According to Li, the change occurred first in rural restructuring when the “household contract system” began giving farmers greater control over their produce and a direct share in the profits (and losses). This led directly to increased agricultural output and rural living standards. Li’s book is entitled “Economic Reform and Development —the Chinese Way, 2010.” This reminded me of the land reforms instituted by the U.S. following WWII in S. Korea, Taiwan and Japan (but not the P.I.).
While the U.S. Congress remains in gridlock, and President Obama’s proposals go forth as smoke on the wind, Chinese shake their heads in bewilderment. The middle class here in Beijing just keeps on working hard for quality education and the material life that were taken for granted by most Americans in the mid-to-late 20th century —not too long ago! From a Beijing perspective, we Americans appear foolish and unwise by wasting our many economic advantages.
Appearing recently in the China Daily (English Edition), Dan Steinbock writes about the decade following 9/11/2001.
That attack produced a divided America in terms of economic and security policies. Further, the Bush administration’s decisions on making war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the individual income tax cuts, Wall Street financial corruption, congressional overspending and unfunded war expenses, etc., led to our current financial and debt problems.
The simplest way out of our current economic mess in the coming decade would be for President Obama to let the Bush tax cuts expire; and accelerate the exit of all U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Would the President do just these two things in the next 15 months?
BRUCE G. KAROLLE
Tamuning, Guam
