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People in poor countries have gotten massively richer over the last few decades. Especially those that participate in global trade, ie those that you could eve

by eru 24d ago

People in poor countries have gotten massively richer over the last few decades. Especially those that participate in global trade, ie those that you could even call 'your slaves'. After all, some poor soul in North Korea who doesn't trade with you can hardly slave away to your benefit. More specifically, people in PR China have gotten massively richer since the late 1970s. How does that square with your slavery thesis? I might also add that if anything, goods from China have become better value for money since then. Even as their people have moved further and further away from slave status.

jdw64 24d ago
No. China is a colonial structure of extreme 1-tier cities, 2-tier cities, and the lower cities beneath them. It's called hukou... That's also why ordinary Chinese young people don't want to go down to the provinces. People in China's first-tier cities live well and are more up to date than almost anywhere, but in the lower cities, they are not free. I usually think that popular literature reflects a country's social conditions, and even in China's xianxia, there are ranks, and people act according to those ranks. To say that all of China has become wealthy would be an overstatement, given that there are many problems starting with the migrant worker issue. Of course, China is a great power, and the wealthy programmers in first-tier cities are extraordinarily talented.
- spwa4 24d ago
  > That's also why ordinary Chinese young people don't want to go down to the provinces. Recently you're even starting to hear stories I thought ended with the Soviet Union. People who are literally terrified of getting on a train out of the city because they think they might never be allowed to come back.
  - jdw64 24d ago
    We're all navigating through hard times.
    - eru 23d ago
      The world economy has never done better in absolute terms. I'm not sure where all those hard times are that I keep hearing about year after year, virtually independent of how well the economies are actually doing.
      - jdw64 23d ago
        It's a K-shaped economy, after all. From the way you talk, you seem to be upper class. Usually Singapore is centered on elite schools and technology for certain families, and just from the fact that you can go into the English-speaking and IT industries, it seems to me—based on this conversation—that you're basically upper class. You're probably connected to Lee Kuan Yew's family. Singapore itself is a standard English-speaking country, and there are many Chinese Singaporeans, but even so, considering the basic amount of education needed to learn IT skills in Asia, you're probably upper class. Then it makes sense that you wouldn't feel it. In fact, because it's a K-shaped economy, the bosses and businesspeople I meet think the business climate is good. But separately from that, for ordinary people who are the actual consumers, it's hard to make a living.
        deleted 23d ago
        [deleted]
        eru 22d ago
        Hahaha. My only connection to the Lee family is that in 2023 my daughter had the opportunity to shoot Lee Hsien Loong, but didn't pull the trigger. [0] > In fact, because it's a K-shaped economy, the bosses and businesspeople I meet think the business climate is good. But separately from that, for ordinary people who are the actual consumers, it's hard to make a living. My comment was purely around metrics like GDP per capita (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD?locations=SG https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD?location...), not how well or not I am personally doing. Our unemployment rate is 2%. Youth unemployment is just under 7%. If you need to know, I'm doing quite well. I emigrated to Singapore on an employment pass. No family wealth. We have lots of well off people in Singapore. Many, many more than could plausible claim to have connections to the Lee family. > Singapore itself is a standard English-speaking country, and there are many Chinese Singaporeans, but even so, considering the basic amount of education needed to learn IT skills in Asia, you're probably upper class. I'm not sure what you are trying to say? Around three quarters of the population is ethnically Chinese, and they are doing quite well. When people want to complain about Singapore and inequality, they usually complain about the lot of the migrant workers. [0] Mr Lee showed up as a surprise guest at a local community festival and passed within two metres of us. At the moment, my daughter was playing a carnival game that involved a nerf gun.

by eru 24d ago

jdw64 24d ago

No. China is a colonial structure of extreme 1-tier cities, 2-tier cities, and the lower cities beneath them. It's called hukou... That's also why ordinary Chinese young people don't want to go down to the provinces. People in China's first-tier cities live well and are more up to date than almost anywhere, but in the lower cities, they are not free. I usually think that popular literature reflects a country's social conditions, and even in China's xianxia, there are ranks, and people act according to those ranks. To say that all of China has become wealthy would be an overstatement, given that there are many problems starting with the migrant worker issue. Of course, China is a great power, and the wealthy programmers in first-tier cities are extraordinarily talented.

spwa4 24d ago
> That's also why ordinary Chinese young people don't want to go down to the provinces. Recently you're even starting to hear stories I thought ended with the Soviet Union. People who are literally terrified of getting on a train out of the city because they think they might never be allowed to come back.
- jdw64 24d ago
  We're all navigating through hard times.
  - eru 23d ago
    The world economy has never done better in absolute terms. I'm not sure where all those hard times are that I keep hearing about year after year, virtually independent of how well the economies are actually doing.
    - jdw64 23d ago
      It's a K-shaped economy, after all. From the way you talk, you seem to be upper class. Usually Singapore is centered on elite schools and technology for certain families, and just from the fact that you can go into the English-speaking and IT industries, it seems to me—based on this conversation—that you're basically upper class. You're probably connected to Lee Kuan Yew's family. Singapore itself is a standard English-speaking country, and there are many Chinese Singaporeans, but even so, considering the basic amount of education needed to learn IT skills in Asia, you're probably upper class. Then it makes sense that you wouldn't feel it. In fact, because it's a K-shaped economy, the bosses and businesspeople I meet think the business climate is good. But separately from that, for ordinary people who are the actual consumers, it's hard to make a living.
      - deleted 23d ago
        [deleted]
      - eru 22d ago
        Hahaha. My only connection to the Lee family is that in 2023 my daughter had the opportunity to shoot Lee Hsien Loong, but didn't pull the trigger. [0] > In fact, because it's a K-shaped economy, the bosses and businesspeople I meet think the business climate is good. But separately from that, for ordinary people who are the actual consumers, it's hard to make a living. My comment was purely around metrics like GDP per capita (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD?locations=SG https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD?location...), not how well or not I am personally doing. Our unemployment rate is 2%. Youth unemployment is just under 7%. If you need to know, I'm doing quite well. I emigrated to Singapore on an employment pass. No family wealth. We have lots of well off people in Singapore. Many, many more than could plausible claim to have connections to the Lee family. > Singapore itself is a standard English-speaking country, and there are many Chinese Singaporeans, but even so, considering the basic amount of education needed to learn IT skills in Asia, you're probably upper class. I'm not sure what you are trying to say? Around three quarters of the population is ethnically Chinese, and they are doing quite well. When people want to complain about Singapore and inequality, they usually complain about the lot of the migrant workers. [0] Mr Lee showed up as a surprise guest at a local community festival and passed within two metres of us. At the moment, my daughter was playing a carnival game that involved a nerf gun.