY slums looked like in the 30s for city life. Now imagine farm life in 30s for rural life.

doug, Atlanta, USA

Pure Capitalism? Where? In the USA?

Progressive Taxation is not "Pure Capitalism. Neither is Social Security, nor Freddie Mac.

Dennis, Aloha, USA

Kara,

What planet are you on? The US has produced more wealth than are the nations combine. Name one other country that can come close to the US's GDP!!!!

Stuart``, Kingwood, USA

In any society people must be able to be both free and secure, and politics need to be free from corruption. In either case... China or the U.S. there are problems with corruption and people not being free and secure. I hope that we do see China become freer - in a peaceful manner.

John, Austin, TX, USA

Capitalism did not fail twice as Havv claimed. If you are referring to the US, we are not truly capitalist anymore. We are more socialist with strong government intervention and regulation. Its government regulation and or leaders allowing horrible business CEOs to rob us all blind that got us.

Greg, Ghreveport, USA

Kara Dearest,

Surely you don't think that the US economy with it's thousands and thousands of government regulations is an example of pure capitalism. I would say that government regulation has failed just as every other attempt at socialism, communism and liberalism wherever it has been tried.

Lou , Monument, USA

Kara,
There has never been pure capitalism.1929 and 2008 were both failures of gvt. intervention.Any sensible person knows that there have to be laws governing anything. The greed you all become so breathless about was a result of those who came along after the New Deal seeing unsustainability.

Gregg, Columbia,S.C., USA

So, Kara, in the midst of this economic recession, do you honestly think the standard of living in Clarksburg is worse than that in the typical Chinese city of the same size? Or that it was worse even in the 1930s?

Pour another glass of Kool-Aid, Kara, and return to your nihilistic fantasy.

Sid, Greenville, USA

Let the record do the talking. Fortunately for Bao Tong, he has the history to prove his theory right.

There, fixed that for you.

bill mogus, sayeteville, USA

Tom,

Pure Capitalism has failed twice now - the first time in 1929 and the second time in 2008. How many times must it fail before callous conservatives will start to question it?

Kara, Clarksburg, United States

Haav,
The world has U.S. history to prove that individual liberty brings much greater results than state control, and the internet to educate them. Unfortunately, China may be moving to less state control while we slide in the other direction.

Tom, Green Bay, USA

Let the record do the talking. Unfortunately for Bao Tong, he does not have history to prove his theory right.

Haav, Atlanta, USA

Let the record do the talking. Unfortunately for Bao Tong, he does not have history to prove his theory right.

Haav, Atlanta, USA