steve philion

[joanna bujes]

At 11:19 PM 12/07/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>No, it was not a rhetorical question.  I would like to
>know the answer.  In the context of China, what is the
>difference between slaving away in a capitalist
>factory or being banished to outer mongolia under the
>maoist regime?  Both are bad.  Which is worst?

This brings to mind that old joke, which used to be told in USSR/eastern 
europe:

Q: What' s the difference between Capitalism and Communism?

A: Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man, whereas with Communism, 
it's the other way around.

Which is worst? Well, they don't tell that joke in the west, right? In the 
west "Capitalism" is freedom -- right? So, just in terms of level of 
consciousness, I'd say the west is in worse shape.

Joanna