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Rising Prices Are Bad, but Plummeting Prices Are Worse: Americans may envy China’s deflation. They shouldn’t (CW: The Atlantic) (archive.ph)
submitted 9 months ago by to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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Living in China is getting cheaper. Because rents in my neighborhood in central Beijing are dropping, my wife and I pressed our landlord to reduce ours by $140 a month in a new lease that we signed last month. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he’s lucky that we didn’t move out. Given the desperation of local landlords, we probably could’ve saved another $500 a month had we switched to a comparable apartment nearby.

BUT AT WHAT COST?

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[–] 5 points 9 months ago (1 child)

Landowners have a lot of money. They can pay off government officials so that they rule in favor of them. And if the government doesn't play ball? They can use that money to pay mercenaries to kill whoever fights them.

Colombia is a huge example of this btw. Paramilitaries are a huge force.

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  • [–] -1 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    well then redistribute the money from the landowners to the people

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  • [–] 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 child)

    They will not allow that redistribution willingly, are you messing around?

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago* (1 child)

    i'm actually non-binary, and i prefer gender-neutral and feminine terms. i'm being serious. that said, if the landowners CAN'T allow the redistribution willingly, then we'll have to use force.

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