The grass roots are the mainstream.

Author: Xue Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: One of the 50 most influential public intellectuals in China. — Southern Weekly
Xue Yong is one of the few contemporary Chinese writers I deeply respect and enjoy reading. His writings on the development of Chinese and American societies are insightful and profound. He is China's contemporary Tocqueville. His words and ideas have already and will continue to have a significant impact on Chinese society. — Xu Xiaoping
700 million clicks, the champion of Sina's blog on thought and culture. As society progresses, with the growing awareness of civic participation, Xue Yong's influence will surpass that of the Dong brothers (Dong Dingshan and Dong Leshan) from over 20 years ago and the Lin couple from a few years ago. — Zhi Xiaomin
Sowing sharp thoughts, dispelling the fog of the present. Why can't we afford to go to university? Why do we struggle to perform well in university? China is moving towards a market economy, but it manages universities using planned economic methods. The vested interest group of intellectual elites, fattened by rent-seeking, has only one way out: the state cuts off direct financial subsidies to universities and distributes funds directly to students who have passed the admission threshold through national scholarships. Universities must attract students to their campuses to collect scholarships and tuition fees to fund education. In this way, not only do students compete to enter university, but universities must also compete to attract students. On an economic level, students become the main body of education.
Why are mainstream economists hypocrites in the market economy? Mainstream economists always think of themselves as professors, "understanding the economy," and thus feel they don't need to be reasonable. Unfortunately, their privileges are about to be phased out by the times. An ordinary person can still debate with someone wearing the title of "economist" when it concerns their own interests. Look at those economists who blame public opinion as "irrational" in the media—do any of them truly understand the economy? The system they wish to establish is a right-wing authoritarianism that deprives the basic rights of the people.
Why do we "hate the rich"? If the rich deprive the poor of opportunities, why can't we "hate the rich"? The reason the rich in China can be as arrogant as Ren Zhiqiang is that they are beneficiaries of an unreasonable system. Ordinary people must stand up and fight against these people, seizing their excessive profits! The common people who cannot afford to live in houses should also have their own dreams of housing. We don't need parasitic cities, polluted cities, or cities filled with luxury cars. What we need is a city that belongs to everyone.