China's government officials and politicians get pay raises based on economic growth

6SpeedTA95 · 09-13-2006, 05:04 PM

This seems pretty plausible and the result is you dont have politicians wanting to redistribute wealth for their own political gain. Each district gets a pay raise based on its economic growth the same goes for many of the government workers in the area.

This according to NPR this morning...

Thoughts on this?

I think the concept is pretty good, however, there are some definate drawbacks to such a system. Like inflated economic numbers, an issue that China is tackling now.

Publius · 09-13-2006, 05:06 PM

It's a good system for them to introduce the idea of the "corporate bonus" with... In a properly functioning system, a CEO that leads a company to prosperity gets a bonus for doing so... This just seems like an extension of that concept into the governmental realm... How very capitalist of them.

I like the concept. But we'll see if it can function in practice.

6SpeedTA95 · 09-13-2006, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

It's a good system for them to introduce the idea of the "corporate bonus" with... In a properly functioning system, a CEO that leads a company to prosperity gets a bonus for doing so... This just seems like an extension of that concept into the governmental realm... How very capitalist of them.

I like the concept. But we'll see if it can function in practice.

They've been using it for the last decade, I'd say its functioned pretty well.

thomez · 09-14-2006, 04:56 AM

God damn we are soooo going to get our economic ass kicked.

Higher taxes. Social welfare state. Much smaller potential workforce. Less personal drive. Huge governmental debt and liabilities. Turtle-paced positive change, if any - normally negative. Environmental protection.

We better hope something seriously fucks up over there, like a worker's revolution or something.

motivez · 09-16-2006, 03:23 PM

I'm so confused how people can say it's free market, yadda yadda yadda, when their businesses are government subsidized, their currency is kept artifically low, and their workers are forced into conditions that any true 'free market' (if we use the promises made here on this forum) wouldn't accept.

If anything, how is it not an advertisement for a mix of socialism, communism and capitalism?

thomez · 09-16-2006, 07:39 PM

they have privatized a lot of business, and the workers will suffer until they have a job for all billion of them, which will take time

it's a mix of authoritarianism and capitalism

motivez · 09-17-2006, 08:20 PM

Don't you think they have a mix of socialism as well with Government owned corporations that are subsidized, etc?

I mean, you guys tout China's success as a success of the free market, and to the extent that free trade has played a role in their success, I'll agree.

There comes a point, however, when you have to acknowledge that this great success of theirs would not have happened were it not for their Governments intervention and lack of worker/population freedom in that country.

6SpeedTA95 · 09-17-2006, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I'm so confused how people can say it's free market, yadda yadda yadda, when their businesses are government subsidized, their currency is kept artifically low, and their workers are forced into conditions that any true 'free market' (if we use the promises made here on this forum) wouldn't accept.

If anything, how is it not an advertisement for a mix of socialism, communism and capitalism?

Their currency manipulation is a joke you're right, also its only a SMALL % of their companies that are government subsidized.

thomez · 09-17-2006, 08:37 PM

no, their sucess would have came much sooner if their govt wouldn't have taken so long to privatize and open up to capitalism

they are in process of privatizing virtually everything now, it just takes time

the more they do, the better they get

of course the authoritarian aspect helps with the success, as they have nobody to answer to and can make changes at the drop of a hat - the old aspects of socialism have really nothing to do with that, and are being quickly phased out

6SpeedTA95 · 09-17-2006, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Don't you think they have a mix of socialism as well with Government owned corporations that are subsidized, etc?

I mean, you guys tout China's success as a success of the free market, and to the extent that free trade has played a role in their success, I'll agree.

There comes a point, however, when you have to acknowledge that this great success of theirs would not have happened were it not for their Governments intervention and lack of worker/population freedom in that country.

Totalitarian Capitalism may be the best form of government when it comes solely to economic progress, at least in the short run. However, long term results and true progress for the WORLD would probably be hampered by the lack of personal freedoms. Most major advancements in the world come from the US and its ridiculously disproportionate when you figure in our population to the rest of the world.

So I think you make a good point, but they're just getting up to speed with the rest of the civilized world. Will they truly be able to make progress, invent, create and foster ideas in an environment where the government does supress your personal freedoms?

That remains to be seen.