re: #183 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, observing both China and Russia practicing “market” economies is also a bit depressing, because in neither case has the common citizen benefited very much from it. I’m not naive enough to think there’s no bribery in the US, but it’s usually far more subtle and concealed, unless reports I’ve seen from China and Russia are just a pack of lies. I understand it’s pretty much a way of life in both places now.

I suppose the only way to truly experience it is up close and personal, although as a westerner, one’s own experience would be far different than a native of the country, I would imagine.

That’s just not true in China. Most people there still don’t live what we would consider “living well”, but nevertheless those working in jobs that feed the market economy do live substantially better than their parents and grandparents did 40 years ago. That’s not to say there isn’t cronyism, pollution, and poverty all over China, those problems are clearly there. But to say that the removal of many state controls hasn’t improved things substantially is quite wrong.