The Immortality of Gangnam Style

It's been roughly 5 months since the PSY's one hit wonder "Gangnam Style" blazed the airways like a meteor over Russia. In fact, one hit wonder is putting it mildly, it's more like a one hit atomic drone strike. Despite PSY's lack of appreciation at the 2013 Grammy Awards, his song Gangnam Style will be what I remember as the defining song of 2012. Perhaps the song's popular appeal has waned in the states, but across the entire continent of Asia, the Gangnam style craze is still going on..and on…and on. 

I would argue that Gangnam Style is the most culturally defining pop song since Nirvana's Smell's Like Teen Spirit, at least for a good 3rd of the world's population. Every day when I walk to the grocery store, I hear the din of "Hey Sexy Lady!" emitted from the internet connected sound system. When I ask the cashier why the same song is repeated daily (and I assume multiple times daily) she says the children like it. By children she means 2-5 year old toddlers. When I teach class and slip in a picture of PSY performing some of his signature dance moves, the whole class erupts in laughter and pleasure. I hear it again at the subway station as I am passing a flamboyant female accessory store. There it is again on my driver's radio during my ride to Chinese class. 

The people of China, young and old, love Gangnam Style. It's not even about the lyrics or the subject matter. The song itself is a critique on the lavish style of Seoul, Korea's wealthy neighborhoods on the south side of the Han River, hence Gangnam (south of the river) Style. It's a social message that sounds more like Wood Guffery or John Lennon as opposed to pop icons such as Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber. And yet the Chinese keep listening and dancing. Why? 

And the crazy thing is, IT'S NOT JUST CHINA!! In his native South Korea, PSY is already a favorite son. There is even a video of him teaching UN Secretary General Ban Kai Moon how to do the horse dance from the music video. In the Philippines I met some friends in a slum neighborhood who invited me to Salsa Dance with them. After a few Salsa rounds, they decided to switch the music to fit a general party theme. What is played first? Gangnam Style. In Malaysia I saw many funny and inappropriate T shirts, but after coming across a Gangnam Style shirt, I couldn't resist the purchase. During Chinese New Year when I visited my girlfriend's  Chinese/Singaporean family in Indonesia, her cousin played me a Chinese New Year's version of Gangnam Style which served as a free online gift card to send family and friends. Upon our return to Shenzhen, my friend Kevin told me that on his vacation, when he was riding is bike in the middle of nowhere Cambodia, he came across a house built on stilts with five large speakers. What were the owners blasting from those speakers to kingdom come? Gangnam Style. The song is unavoidable in Asia. It's become a legitimate part of the landscape, blending in with the sights of crowded streets and unbearable traffic, the sounds of car horns and sizzling grills, the smells of raw sewage and Chou Dofu. It's all glazed over with a little Gangnam Style. 

I can't say for sure why Gangnam Style has had such a lingering effect in Asia. Perhaps the antics of the song's video are too irresistible not to play on repeat for over a half year period. Perhaps the song's beats generate the desire to move and the energy to work for one's daily bread and bed. Perhaps the song's lyrics really do reflect the selfishness and ridiculousness of the times in a contemporary Asia on a collision course towards consumer society. Or perhaps it's out of a sense of pride that a fellow Asian has made it to the big time, knocking Justin Bieber off his Youtube throne and rising to the heights of the Pop Music Pantheon with Michael Jackson, Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Green Day. Whatever the case, PSY has accomplished a great feat not seen every year. He has succeed in shaping the popular culture of an entire generation in the East Asian region. This soft spoken Korean had a song that was played in cyberspace more than  We Are Young, Call Me Baby, or any of that Bieber shit. He exploded on he world stage and left behind a pop culture legacy, and he did it all with just one song. Some songs are passing fads, but others will truly remain immortal. 

Malaysia: A Model for Asia?

Given its geographical location, Malaysia was bound to be a land of diversity. Situated along the trade route choke point known as the Straits of Melaka, peninsular Malaysia has benefited and suffered from its strategic location. During the 12th to 14th Centuries, a powerful sultanate established along the shoreline named Melaka obtained an impressive amount of wealth and contact from far away kingdoms such as Ming China, the island kingdoms in Java and Bali, the Arab World, and the Kingdom of Siam. It is telling that one of the highest ranked officials in the administration of the Melaka sultanate was the Harbor Master.

