We're #2!! (China that is) in economic power!

[Chibibar]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/business/global/16yuan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

It is a REALLY long read (2 pages.... heheheh) but I do find it interesting in the last few paragraphs regarding Chinese government.

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Of course, when the bad products are made public, the people at "fault" are executed instead of going to jail.

 

[AshburnerX]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Now China is the US at the turn of the 20th century. only with 10 times the population. Industry is running out of control with little or no oversight by the government to protect the consumers of the products and the victims of the rampant pollution.

 

[Troll]

Now China is the US at the turn of the 20th century. only with 10 times the population. Industry is running out of control with little or no oversight by the government to protect the consumers of the products and the victims of the rampant pollution.

So China is a libertarian's wet dream, basically? How funny.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Now China is the US at the turn of the 20th century. only with 10 times the population. Industry is running out of control with little or no oversight by the government to protect the consumers of the products and the victims of the rampant pollution.

So China is a libertarian's wet dream, basically? How funny.[/QUOTE]

A lot of the reason it goes unchecked is because they gov't wants the rapid growth. There is just little personal freedom. But even that is picking up just because of the rapid growth.

 

[AshburnerX]

Now China is the US at the turn of the 20th century. only with 10 times the population. Industry is running out of control with little or no oversight by the government to protect the consumers of the products and the victims of the rampant pollution.

I think it's closer to the Soviet Union before it fell. We're already seeing the beginnings of people at their wits end with the random outbursts of violence and the high suicide rate (19th in the world according to this chart), not to mention the complete lack of faith in their government that many Chinese have (especially apparent in the May 12, 2008 earthquake).

The only real question at this point is not if there will be a revolution, but rather what kind it will be. Will it be a sudden, violent uprising, like the Bolshevik Revolution? Or will it be a more subdued, economic and ideological one like the end of the Gilded Age? I think the current signs point to the latter.

 

[Rob King]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

I heard a joke about this once.

The Americans are driving down a road when they come to a fork. The sign reads "Left: Communism. Right: Capitalism." The Americans decide to turn right and drive on.

When the Chinese come to the same intersection, they consider it for a moment before addressing the driver. "Follow the Americans" they say "But turn on the left blinker."

China is an interesting case, but all this talk about it being the next superpower is pretty questionable. With the massive population that they have, it's abysmal that they are only number two, although they are growing. But I was looking at a book the other day, which I've been meaning to pick up, and this book claims that with all of the internal pressures and changes that are bubbling under the surface, a massive fracturing of China seems inevitable within the next 20-50 years.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

Chibi's a Texan.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

Chibi's a Texan.[/QUOTE]

So it should say, you guys are becoming more and more oligarchical everyday.

 

[AshburnerX]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

Chibi's a Texan.[/QUOTE]

My bad. I simply assumed, because he's the one always bringing in the news from China! Sorry Chibi.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

Chibi's a Texan.[/QUOTE]

My bad. I simply assumed, because he's the one always bringing in the news from China! Sorry Chibi.[/QUOTE]

That's kind of what tells you he's not in China. He wouldn't be able to say half the things he's said if he was living there.

 

[Chibibar]

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Enjoy it while it lasts. You guys are becoming more and more capitalistic by the day.[/QUOTE]

Chibi's a Texan.[/QUOTE]

My bad. I simply assumed, because he's the one always bringing in the news from China! Sorry Chibi.[/QUOTE]

That's kind of what tells you he's not in China. He wouldn't be able to say half the things he's said if he was living there.[/QUOTE]

true dat!! I'll be in jail or dead.

 

[Element 117]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/business/global/16yuan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

It is a REALLY long read (2 pages.... heheheh) but I do find it interesting in the last few paragraphs regarding Chinese government.

Being a Communist country, it is easier for that country to implement almost anything with very little resistance and drives.

Of course, when the bad products are made public, the people at "fault" are executed instead of going to jail.

曾经有过疑问？

 

[@Li3n]

Now China is the US at the turn of the 20th century. only with 10 times the population. Industry is running out of control with little or no oversight by the government to protect the consumers of the products and the victims of the rampant pollution.

I think it's closer to the Soviet Union before it fell. We're already seeing the beginnings of people at their wits end with the random outbursts of violence and the high suicide rate (19th in the world according to this chart), not to mention the complete lack of faith in their government that many Chinese have (especially apparent in the May 12, 2008 earthquake).

