New South China Mall
December 22, 2009 7:14 AM Subscribe
An eccentric Chinese entrepreneur built the world's second largest shopping mall in a rural area with no airport and no freeway. Today, that mall stands almost completely empty.
An interview with the director.
Previously on MetaFilter: a photo gallery and report.
An interview with the director.
Previously on MetaFilter: a photo gallery and report.
That second link stands almost completely empty for me: "We're sorry, but this video is not available in your region due to rights restrictions"
posted by Kabanos at 7:30 AM on December 22, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Kabanos at 7:30 AM on December 22, 2009 [3 favorites]
Man, the long interludes with nothing but ambient music and slow shots of the vast, mostly-empty commercial wasteland are really unsettling.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:38 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:38 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Link to the video, really the only point of the post, doesn't work for me either.
posted by Poagao at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by Poagao at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009
That second link stands almost completely empty for me: "We're sorry, but this video is not available in your region due to rights restrictions"
this link (to what i think is the same video, anyway) works from canada.
posted by wreckingball at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
this link (to what i think is the same video, anyway) works from canada.
posted by wreckingball at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
And what the hell kind of accent is that on the woman doing the voiceover in the mall's promotional video? I've never heard anyone speak like that before. It almost sounds like the old Bell Labs speech synthesizer.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:40 AM on December 22, 2009
The opening of that video seems like an excellent opportunity for an expansion of Roller Coaster Tycoon.
posted by thanotopsis at 7:42 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by thanotopsis at 7:42 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Thanks wreckingball, just found that too!
(Also, don't bother trying to find Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 is the whole thing!)
posted by Kabanos at 7:43 AM on December 22, 2009
(Also, don't bother trying to find Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 is the whole thing!)
posted by Kabanos at 7:43 AM on December 22, 2009
That's prime zombie infestation turf.
Amahl and the Night Visitors?
posted by Kabanos at 7:44 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Amahl and the Night Visitors?
posted by Kabanos at 7:44 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
DecemberBoy's link works for Americans without Flash 10 on office computers. (Thanks!)
posted by JBennett at 7:55 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by JBennett at 7:55 AM on December 22, 2009
At this point there's a certain innocent honesty to the branding; presumably that will fade to the expected meaninglessness as they get better at it. The best example is in the last shot:
LARGE CHAIN BUSINESS INTERPRETATION OF QUALITY OF LIFE
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:03 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
LARGE CHAIN BUSINESS INTERPRETATION OF QUALITY OF LIFE
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:03 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
The Utopia documentary was amazing. Thanks for this post, shii.
posted by Taft at 8:11 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by Taft at 8:11 AM on December 22, 2009
>>> innocent honesty to the branding
No. I don't think that's it.
I've been trying to come up with a way to describe it, and the only thing that seems to fit is that developments like this one occur through an impatience or an unwillingness to understand more than what can be gleaned from a cursory glance. Kind of like the kid who looks at another child's Science Fair project and says, "Oh, yeah, well I'll do it better and bigger!" Only instead of a working volcano at two times the size, the kid ends up with something that, while bigger, looks vaguely like its inspiration and does nothing.
To put it another way, the South China Mall seems to have been driven by little more than a bullet-pointed Powerpoint presentation. One page must've listed possible corporate departments, hence the fellows holding placards that say "Public Relations Department" or "Cost Price Evaluation Department." I really wonder what they do all day.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:18 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
No. I don't think that's it.
I've been trying to come up with a way to describe it, and the only thing that seems to fit is that developments like this one occur through an impatience or an unwillingness to understand more than what can be gleaned from a cursory glance. Kind of like the kid who looks at another child's Science Fair project and says, "Oh, yeah, well I'll do it better and bigger!" Only instead of a working volcano at two times the size, the kid ends up with something that, while bigger, looks vaguely like its inspiration and does nothing.
