Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> If I had the nerve, I'd love to do a Julian Simon-style bet with
> Brown on this. I suspect these disasters won't materialize.
The following seems one of the soft spots in Brown's argument:
***** Resisting the import of grain throughout most of 1994, Beijing let prices rise as much
as possible to encourage farmers to stay on the land. In recent years an estimated
120 million people, mostly from the interior provinces, have moved to cities in search of
high-paying jobs. This roofless, floating population, roughly the size of Japan's, wants
to be part of the economic revolution. As a potential source of political instability, these
migrants are a matter of deep concern in Beijing. The government is trying to maintain
a delicate balance, letting the price of grain rise enough to keep farmers on the land
but not so much that it creates urban unrest that could lead to political upheaval.*****
Some recent post (or perhaps something I read elsewhere) suggested that large migrations from rural to urban areas are usually the result of some push, not a voluntary seeking after "high wages." Brown seems to assume the latter in China's case. Perhaps Steve could comment.
Carrol