Eventually the Sultan was overthrown by the Portuguese who were later overtaken by the Dutch who were finally replaced by the dominion of the British Empire. Such European imperial transitions were common in this area of the world, of which only Siam (modern day Thailand) remained immune. This area of the world was a strategic jackpot for imperial powers, since these narrow straits provided the most direct route between India and China, the two abundant sources of products and consumer goods from the Orient. In fact, looking at the old sea trade routes on the map reveals a striking similarity to strategic interests of the US grand strategy to this day. 

Under its imperial occupation, Malaysia developed profitable industries in tin, rubber, coffee, and coconut oil. But more importantly, Malaysia organically developed large foreign communities of Arabs, Indians, and Chinese. Upon arrival to to Malaysia, the sight of ethnic diversity was not only evident but striking. Malay culture was so shaped by Chinese, Indian, and Arab communities that the image of an ethic tossed salad became the country's very identity. 

The first place I stayed was in the former trade center that had put Malaysia on the map, Melaka. The street of my hostel was a narrow road called Tukang Emas Street. Within a mile of this stretch of concrete there was a Mosque, a Hindu Temple, a Chinese temple (including Buddhist and Taoist influences), an Episcopal Church, and a Sikh Temple. Tukang Emas was adjacent to another road called Jonker Street, which sat at the heart of Melaka's historical Chinatown. Across Melaka's small river could be heard the sounds of Bollywood music being blasted from music/movie shops in Little India. Within a short walk down the river side I came across the old Dutch quarter complete with the old Red Brick Presbyterian  Church, a windmill, and a Hard Rock Cafe. Colonial and Modern crossroads had left a colorful mosaic on the face of the city of Melaka. It was a town of minarets and masks, of cafes and curries, of Hindus and hymns, and of Durians  and Dutch pastries.

Whats more, the people, regardless of color, creed, cross or crescent were hospitable and friendly. To give an example, my girlfriend and I were invited to eat a vegetarian meal at the Sikh Temple. We appeared as obvious tourists, walking into the donation ceremony very awkwardly. But despite this  naivety, the religious community welcomed us into their house of worship without turning an eye of annoyance or an appearance of regret. It was obvious that they wanted us there despite our foreign appearance. Of course, being foreign was as applicable to them as it was to us, seeing that they were Indian Malaysian citizens. 

Our next stop was the capital of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur. KL differed from any other Southeast Asian capital I have visited, and had significantly diverged from the image of the dirty and vagrant filled streets of Manila, Philippines. KL's skyline resembled that of Shanghai's, Tokyo's or Taipei's with glittering monuments of Asian modernity that retained the right to ascetic pleasure in the art of structural pragmatism. The center piece landmark of the city is KL's Petronas Towers, headquarters of Malaysia's largest state owned natural gas and oil company. Upon their completion, these towers were the tallest buildings in the world surpassing the Sears Tower in Chicago. They were overtaken by Taipei 101 in 2004. While modern in appearance, the towers had a visual quality similar to Hindu temples with a beehive-esque stupa at the top of each tower. The lobbies of each tower contained Islamic influences with a geometric circular ceiling with perfectly designed linear ripples echoing from the center glazed with a metallic material as a nod to the contemporary. 

Just like Melaka, the city was teaming with diverse religious establishments, although here Mosques outnumbered all others. The main mosque in the city was the National Mosque, open for viewing for visitors of all faiths. Built in the 1960s, the mosque was incredibly modern. Unlike the round features commonly found in mosque architecture, this mosque was dominated by sharp linear designs. It appeared to me that the mosque's design was as much a recognition of the  progress Malaysia had made in the transition from colonialism to modernity as an attribution to the Muslim world's academic contributions to the study of geometry and algebra. The outer courtyard contained a forest of columns neatly lined in harmony with the buildings centerpiece, a magnificent blue and turquoise shell defined by multiple corners and crevices colliding on one point at the top, forming a unique rounded triangle. The minaret was one tall and thin white tower with a sharp pointed roof that resembled a church steeple. Truly a remarkable structure that reflected the face of a city that valued religion and progress equally, almost as if one was incapable without the other.