To put it another way, the South China Mall seems to have been driven by little more than a bullet-pointed Powerpoint presentation. One page must've listed possible corporate departments, hence the fellows holding placards that say "Public Relations Department" or "Cost Price Evaluation Department." I really wonder what they do all day.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:18 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
The malls are the soon-to-be ghost towns,
well so long, farewell, good-bye.
posted by rusty at 8:26 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
well so long, farewell, good-bye.
posted by rusty at 8:26 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
This would be an epic Photon arena.
posted by schleppo at 8:54 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by schleppo at 8:54 AM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I'll go with what a few others have said and say that I want to do some paintball in here, or something similiar.
posted by Askiba at 9:03 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by Askiba at 9:03 AM on December 22, 2009
The Yanni music is perfect. I like to imagine Donald Rumsfeld using that music while briefing Bush on the war plans before the invasion of Iraq.
posted by Gnarly Buttons at 9:10 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by Gnarly Buttons at 9:10 AM on December 22, 2009
This guy has no ambition. Elsewhere in China, they built an entire city and no-one came.
posted by pascal at 9:23 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by pascal at 9:23 AM on December 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
DecemberBoy's link works for Americans without Flash 10 on office computers. (Thanks!)
I... didn't link anything? You're welcome, though!
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:24 AM on December 22, 2009
I... didn't link anything? You're welcome, though!
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:24 AM on December 22, 2009
Wow, this really reads like a total mis-understanding of how the concept of a western-style Mall really works.
> bullet-pointed Powerpoint presentation. sums this up pretty sysinctly.
> bullet-pointed Powerpoint presentation. sums this up pretty sysinctly.
Area A is in the central north part and on the west of the square of the main entrance of South China Mall, with total area of 60,000 square meters. It is designed to be department store selling high-grade and fashionable choice commodities. The splendid main entrance square and main scene viewing square will guarantee affluent customers for Area A. Aside from enjoying profuse and untrammeled sight of San Francisco style of Area A, you can also enjoy foreign style products. Area A gathers high-grade famous products all over the world such as French perfume and clothes, Italian leather ware and Swiss watches, and will become Chinese “the Fifth Avenue of Manhattan” and also represents nobility by virtue of its rare products and courteous services.posted by wcfields at 9:33 AM on December 22, 2009
As the most magnificent commercial area, Area B and C are in the east part of South China Mall, with total construction area of 200,000 square meters. In the west of Area B&C is unique landscape zone of South California style. The sunny and zealous South California Coast, the most dynamic and sunny place of South China Mall, characterizes in large-sized power-driven games, corsair and illusionary water screen, etc., integrating sight-seeing, amusement, culture and diversion together. In the middle of Area B and C is a large parking lot which facilitates the consumers’ access to each shopping zone by adopting initiative three-dimensional type of parking. Area B and C are the theme brand zones with San Diego flavor and the forefront of vogue and tide, converging domestic and international famous brands and colourful and characteristic services. They are certain to be symbol of vogue and the capital of Chinese brands and also a shopping heaven.
Area D is in the central south part of South China Mall, with total construction area of 50,000 square meters. It is highlighted by “Amazing World”-- the largest indoor household amusement center in China and also has German OBI--the magnate of world building material supermarket. Apart from the mainstream “power-driven games”, there are many interesting projects for household entertainment in “Amazing World”, such as exciting and breathtaking marching in the riptide and switchback, up to date Hollywood films, etc. The German OBI building material supermarket with the concept of “creating cozy home”, brings you under meticulous concern by providing one-stop decoration service ranging from a small screw to worldwide advanced decoration design. Area D of South China Mall is a real amazing world and paradise of dreams.
Area E is in the northwest of South China MALL, with total construction area of 70,000 square meters. The scattering windmill, wooden shoes, tulips and famous paintings of Van Gogh will let you experience the peaceful and tranquil Amsterdam of Holland in ablare atmosphere, and the concept of “happiness and enjoyment everywhere” is fully played here. Area E is Shangri-La in metropolis and ideal recreational place by virtue of heath care projects including water therapy, hairdressing and SPA, diversified recreational facilities and untrammeled Disco dancing hall.
