Capitalism and China

[Rianne]

I listened to a fascinating podcast this morning about how China dipped its toes into capitalism. It started some years back (the farmers are still alive and were interviewed in this podcast with interpreters). The podcast is in Planet Money.



These farmers decided they wanted a bigger reward for working hard. They met in secret in a barn realizing they could be imprisoned for treason is anyone found out they were meeting and talking about the concept of owning their own business. Everything in China is communally owned by everyone and shared, including your teeth (thought that was really funny). This story tells how they got their idea across and it worked to an extent. The final version is that one of the farmers has started a few businesses but whenever it becomes profitable the government takes it away.

I've never been to China and I know so little about the country. I only know one guy makes the rules and that they make everything so cheaply the US buys all their stuff and sells it here for a big profit. They buy so much of our soybeans and corn and wheat that the farmers around here/Illinois are freaking out. Beyond that, I'm clueless.

 

[aja8888]

I listened to a fascinating podcast this morning about how China dipped its toes into capitalism. It started some years back (the farmers are still alive and were interviewed in this podcast with interpreters). The podcast is in Planet Money.



These farmers decided they wanted a bigger reward for working hard. They met in secret in a barn realizing they could be imprisoned for treason is anyone found out they were meeting and talking about the concept of owning their own business. Everything in China is communally owned by everyone and shared, including your teeth (thought that was really funny). This story tells how they got their idea across and it worked to an extent. The final version is that one of the farmers has started a few businesses but whenever it becomes profitable the government takes it away.

I've never been to China and I know so little about the country. I only know one guy makes the rules and that they make everything so cheaply the US buys all their stuff and sells it here for a big profit. They buy so much of our soybeans and corn and wheat that the farmers around here/Illinois are freaking out. Beyond that, I'm clueless.

A trip there is in order for you!

 

[HillCountry]

You described China before 80s.

I watched Plastic China the other day. That is more close to today’s China.

 

[Rianne]

You described China before 80s.

I watched Plastic China the other day. That is more close to today’s China.

I thought the Podcast said it happened in 2013. Again, I know nothing about China. It was an entertaining Podcast. I'll check out Plastic China.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I found the episode on Ugly Delicious about dumplings to be pretty informative!

 

[HFWR]

I think the leadership is trying to “unleash” the people of China by using capitalism-light, i.e. while staying in complete control of everything...

 

[ER_Hopeful]

native Chinese here, naturalized US citizen since 18 year old. Having lived in the states for 30 years. Fluent in both English and Chinese.

China is a very broad topic, all I can say is don't be blinded by all the positive/cheering leading news of its economic miracle. It was able to achieve such economic success in such a short time is because its government was and willing to do some very deceitful/unethical things. Deng XiaoPing(the CCP chairman who decided the open-door policy in 1970's) said 不管白猫黑猫捉住老鼠就是好猫 (English: “It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice), meaning economic success at all costs and regardless of means. The long term goal is to dethrone the US, the initial strategy is to hide its true intention, to play weak and appear harmless and friendly(a strategy prescribed in Art of the War by Sun Tzu)

This is the strategy from the 80's to the mid 2000's. During the honey moon period, it's received massive, massive amount of foreign investments from the Asian four tigers (HongKong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea), Japan and the U.S. China also forces technology transfer to build up their so called indigenous industries. So once they've mastered the skill/technologies, the government give massive subsidies to local companies to provide business growth and thus drive out foreign competitions.

After some power struggle in the 2015, Xi JinPing became the new Chairman. He's since then wiped out a lot of his rivalries by using anti-graft campaign and changed the so-called constitution to give himself unlimited terms (it was set to 2 terms by Deng in the 80's). His government has also started to spread the idea to the rest of the world that the Chinese authoritarian economic/political model is better than the democratic one of the West and that China is on its way to restore to its former glorious Central-Kingdom status. (中国=China, meaning The Central Kingdom, can also be understood as center of the universe.) It sickens me when I saw Tim Cook worshiped him during Xi's visit to the States a few years ago and that Mark Zuckerberg went as far kissing ass as to asked Xi to name his new-born daughter which Xi refused.

Censorship has been getting much stronger in the past few years, basically all social media sites are blocked, plus youtube, all google products, etc , etc. Any online posts mentioning of 1989 June 4 (massacrer of students), Taiwan, Tibet, criticism of CCP are automatically removed by A.I.

Also, China (not bound by a treaty)has been developing Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles , that's why Donal Trump wanted to pull out of the INF treaty with Russia.

I've only scratched the surface. Hope I've enlightened you.


[A] Resource you can look into
https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Year-...hael+pillsbury

(Mod edit: Links to videos removed)

 

[target2019]

Political?

 

[aja8888]

Political?

...and good reminder of what is snowballing our way.

 

[NW-Bound]

I follow the politics of Communist countries, so know a bit more about the situation in China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Cuba, etc...

Awful authoritarian regimes. Westerner visitors are so easily fooled. I would never visit these countries. Also countries in the Middle East.

 

[phil1ben]

As said before, what you describe was Maoist China before Deng Xiaoping who took control after Mao died in 1976. After the Cultural Revolution, Deng truly saved China, despite his failings at Tienanmen Square. Actually there was a small degree of capitalism even under Mao in the cities. China has evolved towards more capitalism under its next three General Secretaries, however, it still clings in its Constitution to a policy of socialism with "Chinese Characteristics". Although it will never admit it, those characteristics are elements of capitalism.

The regime is clearly authoritarian, however, the level of bureaucracies is truly mind-numbing.

 

[samclem]

Thanks for the interesting discussion.