re: #170 Justanotherhuman

Is there much of a working class mindset in China? Much of the emulation of the rich and famous as we see in the US? There is a class structure in spite of China’s official political position, just as we have a class system in the US which, with the erosion of the “middle class”, is becoming more obvious.

It’s hard to make any parallels between China and the States. The working class in the USA has unemployment insurance, workman’s comp, AFDC, WIC, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to fall back on when things go bad. There’s no such thing for the majority of people in China. The safety net of the elderly is their children and grandchildren. So, the working class in China is juggling several balls in the air at once: saving for a home, for a car, for their kid’s schooling (education is not free here), for their family’s medical care, and trying to save money for emergencies. They are well aware of the profligate spending of the leaders and business elite, and there is a lot of resentment.

At the same time, they want to be in those top economic levels. Some have tried their hands at being entrepreneurs. Most work ridiculously long hours six days a week to scrape up enough money for themselves and their families. The American work ethic pales in comparison.

As long as China’s economy keeps chugging along, and people have a glimmer of hope of social advancement, that resentment will not boil over into conflict. But we all worry what will happen if the economy goes bust and umemployment skyrockets.