It's hard to write a book. It's harder to write a book on a popular subject like democracy, which many think they understand. It's hardest to write a book on a complex subject like American democracy, telling everybody that "everything you think you know about American democracy is wrong." But that is exactly what this book is. Below is a book review by Dr. John Lounsbury. "In this book, Dr. Li writes about American democracy boldly and artfully with scientific logic, engineering accuracy, American straight-forwardness, and Chinese sophistication, in plain English with great clarity." America is deeply in trouble, not only economically but also politically! Economically, three examples: 1)Food Stamps Still Feed One in Seven Americans Despite Recovery. 2)America's Unseen Social Crisis: Men without Work. The labor force participation rate is at the 1978 low. 3)At $19 trillion and counting, our national debt will eventually crush us. Politically, after two of the arguably worst Presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Americans faced an even worse choice in 2016: Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Most Americans liked neither, but had to settle on the lesser of two evils: Trump! Will America's gamble on Trump pay off? I certainly hope so (Chapters 118 & 119)! Should American democracy have come down to betting on one God-like figure? No! What, then, is the root cause for America's trouble? "It's the political system, stupid!" I believe I have the most accurate diagnosis for America and the best solution. To best appreciate them, you must better understand democracy, America, China, and the world in which America is a part. Let's begin with Alexis de Tocqueville. In 1831, a 26-year-old Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville visited America. He traveled widely throughout the country, taking extensive notes about his observations and reflections. He returned to France in less than two years, and published a book entitled "Democracy in America". Today, it is considered an early work, and a must-read, on democracy, sociology, and political science. In his book, Tocqueville writes: "The American people, through their chosen representatives who were instructed by their wisdom and experience and were supported by their virtues - cultivated, purified and ennobled by self-reliance and the love of God - had matured, in the excellent wisdom of their counsels, a new plan of government, which embraced every security for their liberties and equal rights and privileges to all in the pursuit of happiness." What a generous assessment of America by a young Frenchman at that time! While Tocqueville was obviously impressed with America, especially its tremendous potential, he was oblivious to the plight of America's many problems at that time, to the point that I doubt whether he truly understood America and democracy. 2 examples: 1)"The American people" he referred to included some rich white males only 2)Slavery Overall, Tocqueville did a good job for his time. But time is the best judge for everything, including his book, America, and democracy. Unlike Tocqueville who came to America as a tourist, I escaped "communist China" in 1982 and came to America in 1985 to stay. Furthermore, unlike Tocqueville, who saw his country France lose her way during his lifetime, I have watched my native country China rise astronomically, while fully taking advantage of it by running an import-export business between China and America! Finally, unlike Tocqueville who spent less than two years in America as a tourist, it has taken me some 30 years to begin to gain some insight into the intricate relationships among communism, socialism, capitalism, democracy. I have much more experience than Tocqueville when writing about America. My diagnosis for America: getting re-elected ad nauseam. Mu solution: Term limits for Congress, with the American Presidency being strictly limited to 1 term (e.g. 6 years). For more, read on!
About the Author: Frank Li is the Founder and President of W.E.I. (West-East International), a Chicago-based import & export company. Frank was born in Hangzhou, China, in 1959, and grew up in the horrible days of the Cultural Revolution. He was a hopeless teenager when China re-opened its universities in 1977, after closing them for more than a decade. He was lucky enough to have made into Class 77, which is widely considered the best class, ever, in China, for no reason other than the huge number of applicants! Frank received his B.E. degree from Zhejiang University (China) in 1982, M.E. from the University of Tokyo in 1985, and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1988, all in Electrical Engineering. He worked for several companies in Europe and America until 2005, when he founded his own company W.E.I. Today, W.E.I. is a leader in the scale industry, not only in products and services, but also in thought and action. Frank loves both America, his adopted country, and China, his native country. He lives in America, and has been traveling to China, on average, twice a year, for the past decade. His main purpose in life now is to serve as a bridge between the two countries by any and all means. One of them is to use his pen (or keyboard, to be more precise) to help both the Chinese and Americans understand each other much better. Frank started writing on business and politics in 2006. He has been a weekly columnist at GEI (Global Economic Intersection) since May 2011, where he has already published more than 300 articles. Today, his monthly readership at GEI is 20,000 page views. Frank has already published two books: Saving America, Chinese Style and The GOP Bible for 2016. This is his third book, the work of his life! Politically, Frank considers himself a Libertarian, with a GOP-leaning voting record. Frank's motto in life: "Aim high and shoot for the Moon. That way, even if you miss, you will end up among the stars." Frank is passionate about dancing. In July 2016, he was certified as a Bronze-level dancer (Ballroom and Latin). Frank is also an avid Go player, ranking amateur 5d.