My speculation runs along these lines.
1)
The European Knight required about 50 peasants to support them.
The Asian equivalent to a Knight required about 300.
The reason for this is that rice farming is
much more labor intensive.
2)
In a medieval village anyone of those 50 people could expect to see, meet, and maybe even talk to their local lord.
In the Asian system, village elders were the ears, and if you met your local lord you were already in trouble and were probably going to be
punished.
This explains the completely different philosophies that grew up in the two different worlds.
3)
Now consider modern America.
Have you ever met your Mayor?
What is the ratio of citizens to mayor these days. Not what it was when these towns and cities were founded. The population has exploded, but we
still have one mayor?
Trying to speak to our local Mayor is like one person at a Rolling Stones concert trying to ask Mic a question. What are they going to do, stop the
show and make tens of thousands of people wait for you to ask some personal question. Most people self elect not to impose on all the other
people.
It is in this sense that the west is already under an eastern system.
4)
The reality of our world is that we used to know our local representatives, and could speak to them.
But where there used to be a chain of representation all the way up to the state, and then federal levels, now we have only the figure head at the
top. The evidence is everywhere. People are only interested in turning out to vote for the presidential elections. Local reps don't interest
us.
For most of us if we actually get a word from the governor it's a stay of execution.
Conclusion: we are already under a Chinese system now.
5)
[color=gold]Speculative solution
If 50 families teamed up and paid a monthly fee, they could afford a high powered legal firm and keep them on retainer. Then any problem, like a
ticket, or a zoning ordinance, could be handled effectively and quickly.
The law as a tool to serve us, and having a voice in the conduct of this law would become a reality again. Even better the politicians would be very
interested in our opinions. Cause a group of 50 self organized families is a voting block that is worth its weight in gold.
David Grouchy