Latest problems may only be the tip of the iceberg
Following up on the post Problems In China May Be Worse Than They Appear, fears continue to grow that recent discoveries of tainted goods only represent the tip of the iceberg. There is an excellent piece by Howard W. French in The International Herald Tribune entitled Scandals hint at reality behind China’s ‘miracle’ . The article takes recent events and places them within a broader picture. There may be some problems with Chinese exported goods, but the real problem lies with goods made for domestic consumption which don’t have to pass the same high standards.
In the broadest sense, what the deluge of scandals suggests is that reality is catching up with the old and familiar story line of the “Chinese miracle.” Indeed, this country has been deluding itself and much of the world with the notion that healthy and lasting prosperity can be built on a foundation of counterfeiting, of exploitation and of fraud.
As governing philosophies go, “Shhh, quiet, we’re busy making money,” is not a very inspiring one, and it leaves a country and its people without any moral or ethical compass, beyond crudities like “might makes right,” or “the ends justify the means,” or “I got here first.
There are serious costs resulting from this governing philosophy.
Sphere: Related ContentChina’s environment is being ravaged at a pace that many experts both here and outside of the country say is unsustainable, even in the medium term. A change of course proves all but impossible, though, because it is argued that to protect the environment is to slow growth, and to do that is to endanger stability.
…a system that is so clearly based on influence peddling and on power networks, where accountability is elusive and where the individual stands little chance of legal redress, is a system that breeds instability and scandal and an erosion of trust.