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Its NOT a free country politically and it is very crowded, but there are some amazing differences. My wife is Chinese and we just returned after a four month visit with in-law family.

FYI, China has NO income tax, NO capital gains tax, NO retail sales tax, NO death tax, NO cgarette tax and NO friggin’ parking meters. That being said, you can open a bank account and fund it with almost any major currency denomination (Dollars , British Pound, Japanese Yen, Euro, or RMB if you so choose). Try doing that here in “ the land of the free” and see how far you get.

There is also NO entitlement class in China, no welfare, no unemployment, no food stamps, no government housing...the closest you come to that is subsidised health care for active/retired military and there families. In China, if you dont hustle; make or sell something, you dont eat. Its everyone for themselves. Food is CHEAP and everywhere. Hence, everyone on all levels of society from the guy on the street corner who works 18 hour days repairing bikes for small change, the the CEOs of big companies constantly busts their butts.

There is a capitalist fever there for commerce and business which has been unleashed after 50 years of stifling “have nothing” Maoism. After going without for so long, they really WANT to elevate their standard of living, and have no reservations about working hard to do so. Having NOTHING creates a good work ethic; having everything make you lazy and apathetic. IOW, in the Chinese thinking, the desired goal to be STRIVED FOR is wealth. There is absolutely NO cultural stigma about making money, lots of it. For those who achieve financial independence, it is assumed they are successful because of their hard work and brains, not because they “exploited” someone “less fortunate” and stole their money. There is no CAPITALIST GUILT whatsoever in China.

Say what you will, because there are so many negative aspects to life in modern China (pollution, high population density, intellectual propety theft, abysmal human rights etc),but for the most part the Chinese have a strong national identity; work extremely hard, are proud to be a part of their country’s advance. They are not polarised and divided, with one half of the country in total idealogical opossition and actively working against the success of their nation.

For a Communist government, their leaders at least have enough common sense to invest stimulus packages exclusively into domestic projects which create jobs, improve infastructure and boost productivity. Flame away, but after the events of the last sixty days, can you honestly same the same about OUR leadership?

Their education system is rigid, strict and somewhat authoritarian, but focuses on Mathematics, engineering, chemistry and application of hard sciences. No special degrees in “human sciences, gay and trans-gender issues, social justice or environmental politics.” They have legions of students studying and competing for limited college and job placement opportunities, so the motivation to work hard and succeed is fierce...no keggers or beer bong parties.

Lastly, my Chinese family and friends are all shocked at what is transpiring in our nation. They refer to the policies of the current congress and administration as a “Giant Step Backwards” I guess their play on words instead of a “Giant Leap Forward.” They cannot understand why America of all place is moving backwards into the same hell they are so feverishly working to escape.