tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post3261212945076540014..comments2024-03-29T09:32:34.853-04:00Comments on Mike Norman Economics: Reuters — China's Xi says study capitalism, but Marxism remains topmike normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296006882513340747noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-57769377711636798972017-09-30T16:12:23.338-04:002017-09-30T16:12:23.338-04:00That's interesting, Tom, that they couldn'...That's interesting, Tom, that they couldn't afford it. I hadn't thought of that.<br />Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-44721399510961510012017-09-30T15:39:12.198-04:002017-09-30T15:39:12.198-04:00China was a "welfare state" of sorts fro...China was a "welfare state" of sorts from the inception of Communism until the Deng reforms in 1980. But China was a poor country and the "welfare" was basically sharing poverty. However, after reforms, welfare was subordinated to growth and China has become a lot richer, although not yet a country rich enough to support a developed welfare state in the Western sense. That goal is projected to be reached in 2049. It's a work in progress that has to share stage with the chief focus on growth at present. But that doesn't mean that China has relegated welfare to the back burner. It has to balance advancement with welfare to maintain political stability.<br /><br />Probably most people in the West don't realize it but the Chinese leadership keeps its finger on the social pulse and acts largely in accord with public wishes and expectations if only to remain in power. But a lot of the leadership is really committed to socialism as "the right way."<br /><br />This is taken into consideration in the 5-year plans in terms of long-term objectives. They are systems people.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-64425574001096497322017-09-30T14:30:16.828-04:002017-09-30T14:30:16.828-04:00I've read that they have never had much of a w...I've read that they have never had much of a welfare state in China, although they are developing a bit of a one now. I can't imagine real communism without a welfare state. I put out a program here about Greece and it had a part about the docks that the Chinese had bought. In it the Chinese manager criticised Europe's welfare state for why Europeans don't want to work hard. He said it made us soft and they don't have it in China. He was an authoritarian hard nut, well, they have them over there as well. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.com