needsandwants, When outsiders see China through the media, they only get to see the developed cities of Beijing and Shanghai. They never or rarely see the farms where they still use oxens rather than tractors to pull their cultivators. They never see the dirt floor houses of the majority of Chinese. The contrast is dramatic - to say the least, and what we see can be very misleading. I'm no expert, but my two visits to China has provided me with more insight than the non-visitor into the "real" China of today. Comparisons of China to the US or UK in these forums may provide some measure of understanding, but trying to compare the standard of living based on GDP is ridiculous.
yes I totally agree...that only works as you say when there are mechanisms in place to pass on the wealth of the gdp to the entire country.
Of course the people in the undeveloped areas will have a higher standard of living than those on the city... they don't have to wait in traffic jams or tell their kids to stop watching television so they can talk to them for a few moments.
There are always pros and cons to any situation one lives in.
China is like the US in the 19th and early 20th century. A lot of the growth is going to be absorbed internally, probably for the next generation. If not the Communist (who are no longer Communists) are going to be in trouble and there will be a regime change.
could be...could be...
but did you think how old the Chinese civilisation is compared to the US.
what's a little concept like "liberty" compared to thousands of years of tradition.
And the Chinese think in thousand year terms. While there's no questioning that the US is currently the world's superpower, they have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that they will one day gain the mantle.
Since "now" is my generation, I'm glad my birthplace was in the US of A.
