Another means of population control for China?

[Kidlicious]

Yes, they are spending too much money else where, when they should be spending it treating water.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe


"cepting that given a free country the likelihood of reform as the horrors of the devastation become self evident is easier than say in a repressive authoritarian state who's primary perhaps even sole concern is the welfare of the state machinery.

Ohh and by the way, Yay, Kyoto Treaty for rewarding this behavior!!!

Not necessarily.

An authoriatarina gov't can respond quickly to a problem, if it chooses to address it, much more faster than say a government controlled by rich corporations.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Yes, they are spending too much money else where, when they should be spending it treating water.

So you would take money from health services and schools and launch on a binge of water treatment plants?

China has a lot of problems with pollution. It is dealing with it, but the problem won't be solved overnight. Having said that, I would agree in general that clean water is a basic right and it should be a priority.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Tingkai
So you would take money from health services and schools and launch on a binge of water treatment plants?

China has a lot of problems with pollution. It is dealing with it, but the problem won't be solved overnight. Having said that, I would agree in general that clean water is a basic right and it should be a priority.

It's simple. You tax the poluters and you use the proceeds to clean up the polution. And from what I read they aren't dealing with the problem in any real way. Look at Dashi's article. They don't seem to care about providing clean water to the entire poputation.

[Tingkai]

This is why you should ignore Dashie boy.

How can you say they don't care when they are spending $2.1 billion? That's a lot of money in China.

[Kidlicious]

Isn't it 1.3% of GDP like it says in Dashi's article? 2.1 billion doesn't really mean anything. 1.1 billion is a lot, but it's not nearly enough. They need to spend more, period.

[Tingkai]

How much is enough? $2.2 billion? $2.3 billion? Will $100 billion over five years solve the problem? I don't know.

What's more important is to educate people in China to recognise the severe problems that exist.

And I wouldn't pay any creedence to articles posted by Dashi. They're usually a waste of space.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Not necessarily.

An authoriatarina gov't can respond quickly to a problem, if it chooses to address it, much more faster than say a government controlled by rich corporations.

That's a huge IF.

While an authoritarian govt has the muscle to make things happen, the cavalier attitude toward the sanctity of life will ensure it will never make the short list of things to do.

Unlike a decentralized govt that has many agendas to pay attention to. Those of the corps as well as those of the citizenry.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Not really. It took us almost a hundred years to begin to clean up our mess. And the majority party in this country still denies the seriousness of the problem and seeks to continue the devastation.

Nice try, except by every measurable index our environmental quality has improved dramatically despite the commeasurate increase in population since 1970. A desire of the people and hence mandated by law via clean air and water acts.

But by all means we should export our manufacutring to the likes of China where they give a rats patoot regarding the quality of life and environ.

Lets hear it for the state who doesn't give a sh1te about its people (and is not accountable to its people) and the likelihood of it actually giving a damn about the environment.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


That's right, Ogie - why don't we add an extra 1 billion people to the US, and see how your system holds up?

Oh yeah, at least 1 billion extra SUVs, lovely.

Cry me a freakin river. While your at it put in some desalination plants so as to ensure you have something to drink.

[DanS]

Originally posted by DaShi
Ah, the old "China has so many people, it's not responsible for anything it does" ploy (add with a trademark "let's talk about the US instead" diversion ). I just don't see the connection to Ogie's post.

I hope this kind of thinking isn't common among the mainlanders.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Tingkai
How much is enough? $2.2 billion? $2.3 billion? Will $100 billion over five years solve the problem? I don't know.

What's more important is to educate people in China to recognise the severe problems that exist.

Educating the people? What do you think China is, a democracy? Why would the state educate the people? They don't have to do that. All they have to do is keep the water clean, they don't have to worry about educating the people to do that since they have all the power.

And I don't know how much is enough, but the Chinese don't seem to care about how much is enough. They spend 2.1 billion and that's either enough or it's not. If they want to spend enough they simply need to spend more until the problem is solved.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Tingkai
This is why you should ignore Dashie boy.

How can you say they don't care when they are spending $2.1 billion? That's a lot of money in China.

Doesn't have anything to do with caring. It's all about image. You obviously don't understand China.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by DanS


I hope this kind of thinking isn't common among the mainlanders.

It's the simple flawed logic I usually encounter with students. Often it's because their English is so poor that they can't better express their opinions, but part of it is the way they are taught to think by their government controlled education system that encourages diverting the issue rather than addressing the problem. This is similar to the whole throw money at it approach that Tingkai favors. It doesn't solve the problem, but it make people look away from it by creating an illusion that it is solved.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Tingkai
How much is enough? $2.2 billion? $2.3 billion? Will $100 billion over five years solve the problem? I don't know.

What's more important is to educate people in China to recognise the severe problems that exist.

You were earlier trying to convince us that the problem is solved by spending money. Now you say that money isn't the solution. Make up your mind, man.