Economics of the Poor and the Rich

Author: Lu Zhoulai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: I'm thinking, the road ahead is still very long, and we are still far from reaching the shore of the new world. We are indeed very small and limited, like a moth drawn to light. Sometimes we see a glimmer of light and think it's dawn, or encounter a spark and believe it's the start of a prairie fire. We will still lose our way countless times and capsize countless times. But there are only two choices in the end, and we have chosen the light.
The economists around Lu Zhoulai are mostly young, many with a background in Western studies and profound cultivation, and they possess a natural sense of mission regarding China's contemporary reforms. Increasingly severe social and economic issues are pushing them into the spotlight. Compared to the labels of "New Left" or "Leftist," they are more accustomed to the identity of non-mainstream economists. The former carries a certain ideological connotation, while the latter expresses a demand—to be dissatisfied with the reform path of mainstream economists and their monopoly over the discourse. Lu identifies himself as the spokesperson for the underprivileged, demanding more voice. Lu Zhoulai is a leading figure among China's non-mainstream economists. He upholds the path of reforms as originally intended but disagrees with the dominant reform approach currently guided by neoliberalism and new institutional economics. He believes that this very path has led to unresolved, profound social and economic problems—sharp confrontation and a vast gap between vested interest groups and the underprivileged.