Area F is in the southwest of South China Mall, with total construction area of 120,000 square meters. Its wide lake area fully displays extensive flavor of Caribbean seashore. Area F gathers delicacies all over the world including every part of China, such as Brazilian barbecue, French cuisine, Japanese food and Chinese foods. Here, you can enjoy affluent flavors in the world and view unique sights of different countries. Connecting top floors of the buildings in Area F form a street of characteristic bars with the style of Sky Garden initiated in China. The half-opened natural landscape together with bars of different features embodies unique “Left Bank of Paris”. Area F of South China Mall is bound to be an aromatic food city with flavors of different countries and fragrant sleepless town.
Area G is in central west of South China Mall, with total construction area of 60,000 square meters, it mainly consists of Shangri-La Grand Hotel and San Macro Clock Tower. The Shangri-La Grand Hotel is designed at five-star standard with 500 luxurious guestrooms with view of significant commercial building complexes and San Macro Square of Italian style. The Shangri-La Grand Hotel, adjacent to water region with joggling gondolas and delicate stone arch bridges, will be the first choice for guests of South China Mall.
The shots of the lonely, bored, mascot and retail clerks really tell the story for me. I think we all like to live under the illusion that our daily work is somehow worthwhile or meaningful. That it's more than just busywork and a paycheck. These workers get a stark visual reminder every day that it's not.
posted by jsonic at 9:45 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by jsonic at 9:45 AM on December 22, 2009
What, you're going to let that stop you? This is China! Make them come and shop!
posted by Naberius at 11:14 AM on December 22, 2009
posted by Naberius at 11:14 AM on December 22, 2009
The POV video seemed poorly researched, to me. The Mall of America was never the world's largest; the Edmonton one was larger before the MoA was built. And the guy on a date doesn't say "it's a great place for a date" or whatever they quote him as saying (sorry, don't have time to rewatch the entire video). Great footage, not so great data.
posted by jiawen at 12:18 PM on December 22, 2009
posted by jiawen at 12:18 PM on December 22, 2009
It's really cool to see such an empty place... but also an infuriating waste of resources. How much coal is going into the sky to run those empty carnival rides? How much water is being ruined for a canal that no one uses? What happens to all of the concrete and steel and petroleum used to put it together if the plan falls through, and it's left to rust. At least if it was being used then people's lives would be made better from it - maybe not something I'd like to see happen, but useful in some way none-the-less.
I feel the same way whenever I drive past some place at night and every single light is on in an empty building (for security, I know, but still...)
posted by codacorolla at 12:53 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I feel the same way whenever I drive past some place at night and every single light is on in an empty building (for security, I know, but still...)
posted by codacorolla at 12:53 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's some photos here if anyone else is, like me, very curious but falling foul of not being in the US.
posted by carbide at 1:00 PM on December 22, 2009
posted by carbide at 1:00 PM on December 22, 2009
It's really cool to see such an empty place... but also an infuriating waste of resources. How much coal is going into the sky to run those empty carnival rides? How much water is being ruined for a canal that no one uses?
Dude, it's China. This is a drop in the bucket of their pollution levels.
The mall itself looks like a pretty awesome place to walk around and look at stuff. Not for shopping, though, too damn big. Really, does anyone actually like megamalls? Do people enjoy wading through thousands of people to visit the same stores you can find elsewhere? Shopping shouldn't require porters.
posted by graventy at 1:00 PM on December 22, 2009
Dude, it's China. This is a drop in the bucket of their pollution levels.
The mall itself looks like a pretty awesome place to walk around and look at stuff. Not for shopping, though, too damn big. Really, does anyone actually like megamalls? Do people enjoy wading through thousands of people to visit the same stores you can find elsewhere? Shopping shouldn't require porters.
posted by graventy at 1:00 PM on December 22, 2009
Hi, I need to read the previously before grumpily hitting the search engine. Sorry.
posted by carbide at 1:01 PM on December 22, 2009
posted by carbide at 1:01 PM on December 22, 2009
Pascal, that was a fascinating link. That is just so fucked up, that a whole new city could be built, with noone living there, adn tehy've replicated the worst planning decisions of the western world, have gone for a wholly car based, anti-pedestrian, anti-civil society plan.
posted by wilful at 3:18 PM on December 22, 2009
posted by wilful at 3:18 PM on December 22, 2009
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
--Percy Bysshe Shelley
posted by John of Michigan at 3:27 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
--Percy Bysshe Shelley
posted by John of Michigan at 3:27 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
"We're sorry, but this video is not available in your region due to rights restrictions."
