China, A Land Divided: A middle class rises in the cities, leaving the masses behind (all 3 parts)

Long Island Newsday | August 4,5,6, 2002 | Edward A. Gargan

[Stand Watch Listen]

Beijing, China -- Two blocks from the paddle-boaters on Beijing's Back Lake, which once was lined with monasteries and is now the preserve of Communist Party bigwigs and the newly wealthy, Luo Yu hurried to a class at the Central Drama Academy, her long braided hair flapping behind her.

The harried 19-year-old juggles a schedule familiar to her contemporaries in the West: driving lessons, ballet practice, recitals, boyfriends.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[maui_hawaii]

In 1979, China set a radical new course when Deng Xiaoping, the successor to Mao, effectively began to dismantle doctrinaire communism by declaring that "it matters not if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice" --

With that statement has China ever abandoned its strategic goals for ultimate super power and power over Asia? What is the "mouse" they are after?

China did not abandon its goal of a utopic China, they just tried a different method of getting there.

The only way they can do what they so desire... is to oppose the US.

[AIG]

"it matters not if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice"

He is simply talking about economics here, not world conquest, as your paranoid mind believes. He is saying the economic system employed by a country is not so important as long as it produced real concrete benefits for its citizens in terms of improved standard of living, quality of life, etc.

[PhilDragoo]

Thank you for posting this excellent three-part article.

[PhilDragoo]

It is clear that China has the greatest income discrepancy of the world because it diverts its cash from U.S. trade to Russia for offensive weaponry, leaving its people with little.

[maui_hawaii]

Its not only spent on weapons, but thats the jist of it. The government buys and spends. Everything is the government. The people are there to support the government, not the other way around. Its 100% facist.

[maui_hawaii]

As long as the party bosses have big money, and their families can drive their nice cars, "everything is fine" no matter how many people are hurting or starving in the countryside.

The problems are out of sight, and out of mind, except of course the party fears having the common man getting organized and pissed off that them.

[AIG]

leaving its people with little.

Are u kidding me? Obviously, you've never been to China. 100 mil. Chinese today enjoy a standard of living on par with S. Korea. 20 years ago, you couldn't say that. In the next 20 years, you'll see 200-300 mil. with a First World standard of living. Economic development doesn't happen overnight, but it's a process.

[AIG]

20 years ago, over 90% of China's people were peasants. Today, it's about 67%. As time goes on, more and more Chinese will move to China's cities and join China's growing middle-class.