Post-war Economy in Japan and China - Essay Example

History History Question The United s’ occupation of Japan in 1945-1952 was essential for the development of a new approach to dealing with defeated nations in post-World War II. Rather than overburden the nation with reparations, the occupation was essential for rejuvenating American erstwhile foes. Before the occupation, Japan was characteristically a feudal society (Caprio & Sugita, 2007). The country had built an industrial society that was on a presumably feudal social base. For this reason, the United States occupied Japan to rehabilitate the nation, which was the primary reason for its control over the Allied occupation. General Douglas MacArthur held the fort of the Supreme Command of Allied Powers (SCAP), thereby commencing the reformation process that was essential for rebuilding the devastated nation (Caprio & Sugita, 2007). MacArthur endorsed an extensive series of social, political, militaristic and economic reforms that got rid of the feudal society. In 1945, the International Allied Council for Japan, whose creation was essential for assisting the United States, presided over the disbanding of Japan’s naval and military forces (Dower, 2000). Conversely, the Council controlled the dissolution of the colonial empire that was still in existence in Japan. The occupation policy by the Americans was not only essential for demilitarizing the country, but it was vital for destroying the existing conditions that had made Japan into an aggressor country (Dower, 2000). It was necessary for America to destroy these conditions to transform Japan into a democratic and peaceful nation that could not threaten other countries or international peace. The most apparent changes experienced were political. The political democratization focused on revising the Meiji constitution, leading to the promulgation of a new constitution in 1947 (Dower, 2000). Apart from expanding the electorate to accommodate every adult, including women, the new constitution guaranteed the citizens fundamental political and civil rights. Other guaranteed rights were inclusive of the rights to collective bargaining and the right of labor. Economically, America instituted land reforms, which was an essential consideration that could support the political changes made. The provision took away land from big landowners, thereby distributing the large tracts to the farmers who constituted approximately 50% of the labor force in the country (Dower, 2000). The Japanese inhabitants welcomed the changes implemented. Question 2 Foreign powers had dominated the Chinese nation for more than a century by the time of the Chinese revolution in the year 1949. During this period, the economic development of the country had been restrained. Conversely, the corrupt political system in the country was sustained. For this reason, the objectives of industrialization, which included modernization and the acquisition of national independence, were primary to the ideas demanded by the middle-class intellectuals (Li, 2001). These individuals monopolized the political thinking of the nation from the ending of the 19th century. The tendency of the rich peasants and former landowners, during and after the end of the socialist transformations in the 1950s, was to carry on with their capitalistic practices. For this reason, the rapid industrialization fuelled the increasing governmental bureaucracy as well as the political regimentation and the rising localism (Li, 2001). Mao focused on the resolution of how to handle the scarcity issue by emphasizing on the role of organization and ideology. This instrument was essential for promoting devolution and the spirit to adopt change. In this case, the dependency was for the masses who could act as an input for the mobilization instead of technological productivity. In spite of Mao’s consideration, the socialist planned industrialization favored hierarchical leadership and specialization, which were essential for the development of technical intelligentsia. Overconcentration on these productive forces was important for generating a new advantaged class. The financial capability of the bourgeois made it possible for them to monopolize bureaucratic and knowledge skills, which were domineering provisions that could affect China’s economic, political and cultural spheres (Li, 2001). This provision was an outcome of the socialist industrialization process. However, the prerequisites were contradictory to Mao’s economic thinking, which emphasized on the idea that the state should assist peasants in developing their industries rather than overtaxing them. The Chinese peasants would then bear the burden of industrial investment in particular ways. In this case, the rationale was to develop a simultaneous process that encouraged the parallel application of industrialization and collectivization. Question 3 China’s economic reform was essential for the movement towards a market-oriented economy. The reform process began in the year 1978. In this year, China began abandoning the planning system utilized by the Soviet Union, thereby focusing on a market-oriented system. The leadership in the nation considered taking successive steps that were dependent on the experience and results gained from previous implementations. The components considered for the reform process included agriculture (Chow, 