[nwrep]

That the vast majority of Chinese live in abject poverty is not a mystery to experienced world travelers. I think the point is that the 80-85% who have not benefitted from capitalism are irrelevant. The economic agenda is being set by the 10-15% who have, they are relevant, and those are the ones we need to pay attention to, instead of trying to construct a losing argument based on the income disparity which exists in China.

The fact that Shanghai can support two (not one, but two) Ferrari dealerships should say something about China's economic ascendancy. It is not out of nothing that China has blown past Germany, UK, France and Japan's ecnonomies to become #2.

[Will88]

Your admiration for the ability of totalitarian regimes to direct and control the limited prosperity of a large population is obvious, as is Thomas Friedman’s.