Chinese history--- Is Modernizing the Ancient Possible Essay

Chinese history--- Is Modernizing the Ancient Possible - Essay Example China stuck to the Confucian teaching of humanity and avoided by all means any technical skill acquisition or professional training. This no doubt led to its backwardness. As history would tell, China’s economic and political stagnation during the 20th century can be said to be their own folly. It is interesting to note that China was a giant of trade especially in the East, with all the resources that would be a pre-requisite for steering any growth and development of any country yet economically it was crippled (Wright 3). This could be explained through a number of factors. For instance, its response to the west when it (the West) widely opened its arms for trade with them. The Chinese rebelled against them seeing them not as potential economic partners but as enemies, coming to frustrate their culture and their way of life. This kind of reasoning is based on the fact that the Chinese were fully obsessed with their culture and the need to maintain the status quo that any foreign interference would be met with resistance. They were therefore not linked by a program which could foster the country’s growth but by their search for what th ey termed as spiritual values and critique of the West and their influence (BBC 1). The Confucians view morality as a key ingredient for the cultivation of social relations with the essence of government being nothing short of good morals. Things however began to change with the collapse of the Han dynasty causing a stiff religious competition with Taoism aimed at cultivation of meditation as a form of internal discipline. The reform that took place through the interaction with the outside world aftermath reshaped Buddhism as the neo-Confucians, giving it a new look on the self mindset and a philosophical evaluation of the world. This change was in itself not easy since China thwarted every attempt for change, especially one that they viewed as being imposed on them by foreigners. Even though the

Parliament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parliament - Essay Example The UK parliament is constituted by members who belong to various political parties but mainly in three divisions namely the government, opposition and the cross benchers who are also referred to as independent members, who are not affiliated to any major political party (Grant, 2009). The government is formed by the political party which manages to acquire the highest number of seats after an election while the position of official opposition is taken by the party with the second highest number of seats in parliament (Ware, 2000). The government is entrusted with the responsibility of formulating strategies and effecting economic plans as well as accounting for the country’s wealth. The opposition on the other hand has the role of criticizing the government in all decisions which it makes, concerning governance that may be deemed to be unethical or insufficient, through constructive contributions so as to ensure that only the best comes from the agreed decisions. In addition, the opposition has the powers to oppose government proposals which they are not contented with and which may not be for the best of the country’s development. This form of parliament has its advantages and disadvantages. This is due to the fact that its performance depends on the relationship existing between the government and the opposition. For example, the political parties may lack the ability to agree on crucial bills due to political differences which may arise from future political aspirations of members, who may gang against the government to try and sabotage the government by opposing proposals which may put the government at an advantage over them in the public eye thereby winning their political good will, which may be a disadvantage to the opposition (Kenneth, 1997). This may slow the passing of important bills and amendments, which may be at the expense of