2004). In this case, the process demanded the adoption of the developed household responsibility agricultural system. The changes included the reorganization of the commune farming system. The government distributed land to households to farm separately, after which they could get additional rewards for delivering predetermined output to the governmental procurement agencies (Chow, 2004). This initiative increased production and the wealth gained by the farmers. The other steps in the reformation process included the provision of state enterprises with little autonomy to produce, market, and make investment decisions independently from the central planning system. In the year 1987, further reforms in this sector ensured that the state enterprises functioned under the “contract responsibility system” (Chow, 2004). The other step involved the implementation of the open door policy, which encouraged foreign trade. Furthermore, the nation subjected the state’s pricing system, which included decontrolling some of the prices set administratively, thereby making permitting market forces to determine the commodity prices. The subsequent reforms involved developing non-state sectors, the introduction of a macroeconomic control mechanism that required the development of a modern banking system, and the development of social infrastructure. The social infrastructure comprised of legal institutions and education systems. The gradual reform process implemented in the country enabled China to replace the Soviet-type system that maintained remarkable economic growth. Conversely, the support emanating from the reform success provided a political foundation for further reforms in the 1900s. These reforms led to the closing down of some the unprofitable state-owned enterprises, which led to the establishment of a social security system that emphasized in educational and legal processes. The reform process changed the nature of the Chinese economic system from a planned economy, to the current mixed economy that includes different types of ownership. Conversely, the quasi-totalitarian Leninist government can no longer be applicable in the country, which indicates that several forces are relevant in driving the social mobility of the people (Pei, 2015). Question 4 Scholars have advanced a considerable number of theories to explain why Japan was able to experience a high speed of economic development. Most of them give significant attention to the role of the influential government bureaucracy (Jin, 2005). Several arguments indicate that civil servants in organizations work with the country’s business community to develop strategic plans that would enhance economic development. These programs were essential to guide the industrial and financial advancements of the country. One of the organizations that the business community works with is inclusive of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The country’s developmental state involved the judicious application of a number of industrial policies that promoted some of the developing sectors such as the automobile sector. The developmental policies did not emphasize on lifting up some of the moribund sectors such as the mining sector, conversely encouraging an export economy. Other observers indicate that Japan’s rapid economic growth to encouraging international conditions. In this case, their open access to the international markets and the technological developments enhanced trade. Conversely, the Japanese government developed protective trade policies, which emphasized on the protection of their domestic market (Jin, 2005). Subsequently, the aggressive export drives encouraged the rapid economic development in the country. The successful sales of the products from the manufacturing companies in the countries to the advanced economies was essential for demonstrating that Japan’s products are of high quality. For this reason, the country made an effort to export their products, which was a factor that fostered the rapid economic growth. Since the 1900s, Japan’s economy experienced a long-term recession due to the housing price and stock market bubbles. The recovery started in the year 1994 and three years later, it reached its underlying potential for growth. The expansion was led by private investment and consumption (Policy and Global Affairs et al., 2003). However, in the year 1996, the Japanese government initiated significant deductions to public investment, leading to a serious recession in by the end of the year 1997. For this reason, the nation’s economy could not sustain appropriate growth rates until the year 2002. From this consideration, an outstanding weakness revealed in the Japanese economy relates to their macroeconomic policy mistakes. An individual could argue that the recoveries could become sustainable had the policy makers consider correcting their macroeconomic policy mistakes. Question 5 Japanese denial of the Nanjing Massacre and the glorification of the colonial rule and the war continue to strain its relations with Korea and China (Wakabayashi, 2007). The conservative and liberal arguments display divergent views on the issue. A significant number of individuals in the conservative camps, particularly those people in denial, employ political agitation rather than rational ones in discussing this event. Quite a number of critics of the conservative camp