Across town there was another religious sight, the scared Batu Caves, a holy sight for Hindus celebrating the family of Shiva and Pavarti. Built in the late 19th century, these caves contained numerous colorful statues of different figures in the Hindu pantheon as well as a large population of monkeys scavenging amongst the trash and seeking donations from naive tourists. Yet another example of the religious diversity that shapes the social landscape of Malaysia. 

The Batu Caves also serve as a reminder of the strong presence of nature in the city of KL. KL had numerous large scale and well managed parks, including an eco rainforest preserve located in the center of the city in the shadow of KL's tallest freestanding tower. Silver Tailed Monkeys can be frequently spotted in this area as well, mischievously trying to dash into a cafe or restaurant for a meal without compensation. There is an area of town that has a Banyan Tree reserve as well. But KL's most impressive green area is Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park. This park contains the world's largest Bird Aviary, a free roaming deer park, the Royal Botanical Gardens and a lake front for leisure. Just walking through the park makes you forget that you are in a capital city. There are also plenty of natural parklands such as rain forests, wetlands, and coastal habitats within a few hours dry of the city.

Like Melaka, KL had a thriving market in the center of China town where one can sample Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian cuisine. There is also a large and prosperous Little India that was within walking distance of my hostel. The hostel itself was administered by a Chinese man and an Indian man named Ballah. The multicultural makeup of Malay society could be seen everywhere, especially its transportation systems. A ride on the KL Metro was like going to the UN, with people in traditional Indian Saris, Muslim caps, headscarfs, and modern global styles of clothing. It all seemed perfunctory by the end of it. 

Malaysia was a lot like China, a diverse country with multiple ethnicities, resulting in mutual tolerance. However, unlike China, Malaysia was very clean and for the most part economically equal. I saw only two beggars on the street during my 4 days in KL, and none in Melaka. The skies in KL were consistently clear without the heavy haze that usually fits the stereotype of most Asian cities. Malaysia transportation infrastructure seemed more like Japan's than China's. It was clean, concise, and ordered. The metro was rarely crowded and more strictly regulated. The taxi system for entering the city even had customers register with a taxi administrator to ensure that no one was cheated. By the end of my stay there, I thought that Malaysia could serve as a model for Asia. A land of tolerance, with a clean environment, reliable infrastructure, a drive towards progress, and altogether a recipe for success. 

Democracy with Chinese Characteristics

As China celebrates a new lunar year, its leadership has a lot to contemplate. China's new president Xi Jin Ping faces the challenges of slowing economic growth, environmental constraints of China's trends towards urbanization, an aging population, and most importantly a loss of face for the Communist Party itself. In recent years, local and provincial governments in China have revealed bureaucratic atrocities that have left unkind reflections of the party as a whole to the media and general public. From the Bo Xi Lai scandal to the public uprising in the city of Wukan, Guangdong, the CCP is increasingly being viewed as an illegitimate source of leadership. This is why earlier this year according to Xinhua News Network, President Xi proclaimed "We must have the resolution to fight every corrupt phenomenon, punish every corrupt official and constantly eradicate the soil which breeds corruption, so as to earn people's trust with actual results." President Xi continued by promising that abuses of power will be "reined within [a] cage of regulations." Xi Jin Ping shows foresight by recognizing the problem now before it's too late. As China's economic growth starts to slow down with millions still in poverty waiting for the benefits of state capitalism to trickle down, the CCP's legitimacy problem will begin to yield consequences at the national level. 

But how should the new president address the issue of party corruption, and what should be the objective in doing so? The end is obvious, maintaining legitimacy, and the means to such legitimacy must be transparency, and the CCP can ensure transparency at the local level of government by implementing a solution that I call democracy with Chinese characteristics. 