WTF, PBS? For the love of Pete, I live in China!
posted by bwg at 5:26 PM on December 22, 2009
WTF, PBS? For the love of Pete, I live in China!
posted by bwg at 5:26 PM on December 22, 2009
Talk about a Ballardian landscape. If it follows the usual Ballard plotline that teletubbie is already seething with hysterical schizophrenia and childish sociopathic regression.
Neat.
posted by Skygazer at 5:34 PM on December 22, 2009
Neat.
posted by Skygazer at 5:34 PM on December 22, 2009
Considering the poverty of so much of China's countryside, there really is a bizarre irony to building this, a vast yet unused citadel of consumption right in the middle of some of that countryside. The contrast between an oasis of plenty with no takers surrounded by want is like something a satirist would come up with.
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:40 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:40 PM on December 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
WTF, PBS? For the love of Pete, I live in China!
Asking for copyright to make sense now, are we?
posted by telstar at 7:40 PM on December 22, 2009
Asking for copyright to make sense now, are we?
posted by telstar at 7:40 PM on December 22, 2009
It may have been built on farmer's fields, but it's not in the middle of nowhere. Dongguan is a pretty big city, located roughly between two mega cities, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
These giant abandoned projects can be seen all over China, it's eerie. The most amazing ones I've seen are the empty housing developments you see along airport expressways outside of major cities. From Hangzhou city to Hangzhou airport, there is huge stretch of land filled with empty, sometimes unfinished psuedo-European houses. The first mile or two driving by is kind of amusing, but eventually it gets to be sickening.
posted by bluejayk at 10:29 PM on December 22, 2009
These giant abandoned projects can be seen all over China, it's eerie. The most amazing ones I've seen are the empty housing developments you see along airport expressways outside of major cities. From Hangzhou city to Hangzhou airport, there is huge stretch of land filled with empty, sometimes unfinished psuedo-European houses. The first mile or two driving by is kind of amusing, but eventually it gets to be sickening.
posted by bluejayk at 10:29 PM on December 22, 2009
In the west of Area B&C is unique landscape zone of South California style.
yah, I was getting a real "The District" vibe from that video.
Economics is utterly fascinating and undertaught. The world could use something combining M.U.L.E. and SimCity as it were.
posted by tad at 12:21 AM on December 23, 2009
yah, I was getting a real "The District" vibe from that video.
Economics is utterly fascinating and undertaught. The world could use something combining M.U.L.E. and SimCity as it were.
posted by tad at 12:21 AM on December 23, 2009
Seems like the result of cargo cult thinking.
posted by empath at 12:48 AM on December 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by empath at 12:48 AM on December 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I live about an hour from this place. So do more than 60,000,000 other people. It's in the middle of three cities, two of which are larger than LA. What, you think they're still all riding bikes to factories in Mao suits? Or was it conical hats?
The strangest thing isn't that some of those people, who total more than the entire population of the UK, will travel to a serene environment to do their shopping. I'll be hosting a potluck Xmas dinner at a wine bar in an Italian-style villa tonight. China can be crowded and noisy. So no, not so strange. It's that so many of you have no idea what you're commenting about yet feel compelled to contribute meaningless opinions about China ad infinitum. Why, because your tighty whities were made there? Do they come with Fei Xiaotong essays stitched into them now?
They're just silly Chinamen with too much money from selling tainted toys and dog food to know how to turn an honest profit, right? So yeah, your experience with SimCity gives you precisely the kind of depth to analyze business decisions in foreign countries to share with those local investors. When you're done with Spore, you oughta the nearest biotech research lab to volunteer consultation.
Asshats.
posted by trinarian at 1:53 AM on December 25, 2009 [1 favorite]
The strangest thing isn't that some of those people, who total more than the entire population of the UK, will travel to a serene environment to do their shopping. I'll be hosting a potluck Xmas dinner at a wine bar in an Italian-style villa tonight. China can be crowded and noisy. So no, not so strange. It's that so many of you have no idea what you're commenting about yet feel compelled to contribute meaningless opinions about China ad infinitum. Why, because your tighty whities were made there? Do they come with Fei Xiaotong essays stitched into them now?
