Calling Confucius a philosopher is the wrong classification. Like calling a whale a fish. - Thorsten Pattberg

The US, Germany, France and Britain were never real democracies. Far from it, the US is a plutocracy with a post-monarchal king's court (the White House) and a holy scripture (the constitution). The three others are tedious class societies.

Just like in Europe in the feudal days, the typical Chinese public servant today drags himself around with little or no money, and thus stays close to his master. In the past, that was the emperor, now it is the party. Can China's new government end corruption? (2013), The Japan Times, Tokyo

Sadly, a biblical sense of mission perverts all Western societies. There isn't a town square in Europe without a church. Priests are trained in national universities. The ruling party of Germany is the Christian Democratic Union. America is God's favorite nation. And we all live in the year 2019 of our Lord, Jesus Christ. -- Chinese are not so foolish as to worship at the church of Western values (2015), South China Morning Post, Hong Kong