undermine their professional testimonials. These credentials contrast the left-wing sympathizers, most of who spurred the surfacing of a considerable number of movements led by the citizens. These movements were essential for educating the public about the war crimes brought about by Imperial Japan (Wakabayashi, 2007). The historical understanding of the massacre display conflicting attributions. The motivation and agendas of the leftist resistance to the injustices that took place were to defend oppressed individuals (Alexander, Jacobs & Smith, 2012). The manifestations of their resistance to the indignity, as well as the injustice, were through performing several courageous actions, which was essential for championing the causes of the oppressed and the weak. Conversely, their actions were necessary for championing the need for these individuals to realize the sense of their personality. Consequently, the defense of the oppressed is not means for the achievement, but an end (Alexander, Jacobs & Smith, 2012). The right-leaning observers contradict the leftists since they defend the projects, representatives, and the conventions of the dominant majorities. In order to realize their interests, this group applies psychological reasons to explain their virtues and structural or external reasons for the majority of the vices (Alexander, Jacobs & Smith, 2012). The attitudes of the right-leaning observers relate to the historical position of the nation’s power struggles. The tension between liberals and conservatives is based on attribution principles that are presumably irreconcilable. Schwartz () indicates “unless power is absolute, credit and blame cannot be attributed in any was one pleases” (p. 534). Question 6 An individual could argue that the ideological backwardness of the East Asia economy was primarily a result of Confucianism. Consequently, surmounting the obstacles brought about by Confucianism led to the renewal of the development of a modern economy, as well as the modernization process in China (Zhu, 1997). It would be difficult to explain the some of the most vital facts about the Chinese history as well as the contemporary society without focusing on its economic development and Confucianism. Critiques of the culture of the Chinese, their politico-economic reform process and the social revolution in contemporary China intonate negative economic effects on the country’s economic activities. However, the economic success of the Chinese feudal society for a considerable number of years, the economic prosperity of contemporary Japan and East Asia’s “four small dragons” indicate that few people paid attention to the relation between the economic development and Confucianism (Zhu, 1997). The East Asian “four small dragons” and the rapid economic development in Japan emerged during the 1960s (Zhu, 1997). Their emergence provided a clear demonstration that Confucian traditions could still have a positive impact on the development of East Asia’s modern economy. Conversely, this philosophy played several roles in the political, cultural, spiritual, and ethical field, thereby complementing the economic achievements leading to East Asia Modernity. Even though the significant economic achievements of the ancient Chinese community were not a result of the Confucian thought, the developments were related to the Confucian ruling ideology and official philosophy. The dominant culture emphasized on the Confucianism, which meant that this thought occupied the main civilization development of the society. This ideology also reestablished the Chinese tradition that emphasizes on political unity, which was an establishment of the Legalist school (Zhu, 1997). The fundamental principle guiding Confucian politics involved the ideology that every leader was to be loyal to the emperor, which was essential for maintaining the unity of the nation. Apart from the various historical, economic, political and cultural causes, the philosophy criticized the aspect of dependence and the creation of disparities between the rich and the poor individuals. This philosophy informed the socialist ideology in the nation. References Alexander, J. C., Jacobs, R., & Smith, P. (2012). The oxford handbook of cultural sociology. Oxford University Press. Caprio, M., & Sugita, Y. (2007). Democracy in occupied Japan: The U.S. occupation and Japanese politics and society. London: Routledge. Chow, G. C. (2004). Economic reform and growth in China. Animals of economics and finance, 5, 127-152. Dower, J. W. (2000). Embracing defeat: Japan in the wake of World War II. New York: Norton. Jin, Z. (2005). Global Technological Change. Bristol: Intellect. Li, X. (2001). The Chinese Cultural Revolution Revisited. The China Review, Vol. 1(1), pp 137-165. Pei, M. (2015). Changing State-Society Relations in China. Ceibs.edu. Retrieved 4 May 2015, from http://www.ceibs.edu/ase/Documents/EuroChinaForum/minxin.htm Policy and Global Affairs., Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy., National Research Council., & Wessner, C. W. (2003). Government-industry partnerships for the development of new technologies. National Academies Press. Wakabayashi, B. T. (2007). The Nanking Atrocity, 1937-38: Complicating the Picture. New York: Berghahn Books. Zhu, D. (1997). The human person and society. Washington, DC: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. Read More