"Slowly but slowly the lot of the average Chinese citizen is improving."

Not really, but it will improve if they can get democracy established. Whatever it is, China is not a communist state; it's more a sort of Capitalist Oligarchy, where there is a rich political elite, creaming off the top of a rich capitalist elite, a tiny weeny urban middle class and a vast reserve of what is essentially captive labour. The perfect conditions for capitalism to thrive, as the workers must not be paid the value of what they produce with their time and labour.

It's a right old mess over there, and my brother, who visits several times a year and travels well off the beaten track tells of how the state is spending vast amounts on large housing schemes, factories and shopping malls with no-one to occupy them as the cost is way out of the reach of ordinary citizens. There are huge cities we've never heard of over there, and these are expanding at an incredible rate.

Of course like unregulated capitalist societies anywhere, the scum rises to the top (see Levenson Enquiry, bankers etc). China has a chance to avoid this and sweep the board clean if it can avoid too much Anglo-Saxon influence. I welcome this, as I truly believe the Chinese, if allowed freedom of expression and speech as well as the rights we all enjoy here could be the most wonderful nation. So much potential that hasn't been pissed away for a quick buck by the likes of those whom run our societies (see Levenson Enquiry, bankers etc).

Queenies official birthday today. They have official birthday because in ye olden days if a monarch was born in wintertime the weather would often be bad, spoiling the day for the poor dears apparently. Anyhow, it's cold and slashing down today so best of luck. At least she got to hand out some medals making people members of an empire that (thankfully) has ceased to exist.

The anachronisms continue to pile up!