"This Could Explode Somewhere..."

[rogerluli]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day...

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

[rogerluli]

To me this topic is THE BIGGIE... Urban Chinese are growing increasingly middle class and are therefore satisfied with the status quo of Communist Party rule. But out in the great hinterland of China where 700 million people live things are not so rosy. There people do not see themselves as having benefited very much from the thrirty years of reforms that have lifted their city cousins out of poverty. Rural China is where all the issues of corrupt officials, the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, gender imbalances, migrant worker issues, sub-standard health care, etc. are at their most troublesome...

 

If you can say something good about Mao it was that he understood this issue and tried to force city dwellers out into the countryside to produce a more balanced nation...

[IllinoisDave]

Interesting and largely overlooked perspective.

Edited August 19, 2008 by IllinoisDave (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Unka roGgiE, maybe Won Hung Low or whoever is in charge when you and I get over to China will kick us out of the urban sprawl we live in and have us doin' farm work.

 

tsap seui

[Yuanyang]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day...

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

US (family) farmers are poor too.

[Smitty]

In developing countries, many people protest against the Olympics coming to their country. The Olympics provide a fiscal boost only to a small area, and the rest of the country tends to suffer.

[Wendy W]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day...

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

http://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif Can you do anything to helphttp://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif instead of always remarkshttp://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif

[chilton747]

My wife comes from a poor rural family. She says as long as they have food to eat then they are happy. It's a far cry from what we have lived in our lifetimes.

 

China has been making great strides for their people in the last 30 years but the future is yet to be seen. I always hope for the best.

 

BTW, IMO, the best thing that ever happened to modern China is that Mao is gone!

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day...

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

 

So, are you saying that any revenue generated from the Olympics whether directly or indirectly should be shared with everyone, including the rural poor? Sounds quite like socialism there Mr. Rog.

 

[rogerluli]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day...

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

 

So, are you saying that any revenue generated from the Olympics whether directly or indirectly should be shared with everyone, including the rural poor? Sounds quite like socialism there Mr. Rog.

 

B)

 

Revenue from the Olympics??? Jesse no country ever makes money by hosting the Olympics...China is spending $30 BILLION DOLLARS to showcase their country to the world...Only the star athletes end up with gold...

 

No what I'm saying is that the situation in rural China is a powderkeg of inequalities and injustices and who knows when, where and if there will be a spark...

[rogerluli]

Not every person in China has been thrilled and awed by the Olympics as we have here on Candle. Many rural Chinese see no benefit to themselves or their villages as the major cities and their residents grow increasingly rich while they continue to fall behind...200 million rural people earn less than $1.25/day... B)

 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-cheering.aspx

http://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif Can you do anything to helphttp://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif instead of always remarkshttp://i37.tinypic.com/dvrrd0.gif

 

Dear Lady let me first say that your smileys are drop dead cute... But on your other point let me reply that here in the MK we feature both the good and the bad news about China... If you find that there is only good news then I am very happy for you...

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

 

No what I'm saying is that the situation in rural China is a powderkeg of inequalities and injustices and who knows when, where and if there will be a spark...

 

Roger, I agree that there are inequalities in China relating to a class system. They are readily apparent to any Westerner visiting China. I've been in Taiwan for the past several days and am amazed at the difference in lifestyle between China and here. But still, I don't see the Chinese people being angry, upset, or disappointed that so much money was spent on the Olympics while they struggle to feed themselves each day. The poor here seem to appreciate the increased opportunity in the bigger cities to get jobs. Many of these jobs are menial; be it street-sweepers, janitorial, or box and can collecting. Those options did not present themselves in the rural areas where they were born and lived.

 

Now, the strong child can move to a bigger city and get a job and share a room. They save virtually every penny they make and send it home. They are grateful that they can not only feed themselves, but now assist in feeding their families. We of Western culture just cannot grasp this. But, it's special to them.

 

I watched an older very lovely women outside my hotel room here in Taiwan this morning, approach a few people with her hand out. She had a kind face with warm eyes. I watched several women and men stop and turn and give her money. I was touched.

 

I know I haven't been living in China but a few months, but as each day passes I am more and more impressed with the resilience of the people. I think we make more of it than what they do; meaning having little and doing a lot with it. It is just a matter of the way it is; and the whether it's right or wrong seems unimportant.