This system would require local governments to be coupled with elected citizen committees. The purpose of these committees is purely for the sake of transparency and to provide a voice for concerned citizens. In essence they will serve as public watch dogs to ensure that local party cadres are acting within the confines of the law established by the national government. These elected bodies will consist of a President and Vice President elected to 4 year terms, and a group of 6 to 8 other members elected to 2 year terms. Each of these 2 year members will oversee one particular policy area namely education, environment, business/management, infrastructure and development, healthcare, media relations, agriculture/ farmers' interests (where applicable), and labor/workers' interest (where applicable). These choices are designed to cover a diverse array of special interests within civil society and can be trailered to fit the needs of the area applied. For instance, the labor representative can be changed to mining representative in areas where the primary source of employment is mineral extraction and the environmental representative can be changed to parks and recreation executive in an area with little environmental degradation but with rich amounts of public parkland or historical heritage sites. A minority or women's right's representative can also be added in larger cities or autonomous regions.

 Naturally, each of the representatives elected must be required to have extensive experience in the field of the office they are running for. For example, doctors for healthcare, business leaders for business/management, a factory worker for labor, a teacher or school administrator for education, a journalist for media relations ect. The President and Vice President should be reserved for candidates who are very familiar with the Chinese legal code and constitution for they will be the representatives who determine if a local cadre has overstepped the boundaries established by Chinese law by committing an abuse of power. Viable candidates would include lawyers, policemen, judges, and previous members of the Chinese government.The President will serve as the face of the elected body and the manager of council meetings and orders of business as well as the chief diplomat between the elected council and the local government. He or she will also serve as the consultatory source of knowledge on Chinese law to other members of the council. Vice President will serve as President in the event of the President's death, resignation, or temporary leave. 

Each member will have the duty to investigate and analyze a policy that concerns their area of expertise and report their assessment to the public. A policy will naturally overlap the jurisdictions of several representatives on the citizens's council. This is exactly the reason why so many groups must be represented. For instance, if a new chemical factory is being proposed for construction, the environmental representative, the business representative, and the labor representative all can provide a valuable voice on the potential costs and benefits to public welfare. If a new highway is being proposed for construction across land owned by farmers, the infrastructure and agriculture representatives would both be consulted to determine the value of the land being built upon as well as the structural integrity of the highway being constructed. If a policy is being considered concerning the education of the children of migrant workers, the labor representative and education executive would review the reforms proposed to the determine the potential benefit to migrant worker communities and the potential challenges that educational institutions would face with a new wave of students joining already crowded facilities. After hearing all the interests concerned, the council can vote on approving or disapproving the proposed policy. While the local government can chose to ignore the advice of the council, the council still gives the perception that a public voice is being heard. 

However, if the council determines and proves that a local government official has abused the power of his or her office through bribery, threats, or by harming the public welfare in any way for personal gain, they will have the power to remove them from office by a 2/3rds vote. As mentioned earlier, only the president can confirm whether a member of the local government has committed such an act, since they are the de facto legal expert and consultant. If an official is removed from office,  the central government can then chose another party member to replace the disgraced official, one that is more fit to accept the responsibilities of the leadership position. 

This solution is by no means full proof. Local government policymaking in China is often dominated by back room deals, bribery, and personal relationships (Gaunxi). An elected council will not be immune to such behavior. Elected officials in the US are in many ways congruent with their appointed counterparts in China. It's easy to see how such a system could be corrupted if a local official simply bribes council members into keeping quite and turning a blind eye. Still such a system would require local officials to bribe a considerable amount of people into getting away with an abuse of power, thereby reducing the incentive for such behavior, and an idealist like me has hope that not all of those who chose to campaign for office would do so simply for personal gain. 

This is a solution made to settle the anxieties of both sides, the CCP and the citizens of China. I don't think the people of China want to see their government overthrown, and they want to believe in their political leadership just like anywhere else. But such desires are unattainable in the face of illegal land seizures, environmental health disasters and the helpless status of migrant workers. These councils will give people in China the perception that they are actually able to voice their concerns to the government in a safe, legal and effective way. It will also provide a necessary amount of transparency to warrant legitimacy. In doing so it will benefit the CCP by stabilizing their hold on power despite slowing economic growth, environmental health problems and an aging population. The CCP can't rely on fear alone to preserve its hold on power in the face of such environmental challenges. It must also rely on sustainable sources of power such as admiration and the legitimacy of its leadership position.