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Over the years, I've been looking at interesting parallels between China's economy and that the U.S. Particularly in how they are engaging the social side of it.
Several years ago, I was intrigued that China was starting to outsource low level factory work to Africa and SE Asia. It has obvious U.S. parallels.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldsirkin/2016/07/07/chinas-new-worry-outsourcing/?sh=356288ca6c20
Recently, I started a thread about how China was pushing to alleviate the childcare pressures on working adults. This came on the relaxation of the child policy to allow families to have 3 kids. Chinese people were pointing out that being allowed to have 3 kids didn't really matter if you can't afford to raise them or don't have the time to spend with them. Parallels with U.S. conversations are here as well.
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/school-day-length-china-v-us-philosophies.4190892/
Now, I'm looking at "tangping", aka "lying flat". This is a new element in Chinese working youth where young people are rejecting the pressure, low pay, and minimal prospects that come from a work heavy culture. The thread on Iceland's 4 day work week reminded me of it.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/exp...resists-increased-work-pressures-9747781.html
The overarching trend in these stories is about how the Chinese people and the Chinese government are responding to elements of an economic system that we don't really question anymore. While we've had the system forever, many of the Chinese population are new to it. Their parents or grandparents didn't grow up under the system so there's more chances for people with different perspectives to weigh in on the pros and cons.
The concept of "tangping" isn't particularly unique, there have always been Americans who checked out of the economic system too. The interesting part to me is wondering what type of long term effect this has on a population that was not born and steeped into the concept of chasing wealth and working 50+ hours/week to get it.
China apparently doesn't want to this message to spread so they're censoring it locally but I'm curious if anyone else has read about it in depth.
Several years ago, I was intrigued that China was starting to outsource low level factory work to Africa and SE Asia. It has obvious U.S. parallels.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldsirkin/2016/07/07/chinas-new-worry-outsourcing/?sh=356288ca6c20
Recently, I started a thread about how China was pushing to alleviate the childcare pressures on working adults. This came on the relaxation of the child policy to allow families to have 3 kids. Chinese people were pointing out that being allowed to have 3 kids didn't really matter if you can't afford to raise them or don't have the time to spend with them. Parallels with U.S. conversations are here as well.
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/school-day-length-china-v-us-philosophies.4190892/
Now, I'm looking at "tangping", aka "lying flat". This is a new element in Chinese working youth where young people are rejecting the pressure, low pay, and minimal prospects that come from a work heavy culture. The thread on Iceland's 4 day work week reminded me of it.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/exp...resists-increased-work-pressures-9747781.html
The overarching trend in these stories is about how the Chinese people and the Chinese government are responding to elements of an economic system that we don't really question anymore. While we've had the system forever, many of the Chinese population are new to it. Their parents or grandparents didn't grow up under the system so there's more chances for people with different perspectives to weigh in on the pros and cons.
The concept of "tangping" isn't particularly unique, there have always been Americans who checked out of the economic system too. The interesting part to me is wondering what type of long term effect this has on a population that was not born and steeped into the concept of chasing wealth and working 50+ hours/week to get it.
China apparently doesn't want to this message to spread so they're censoring it locally but I'm curious if anyone else has read about it in depth.