Transcription (1)

The topic for our group is should we consider social welfares while developing economy; and I am standing on the view of developing economy. Ok I will start, there is a article written on the internet by the chairman of the Taiwan new century foundation, he points out there is a concept of gross national happiness, he says that it is the future indicator for determining a country’s development. Because in the past we always use GDP to determining a country is a developed country or not, but the problem with GDP is that it does not take education, social welfares and so on for consideration. But there is just one simple question I will ask you. How do you develop social welfares if you don’t have money? Just simply develop like education and you don’t have money. How do you get all the books all the teachers and all the professors? So I think that it is nonsense for saying that we don’t develop economics and spend all your money on education. And I think the problem with the Taiwanese government now is that everyone, most of the people they do not agree what the government says. They think the government is only doing things to benefit the rich people, the government don’t take poor people into considerations. There are even saying says that the Taiwanese government should follow the examples of the West to develop economy and to maintain social welfares, but the question is that we all have different histories. Because during world war two our economy was damaged by the wars but in the West their developing their economy at that time so they already have a long history if stable economics, so that is why they can develop their social welfares. And I think public opinions we don’t have to take care of them, because public opinions contains the risk of inconsistency and variability because the public opinions changes over time, so it is important to have a decision maker to make good decisions. So there is an example I brought up to you is the Taiwan’s Ten Major Constructions (十大建設) at that time many people, many article, many arguments says that is project is only for the good of the rich, because poor people they cannot drive on the highway, what is the point of building the highway; but the prime minister at that time蔣經國 he insisted on building these construction he thinks that If you want a country’s economy to develop you need these constructions. And the result turns out to be a success and even beyond. Many people were out of poverty and became successful people and they make a lot of money. So I think you cannot just say you want to develop social welfares but in the meantime you are developing economy you are developing social welfares too.