[Wendy W]

 

No what I'm saying is that the situation in rural China is a powderkeg of inequalities and injustices and who knows when, where and if there will be a spark...

 

Roger, I agree that there are inequalities in China relating to a class system. They are readily apparent to any Westerner visiting China. I've been in Taiwan for the past several days and am amazed at the difference in lifestyle between China and here. But still, I don't see the Chinese people being angry, upset, or disappointed that so much money was spent on the Olympics while they struggle to feed themselves each day. The poor here seem to appreciate the increased opportunity in the bigger cities to get jobs. Many of these jobs are menial; be it street-sweepers, janitorial, or box and can collecting. Those options did not present themselves in the rural areas where they were born and lived.

 

Now, the strong child can move to a bigger city and get a job and share a room. They save virtually every penny they make and send it home. They are grateful that they can not only feed themselves, but now assist in feeding their families. We of Western culture just cannot grasp this. But, it's special to them.

 

I watched an older very lovely women outside my hotel room here in Taiwan this morning, approach a few people with her hand out. She had a kind face with warm eyes. I watched several women and men stop and turn and give her money. I was touched.

 

I know I haven't been living in China but a few months, but as each day passes I am more and more impressed with the resilience of the people. I think we make more of it than what they do; meaning having little and doing a lot with it. It is just a matter of the way it is; and the whether it's right or wrong seems unimportant.

 

AGREE!

 

China is a developing country, Even super developed country like America has poor people.So...

my parents works in small countryside town, I am raised in a poor where the family monthly income is 700 RMB when i was in primary school We were very happy, I was satified and excited to get 0.5 kuai to buy ice-cream, honestly happy and satisfied, and I experienced my parent's salary increased from 100/month when I was born to some thousands per month now and still increasing. Isn't that inprovement?

Edited August 20, 2008 by WenDylanforever (see edit history)

[Guest Mike and Lily]

 

No what I'm saying is that the situation in rural China is a powderkeg of inequalities and injustices and who knows when, where and if there will be a spark...

 

Roger, I agree that there are inequalities in China relating to a class system. They are readily apparent to any Westerner visiting China. I've been in Taiwan for the past several days and am amazed at the difference in lifestyle between China and here. But still, I don't see the Chinese people being angry, upset, or disappointed that so much money was spent on the Olympics while they struggle to feed themselves each day. The poor here seem to appreciate the increased opportunity in the bigger cities to get jobs. Many of these jobs are menial; be it street-sweepers, janitorial, or box and can collecting. Those options did not present themselves in the rural areas where they were born and lived.

 

Now, the strong child can move to a bigger city and get a job and share a room. They save virtually every penny they make and send it home. They are grateful that they can not only feed themselves, but now assist in feeding their families. We of Western culture just cannot grasp this. But, it's special to them.

 

I watched an older very lovely women outside my hotel room here in Taiwan this morning, approach a few people with her hand out. She had a kind face with warm eyes. I watched several women and men stop and turn and give her money. I was touched.

 

I know I haven't been living in China but a few months, but as each day passes I am more and more impressed with the resilience of the people. I think we make more of it than what they do; meaning having little and doing a lot with it. It is just a matter of the way it is; and the whether it's right or wrong seems unimportant.

 

AGREE!

 

China is a developing country, Even super developed country like America has poor people.So...

my parents works in small countryside town, I am raised in a poor where the family monthly income is 700 RMB when i was in primary school We were very happy, I was satified and excited to get 0.5 kuai to buy ice-cream, honestly happy and satisfied, and I experienced my parent's salary increased from 100/month when I was born to some thousands per month now and still increasing. Isn't that inprovement?

 

China's improvement has been relative. THere was mass starvation during the cultural revolution. The rural poor are much better off now as they can almost always put food on the table. But if you compare people eeking out a living in squalor to people living an obscenely rich lifestyle, the inequalities become more obvious. The improvement in lifestyle since the cultural revolution has occurred throughout China. It's just that some have experienced more improvement than others.

[Wendy W]

hey. anyone of you is thinking of helping those poor in china more than marry your wife while making so much remark?