Foreign

American democracy is dominated by money

Published

5 years ago

May 17, 2021

Does the U.S. want democracy or money-dominated democracy? The U.S. society should really think hard about the question—although some politicians in the country already have an answer that they dare not to expose: American democracy is merely a disguise as it is actually dominated by money.

“There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is.” The quote from the late Mark Hanna, American industrialist and prototype of the political kingmaker, revealed the truth about American politics more than a hundred years ago, and is repeatedly proven true by facts today.

The 2020 U.S. presidential election is a recent example of what Hanna said in the late 19th century. While the chaotic phenomena during the election made it seem like a political mystery, the eye-catching money-squandering plots were not surprising at all.

U.S. presidential and congressional candidates spent a total of $14 billion in the 2020 election campaigns, which was more than twice that for the 2016 election, and even surpassed the gross domestic product (GDP) of dozens of economies in 2020.

According to U.S. media, the top ten donors in the 2020 U.S. election contributed more than $640 million, and funds collected from small donors accounted for less than half of the total amount of money raised by both democratic and republican presidential candidates.

Data have shown that the American-style democracy is like a monodrama of the wealthy. On the “political fundraising market”, the ability to raise funds has become a rigid standard, sometimes the primary standard, for measuring the career prospects of American politicians. People even dubbed U.S. president’s term in office the single highest priced commodity in Washington, D.C.

According to media reports, some members of the U.S. Congress spend as long as five hours per day on raising money for re-election, almost the same amount of time as on legislative work.

Money is a plague in American politics, said James Moran, former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives who served in the Capitol Hill for more than 20 years, noting that money distorts political process and gives the rich disproportionate political influence.

The U.S. used to be a democracy, which is a government of the 100 percent, by the 100 percent, for the 100 percent, and sadly today’s U.S. has become a plutocracy; a plutocracy is the government of the 1 percent, by the 1 percent, for the 1 percent, Singaporean scholar Kishore Mahbubani pointed out.

It’s ironic that power-for-money deals are made totally legitimate in the U.S. What the widely-denounced super Political Action Committees (super PACs) has been doing is a typical example.

In 2010, a judgment from the Supreme Court of the U.S. gave the green light to companies and groups providing unlimited amount of political contributions through the super PACs. The judgment was followed by a ruling made by the Supreme Court in 2014 that struck down certain limits on individual campaign contributions.

While the Supreme Court tried to wrap the decision in nice-sounding phrases and said that campaign donations are a constitutionally protected form of free speech, it ignored the fact that in reality it’s not uncommon for a company to provide political campaign donations for both parties, which is obviously not for the purpose of freely expressing a self-contradictory standpoint, but to hedge “risks” and avoid the loss of political channels.

On the surface, the super PACs need to follow relevant legal provisions, which require them not to donate money directly to political campaign teams or have cooperative relationship with candidates or their campaign committees. However, such interest-driven “peripheral” campaign operations as advertising and article posting can certainly make the political beneficiaries know who they should “thank”.

The apparent “legal corruption” has long been controversial in the U.S., and the relevant laws, which are occasionally tinkered with, are more like decorations designed to deceive the public, as they are fundamentally against democracy, freedom, equality, and justice.

How can the country with a democracy dominated by money guarantee the democratic rights of the common people?

In the early days of the U.S., Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, worried that the financial aristocracy would erode the country’s democracy if they have disproportionate influence in the government. The concern still couldn’t be eliminated today.

An editorial by the New York Times pointed out that in recent decades, “the rich keep getting richer, and the Supreme Court has made it much easier for politicians to tap that wealth. The result is an arms race that leaves politicians ever more beholden to funders.”

Political scientists Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page have proven in the book Democracy in America?: What Has Gone Wrong and What We Can Do About It that the rich in the U.S. can even successfully block a popular policy as long as they don’t like it.

In the final analysis, the present American-style democracy is a game in which the stink of money contaminates the real democracy. It’s astonishing and ridiculous that certain U.S. politicians are still shamelessly peddling the trick that perfectly explains how “money talks” and even use it as a criterion for judging the political systems of other countries.

It must be understood that there is never real democracy if the democracy is dominated by money. The root cause of various deep-seated problems in the American-style democracy is that the country replaced the say of “people” in decision-making with “money”.

