A tale of two political systemsGood morning.My name is Eric Li, and I was born here.But no, I wasnt born there.This was where I was born:Shanghai, at the height of the Cultural Revolution.My grandmother tells me that she heardthe sound of gunfire along with my first cries.When I was growing up, I was told a storythat explained all I ever needed to know about humanity.It went like this.All human societies develop in linear progression,beginning with primitive society, then slave society,feudalism, capitalism, socialism,and finally, guess where we end up?Communism!Sooner or later, all of humanity,regardless of culture, language, nationality,will arrive at this final stageof political and social development.The entire worlds peoples will be unifiedin this paradise on Earthand live happily ever after.But before we get there, were engagedin a struggle between good and evil,the good of socialism against the evil of capitalism,and the good shall triumph.That, of course, was the meta-narrativedistilled from the theories of Karl Marx.And the Chinese bought it.We were taught that grand story day in and day out.It became part of us, and we believed in it.The story was a bestseller.About one third of the entire worlds populationlived under that meta-narrative.Then, the world changed overnight.As for me, disillusioned by the failed religion of my youth,I went to America and became a Berkeley hippie.(Laughter)Now, as I was coming of age, something else happened.As if one big story wasnt enough,I was told another one.This one was just as grand.It also claims that all human societiesdevelop in a linear progression towards a singular end.This one went as follows:All societies, regardless of culture,be it Christian, Muslim, Confucian,must progress from traditional societiesin which groups are the basic unitsto modern societies in which atomized individualsare the sovereign units,and all these individuals are, by definition, rational,and they all want one thing:the vote.Because they are all rational, once given the vote,they produce good governmentand live happily ever after.Paradise on Earth, again.Sooner or later, electoral democracy will bethe only political system for all countries and all peoples,with a free market to make them all rich.But before we get there, were engaged in a strugglebetween good and evil.(Laughter)The good belongs to those who are democraciesand are charged with a mission of spreading itaround the globe, sometimes by force,against the evil of those who do not hold elections.(Video) George H.W. Bush: A new world order.(Video) George W. Bush:. ending tyranny in our world.(Video) Barack Obama:. a single standard for allwho would hold power.Eric X. Li: Now -(Laughter) (Applause)This story also became a bestseller.According to Freedom House,the number of democracies went from 45 in 1970to 115 in 2010.In the last 20 years, Western elites tirelesslytrotted around the globe selling this prospectus:Multiple parties fight for political powerand everyone voting on themis the only path to salvationto the long-suffering developing world.Those who buy the prospectus are destined for success.Those who do not are doomed to fail.But this time, the Chinese didnt buy it.Fool me once.(Laughter)The rest is history.In just 30 years, China went fromone of the poorest agricultural countries in the worldto its second-largest economy.Six hundred fifty million peoplewere lifted out of poverty.Eighty percent of the entire worlds poverty alleviationduring that period happened in China.In other words, all the new and old democraciesput together amounted to a mere fractionof what a single, one-party state did without voting.See, I grew up on this stuff: food stamps.Meat was rationed to a few hundred gramsper person per month at one point.Needless to say, I ate all my grandmothers portions.So I asked myself, whats wrong with this picture?Here I am in my hometown,my business growing leaps and bounds.Entrepreneurs are starting companies every day.Middle class is expanding in speed and scaleunprecedented in human history.Yet, according to the grand story,none of this should be happening.So I went and did the only thing I could. I studied it.Yes, China is a one-party staterun by the Chinese Communist Party, the Party,and they dont hold elections.Three assumptions are madeby the dominant political theories of our time.Such a system is operationally rigid,politically closed, and morally illegitimate.Well, the assumptions are wrong.The opposites are true.Adaptability, meritocracy, and legitimacyare the three defining characteristicsof Chinas one-party system.Now, most political scientists will tell usthat a one-party system is inherently incapableof self-correction.It wont last long because it cannot adapt.Now here are the facts.In 64 years of running the largest country in the world,the ran