Sunday, February 3, 2008

Freezing to Death in China

Freezing to Death in China. Over 100 million people in China right now are in dire straits because of the worst snow storms in China in 50 years. You may have heard about 1 million or so Chinese migrant workers stuck in train stations with no trains because of the snow.

However, there are other long term problems that have been created by the forced moves of country dwellers into city apartments and condo like dwellings. In these new dwellings the people can't build fires for warmth like they could in the country. When the power goes out there is no heat and there are no lights even in below freezing temperatures. Modern condo type apartments only are useful if one can depend upon electricity for lighting, heating and the like. If one cannot depend upon electricity like now they are only tombs for the dying and freezing to death.

Likewise, a train system is only useful if it is working. When it doesn't it is only a place of sadness, misery and potential death like now. It is debatable whether the Government of China can withstand the miseries created by extreme changes in the life of the average person in China. Many will die needlessly if and until they get it right. I guess life really is cheap in China.

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