Zhong Sheng

Foreign

Sanxingdui Museum transforms ancient relics into interactive experiences

Published

1 week ago

May 31, 2026

Our Reporter

By Song Haoxin, People’s Daily

What if museum visitors could truly interact with cultural relics rather than merely observe them through glass displays? At the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China’s Sichuan province, a specially designed interactive hall is revolutionizing cultural engagement.

Within this 1,300-square-meter space, nearly every exhibit invites touch, operation, or participation. Visitors immerse themselves in installations inspired by the ancient Shu civilization, blending education with entertainment.

By trying on replicas of headwear on bronze statues discovered in Sanxingdui Ruins, for example, visitors can not only take photos of themselves but also learn about the symbolic meanings behind different headpieces.

Guests can don replicas of bronze statue headwear from the Sanxingdui Ruins, learning their symbolic meanings while capturing photos. Augmented reality allows dancing alongside virtual Sanxingdui figures for social media sharing. A creation zone even enables “time travel” to experience ancient bronze-casting and construction techniques.

These innovations transform traditional museum visits, offering deeper cultural understanding through hands-on interaction. “This hall emerged from extensive brainstorming,” explained Zhu Yarong, deputy director of the management committee of the Sanxingdui Ruins site.

“We’re transitioning from passive relic viewing to interactive engagement, bridging the gap between audiences and history.”

Previously, museum experiences were largely one-directional with limited engagement. Visitors viewed relics through display cases, usually stopping mainly to take photographs, with relatively limited forms of engagement. By liberating artifacts from display cases into interactive settings, Sanxingdui is pioneering a shift from didactic presentation to open cultural dialogue.

Traditional exhibition spaces remain popular, while digital innovations attract growing interest. A VR project employs digital twin technology to recreate 1:1 scale excavation sites — complete with protective shelters and cabins — placing visitors at the archaeological forefront.

Another project, Heaven and Earth Echoes — Sanxingdui Panoramic Sound and Vision Digital Art Theater, features an interactive panoramic LED dome with a diameter of 20 meters and a resolution approaching 16K. The massive dome creates a deeply immersive atmosphere. By waving digital torches in their hands, visitors can trigger sacred birds to circle above them across the dome, experiencing the ancient Shu civilization through an interplay of sound and imagery.

“The digital technology made me feel as if I were racing across the Mamu River. That sense of traveling through time was incredible,” said Hao Yong, a tourist from southwest China’s Chongqing municipality who came specifically to experience a virtual reality program.

From passive observation to active participation, Sanxingdui Museum continues introducing new interactive experiences that transform cultural relics into living carriers of dialogue and engagement, helping keep the sparks of Chinese civilization alive for new generations.

Foreign

A living testimony about MKA: The Aondoakaa that I know Written By Brahms Tor-Ikuan

Published

3 weeks ago

May 19, 2026

milcah

My people of Benue State,

I am not speaking to you today as a politician. I am speaking as a brother whose family was held up by Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa, MKA, when we had no one else to hold onto.

My elder brother, Verem Ukaa-Ikuan, was not just my blood. He was a very dear and close friend to Chief MKA. When my brother fell ill and was diagnosed with liver damage caused by poisoning, MKA didn’t treat it as someone else’s problem. He took it on as his own.

He worked closely with Verem during his time as Attorney General of the Federation, and when the sickness came, he moved immediately. Searches were conducted, and Apollo Hospital in India was earmarked for a liver transplant. Every travel arrangement was made personally by Chief MKA.

But we hit a wall. Verem was too weak to fly a long commercial flight. Only an air ambulance could get him to India alive. At that time, there was only one functional air ambulance in the entire country, owned by Julius Berger. It was completely out of reach for even the most high-profile citizens.

Chief MKA went all out. He did not give excuses. He did not delay. He used every connection and every ounce of influence he had to secure that air ambulance for my brother.

On the day it was secured, Barr. Terna Yaji, his Senior Special Assistant, called me a few minutes after 6pm. He told us to prepare Verem for departure and take him to Makurdi airport very early the following morning. I informed him, my brother passed on at exactly 6 o’clock a few minutes ago. I told Barr. Terna Yaji, and I saw a devastated MKA.

During the burial, Chief MKA was out of the country on national assignment. He was pained that he could not be there physically. His entire team, led by the late Onov Tyuulugh, represented him fully. And his message to us at the burial has never left me:

“If death were law, as the Attorney General, a law would have been made no matter what to ensure Verem will just not die but live forever.”

