Re: rural reconstruction

["William C Wooldridge (woldrdge@Princeton.EDU)" <woldrdge@Princeton.EDU>]

Lynn White makes a similar point in his book Unstately Power, which has a wealth of information from around Shanghai suggesting that even some of the agriculture research undertaken during the CR contributed to a growth in rural output.  Others are more expert than I, but I remember something about more efficient methods for transfering rice seedlings...and also I think better access to tractors and such.

Why the Party might want to tell a different story is clear to me.   Why academics working outside China accept the "Deng saved rural China" argument merits further discussion.


Chuck Wooldridge

Brian Turner wrote..

> 
> Has anyone read the new book _Revolution, Resistance,
> and Reform in Village China_, the sequel to _Chinese
> Village, Socialist State_?  In comments about the book
> prior to publication, Selden said that they planned to
> discuss how the roots of the reforms can be traced to
> 1970, and the green revolution as well.  Apparently
> there were more periods of relative market relaxation
> and local experimentation than usually portrayed,
> which probably explains why agricultural output growth
> was pretty good in the 1970s.  My point is that the
> 1970s may be closer to the 1950s than people imagine. 
> Though there's so much regional variation.  
> 
> 
>        	
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