Re: GDP and grain production in China

[briand@xxxxxxxxxxx (Brian Carnell)]

On Tue, 23 Apr 1996 09:17:07 -0400 (EDT), Roberto Delacruz
<mlm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Village elders regularly update the "star ratings" of each of the 700-odd
>households on such parameters as personal hygiene, public spirit,
>domestic tranquillity, studiousness of  children, work enthusiasm,  and
>political participation.  Ten-star households enjoy the full range of
>Nanjie welfare benefits: free gas and electricity, medical care,
>kindergarten-through-college education, life insurance, and a grocery
>basket that includes everything from flour and pork to persimmon cakes
>and monosodium glutamate.

Wow. It's capitalist competition.  Albeit a very totalitarian form of
capitalistic competition.  You're actually going to reward those who
work hardest *more* than those who don't work as hard?  Shudder.

>For each star short of the mark, the "aunties" rescind one perk, forcing
>the family to buy those benefits on the market. "Here, you don't gain
>face by spending money," Li points out. "You lose it."

The star system is a reward system.  How is this any different from a
capitalist boss deciding to reward his hardest worker with the largest
salary, and the laziest worker with the lowest salary?  Aside from the
fact that in a competitive market the worker has the option of going
to another firm, whereas someone in China doesn't have this option --
it's work for the state or else.



-----------------------------------------------------------------

Brian Carnell                   http://www.net-link.net/~briand/
briand@xxxxxxxxxxx


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