Loose cannons

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 10:00

Socialism with capitalist characteristics

"They are also working for building socialism with Chinese characteristics." — Chinese President Jiang Zemin, announcing that businesspeople can join the Communist Party.

The CCP?

"If we let people ... who depend on exploitation for their living join the party, what kind of party would we be building?" — Jiang Zemin in 1989.

There's another kind?

"What you see in Poipet is the development of a wild and brutal capitalism." — UN special representative Peter Leuprecht on the Cambodian border town where peasants' land has been seized to build casinos.

Greatly simplified tax system

"The Tax Acts will soon run to 8,500 pages compared to 3,000 when the Coalition came to power in 1996." — Australian Financial Review, July 3.

From GLW issue 455