An interesting article
http://Scragged.com is probably the best non-libertarian right wing site I've seen, at least as far as having consistently good writing by some very thoughtful people. Today they had a very interesting article about China and Africa. It offers some trenchant observations about the contrast and comparison of the West's policy toward Africa after decolonization with that currently pursued by China.
My favorite part was not so much about Africa, but raised the kind of questions that even the most principled progressives don't really want to confront.
Westerners prefer to forget that the Chinese emphasis on growth is pretty much the same as Western government policy during the industrial revolution. Environmentalists are uncomfortable with the fact that as manufactured goods became more available during the early stages of industrialization, life spans increased. Despite the environmental costs of the early stages of industrialization, economic growth was good for the population at large - they lived longer. Eventually, they grew rich enough that they started to care about being able to breathe the air and drink the water; in the United States today, for example, we have more acres of forests than when George Washington was president. We are starting to see the first glimmerings of this effect even in China, as its newly wealthy urbanites start complaining about nasty messes they don't like.
The decision of when and how to trade off the life-shortening effects of industrial pollution against the life-lengthening effects of economic growth is a decision for the Chinese government. The Chinese way is not our way, but it works for them.
Anyway, if you think things like this matter, you should go read Yellow Man's Burden.
My favorite part was not so much about Africa, but raised the kind of questions that even the most principled progressives don't really want to confront.
Westerners prefer to forget that the Chinese emphasis on growth is pretty much the same as Western government policy during the industrial revolution. Environmentalists are uncomfortable with the fact that as manufactured goods became more available during the early stages of industrialization, life spans increased. Despite the environmental costs of the early stages of industrialization, economic growth was good for the population at large - they lived longer. Eventually, they grew rich enough that they started to care about being able to breathe the air and drink the water; in the United States today, for example, we have more acres of forests than when George Washington was president. We are starting to see the first glimmerings of this effect even in China, as its newly wealthy urbanites start complaining about nasty messes they don't like.
The decision of when and how to trade off the life-shortening effects of industrial pollution against the life-lengthening effects of economic growth is a decision for the Chinese government. The Chinese way is not our way, but it works for them.
Anyway, if you think things like this matter, you should go read Yellow Man's Burden.