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Historical working notes on innovation, living standards, Deng, Mao, and Tiananmen Square. For Qing expansion and the conversion of empire into a modern nation-state, see China - Colonialism and Settler Colonialism.
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March 21-June 9 2026.pdf (file not included in this release)
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- After Tiananmen Square, the government said if you say out of politics, will make you rich. And most citizens happily agreed.
Frank Dikötter interview synthesis
How China Fakes Its Success - Frank Dikötter on Communist History and Political Economy connects Qing imperial inheritance, Republican-era openness, the CCP’s Comintern links and military conquest, the Great Leap Forward’s coercive target system, the Cultural Revolution as a serial purge, and the survival of “politics in command” in contemporary economic governance. Its strongest mechanisms and disputed claims are separated in a claim-status ledger.
Innovations
Ancient Chinese Innovations Ahead of the West
China indeed introduced several significant innovations before their adoption in the West:
- Toilet Paper: First documented in China during the 6th century CE, with large-scale production noted by the 14th century.
- Paper Money: Originated during the Tang Dynasty (7th century) and became widespread under the Song Dynasty in the 11th century. Ducksters
- Civil Service and Bureaucracy: The Han Dynasty established a merit-based civil service system grounded in Confucian principles, setting a precedent for future bureaucratic governance.
- Running Water and Sewer Systems: While the Han Dynasty developed advanced water management systems, including canals and aqueducts, comprehensive sewer systems and public toilets became more prevalent during the Song Dynasty (10th–13th centuries).
Comparing Standards of Living: Han China vs. Roman Empire
Assessing the standard of living between Han China and the Roman Empire involves examining per capita income and economic distribution:
- Per Capita Income: Around 2 CE, Han China’s average income was approximately 1.88 times the subsistence minimum, whereas the Roman Empire’s average was about 2.25 times the subsistence level. This suggests that, on average, Romans had a slightly higher standard of living. Phys.org+1Nature+1
- Regional Variations: The central region of Han China (Sili) had an income per capita comparable to Italy, the Roman heartland. However, income disparities were more pronounced in Han China, with the top 1% earning about 26% of total income, compared to 19% in the Roman Empire.
Deng Xiaoping
- Opened China more to Western Culture
- McDonalds
- U.S. TV Shows
- opened China’s economy, promoting growth and a limited embrace of capitalism.
Mao’s Cultural Revolution
- 25-45 Millions dead
- Famine
- Eradication of “black elements”
- “black elements”
- China’s holocaust—yet the people are still in power and Mao is still ideologized
Tiananmen Square
- Scores were executed after
- After the crackdown, soldiers who opened fire on the protestors were serenaded by a popular Chinese folk singer, Peng Liyuan. Two years earlier she married Xi Jinping.