Despite the US’s economic success, income inequality remains breathtaking. But this is no glitch – it’s the system

Despite the US’s economic success, income inequality remains breathtaking. But this is no glitch – it’s the system

The Chinese did rather well in the age of globalization. In 1990, 943 million people there lived on less than $3 a day measured in 2021 dollars – 83% of the population, according to the World Bank. By 2019, the number was brought down to zero. Unfortunately, the United States was not as successful. More than 4 million Americans – 1.25% of the population – must make ends meet with less than $3 a day, more than three times as many as 35 years ago.

The data is not super consistent with the narrative of the US’s inexorable success. Sure, American productivity has zoomed ahead of that of its European peers. Only a handful of countries manage to produce more stuff per hour of work. And artificial intelligence now promises to put the United States that much further ahead.

This is not to congratulate China for its authoritarian government, for its repression of minorities or for the iron fist it deploys against any form of dissent. But it merits pondering how this undemocratic government could successfully slash its poverty rate when the richest and oldest democracy in the world wouldn’t.

  • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
    4·
    9 hours ago

    All governments rely on uncorruptible civil servants to some degree.

    This is flat-out false. Systems like anarchism explicitly expect it,and structured accordingly.

    But the Chinese system has this pernacious habit of benefiting domestic Chinese residents.

    Tanky say what?! Go ask the Uyghurs or the Tibetans or the Hong Kongers or any non-han ethnic group. It’s not an east west thing. It’s a “western nations did identical things to my family that China is doing over there. And I’m not an immature ideology blinded campist” thing. It’s a don’t be a hypocrite thing. But name a more iconic strawman for an ML than not just bigotedly lumping an entire ethnic group, but vast diverse groups as one. Just because they loosely share geopolitical ties.

    If the Chinese economy was run out of a board room at JP Morgan or through a series is military based commanded by NATO Generals or via a client state like Israel or Japan, we wouldn’t hear any complaints.

    You’re literally projecting. Because I’m here to tell you that’s just as bad. Fuck that shit whoever is doing it. Grow up and stop being an enabling hypocrite.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      7 hours ago

      Systems like anarchism explicitly expect it,and structured accordingly.

      Speak specifically. Which anarchist government are you referring to?

      Because I can point to plenty of anarchist communities - from Chaz in Seattle to the 1930s Spanish Anarchists - who were as plagued with corruption and abuse of authority.

      Never even mind the Anarcho-Capitalists that have been central to the modern era of human trafficking, war profiteering, and environmental pillaging.

      Tanky say what?!

      Go ask the Uyghurs or the Tibetans or the Hong Kongers or any non-han ethnic group.

      Michelle Bachelet got screamed at by the NatSec crowd when she came back from her tour of China and failed to find the litany of atrocities that Christian Nationalists in the NATO block had alleged

      Something of a joke over the last few years that the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the civil war in South Sudan has eclipsed the UN’s attention, in large part because the “anti-genocide” voices on China have had to rapidly pivot to being genocide-denialist across North Africa and the Middle East.

      If you can find me the equivalent of hospitals being bombed, populations starved into submission, and children with brains blown out by sniper fire as they were carried by terrified parents, I’d be genuinely curious to see it.

      Because I’m here to tell you that’s just as bad.

      That’s always the game isn’t it? “How dare you defy my political orthodoxy! You’re the real criminal here!”

      You can’t stomach the most tepid opposition. The slightest whisper of defiance to the fascist narrative sends you into spirals of invective. When you’re presented with a simple request for clarification, all you can do is scream Red Scare tropes and pound the downvote button.

      • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
        3·
        6 hours ago

        I never said it eliminated it. Just that it accounted for it. Keeping governance flat and small. So it doesn’t produce corruption on a national level. Or export it.

        And in the end, what does it matter. Every ML government has been corrupted and pushed it’s corruption at a much larger scale. That’s the point. The scale and mass of those

        And as to your linked investigation, that’s not particularly convincing one way or the other. If China was good as you pretend, they would have a free press. Instead they repress. Foreign press have where they can go severely restricted often accompanied by minders to make sure they don’t get close to what they’re looking for. And finally, it’s very common for those that are abused to deny their abuse as long as they are vulnerable to their abuser. Here’s a link to an interview. Where at one point family and activists confront a CCP rep about the disappearance of their friends and family. Where he convincingly screeches “OnE cHiNa!!!” In response to not having the power to disappear. I know you deny these peoples existence. I bet you’ll even resort to old trusty. CIA or NATO conspiracy!

        But the fact is secrecy and suppression is not the hallmark of the innocent.The leaders of ML governments are human just like everyone else. They aren’t divine or infallible. No matter how much ideology blinded campists like yourself, claim otherwise.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 hours ago

          Keeping governance flat and small.

          Government isn’t a pancake, its a series of publicly administered institutions. “We just need to keep things small” isn’t a meaningful or tangible policy, as evidenced by the catastrophe that’s been DOGE.

          Every ML government has been corrupted and pushed it’s corruption at a much larger scale.

          When “corruption” in the western lexicon translates to “Poor people getting nice things from the state”, I guess they’re guilty as charged.

          But the fact is secrecy and suppression is not the hallmark of the innocent.

          Then why advocate for closed-off privatized institutions to manage your economy and your polity?