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.
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.