GOOD MORNING FROM LONDON
In my Post of yesterday – #320 – I focused on the decision of the China Government to limit the 110m Chinese minors to one hour of online video games on Friday, Saturday + Sunday between 8 pm and 9 pm. I concluded with the following “The new regulations come after Regulators labelled gaming as “the spiritual opium” of young people. There are many parents in the UK who will be wondering about the extent to which their children have been grabbed by the same Opium”
A sensible comment you might think. After all, Gambling Addiction is a big problem among UK youngsters so well done to China for taking action. Maybe we can learn from China’s actions.
A firm “No” from David Aaronovitch in today’s Times. “This ban is just the latest and most draconian of a series of restrictions imposed by the Chinese government…it’s hard to explain why the existing restrictions need to be tightened”. Struggling to formulate an argument against the restrictions, Aaronovitch misses the point and heads off in the wrong direction contending the purpose is to rein in the Big Tech companies and their Billionaire Bosses. Wrong.
Quite separately, China is curbing the excess power + influence of Capitalists + Billionaires. As this column has made clear the Party embraces Capitalism to assist the Government in continuing to raise living standards and prosperity. The Chinese people, as Harold MacMillan observed in 1959 about the UK, “Have Never Had It So Good”. But keep it balanced + focused + under the control of the Party. “Watch out for Corruption Always – whether it be financial or spiritual.”
The reality? – China is going where no country has ever gone before as it focuses on economic growth, ease of living, freedom to travel overseas (140m in 2019) and a balance between looking after the individual and looking after the country as a whole.
But Aaronovitch is a prisoner of his Communist youth. He sees things through the prism of his unhappy past. He cannot be trusted to comment with balance on the present.
