This was a Planet Money podcast. I don't know if it was any different (I just skimmed it), but I always really enjoy the presentation and style of Planet Money.
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=944...
The Secret Document That Transformed China
51–56 of 56 posts
Re: The Secret Document That Transformed China
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
They aren't in competition. They both were geniuses. Smith did not advocate laissez-faire capitalism. He was against any kind of cartel, oligopoly, or monopoly, and wanted the state to be more powerful than corporations, not controlled by corporations. Marx was right about capitalism but wrong about incentives. Both of them should be drawn from in the creation of a next generation economic system.
How do you get a state that is "more powerful" than Corporations? I don't think Government size has anything to do with it. Are you referring to having many strong law enforcement agencies to threaten the corporations? I'd say the US Government already has that, and Corporations still seem to control it. And if you want to give China as an example, that's not an acceptable model. In a democracy, the best way for the…
The solution is radical meritocracy and an end to privileged elites (nepotism & cronyism).
Society must not tolerate the creation of an aristocratic class, or that class will engage in anti-meritocratic privilege (nepotism & cronyism).
Meritocracy is the next step from democracy. In a meritocracy, ONLY non-privileged competent people are allowed to hold positions of power.
Corporations control the government through privilege games (cronyism and nepotism).
End the privilege games by outlawing elites from government.
End the dumbocracy (rule by the dumb) in favor of meritocracy (rule by those who have proven scientific credentials)
So the health minister should be elected by all who can prove they are informed about health - they hold medical degrees, biology degrees, or can pass the relevant exams. These educated meritocratic voters from the science community elect the health minister.
The real problem of corporations controlling government is a problem of aristocratic dynasties and privileged super-rich elites gaming the system to consolidate wealth and power. It's simple game theory.
The solution is cutting off the power of elites and placing power in the hands of non-superrich meritocratic highly educated experts who have no sex appeal but do have proven competence in their scientific field. These meritocrats, given power by the votes of informed people, would be able to reign in the out of control disasterous cronyism and nepotism that has destroyed our economy.
The solution is meritocracy. Democracy itself needs to be modified in such a way that a tiny group of elite families no longer dominate it. One big way to remove their power is instituting a wealth cap, say $100 million per person. Another way is through inheritance tax. The tax dollars from the superrich should go to empower the poor through high quality education at the private schools where the superrich send their children currently.
When stupid people ask you how our country is going to get out this mess, you respond, "by empowering scientific experts and disempowering the (a) stupid Christians (b) privileged war-mongers (c) nepotists and (d) crony capitalists"
Meritocracy is the only way out of this broken country. Credible, sensible, rational scientific policies can save us. Dumbocracy and privilege will destroy us.
Re: The Secret Document That Transformed China
#53Interesting article, but I find this part a bit disingenuous: Within a few years, farms all over China adopted the principles in that secret document. People could own what they grew. The government launched other economic reforms, and China's economy started to grow like crazy. Since 1978, something like 500 million people have risen out of poverty in China. Though not explicitly stated, the passage seems to imply t…
Western Europe was destroyed by the bombing campaigns of World War II, yet sprung back to wealth within 20 years.
China was devastated by Japan, by civil war, and by ruinously stupid communist policies. The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution were directly imposed by the CCP with Mao as the leading figure.
It is not a "trick" to point out the objectively verifiable consequences of the decisions made.
Re: The Secret Document That Transformed China
#54It's interesting to revisit events like this in the present-day US. One can only wonder what sort of change might take place if rather than giving up 50% of what we make, we were allowed to reinvest it into our homes, businesses, and communities. Perhaps states like Texas and New Hampshire could be held up as the poster-children for a new direction in US policy? Unlikely, but one can dream, I suppose.
Re: The Secret Document That Transformed China
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Marx also believed that no capitalist country would ever, say, abolish child labor, institute universal education, and create universal health care. He further believed that a government can 'wither away'. Marx has been proven wrong in ways that have nothing to do with how well Communism/Socialism works as a system.
Is it fair to say we have abolished child labor, instituted universal education and created universal health care when our economy relies on manufactured goods made by uneducated children with no health care?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Re: The Secret Document That Transformed China
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you get a state that is "more powerful" than Corporations? I don't think Government size has anything to do with it. Are you referring to having many strong law enforcement agencies to threaten the corporations? I'd say the US Government already has that, and Corporations still seem to control it. And if you want to give China as an example, that's not an acceptable model. In a democracy, the best way for the…
The solution is radical meritocracy and an end to privileged elites (nepotism & cronyism). Society must not tolerate the creation of an aristocratic class, or that class will engage in anti-meritocratic privilege (nepotism & cronyism). Meritocracy is the next step from democracy. In a meritocracy, ONLY non-privileged competent people are allowed to hold positions of power. Corporations control the government through…
It sounds very pretty, but our evolutionary heritage is all about exploiting opportunities in order to secure a more advantaged position.
The problem with a meritocracy is that it must be policed in order to make sure that it is indeed operating as a meritocracy. However, all it takes is a little leverage over the watchmen to change it into a meritocracy in name only. All systems requiring policing have this weakness. And since there is a strong economic incentive to subverting the system for personal gain, corruption is an eventuality.