@sorghum I was only adding some context through the understanding of the inequality of income and environmental standards, comparatively.
If one could adopt a broader view of the issues before denouncing our system as fatally flawed and embracing failed and terrible systems for the average citizen.
We’ve been around 243 years. China is one of the cradles of civilization and still hasn’t figured it all out. My hope is as we look to our own weaknesses in the USA in the broader context than wholesale condemnation we often see today.
The fact that we can even criticize our government and systems openly and freely is a luxury the Chinese to not share.
If you could post me to any research and articles about the strength and health of Chinese human rights, free speech, fair treatment of government dissidents, wonderful labor practices and environmental stewardship, in a broad sense, and comparable to the USA, I am open minded to this information.
And 2013 is only five years ago. But the information extends into 2015 and 2016 and even 2018, in the info I posted. And it wasn’t the only material.
Also the emerging middle class is fraction of total population and not a middle class anyone in the USA would recognize as such.
“Around 500 million people, or 40 percent of the population within China, survive on $5.50 per day or less.”
Feb 24, 2018
That’s $2000 a year!!
Median Income is 10k vs 40k in us
The “middle class in China is defined by their government sources as $7250 to upper middle class as $60,000.
This was only 4 percent of the population but has grown. It’s still a tiny fraction
50 percent of all working Americans make more per year than the upper end of the small Chinese middle class.
Why do so many wealthy Chinese want to get visa to the USA. How many Americans are lining up to relocate there forever ?
This doesn’t take into account the vast rural regions with incredible poverty versus the enormous wealth of the industrial and capital cities.
If we want to be honest about China.
It’s a repressive, autocratic and self interested regime. It’s stayed in power through the use of brute force, imprisonment, militarization and unequal educational opportunities.
Manipulation of their currency and worker safety standards as well.
The wholesale slaughter of millions of people under mao, the cultural revolution, the ongoing silencing and jailing of dissidents, the defacto focus on male children, the utter lack of concern of the provincial and rural population. How about we thow in a little censorship, social media control and content manipulation. Running over people with tanks and Hong Kong unrest. Why are the children and students there so afraid of standing trial on the mainland? The criminal justice system is an arm of the state. That’s why.
Yes they are an economic marvel, the country has wonderful geography and beautiful, kind people.
As an economic model. I want nothing to do with their system or methods.