The New York Times Claims:

"The storms illustrate developing China's persisting limitations after 30-years of economic reforms that have turned it into an export juggernaut, with economic growth forecast at more than 10 percent this year.

Just a few months earlier, shortages of diesel fuel slowed transport in many regions. Now, it's coal -- used to power more than three-quarters of China's electricity -- that's in short supply.

China's railways are overburdened; its fast-expanding road system is incomplete, even in Shanghai's suburbs, and its power grid is antiquated and inefficient.

''Underinvestment remains China's key challenge,'' said a report issued Wednesday by investment bank Merrill Lunch.

It focused on the opportunities posed by the country's need to build up the country's ''fragile infrastructure'' and help close the huge gap between relatively modern coastal areas and backward, impoverished inland regions.

''Hopefully, this will be a wake up call and an incentive for the government to invest in a critical transportation system, which means railways,'' said Ulrich."

The above New York Times' comment is interesting, but incomplete. Price control by the Central government and the monopoly of big resource companies are claimed to be the main reasons why there is coal shortages in most parts of China. It is funny that the government said that some small coal mines should not be closed and have no problems at all.

To me, this is a case that the saying "China's growth is based on slaves" are quite right, since sometimes growth has to sacrifice something important to Western countries, such as democracy, humanity, health, and equality. Everyone knows that China grows because we have very cheap labor, not measured only by low wages, but measured by poor working conditions. 

It is a big time for China to transform from an old, agricultre economy to a modern, industrialized economy. However, we have to sacrifice something to achieve this transformation, and more and more problems will burst out and wait to be solved. One of the big phenomenon of this big time is the urbanization process, which is never seen in the world history. Hundreds of millions of people are trying to change their position from farmers to city residents, and many now live and work at cities, but go back home at the Spring Festival. This big phenomenon now has become a big problem in this great transformation, and it shows that the lack of opportunities and underdevelopment in the rural areas have become such a big problem. We have to do something, which is called "New Villiage Construction" (movenment). But apparently, it is too slow.

A vulnerable big elephant China, may have to change its weight on the farmers.

For this year's economy, it may suffers from a short inflation due to the lack of various supplies due to the control and bad weather; then it may turn to the depression after the government's responce to oversupply; with the global depression flowing into China, I would expect the hard landing of this big vulnerable elephant. Let's wait and see.

“1918年11月7日，梁漱溟的父亲梁济正准备出门，遇到漱溟，二人谈起关于欧战的一则新闻，‘世界会好吗？’梁济问道，漱溟回答：‘我相信世界是一天一天往好里去的。’‘能好就好啊！’梁济说罢就离开了家。
　　三天之后，梁济投净业湖自尽。”

此为甲午战败，伊东佑亨致丁汝昌之劝降书

                 大日本海军总司令官致大清国北洋水师提督书（节选）

    大日本海军总司令官中将伊东佑亨致书与大清国北洋水师提督丁军门汝昌麾下：

    时局之变，仆与阁下从事于疆场，抑何不幸之甚耶？然今日之事，国事也，非私仇也；则仆与阁下友谊之温，今犹如昨，仆之此书岂徒为劝降清国提督而作哉？大凡天下事，当局者迷，旁观者审……清国海陆二军，连战连败之因，苟能虚心平气以察之，不难立睹其致败之由。以阁下之英明，固已知之审矣。至贵国而有今日之败者，固非君臣一二人之罪，盖其墨守常规之制度所致。夫取士必由考试，考试必由文艺，于是乎执政之大臣，当道之达宪，比由文艺以相升擢；文艺乃为显荣之阶梯耳，岂足济夫实效？当今之时，犹如古昔，虽亦非不美，然使清国果能独立孤往，无能行于今日乎？前三十载，我日本之国事，遭若何之辛酸，厥能免于垂危者，度阁下之所深悉也。当此之时，我国实以急去旧治，因时制宜，更张新政，以为国可存立之一大要图。今贵国亦不可以不去旧谋为当务之急，亟从更张。苟其遵之，则国可相安；不然，岂能免于败亡之数乎？与我日本相战，其必至于败之局，殆不待龟卜而已定之久矣。

钟嵘《诗品》中一段：
　　若乃春风春鸟，秋月秋蝉，夏云暑雨，冬月祁寒，斯四时之感诸诗者也。嘉会寄诗以亲，离群托诗以怨。至于楚臣去境，汉妾辞宫，或骨横朔野，魂逐飞蓬，或负戈外戍，杀气雄边；塞客衣单，孀闺泪尽；或士有解佩出朝，一去忘返；女有扬蛾入宠，再盼倾国；凡斯种种，感荡心灵，非陈诗何以展其义？非长歌何以骋其情？故曰“诗可以群，可以怨”。使穷贱易安，幽居靡闷，莫尚于诗矣。