China is the perfect example of what happens when one leader is given to much The leaders of China were each very afraid of social reform, and the consequences that outside influence may have on their customs. As a means of initiating reform, they shut the entire Western world out almost completely. At the time it was a move that served China well but in the long run it was the downfall of China. While blindfolded, the Chinese were unable to see the great advancements of the Western world. With an egocentric government, the Chinese citizens were neglected outside of the palace walls and the country fell to shambles. Instead of stimulating economic growth the government suppressed it as the rest of the world advanced. While focused on fear of internal rebellion the Chinese leaders overlooked the status of their army and were not prepared for the rest of the world as they fell so far behind in almost every advancement. Had China remained in contact with the Western world it would have been possible for them to be as advanced a civilization as the Western world. As the Chinese government had their head buried in the sand with worry over losing control of their empire, they neglected to maintain the basic essentials of a functional country. All of China's canals eventually decayed as they were left unrepaired for years, the ironworks that China once prided itself one became obsolete with out a second look, and the army itself was no match for any Western army. The merchants were of no avail to the poor Chinese civilians as their profits on land and education. Upon shutting out the rest of the world China had forbidden the use of a printing press. The expression of social criticism and news of the outside world was banned. The people of China had no idea what was happening. When the doors had been shut from the outside world Europe was not as highly advanced as China. Europeans lived in crowded cities with rodents and foul odors. The Chin...
