It is said that China is being rebuilt with a wrecking ball, and all around there is evidence that this is true.
Homes are being destroyed at an alarming rate to make way for more profitable development, and very little thought is given to what residents are supposed to do next.
It's a frenzy that leaves people floundering. And just as government officials will do anything to overtake land from people who are settled there, those people will in turn react with drastic measures.
A recent article translated from Chinese at World Crunch (originally published in the Economic Observer), chronicles recent and devastating acts committed by people who had their rights trampled on in the name of development.
The list is sobering:
As Wei Yingjie writes, "As long as forced demolitions are arbitrarily imposed, and local governments continue to act despotically, violent protests will continue. …
"Even if the New China is built with a wrecking ball, surging hatred and indignation can bring it all crumbling down again."
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