China is on the rise, and we're stuck with a political system that stays tangled up in its own underwear. No, I'm not proposing the Chinese system would work here, as Mr. Li points out in his TED presentation. But we had better start thinking outside this box of arrogance we live in. We now have some honest to goodness competition from all over the planet, and China is leading the way.

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From NBC News, "BEIJING -- China is aiming to re-create Marco Polo's ancient "Silk Road" that connected Europe to Asia.

But instead of the camels and caravans that transported spices and silk hundreds of years ago, a $1.4 trillion network of modern trading routes would be built.

Analysts suggest the project could shift the center of global economy and challenge the U.S.-led world order."

Also from NBC News, "Fired FBI Director James Comey wrote an internal memo saying President Donald Trump asked him to shut down an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the memo told NBC News on Tuesday."

So, what's going on here? Why is China developing a new Silk Road costing $1.4 trillion and we, still the wealthiest nation on the planet, are distracted with the issues being created by a woefully unqualified and incompetent man in the White House?

In practical terms, here's my question. Does the American two-party system of democracy work better than the Chinese one-party system of communism?

Taking an overview of the human social construction called government, a primary meta-narrative shows up. It claims that the natural evolution of government should lead to the best one. In other words, human social constructions should improve as our species becomes more evolved, i.e., more competent, conscious and enlightened and we will naturally come to the best system.

On the surface this makes sense. That is if we also agree that humans are logical beings who make rational decisions and learn from their mistakes.

Our second problem is that the meta-narrative disagrees as to which is the final best system, communism or democracy. And this is also where human rationalism and logic break down.

In one system, the voter is supposedly in charge, at least that's the theory. In the other, the people agree that someone smarter, more experienced and competent is in charge and functions in the interests of those people who would have been voters.

To answer this question, American educated, Chinese born entrepreneur, Eric X. Li uses three criteria in his TED presentation here: Adaptability, meritocracy, and legitimacy. I encourage the reader to check it out. But for purposes of this piece, I want to focus on just a few differences.

The Chinese system is run by an organization consisting of five levels. Nine hundred thousand people enter this system at the bottom. Based on their performance in one of three tracks, social organizations, state owned enterprises and civil services, they vie for the next level consisting of 600,000 positions. As they prove themselves in these positions, they are vying for 40,000 positions at the next level. Those who excel move to the Central Committee made up of 300 people. Finally, the very best arrive at the Politburo made up of twenty-five people.

The whole process usually takes between two and three decades. Think of the experience and seasoning of people who've spent twenty to thirty years of their lives in this system. And then think of how we elect our governmental representatives. Think of the shear incompetence of our elected officials making decisions that affect science, technology, engineering, medicine, education, infrastructure, geopolitical commerce, civil and human rights.

Their qualifications? Campaigning, (a euphemism for pandering) fund-raising, and a glibness that allows them to answer every question with a party-programmed answer.

For decades after WW II, we had no competition. Europe and Japan were devastated, and the oceans served as barriers that protected us from external commercial threats. Now over seventy years later, the world is a different place; a global community with instant communications and several dozens re-built economies wanting a seat at the table.

I've written this before, and here it is again. The American century is over. Those factors that allowed it to happen are over. (re-read the previous paragraph)

China is on the rise, and we're stuck with a political system that stays tangled up in its own underwear. No, I'm not proposing the Chinese system would work here, as Mr. Li points out in his TED presentation. But we had better start thinking outside this box of arrogance we live in. We now have some honest to goodness competition from all over the planet, and China is leading the way.

Robert De Filippis

Authors Website: http://www.robertdefilippis.com

Authors Bio:

Author, columnist, and blogger with a long career in business management, management consulting and executive coaching. I've authored and published eight books: "You, Your Self and the 21st Century,"The Flowers Are Talking to Me," and "Faith Stirred Not Shaken," Christianity in America, "The Martian Prelude," Faith Stirred not Shaken, 2nd edition," "On Coaching with The Birkman Method." "On Coaching with The Birkman Method," and coming soon is my new book, "Loosing" Your Mind: Liberating Your Intellect for Critical Thinking." For sale at your favorite booksellers or the publisher's site: booklocker.com