What does China’s colonization of Pluto mean for its economy?
Welcome to “Day One: Training for newly acquired Chinese colonies!” My name is Mao Jr. and I’ll be your instructor today. Please feel free to help yourself to the tea, coffee, and cookies over in the corner. And before you ask, “No they aren’t fortune cookies.” Those stale cardboard tasting trinkets are entirely an American invention and won’t be found here. I know it may seem silly being the only new colony attending today’s training, but please do fill out the Hello-my-name-is sticker. As a new colony you’ll quickly learn that we love formalities and control.
Before we begin, I have a confession to make. I’ve always been a big fan of yours and I’m really sorry about the whole classification kerfuffle. I think the decision the International Astronomical Union (IAU) made in 2006 was a poor choice for people’s moral. Another lesson you’ll learn under our colonization is we’re not ones to renege a classification, even if our actions contradict. I mean come on, “Dwarf Planet” what kind of classification is that anyways? In the end I suppose we should probably thank the IAU. That little name change provided the perfect loophole to the Outer Space Treaty, which brings you here today.
Generally, we go over our economic system on Day Two of the training, but seeing as I offhandedly mentioned classifications, we can jump ahead a little. Now I suppose being nearly 10 years away from earth probably doesn’t help you stay up-to-date with the latest news so apologies as I provide a quick history lesson.
In 1949 my great-great-grandfather, Mao Zedong, created the People’s Republic of China. Built off of the socialist ideals of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, my great-great-grandfather envisioned a society of equal prosperity. Initially, China was divided into large state run communal sections. Private property was abolished and collectively people shared in the labor and prosperity of their work. While a great idea theoretically, ultimately people weren’t very incentivized to work and in 1958 a widespread famine struck the country. During this period of time it’s been estimated nearly 36 million or more people died of starvation.
In 1978 after decades of hardships the then party leader, Deng Xiaoping, initiated economic reforms, which allow farmers to begin selling their yields. While Marx likely rolled over in his grave at these reforms, Deng insisted that these reforms were “Socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
I know, I know, right now your thinking to yourself, “Wait, if individuals can profit off of production doesn’t that make it capitalist?” Again, we’re not ones to renege classifications so no we’re still socialist..ish. Under our colonization the state will own your banking, infrastructure, and power. Oh and this might sting a little, but we also own all of your land now. With our long-term leasing options (50 -70 years) your free to build and sell private property. More exciting news, commercial development is paid directly to you. We’ll of course tax your profits made from commercial development, but it’s a relatively small amount.
I believe that you’ll find working within our “socialist” system isn’t all that bad. We heavily regulate some areas, while encouraging free market growth in other areas. Our current leader, Xi Jinping, still endorses the notion of “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” and seems to side heavily on the “Chinese characteristics.” Recently, he has endorsed setting up market reforms to free up exchange rates and the investment of private capital in the state owned sector.
Now I’m just the New Colonies Trainer and by no means an economist, but if you ask me, I think we’ll stick to the socialist classification for a while. At the end of the day, it’s just words used in an attempt to simplify something more complex and after all you know all about that, “Dwarf Planet.”
- Naughton, Barry (2017). Is China Socialist. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33, 3–24. https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.31.1.3
- Wong, Alan & Zhou Viola. Is China Socialist? A Long and (Better) Answer. Inkstone, (2). https://www.inkstonenews.com/china-translated/china-translated-china-socialist/article/2161467
- Lim, Louisa (2012). A Grim Chronicle Of China’s Great Famine. NPR, Weekend Edition. https://www.npr.org/2012/11/10/164732497/a-grim-chronicle-of-chinas-great-famine
- Holmes, Frank (2015). How China Went From Communist to Capitalist. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-went-from-communist-to-capitalist-2015-10
