5 ms·

Not hardly communist any more, actually. The other option would not be to 'starve', most likely, since there is an abundance of low-skill, low-pay work to be f

Not hardly communist any more, actually. The other option would not be to 'starve', most likely, since there is an abundance of low-skill, low-pay work to be found. But don't be fooled into thinking the government (especially the local government) or the companies care about the workers. No one will be doing them any favors.

mrlase 15y ago
Yeah, China hasn't really been 'communist' since the days of Mao. To expand on what you said, here's an article from 12 years ago (that's getting incredibly weird to say) about China opening up to private enterprise: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/591841.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/591841.stm. I think most would agree that China is now considered a "socialist market economy [with Chinese characteristics]" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_market_economy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_market_economy) I think it's really interesting to observe the progression of China's economy over the last 70 years, from the "Great Leap Forward" (and the subsequent Cultural Revolution) up until now, they've had quite some twists and turns, but their underlying ideological basis I find intriguing: they derive their policy from the 'Scientific development concept' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Development_Concept http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Development_Concept). The Brookings Institute also has a good look at China's most recent economic plan if you're interested in looking over it: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/1101_china_economic_policy.aspx http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/1101_china_economic_pol...
- philwelch 15y ago
  > I think most would agree that China is now considered a "socialist market economy [with Chinese characteristics]" In other words, less "USSR", more"Sweden without elections"?
  - JonnieCache 15y ago
    More china.
  - paganel 15y ago
    I might be mistaken, but I don't think health-services (other than basic ones) are free of charge in China. The same goes for education. What's definitely very "Chinese" is the segregation between the rural poor and the urban population. They're no Sweden, that's for sure.

mrlase 15y ago

Yeah, China hasn't really been 'communist' since the days of Mao. To expand on what you said, here's an article from 12 years ago (that's getting incredibly weird to say) about China opening up to private enterprise: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/591841.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/591841.stm. I think most would agree that China is now considered a "socialist market economy [with Chinese characteristics]" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_market_economy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_market_economy) I think it's really interesting to observe the progression of China's economy over the last 70 years, from the "Great Leap Forward" (and the subsequent Cultural Revolution) up until now, they've had quite some twists and turns, but their underlying ideological basis I find intriguing: they derive their policy from the 'Scientific development concept' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Development_Concept http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Development_Concept). The Brookings Institute also has a good look at China's most recent economic plan if you're interested in looking over it: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/1101_china_economic_policy.aspx http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/1101_china_economic_pol...

philwelch 15y ago
> I think most would agree that China is now considered a "socialist market economy [with Chinese characteristics]" In other words, less "USSR", more"Sweden without elections"?
- JonnieCache 15y ago
  More china.
- paganel 15y ago
  I might be mistaken, but I don't think health-services (other than basic ones) are free of charge in China. The same goes for education. What's definitely very "Chinese" is the segregation between the rural poor and the urban population. They're no Sweden, that's for sure.