Two thoughts on Capitalism and China

Capitalism is based on unlimited growth and the evidence would appear to suggest that we are living on a wee planet where the resources are finite. This has always been a fact but in the global village it is all the more evident. The hope might be that we come up with new technologies that rescue the planet and keep the ball rolling for some time to come. Approaching Wuxi last week on the train from Nanjing the evidence would seem to suggest otherwise, “Old King Coal" still rules in China and with China and India developing our reliance on both coal and oil is anything but waning. Growth is at the end of the day unsustainable.

In 2003 the constitution was amended in China to protect property rights. The concept that property has rights is absurd. How far have we come since Proudhon? Now, it is a case of all animals are equal but some are more equal than others as the gap between rich and poor increases. It is the private ownership of property that will cement the unequal nature of Chinese society. If civil society were developing this could be tolerated in the hope that the more enlightened members of the bourgeoisie were to reject the absurdity of capitalism. This, however, is not being done.