Zoologist,
great comparison!
Basil,
thanks for clearing up your point. Might I counter - for the British 19C farmer - painful hacks on his hands - for the 21C chinese factory worker 60-70hr week, horrific industrial accidents, airborne pollution that will slowly kill them or the swift death traffic accident - 13 times more likely to die on a road in China vs UK per head of population.
Kitsune,
Bleeding heart Western liberals who want to freeze these people in some sort of time warp need to try living as subsistence farmers for a couple of months
No. I don't want to freeze people in a time warp, they need support and investment from the 'state' dare I say it. The loss of the younger people to the towns makes the life even more
harder and eventually villages will die out.
Your point is excellent actually, more people should go back to the land/country, this would revive communities that actually genuinely supported each other.
As for:
People move from their ancestral homes for what THEY perceive to be a better quality of life, either for them or their children
Here's the nub, who gives these people that "perception of better quality of life"? The first indication they get is from the state - by their massive investment in growing industrial towns, and their total lack of investment in rural areas. The second source of perception is from society/media suggesting that the quality of life is better in the towns.
Do you believe everything you are told by the UK government about the quality of your life? Or all that you see in an advertisment on TV? If you do then you are a true 'state believer'. But, from your membership of Pprune and your comments I would guess you very much have your own mind/access to the internet/free-media in the UK etc.
The people living in a village in China DO NOT have this advantage!
Suggest you might want to visit China's industrial regions for a clearer view of whats being discussed here. Or just continue buying your underpants for £4.99.
Regards,
N1 Vibes