I’m astonished at this post. I feel poor coming back from Europe even though they pay up the nose in taxes. We’re 2:1 vs the pound and 1:1 vs the Canadian dollar (as an example for folks who haven’t been to Europe recently).
Just because China is like Russia, where the well-connected are becoming filthy rich and there’s a sprawling underclass is no reason to be “jealous” unless you’re one of elite.
I wouldn’t even try to equate ourselves with China. Do you have a good sense of how much corruption is going on over there and how much background poverty you are not seeing? Beijing is doing its makeover before the Olympics. They’re kicking out and hiding the poor.
From an economic viewpoint, it is easy to compete when you flaunt IP laws. Taiwan and Korea have gotten to the point that they want to protect their RnD as oppose to pirating it. The fact that China does not enforce its economic laws is not a reason to be jealous. If (and its a big if) they get to the point of commercializing their RnD, they’ll start feeling the pain of turning a blind eye to piracy over the last 15 years.
If you want to be jealous of a crowded, dirty city with no environmental protections, where the IOC in fact just publicly announced that they are worried about the health of the Olympic athletes for the next Summer games, it’s your right.
I told my extended family that I have absolutely no interest in wasting my vacation time in visiting relatives in China when I can be hiking down in Peru or Ecuador and not be caught up by the crass commercialism and culture of excess that you currently see over there.
Also, what does pro-China mean? You support a country that censors the internet and still cracks down on dissidents? A country that claims another country (Taiwan) where the people generally have no interest in becoming part of the mainland. A country that claims that the Dalai Lama is a terrorist? A country that recently bought sub technology from Russia for the express purpose of killing US aircraft carriers?
A country where businessmen have to have mistresses in order to be successful? (well some of my old classmates do)
Get real.
Sorry, I get passionate about this topic. Heck, my parents still go to protests at the UN over this stuff.
