鄧永鏘（DavidTang）
中國會、上海灘創辦人
Therealtroubleoftheworldisnotpoverty.TherealtroubleoftheworldistheGAPbetweentherichandthepoor.JustthinkoftheFrenchRevolution,theRussianRevolutionandtheChineseRevolution-theyhaveallbeenfundamentallyfuelledbythegapbetweentherichandthepoor.Indeed,thewholeofMarxismwhichgaverisetoCommunismisaboutbalancingthatgapofwealth.Evenanyformofsocialismisaboutclosingthegapbetweentherichandthepoor.Yetinthemodernworld,thatgapisgettingwiderandwider-notjustbetweenwealthynationsandpoornations,butevenwithinwealthynationsthemselves.
Nowonderalotofpeoplearebeginningtothinkaboutdoingsomethingbeforeanotherrevolutioncomesaround.TheG-8countrieshavecometorecognisethatworldpovertymustbeplugged.ThesewealthiestnationsintheworldhavebeenspurredonbypopstarslikeBobGeldofandBono.Andostensiblyatleast,thereisaresolvetoendworldpoverty.Butinreality,thereisalongwaytogo.Meanwhile,thericharegettingevenricherandthepoorereitherremainingpoororgettingpoorer.Sothereisadangerinwhichthepoorwillneverevercatchup.Andevenamongstthecivilizedcountries,thereisadangerofasubstantialgapbetweentherichandthepooropeningup.
RemembertheShahofIran?Hiswealthwassooverwhelmingrelativetohiscountrymenthatarevolutionoverthrewhim.OsamaBinLadenwasalsodisturbedbythewealthgapinSaudiArabiaandsawwithangertheintrusionofwesternostentations.HalfofAfricaisstrewnwithdesperatelycorruptleaderslivingalifeofluxurythemselveswhilstlettingthepeoplewallowinabjectpoverty.Alltheseareunsavouryexamplesofgreedwhichdoesabsolutelynothingtowardsnarrowingthegapbetweentherichandthepoor.
Yetweknowhowtoimprovepoorconditions.Weknowhowtoliftthedestitutefromthebottomoftheirmisery.Weknowhowtosupplybetterwater,betterenergy,betterhealthcareandbettereducationtothosewhoseeminglydonothaveachance.US$40billionayearwilldramaticallyimprovethelivelihoodofmillionsofpoorpeople.PutinthecontextoftheIraqiwar,AmericahasalreadyspentUS$500billion(withmuchmoretocome)whichmeansthatiftheydidnotgotowar,tensofmillionsofthepeopleintheworldwouldhaveliftedthemselvesoutoftheirpovertyholes.
TakeChinaherself.Withherthunderingeconomicdevelopments,weknowthegapbetweentherichandthepoorisgettingwider.Weknow80%ofthoselivinginthehinterlandaregenerallyworseoffthanthe20%livingalongthecoast,whichhappentoincludemostofthemostprosperouscitiesinthecountry.ThiswideninggapisgoingtobethesinglemostimportantissuewithwhichtheChineseGovernmentwillhavetodeal.TheTiananmenSquareincidentwasmostlyaboutpoorworkingconditionsandhowthecorruptofficialsweregettingricherattheexpenseofthepoor.IdoubtthatHuJintaowouldliketoseeanotherincidentsuchasJune4.YettherearetimesbombsalloverChinawaitingtoexplodeindissentingdemonstrations.Curiously,theChinesePublicSecurityDepartmentwasauthorised(presumablybyPresidentHuhimself)topublishthefactthatin2005,therewereover86,000majorincidentsofunrest(definedasthosewhichinvolvedmorethan50people).
ThisfigureisalarmingindeedandIshouldn'timagineifithasnotrisensince2005.WhyhadsomeonelikePresidentHuauthorisedthepublicationofthesefiguresmightseenpuzzlingatfirst,butIsuspecthewantedtorecordthefactthatthatwasthekindoflegacyheinheritedfromhispredecessorJiangZeminwhopresidedoveraparticularlycorruptperiod.Bethatasitmay,IcannotimaginethatthiswideninggapbetweentherisingurbanmiddleclassandthestaticruralclassisnotperhapsthemostimportantproblemthatChinaneedstosolve.Isn'titparadoxicalthatalthoughtheCommunistRevolutionwasstartedpreciselytobridgethegapbetweentherichandthepoor,yetnearly70yearson,thathasremainedthemostchallengingproblem.