The difference is democracy

In his letter, Francois Zhang (Letters, Sept. 24, page 8), after faulting US for getting "into trouble in many places" in criticizing Arthur Waldron's opinion pieces ("China's role in global democracy," Sept. 21 and Sept. 22), asks "So where is the difference in this respect between China and the US?"

Chinese intellectuals have asked questions such as this many times in the past, as they are intellectual enough to know all the shortcomings of US society and policy, and use this to take comfort despite atrocities and cruelty committed by China, past and present (in Tibet, for example). However, they are not intellectual enough to discern the huge difference.

The difference is that in China nobody dares to ask such questions (how many Chinese died during the Cultural Revolution? In the Korean War?), but in the US, people can freely discuss such topics and even demonstrate against government policy, and the government apologizes to the people for wrongdoing, and even offers compensation. Not so in China. That is the difference, and that is democracy.

Frank Hsiao
Colorado