Red Capitalism by Carl Walter and Fraser Howie

Obviously, this is not my usual genre. However, I did find the book scary, and in some places, just plain unnerving.

My review: 

The authors make the case that the Chinese are not without flaws. They've made  mistakes and major setbacks are inevitable. When you hear the talking  heads on  television, you think the Chinese are masters of high finance. Red  Capitalism  makes a strong case they are not.

Although the Chinese growth  spurt has  been impressive, it won't last forever. They are struggling, building cities  that no one lives in, high rises that sit empty. Capital is often  mispent.

The one thing the Chinese do have is a well-educated workforce.  Though, working for low wages will not last long. Eventually, the Chinese  people  will demand better for themselves and their families.

I learned a tremendous amount from Red Capitalism. It's a dry, difficult subject, that at times is hard  to  understand. But if you stick with it, you will surmount the techanical aspects,  and eventually reach understanding.

End Review
 
The ghost cities of China are by themselves creepy. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339536/Ghost-towns-China-Satellite-images-cities-lying-completely-deserted.html

Perhaps there's a reason China is building these cities. Maybe there are working on community planning? I dunno.

Over the last few months there have been rumors of a coup. I haven't seen any evidence of it, yet. Except for the absense of Bo Xitai. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0412/China-censors-Bo-Xilai-debate-but-Chinese-work-around-it

And according to the Wall Street Journal http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/04/12/mystery-outages-put-china-internet-on-edge/ there's a major glitch in their Internet, with sites such as Baidu going off line.
 
Considering how fast the Chinese have grown their economy over the last few years, there is bound to be trouble, which is what Red Capitalism is all about. China is, after all, still a totalitarian, communist state. I mean, when you have workers threatening suicide by jumping off buildings, the very workers that make the iPhone you carry around, http://consciouslifenews.com/iphone-xbox-makers-threaten-suicide-china/1123212/ something will happen, sooner, rather than later.

Two of my grandsons are of Chinese descent. China is a mystical country. I want my boys to understand they come from a great culture, rich with historical significance and beauty.