Re: government, markets, and material well-being

[Alan G Isaac <aisaac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 26 Aug 2002 19:46:42 -0400 "Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> There is one topic that I am unequivocally more authoritatively informed than you:
> China.


Of course.  That makes it all the more astonishing how you
can celebrate the destruction Mao visited upon China, and
how little you understand the nature of wealth.  Again I
note: at 10% growth per year, you get a *doubling* every
*seven* years.  You simply cannot explain away the market
driven rise in China's material wealth the way you try to.
(Which is not to dismiss land speculation and corruption,
but only to put them in perspective.)

Good intentions and even admirable actions cannot offset
silly economics that relegate a billion people to poverty.
If you find Mao so superior to markets, please find some
like minded individuals a go off and create a revolution in
steel production according to his clever ideas.  At least
you won't starve millions to death by imposing this
foolishness on others.

One of the amazing things we learned from both Stalin and
Mao is how light hearted leaders can be about starving
millions to death.
    "The chaos caused was on a grand scale, and I take
    responsibility. Comrades, you must all analyse your own
    responsibility. If you have to fart, fart. You will feel
    much better for it."

The idea you keep floating that the slow growth of a nation
the size of China can be explained by external factors
(e.g., a US embargo) rather than internal factors (e.g., the
economic and cultural chaos visited upon a people by a
well-meaning but ideologically blinkered demagogue) is truly
bizarre.

Cheers,
Alan