That is who Mike Kaase Aondoakaa is when nobody is watching. He does not abandon his people. He does not forget. He stood with our family then, and he has stood with us till date.

Now he is asking for the chance to govern Benue State.

Benue needs a governor with a heart like that. A governor who fights for you even when there’s no political gain. A governor who sees you as family, not as a vote.

I am standing with Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa for Governor of Benue State.
For compassion that moves to action.
For loyalty that does not fade.
For leadership that proves itself in the darkest hour.

Join me. Let us give Benue a leader who has already shown what he will do for us.

God bless Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa.
God bless Benue State.

Brahms Tor-Ikuan, a beneficiary of MKA’s benevolence writes from Makurdi

Foreign

China-U.S. relations cannot return to past, but can move toward better future

Published

3 weeks ago

May 16, 2026

Our Reporter

By Guo Jiping

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to 15.

After many twists and turns, China-U.S. relations have arrived at a new historical juncture. The year 2026 carries special significance for both countries. China is embarking on its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), while the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary.

Amidst increasing global uncertainty and volatility, the international community looks to Beijing, hopeful that this high-level engagement will offer clarity and stability for the future trajectory of China-U.S. relations.

Observers note that over the past decade, the relationship has weathered two significant periods of strain. The first began in 2018 with the U.S. initiation of trade tariffs against China. Stabilization was achieved only after extensive dialogue and complex interactions spanning several years. The second period of tension occurred more recently in 2025. Remarkably, the cycle from rising friction to renewed stability unfolded within just a few months this time.

The progression from years-long to months-long stabilization cycles, and from repetitive friction-dialogue patterns towards clearer strategic direction and consensus-building, reflects China’s consistent approach: readiness to negotiate combined with firm adherence to principles and clear boundaries. China’s demonstrated resilience has garnered international respect and created conditions conducive to resolving differences through dialogue.

Today, China-U.S. dialogue occurs on a more equitable basis. Communication is increasingly pragmatic, with clearer articulation of respective bottom lines. This resilience suggests the potential for a new, more stable chapter in the relationship.

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role. Last year, when a wave of tariff tensions rattled the world, the two presidents steered China-U.S. economic and trade ties back on course.

Under the guidance of the consensus reached by the two presidents, the teams from both sides have so far held six rounds of consultations and are currently engaged in a new round of talks.

Since the meeting between the two heads of state in Busan last October, China-U.S. relations have generally maintained a stable and improving momentum — a trend widely welcomed by both peoples and the international community.

The strategic guidance provided by the two heads of state helps identify “dangerous reefs” ahead in China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very core of China-U.S. relations, and it concerns the political foundation of bilateral ties.

Xi has repeatedly elaborated China’s principled position on the Taiwan question to Trump, emphasizing that Taiwan is China’s territory, and China must safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated. Clearly defining principles and bottom lines is precisely the responsible approach needed to prevent serious risks in China-U.S. relations.

The aspiration of the Chinese and American business communities to deepen ties and cooperation has never changed. At present, more than 7,000 Chinese-funded enterprises operate in the United States, while about 80,000 American-invested enterprises are active in China.

These firm choices made at the forefront of the market clearly and powerfully demonstrate the true nature of China-U.S. economic and trade relations: mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, its commitment to high-quality development and high-standard opening up will create broader incremental space for China-U.S. cooperation.

The will of the people stands as a profound and enduring force shaping the trajectory of China-U.S. relations. Whether at those pivotal moments when China and the United States seized every moment to break the ice, or when bilateral relations slid to a low ebb, the sincere aspiration of the two peoples for mutual understanding and friendship has never changed.

As exchanges deepen and produce tangible results, perceptions are improving positively. More Americans are actively participating in fostering people-to-people friendship, contributing greater rationality and constructive perspectives to the relationship.

In the face of profound changes unseen in a century, China and the United States, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the world’s two largest economies, shoulder even greater responsibilities. Promoting global development, safeguarding peace and security, and improving global governance all require cooperation between the two countries.

This year, China will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the U.S. will host the G20 Summit. Whether the two sides can demonstrate the vision and responsibility expected of major countries, and deliver more tangible benefits to the world, bears directly on the well-being of both peoples and the future of humanity.

China-U.S. relations cannot return to the past, but they can move toward a better future. Both sides should proceed from a sense of responsibility to history, to the people, and to the world, and explore ways to build a strategic, constructive, and stable China-U.S. relationship featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.