Why the Chinese so mean? - Political Forum

wewe--00 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-15-2007, 02:16 AM

The annual charitable fund is about 5 billion yuan in China,while United States has reached 241 billion U.S. dollars on personal donations in 2003, is the rich in China mean than US? Guangdong delegation, the first group of representatives submitted a proposal to the General Assembly yesterday. They thought that China "stingy" has the reasons of institutional system.only 10 charitable organizations have the right to relief the tax, so the Charitable Endowment Act proposed specific rule will be out as soon as possible.
　　
Guangdong representatives proposed the Charitable Endowment Act Rules
　　
According to the statistic, China's per capita GDP was 38 times less than the United States, but the charitable donations is 73 times different. The rich "stingy" in strengthening the gap between the rich and poor to a certain extent, the negative social and psychological impact. strengthening the social psychology of hatred of the rich. NPC deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of Guangdong Province Huang Liman said that the donation is the third distribution of social wealth. donations to public welfare undertakings in China to study the problems exist in the public donation.
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Tao · #2 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 12:41 AM

Let us take a moment to consider several things:

1) For almost 50 years it was engrained upon the citizens of China that the government was the helpful brother who took care of all, especiallly the downtrodden and poor; during times of the Cultural Revolution it was considered heresy to usurp the perception that the government failed in this regard. Those who had extra and were known to charitably give to others were seen as "capitalists" and were ostricised. This thinking may pervade the thoughts today;

2) Would it not be fairer to compare the USA in it's capitalistic infancy to today's China? How large was the charity of American Society from 1830 to say 1930? Only by examining this can we truly lay claim to accurate criticism.

3) Today's modern Chinese citizen (and Chinese society) is only starting to explore the world of material gain and possession of goods beyond basic necessities. Luxuries have just begun to be realized. There is no "old money" or gentrified classes to depend upon for charitable ideas, societies or donations.

This chapter in Chinese economic history is young. Give it time to mature and the ends you seek may yet be realized.

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · #3 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 10:27 PM

Nice post, Tao. Welcome to the forum.

I would have to say that you really cannot compare the US per capita and Chinese per capita for donating to charities, that's because China is a lot closer to the subsistence level than are Americans. You expect people who are living closer to, well the possibility of poverty or in poverty not to donate in the same proportion as people who are well off.

You would need to look at the real middle class and rich chinese and then compare them to Americans with a similar level of disposable income to make that comparison.