They're just silly Chinamen with too much money from selling tainted toys and dog food to know how to turn an honest profit, right? So yeah, your experience with SimCity gives you precisely the kind of depth to analyze business decisions in foreign countries to share with those local investors. When you're done with Spore, you oughta the nearest biotech research lab to volunteer consultation.
Asshats.
posted by trinarian at 1:53 AM on December 25, 2009 [1 favorite]
They're just silly Chinamen with too much money from selling tainted toys and dog food to know how to turn an honest profit, right?
I'm not sure anyone made that observation or even implied it, also you would be wrong to think the fascination over these sorts of projects, is a critique of the Chinese, then it is a critique of the West (i.e., the U.S.), the free market and Capitalism, which in a place like China, because of its culture, history, and strange mixture of repressive government embracing capitalism and the almost cult-like love of the free market (that is a U.S. export), becomes a lab of sorts that exposes the best and the worst of it. Yes, wealth is created, but what is it unable to create or if it does why does it go so wrong sometimes? Why doesn't it lead to greater human freedom and human rights? Is Capitalism and the cult of the free market. a sort of system of oppression in and of itself that shows itself most truly for what it is when not married or fused to the marketing muscle and the influence of the brand, the celebrity worship, the endless creation of consumer hunger that is in place in the West?
So, you tell me if it's a good idea or not to look at these strange projects and not see a harrowing mirror image of reality unencumbered by the fantasy of consumerism that pervades the U.S., and to lesser degree Europe?
If anyone is being too parochial and myopic and superficial here, it is you.
posted by Skygazer at 11:50 AM on December 26, 2009
I'm not sure anyone made that observation or even implied it, also you would be wrong to think the fascination over these sorts of projects, is a critique of the Chinese, then it is a critique of the West (i.e., the U.S.), the free market and Capitalism, which in a place like China, because of its culture, history, and strange mixture of repressive government embracing capitalism and the almost cult-like love of the free market (that is a U.S. export), becomes a lab of sorts that exposes the best and the worst of it. Yes, wealth is created, but what is it unable to create or if it does why does it go so wrong sometimes? Why doesn't it lead to greater human freedom and human rights? Is Capitalism and the cult of the free market. a sort of system of oppression in and of itself that shows itself most truly for what it is when not married or fused to the marketing muscle and the influence of the brand, the celebrity worship, the endless creation of consumer hunger that is in place in the West?
So, you tell me if it's a good idea or not to look at these strange projects and not see a harrowing mirror image of reality unencumbered by the fantasy of consumerism that pervades the U.S., and to lesser degree Europe?
If anyone is being too parochial and myopic and superficial here, it is you.
posted by Skygazer at 11:50 AM on December 26, 2009
...why does it go so wrong sometimes?
I attack the assumption that you could possibly know enough to understand why, or even if, it failed. What I saw was a mall under construction, perhaps with the pace slowed down. Things like that happen during a financial crises and with hugely expensive projects. Think of how long it takes to build Olympic stadiums with full government financial backing and deadline pressures. Malls like this are hugely successful in China though, making almost all the criticism here a joke.
Seeing pictures of an empty mall does not equal it being a ghost town. I walk into construction sites for my photography all the time.
The way you read these things, and conclude them to be failures, has no basis in the reality that exists in my world - which happens to be the world you're trying to critique. If your understanding of China is based on assumptions about "cult-like love" of the free market you really don't know what you're talking about. I mean this in a way that someone who did graduate studies on development within 100 miles of this mall means it: you simply don't get it. Nor could you without spending time here. Put down the Naomi Klein book and read through some UN stats on China. Export-led economic growth has brought more people out of poverty faster than any World Bank program (a real "US export") could ever dream of.
