News Lack of social welfare system in China

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A tragic incident in China highlights the severe challenges faced by families in the healthcare system. A woman suffering from a brain hemorrhage was left at an undertaker's facility alive, as her family could not afford her medical bills. This situation raises questions about the adequacy of China's welfare system, particularly for the rural population who have been adversely affected by the transition to a free market economy. Many workers, especially those displaced from state-owned enterprises, find themselves without guaranteed employment or social safety nets. The discussion emphasizes that the current government, being unelected, lacks the impetus to establish a robust welfare system, which is further complicated by the vast population and economic disparities. The narrative reflects broader concerns about the impact of capitalism on vulnerable communities in China.
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This is very sad, a family took their own mother to be cremated while she was still alive because they couldn't afford the medical bills.

Is the welfare system in China really that bad? I'd like to hear from some of our members that are there.

"BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese peasant woman who suffered a brain hemorrhage was left at the undertakers alive for cremation because her family could no longer afford hospital treatment, state media said on Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051118/wl_nm/china_undertaker_dc;_ylt=AouZblzxfq9Y99lrDI_mg979xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NTMzazIyBHNlYwMxNjk2
 
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where's TSM when we need him? :-p

I agree though this is a really sad story. The transition to a free market economy in China has the potential to be even more devastating for the Chinese peasants than Russia's was for their's.
 
He got banned again for insulting Tom. Didn't you get the PM?
 
Smurf said:
He got banned again for insulting Tom. Didn't you get the PM?
No, that wasn't it.
 
Oh... bummer, it was quite amusing.
 
Evo said:
This is very sad, a family took their own mother to be cremated while she was still alive because they couldn't afford the medical bills.
Is the welfare system in China really that bad? I'd like to hear from some of our members that are there.
"BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese peasant woman who suffered a brain hemorrhage was left at the undertakers alive for cremation because her family could no longer afford hospital treatment, state media said on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051118/wl_nm/china_undertaker_dc;_ylt=AouZblzxfq9Y99lrDI_mg979xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NTMzazIyBHNlYwMxNjk2
Yes it's bad, in particular for one part of the population: those that fell out between the cooperatives and the modern "Dengism" economy.
State owned companies are sold out by the government to Chinese would be capitalists (typically the guy with the loudest mouth, best relations etc..) The workers then loose their guaranteed employment, and have nothing to fall back on. More later, I'm on a plane to BJ! (the city!)
 
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Mercator said:
Yes it's bad, in particular for one part of the population: those that fell out between the cooperatives and the modern "Dengism" economy.
State owned companies are sold out by the government to Chinese would be capitalists (typically the guy with the loudest mouth, best relations etc..) The workers then loose their guaranteed employment, and have nothing to fall back on. More later, I'm on a plane to BJ! (the city!)
Have a safe trip!
 
Mercator, give TSM my regards when you see him.

Indeed a very sad story - and the woman is only 47 years of age.

State owned companies are sold out by the government to Chinese would be capitalists (typically the guy with the loudest mouth, best relations etc..) The workers then loose their guaranteed employment, and have nothing to fall back on.
Much the same in Eastern Europe. Some of my friends must get by on the equivalent of $200-$300/month - and quite a few have PhD's. The rush to western capitalist, free-market economies left many behind.
 
Why should they have a social welfare system? The government is unelected, and so doesn't really need the public's approval on much. Furthermore, with the amount of people in that country, spreading the wealth around in social welfare programs would invariably spread the wealth far too thin. You've got to build up quite a bit of lucre in order to have a proper welfare system.
 

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