Breakingviews

Some of us care as much about democracy as economic efficiency.

Not a very popular idea for M. Hadas. Very poor article.

Your picture of China is unreasonally black. While it is true that China is facing many problems, but you have failed to see many other factors taht have contributed to China’s success and these factors might be the ones that contributed to the failure here in the U.S.

These factors include (1) people who grow up after China opened her door, who have been exposed to outside ideas and who are the force for progress and for perpectuating the progress China has thus made; (2) education. While the myth has been like this — Chinese students are good at book learning and not as innovative and creative as western students. But one of the PISA test (2009) results demonstrate the quality of Chinese education, which has been nourished and supported by families. While education has always been the strenght in Asian countries, the U.S.-led western world more and more show declines in their education achievement, especially in U.S. which leads it more and more unable to fill its high-tech labor market. (3) Hard work ethic. Compare to the U.S. China has a lot less social parasites living on the wellfare of the states and the government. Chinese people, no matter who they are, are praised and famous for their hard work, which will turn into high productivity. On the other hand, in the U.S. with the jobs shipped overseas, there is less and less productivity as less people produce value. A country cannot expect grow through consumption. Imagine what it is like when all goes to consume and nobody produces?