Wednesday, July 13, 2005
China in the Red
I have viewed several Frontline articles lately and have come across several interesting stories. One about the private sector in Iraq was particularily fascinating, another about mogadishu was a clear reminder of some issues i have always had strong feelings about, but it was this one about the development of China that I am choosing to write about. Its not particularly my Chinese roots that sparked my interest although it would be a lie to say it didn't factor in at all, but rather the open and raw view into the lives of those on all sides of the developing giant.
The issue that stuck out most to me was the particular mentality of the people in China. There was a defeatist complacency among many of the lower class. I suppose it was due to the years of communist conditioning that taught people to accept their place in life. You know, you always hear about the differences between capitalism and communism but you dont really think that such fundamental concepts can vary so drastically from one society to another. I have always assumed that one should always strive to better oneself and that complacency is something to be frowned upon. I am getting off topic now. Of course the social divide between the rich and poor continue to escalate as China develops into a industrial and modern super power. Was this the very same thing that happened in the the west during the industrial revolution? Its almost as if China is now some sort of isolated microcosm of the near past rushing to catch up with the rest of the world.
This of course is all find and dandy but the clear difference between the century of development in the west and the current modernization of China is that China is doing it by leaps and bounds. Like a child going through a growth spurt, it is unable to control its own limbs constantly bumping and bruising itself. Those who will fall will fall hard, and those that survive this time will be floating on the lily pads brought about by the economic boom. Each generation becomes more and more disjunct with the previous because of the increasing momentum of development by the society. Western ideologies and thoughts are colliding head on with Chinese culture and traditions.
Unlike Japan who went through the same process a century ago, China is such a vast and numerous nation that the cohesive development of the nation as a whole becomes close to impossible. You have several distinct regions of the country with its own ethnic and cultural background completely seperate from the others. You have old provincial centers such as manchuria in the north and schzeuhan in the south brought together by milleniums of warfare and political feuding. Of course you have the cultural centers of the country such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou that represent China on a international scale but the majority of the population is still rural. Locale political cadres are often no more educated that a middle or high schooler in the west but they still hold enormous sway over the activities of their province.
Yet, as you saw in the show, many of the younger generation are going to the cities to search for opportunities. There, they are exposed to new ideas and information which had eluded them in the country sides. The government realizing the folly of the old Maoist system has opened its doors finally to the west and the process of modernization has begun. Yet, having the wounds of the Opium Wars fresh in their memory, they are still hesitant to invest too much in outside help prefering to have home grown talent and consultants lead the way for China's future. What does this mean though? It seems that if history does indeed repeat itself you will see the rise of a few economic super powers (ie. Vanderbuilts, Gueggenheims, and Rockefellers int he US and the Zaibastsu system in Japan - which still is going strong today) then a depression before the whole thing smoothes out. Well what do I know, I havn't taken a day of economics in my life. I hope you enjoyed the program as much as I did. ¶ 10:10 PM
The issue that stuck out most to me was the particular mentality of the people in China. There was a defeatist complacency among many of the lower class. I suppose it was due to the years of communist conditioning that taught people to accept their place in life. You know, you always hear about the differences between capitalism and communism but you dont really think that such fundamental concepts can vary so drastically from one society to another. I have always assumed that one should always strive to better oneself and that complacency is something to be frowned upon. I am getting off topic now. Of course the social divide between the rich and poor continue to escalate as China develops into a industrial and modern super power. Was this the very same thing that happened in the the west during the industrial revolution? Its almost as if China is now some sort of isolated microcosm of the near past rushing to catch up with the rest of the world.
This of course is all find and dandy but the clear difference between the century of development in the west and the current modernization of China is that China is doing it by leaps and bounds. Like a child going through a growth spurt, it is unable to control its own limbs constantly bumping and bruising itself. Those who will fall will fall hard, and those that survive this time will be floating on the lily pads brought about by the economic boom. Each generation becomes more and more disjunct with the previous because of the increasing momentum of development by the society. Western ideologies and thoughts are colliding head on with Chinese culture and traditions.
Unlike Japan who went through the same process a century ago, China is such a vast and numerous nation that the cohesive development of the nation as a whole becomes close to impossible. You have several distinct regions of the country with its own ethnic and cultural background completely seperate from the others. You have old provincial centers such as manchuria in the north and schzeuhan in the south brought together by milleniums of warfare and political feuding. Of course you have the cultural centers of the country such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou that represent China on a international scale but the majority of the population is still rural. Locale political cadres are often no more educated that a middle or high schooler in the west but they still hold enormous sway over the activities of their province.
Yet, as you saw in the show, many of the younger generation are going to the cities to search for opportunities. There, they are exposed to new ideas and information which had eluded them in the country sides. The government realizing the folly of the old Maoist system has opened its doors finally to the west and the process of modernization has begun. Yet, having the wounds of the Opium Wars fresh in their memory, they are still hesitant to invest too much in outside help prefering to have home grown talent and consultants lead the way for China's future. What does this mean though? It seems that if history does indeed repeat itself you will see the rise of a few economic super powers (ie. Vanderbuilts, Gueggenheims, and Rockefellers int he US and the Zaibastsu system in Japan - which still is going strong today) then a depression before the whole thing smoothes out. Well what do I know, I havn't taken a day of economics in my life. I hope you enjoyed the program as much as I did. ¶ 10:10 PM
