I don't get all this comparing to China American political elites and commentators are making. "In China, they have this and that." I saw this in the 1990s with Japan. It was thought Americans would have to structure its business models along Japanese lines. And as I've said many times in the past, my accounting professor in university strongly suggested we all learn Japanese.
I ignored her. I stuck to English, French and Italian. Largely because I spoke all three poorly and was too lazy to take another on. If I was going to learn a language it was going to be Elvish.
Anyway, in China - for the most part because part of its economy is free-market - what the people get is what the authoritarian government gives and dictates. China may be a power - or at least still a developing one - but in my view, it still lags the United States on so many levels it's not even funny. Just on per capita wealth alone it can't compete. Now, of course, they have the critical mass to match America's prowess but they still have to account and take care of a super large agrarian population. That alone eats at their power margins and is rightfully a major concern for Chinese officials.
China also has serious demographic (mostly male) and environmental problems.
America has such a jump start socially, technologically and economically even given its issues it shouldn't be looking to China for inspiration.
Americans should quit whining like a bunch of pampered cynics and get back to damn work on maintaining in what I regard to be the most important country on the planet.
The only standards they should be setting is their own.
That's my state of the union message.
If Americans want to get back to work, most of them would have to move to China to find their job. I'm kind of sick of the conservative attitute that we're just not doing our part here at the bottom, instead of acknowledging the problem is top down. The poor don't have control over what jobs are available or how much education they can receive.
ReplyDeleteReality is a bitch.
You actually buy into that crap, Bret? I mean, you really see life and history that way? It can't be you actually think "conservatism" and "rich" people are the root of all social ills. It just can't be you're that black and white about it.
ReplyDeleteMy father came here dirt poor. He worked like a dog. Didn't complain. Took his licks. Saved his money. Bought land. Succeeded.
The process is not complicated Bret and no one got in his way. In fact, the government got more in his face than some conservative rich dude you constantly rail on about.
To him, and millions of immigrants who succeeded they didn't make excuses. You are.
Get a new act man. Ideology doesn't impede people. Your mind does.
At least, that's how I'm reading it.
I forgot he became a businessman - a tailor after years toiling as an apprentice.
ReplyDeleteWith a 3rd grade education.
ReplyDelete