The only real question at this point is not if there will be a revolution, but rather what kind it will be. Will it be a sudden, violent uprising, like the Bolshevik Revolution? Or will it be a more subdued, economic and ideological one like the end of the Gilded Age? I think the current signs point to the latter.[/QUOTE]

The USSR was also suffering from total economic collapse... no way this is going to be violent where there is money (especially money for the army).

 

[AshburnerX]

The USSR had plenty of weapons lying around, mainly BECAUSE it had spent most of it's money on weapons. Not very many of them were used when the USSR collapsed... in fact, they were probably the first pieces of the Soviet Block sold off.

 

[sixpackshaker]

The USSR had plenty of weapons lying around, mainly BECAUSE it had spent most of it's money on weapons. Not very many of them were used when the USSR collapsed... in fact, they were probably the first pieces of the Soviet Block sold off.

They built their economy on exporting weaponry. Hell, there seems to be an AK-47 for every man, woman and child (who are most of the soldiers) in Africa.

 

[Terrik]

Yep, that's right. I go out on occasion with the driver at my work (good way to improve my chinese) and he tells me stories you wouldn't believe.

He said his family was very poor when he was young. I nodded and he said I didn't understand. He sometimes had to eat the bark off trees because they had no food. Now he has his own apartment, no debt, and makes enough money to go out for a few beers and seafood once in a while. I'm not fan of the CCP but they did a crapton to get a *lot* of people out of poverty. You guys can't imagine the speed of development. Within the span of months some areas of Shenyang become unrecognizable because a dozen new apartments and a skyscraper went up.

 

[Troll]

Where's the revolution?

I dunno, let's see...

My wife grew up in a one bedroom apartment with her favourite toy from childhood being discarded cigarette butts and candy wrappers. Things have changed.
-----
Yep, that's right. I go out on occasion with the driver at my work (good way to improve my chinese) and he tells me stories you wouldn't believe.

He said his family was very poor when he was young. I nodded and he said I didn't understand. He sometimes had to eat the bark off trees because they had no food. Now he has his own apartment, no debt, and makes enough money to go out for a few beers and seafood once in a while. I'm not fan of the CCP but they did a crapton to get a *lot* of people out of poverty. You guys can't imagine the speed of development. Within the span of months some areas of Shenyang become unrecognizable because a dozen new apartments and a skyscraper went up.
-----
My father in law when he was my age, worked 16 hour days and slept on the floor of the factory at night among the sea of people. Things have changed for lots and lots and lots of Chinese and many of them still remember how bad things can be and don't want it to go back.

China is right in the middle of it. Not all revolutions are violent. This is exactly what Ash was saying, actually. China is going through a huge growth phase which will be remembered as an industrial and economic revolution. It's doubtful there will be a violent political one to go along with it, so people will have to settle for slow political change (if they get anything at all). Still, that's what we want. We want China's government to treat people better, and you don't have to use guns to get there.

 

[AshburnerX]

China is right in the middle of it. Not all revolutions are violent. This is exactly what Ash was saying, actually. China is going through a huge growth phase which will be remembered as an industrial and economic revolution. It's doubtful there will be a violent political one to go along with it, so people will have to settle for slow political change (if they get anything at all). Still, that's what we want. We want China's government to treat people better, and you don't have to use guns to get there.

Exactly! Not all revolutions are filled with acts of violence... in fact, many of them don't. You simply don't think of them as revolutions because people peacefully improving their lives and the change in mindset that brings doesn't have the same imagery that people fighting in the streets does.

 

[Troll]

Nevermind.

 

[@Li3n]

The USSR had plenty of weapons lying around, mainly BECAUSE it had spent most of it's money on weapons. Not very many of them were used when the USSR collapsed... in fact, they were probably the first pieces of the Soviet Block sold off.

That's because the army didn't feel like using them... if they had it would have been a blood bath.

But my mistake, for some reason i didn't register the word Bolshevik there well. Still, the point is that a successful violent revolution requires an army that's either not prepared/strong enough for a real conflict, and of course bad conditions for the population. China has neither right now... so any changes won't be violent (unless there's a military coup i guess).