Chinese crowds behave in unpredictable ways, especially in remote places like Yanchi. There isn't much to do, and even a minor incident in the street draws attention. Most onlookers are passive, at least in the beginning—they simply want to see what's happening. But as more people show up, and the crowd swells, it can develop its own momentum. They might encourage a disagreement to develop into a full-fledged fight, or they might turn suddenly against an individual. The final direction is never easy to anticipate, because it depends largely on whether some dominant personality emerges within the group. A single outspoken person can sway an entire incident, inspiring the crowd to action. (查看原文)
And the bigger question is whether Chinese companies can move beyond low-margin products, developing industries that require creativity and innovation. In the end, this is the greatest constrast between China's boom and the history of the western Industrial Revolution. In Europe and the United States, the rise of industry involved radical changes in thinking, and it happened partly because of a shortage of labor. In nineteen-century America, for example, there was plenty of land and relative few people; anyone who saved a few months' wages could move west and try farming. Agriculture and western expansion sapped the pool of able-bodied workers, so bosses made the most of limited labor. This need for efficiency inspired innovations that changed the world: the cotton gin, the sewing machine,... (查看原文)
