So far in Chapter 3 of China Inside Out, Bill Dodson discusses the hardships and everyday struggles of China's migrant workers. The migrant workers, which is considered China's low class system, are the dependents of China's infrastructure and economic development. On page 62, Dodson makes an excellent account, "The big difference between Western and Chinese labor models of urbanization is China's own underclass is Chinese. The singularly defining feature of China's modernization are the Chinese migrants who have filled the same position as the Turks in Germany, the Algerians in France, and the Mexicans in the U.S." It's kind of ironic that the Central Government identify as Chinese, yet they seem far from it. Because they are rural migrant workers, urban city dwellers cast their identity as worthless and so their treatment becomes harsh and unfair. Entering the city like Shanghai is similar to illegal immigrants entering the U.S. for work, but the migrant workers rights and freedom is more barred. The Chinese government, believes in a corrupt system that makes the hardship on Rural Chinese citizens more separated and unfair. Rural citizens go as far as hiding their education from the government because they fear a system that directs their life and, ultimately, direct's their motives on getting proper education opportunities, financial benefits, and social power. Rural immigrants are basically considered the immigrants in China and they have to do whatever the government orders them to do for money that wouldn't even be able to support their homes and families.
As I read, it seems like the Chinese Government is getting worse and worse. Not only are their actions are corrupt, but they are careless of environmental dangers to Chinese citizens. In chapter 4, Dodson discusses how factories are environmentally unstable and cause major health risks to nature, animals, and the Chinese people. I wouldn't consider the government being clever with constantly targeting low class Chinese dwellers with environmental risks. The government and power heads are twisted and it's foul that they would treat the natural environment and its dwellers as the victims in their economic development. What's the point of prospering business and trying to bring up a high reputation like the Western society by harming, moreover, killing people to do so? Dodson writes that, "The Chinese leadership is fully aware of the damage its bid to remake Chinese society is causing the geography of the land and the health of people....the country is moving from a humiliating and poverty stricken nineteenth century into a proud and prosperous twenty-first century..." (84). It's crazy what one or a group would do to prosper and even wicked and selfish for them to feel humiliated and poverty-stricken. The cancer villages are more than humiliated and are suffering more than from poverty. They are ill-stricken from hazardous chemicals and toxins and they don't have enough social and political power towards the government to change their cruel methods. As with reading through the other chapters, the government are aware of many illegal and corrupted actions going on in China and they have this burning competing fire to be the most successful in the world. They go to such means to punishing citizens by costing their jobs or having them serving time in prison if they were to tell the truth but the government will take any action to keep the truth subdued and confidential. Because they avoid national media attention and create false lies to cover up truthful information, there's nothing the citizens can protest or fight for. What will it take for the central government to realize that "Modernity, greater wealth, and the respect of international community" (85) is only causing their own nation great social, physical, and environmental disaster? Being modern doesn't mean you should be unfair and corrupt, let alone make you lose sight of righteous culture. But how do you tell that too a crooked powerful government who only believe in their own concepts?
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