11th chinese 5 year plan promises economic growth, environmental protection!

seems the eggheads keeping the books have decided that now there's a burgeoning class of rich bastards, it's time to engage in a bit o' the old reaganomics: trickledown here we come!

'apparently' it's going to close the gap between the poorest 10% (who own 2%) and the richest 10% (who have dibs on 40%) - and not only that, it's going to save the planet

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-10/11/content_3606172.htm

is there some sort of exchange programme going on between beijing and washington..?

I bloody-well hope not. Washington would only be a bad influence, wouldn't want Beijing falling in with the 'wrong crowd'.

What is the "right" crowd?

anybody except you republican cunts

Market reforms have dramtatically decreased poverty rates in China.

Between 1978 and 1985, total population living below the national poverty line declined from 260 million to 97 million, and the incidence of poverty declined from 33% to 9.2%. During the same period, the number of rural poor decreased to 96 million while the urban poor population decreased to less than 1 million

"After 1992, progress in both income and human poverty reduction resumed, although not as rapidly as during the period of 1978-85. The number of poor people moving above the poverty line rose to 5 million a year, compared with only 2.5 million in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. By mid 1996, the number of people below the poverty line (530 yuan at current prices) had fallen to 65 million from 94 million in 1991. The infant morality rate, at 36.4 per 1,000 live births, declined by 7.7% between 1990 and 1995. 15 During the same period, the number of malnourished children under age five declined from 21% to 16%.16 Adult illiteracy rates also improved, decreasing from 22% to 19%.17"

http://download.at.kde.org/soc/undp/oc27.htm

I dout he can answer the question as well as you but we shall see.

Just name some group, or is that the best you can spit out?

Are you suggesting the US as a model for a future China?

With your impressively large underclass and massively divided society?

I'd say they'd be better becoming buddies with Sweden or Finland.

You treat so many of your punters like shit. Do you wear that badge with pride?

But the Average US person is wealthier than the average European as measured by GDP per capita. Now you are free to name another way to measure wealth but I won't hold my breath.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html

Hopefully China will keep moving towards a market economy, independent judicial system and respect for property rights. If they do it will have much in common with Britian, the US, Sweeden and Finland. Also a muti party system replacing the dominance of the China communist party would be something China might want to emulate.

Like this maybe? Or this?

averages mean nothing, if George Bush moved into my street the average income of the area would rise dramatically

would i be richer? no, unless he practises the trickle down approach and lets me clean his car

meaningless rubbish and GDP means nothing if only a small percentage of people control the means of production

just because there might not be a better way to measure wealth doesnt mean people are better off in the US, but if it keeps you happy then why argue.

That must mean there are no poor people in America. Amazing, what are those people complaining about? just show them the figures and ask them to name another way to measure thier wealth, they will be so grateful. They don't know how lucky they are, no wonder the Republicans hate poor people so much, they just won't listen will they?

If you want to look at a more reasonable comparison of the average person - even using your crude GDP per capita measure you'd need to exclude the super-rich.

Try comparing the GDP per capita split into 20% bands.

GDP per capita of lowest 20%, next 20% etc . Somewhere in the second or third band you'll find the real living standards of the average person.

Ive never met an average person.

That's because there's no such thing. However, I'm sure people have the ability to conceptualise such a being and to understand what is meant by the term.

Or have discussions on urban75 become that pedantic now?!!

except they - and you - are using mean averages, which mean nowt as they can be distorted by a tiny handful of the super-rich. only median averages are much use for that sort of stats

mears you are aware that GDP doesn't measure wealth, aren't you? That being the case, any measure of wealth I or anyone else could come up with would be better.

http://www.english-vancouver.com/canada-human-development/

oh no! surely not somewhere better than America


well, I suppose it doesn't just talk about money, so maybe we should ignore it

The vast majority of American's are middle class, not unlike western Europe. We are the lucky ones. We are the envy of the world. Millions dream of coming to our countries. We have full bellies and can chat online. Comparing our living standards is futile. And I have been through this so many times that it has become stale.

I'm sorry, the majority of my post was about China. Are you people interersted in talking abouty anything else but the US?

I would like to visit China, and Taiwan. Its is a fascinating time to look at these countries. An emerging market economy, nationalism, environmental and health issues, relations with North Korea or Russia, or relations between Hong Kong and the mainland or Taiwan and the mainland.

Remeber boys and girls all America all the time means you miss out on quite a bit. That is something Americans who don't travel should remember and the vast majority of you should remember.

so why not answer the point about your ridiculous mis-positing of stats evidence?
edit; did PRC & taiwan waaay back. you guys should get out more.

The majority of Americans are middle class?

From the little I know of China I suspect this means more extensive use of coal which China has an abundance of. If so it's hardly environmentally friendly.

They think they're middle class. A subtle but important distinction.

What is that? That the average American is wealthier than the average Brit? I do stand by that per the information I provided. You can always give me something to refute this.

All AMerica all the time.

What do you mean by "middle class"? I am aware that no one in the US - particularly the politicians - ever refer to a "working class".

Your last paragraph, once again, points to a desire to be knowledgeably ignorant. Those Americans who do not travel to other countries can barely identify the state next door to the one they live in.

All America all the time my arse.

you're using dipshit stat methods you numptie!

Take a guess.

OK Red, you know best, tell me about your meathods to measure wealth in respective countries.

All America all the time.

How abour this?

"Higher GDP per capita allows the average American to spend about $9,700 more on consumption every year than the average European. So Yanks have by far more cars, TVs, computers and other modern goods. "Most Americans have a standard of living which the majority of Europeans will never come anywhere near," the Swedish study says."

"But what about equality? Well, the percentage of Americans living below the poverty line has dropped to 12% from 22% since 1959. In 1999, 25% of American households were considered "low income," meaning they had an annual income of less than $25,000. If Sweden--the very model of a modern welfare state--were judged by the same standard, about 40% of its households would be considered low-income."

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005242

Truth hurts sometimes right?

My dad's bigger than your dad!!!

Nice to see atitlan posting again.

Shame the thread's already degenerated into the usual, predictable slanging match between mears and his opponents...

look, are you f-ing blind or summink? I TOLD you. Use MEDIAN avs. NOT mean avs. and GDP is a shite way to measure wealth.
besides which - so f-ing what? what on earth is the point that is proved by that?
It would be a very strange course for history to take if the citizen's of the world's only superpower weren't also the wealthiest, taken in the round - in fact, the first time in recorded history this pattern has been broken.
btw; you do know that, going by your (duff) methodology, bermudians are wealthier than seppoes, don'tcha?