Family of China's Premier is Really Rich

[Anonymous]

It does not surprise me that the political leaders of the world's most dynamic economy should be amassing their fortunes. Politicians and their business friends, the elite and the privileged, always seem to be able to manipulate the system to benefit their own kind. This cynical exploitation of circumstances can be observed throughout history in almost every society. These elements of social injustice are what fuels revolutionary reaction, and when that tide turns we get drama, a new order, for a while at least. Now personally, I am quite fond of the promises of a communist ideology, just as some people might see something noble in their religion of choice, but the corrupt, the greedy and the zealous will spoil it and discredit it for all. A great leap forward is knocked back a peg. Reading Orwell, still relevant after all these years, with a soundtrack by Pink Floyd (1977).

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is definitely a great misfortune for any particular nation/society in question to aspire to reach a certain ideal when those very human characteristics of avarice and self-interested ambition, which seem ever so intrinsic to humans, end up dictating the governance practices of those in leadership positions who end up being responsible for affecting in very direct ways the inner workings of the society itself primarily, while simultaneously indirectly affecting other societies who may have sincere ideals as the first society but who do not have in that first society a workable point of reference that is free from hypocrisy.
In my view, the world has yet to see a truly communist society, because it seems like the ideal is truly unattainable unless a society is communist on various—preferably all—elements both internally (politically, economically, sociologically, etc.) and externally (establishing the aforementioned elements with other societies in non-interested ways, except that they benefit the members of both societies in symbiotic ways; i.e. no exploitation). Perhaps this is what Chomsky refers to, in his own words, when he speaks of an anarcho-syndicalist society. Or, to be even more on the mark, and to paraphrase some of the ideas set forth in Che Guevara’s “Socialismo y el hombre en Cuba”: the causes of capitalism’s hold on people’s minds begins from the external world one experiences, whether one finds him/herself is in a colonized or a colonizer nation. It is a popular point of dispute among those who seek to better conditions for the dispossessed (or to create more equity—as opposed to our own society’s hypocritical “equality”) as to whether or not these better conditions can reached through reform or through revolution. I continue to hope that we can all agree on at least the most fundamental point here, which is to remain being vigilant and conscious of the room for improvement. From there, all that is left is to create a collective vision (at the least), or a collective conviction (at best) on the absolute necessity and urgency of the improvement in question.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

It seems that China isn’t Communist after all. I read enough Marx to know that if those in power are getting wealthy then it is at the cost of the common people and of course it means that wealth is not being distributed equally. I am reminded of the quote from Animal Farm, “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL 
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.” Wen Jiabao’s family’s increase in wealth happen to coincide with his rise to prominence in 1998. The relatives of Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao have accrued about 2.7 billion in assets. This startling news so angered Chinese officials that the New York Times' website was quickly shut down in China. I guess the truth hurts. More proof that China is a totalitarian state masquerading as a Communist state. China uses government ideology as a way to keep people in check., while only a few prosper, sounds more like Capitalism to me. In the case of Wen, his family financial interests are in banks, resorts, telecommunications firms and jewelers. Wen's relatives appear to be trading on their connections, especially the premier's enormous power over big industries they've invested in, such as energy. This seems ironic since Wen has cast himself as a reformer who's against government corruption, and has called for stronger financial disclosure rules for public officials. The Times says most of the $2.7 billion dollar investments it found were held by in-laws, his mother, his brother, and the parents of his daughter-in-law. These investments don't have to be publically identified, according to Communist party rules. This disclosure by the Times seems particularly disturbing since the Chinese government is dropping the hammer on Bo Xilai for misusing his position for financial gain. For information here the infamous New York Times article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/global/family-of-wen-jiabao-holds-a-hidden-fortune-in-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

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