I don't feel compelled to offer insights into the Dominican sugar cane market. Why do you feel compelled to do so on southern Chinese shopping culture?
posted by trinarian at 7:11 PM on December 30, 2009
I attack the assumption that you could possibly know enough to understand why, or even if, it failed. What I saw was a mall under construction, perhaps with the pace slowed down. Things like that happen during a financial crises and with hugely expensive projects. Think of how long it takes to build Olympic stadiums with full government financial backing and deadline pressures. Malls like this are hugely successful in China though, making almost all the criticism here a joke.
Seeing pictures of an empty mall does not equal it being a ghost town. I walk into construction sites for my photography all the time.
The way you read these things, and conclude them to be failures, has no basis in the reality that exists in my world - which happens to be the world you're trying to critique. If your understanding of China is based on assumptions about "cult-like love" of the free market you really don't know what you're talking about. I mean this in a way that someone who did graduate studies on development within 100 miles of this mall means it: you simply don't get it. Nor could you without spending time here. Put down the Naomi Klein book and read through some UN stats on China. Export-led economic growth has brought more people out of poverty faster than any World Bank program (a real "US export") could ever dream of.
I don't feel compelled to offer insights into the Dominican sugar cane market. Why do you feel compelled to do so on southern Chinese shopping culture?
posted by trinarian at 7:11 PM on December 30, 2009
Once again, you're self-righteousness pompousness completely misses the point. That mall looks finished to me, as a matter of fact if you'd watched the video you would've learned that they're having great difficulty in leasing out spaces or attracting businesses, but go ahead with your badass graduate student self and put the dumb American's in their place.
Perhaps, in time that mall will be successful, but at the moment someone made a serious serious miscalculation of not understanding of the sort that comes from a a dogmatic belief in development and free enterprise and all that pap that gets bandied about in this nation by the right-wing like it is a mysterious all powerful cult worshiping the mysterious rotation of the sun, so take that dogma, once removed and stripped of it's marketing muscle and it lands in China with a deafening thud, and instead of it being a heaven of consumerism generating jobs and prosperity it's a huge waste of resources all phony enthusiasm and furious forced happiness (teletubbies?) signifying nothing and what we have instead is a caricature-like image of the emptiness at the heart of Western consumerism. It's a sort of funny mirror image of it.
But, if I was to speak of CHINA this is what I would say...I realize that an economic miracle has taken place in China etc....but what about the huge disparity in income between those in the city and those in the rural areas, what about the massive violent strikes and riots that kill protestors and that the Chinese government does everything it can to keep quiet, what about the slave labor? What about the atrocious dearth of worker rights? What about the fact that this greatest generator of economic prosperity known to man (tm.) seems to, ironically, work most efficiently under a totalitarian government that suppresses basic human rights? Yeah, I love me that sweet "free-market" and I loves me some of that sweet repressive oligarchic hypocrisy.
posted by Skygazer at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2010
Perhaps, in time that mall will be successful, but at the moment someone made a serious serious miscalculation of not understanding of the sort that comes from a a dogmatic belief in development and free enterprise and all that pap that gets bandied about in this nation by the right-wing like it is a mysterious all powerful cult worshiping the mysterious rotation of the sun, so take that dogma, once removed and stripped of it's marketing muscle and it lands in China with a deafening thud, and instead of it being a heaven of consumerism generating jobs and prosperity it's a huge waste of resources all phony enthusiasm and furious forced happiness (teletubbies?) signifying nothing and what we have instead is a caricature-like image of the emptiness at the heart of Western consumerism. It's a sort of funny mirror image of it.
But, if I was to speak of CHINA this is what I would say...I realize that an economic miracle has taken place in China etc....but what about the huge disparity in income between those in the city and those in the rural areas, what about the massive violent strikes and riots that kill protestors and that the Chinese government does everything it can to keep quiet, what about the slave labor? What about the atrocious dearth of worker rights? What about the fact that this greatest generator of economic prosperity known to man (tm.) seems to, ironically, work most efficiently under a totalitarian government that suppresses basic human rights? Yeah, I love me that sweet "free-market" and I loves me some of that sweet repressive oligarchic hypocrisy.
posted by Skygazer at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2010
Correction: your self-righteous pompousness completely misses the point.
posted by Skygazer at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2010
posted by Skygazer at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2010
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posted by The Card Cheat at 7:26 AM on December 22, 2009