Hillbilly Elegy

The issue of American ideological influence and exploitation extends deeply across different societal strata in China, affecting not just the upper and middle classes but also the working class and the poor. Many members of the upper-middle class have internalized and deeply believe in the values propagated by the United States, viewing the country as an exceptionally free and virtuous nation. These people have been profoundly influenced, or “brainwashed,” to align with American perspectives. For example, during a flight back from Sydney, I encountered two individuals who openly expressed their desire to send all their daughters abroad for education. This reflects the growing trend among wealthier families to prioritize overseas education. The number of Chinese students studying abroad has become so large that it has significantly driven up airfare prices around school start dates. Tickets that used to cost RMB 2,000 or less now exceed RMB 10,000. Sydney rental prices have skyrocketed as well, with monthly rents reaching RMB 20,000 or even RMB 30,000, making it difficult for local Sydney residents to afford housing. There has even been discussion about capping the number of international students in Australia, though proposed restrictions failed to pass in the Senate. The sheer number of Chinese immigrants and students has led to their visible presence worldwide. Chinese people are everywhere, from Sydney’s Chinatown to major airports, where signage is displayed in both Chinese and English. Over the years, Chinese wealth has flowed abroad on an unimaginable scale. If we estimate that around 3 million people have emigrated from China, representing roughly 1 million families, and each family has transferred around RMB 10 million, the total outflow amounts to about RMB 10 trillion, or over USD 1 trillion. Factoring in wealthier families with assets worth billions, the total loss might be closer to USD 2 trillion. When I first heard that China’s foreign exchange reserves exceeded USD 3 trillion, I was utterly shocked. I recalled visiting supermarkets in Australia where items like a large container of black paint sold for just one Australian dollar, equivalent to about RMB 7. Considering Australia’s high labor costs, corporate expenses, taxes, and additional costs like Salesforce services, loans, customs duties, and shipping fees, it is evident that the factory price of such goods from China might only be RMB 1 or even RMB 0.5. Chinese factories might profit by just a few cents per unit. In countries like Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States, nearly all cheap goods are “Made in China”—furniture, kitchenware, tools, consumer electronics, gift bags, and countless other items. These products are sold at very low prices abroad, often at about one-fifth of their real value. The disparity is striking: while Chinese workers are paid meager wages, Western consumers enjoy these goods at low prices. For example, a six-pack of glass cups at Sydney IKEA sells for just AUD 5, roughly RMB 25. After accounting for costs like shipping, duties, and other expenses, the factory price in China might only be a few cents per glass. Chinese factory workers earn almost nothing for their labor. After layers of exploitation—from factory owners to supply chain managers, distributors, and retailers—the actual worker sees little of the final profit. China’s foreign exchange reserves of USD 3 trillion represent an unimaginable amount of labor, sweat, and sacrifice. To earn this amount, how many toys, cups, and smartphones must be manufactured? How many sleepless nights, underpaid workers, and struggling families does this represent? How many tears have been shed by left-behind children? Workers in Chinese factories, toiling under these conditions, often remain unaware of the true forces behind their suffering. They might blame greedy bosses, harsh supervisors, or the high cost of living, but they rarely understand the broader mechanisms at play. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Americans and other Westerners wastefully consume the products of their labor. Western consumers enjoy lives of leisure, shopping freely for goods produced in China, while earning high wages and living comfortably. Many never consider that their comfort and happiness are built on the suffering of millions in distant corners of the globe. The disparity is staggering. Chinese workers labor tirelessly but will never enjoy the quality of life that even an average American does. They might blame themselves or their families for their plight, never realizing that their struggles are a result of global capitalist exploitation. This is colonialism in a modern guise—an exploitation system perpetuated by America, the American government, deep-state entities, and the powerful Jewish financial groups that control global capital flows. In essence, 800 million Chinese laborers have been “packaged and sold” to the United States as a cheap production force for manufacturing goods. This systemic exploitation allows China’s middle class to maintain a relatively comfortable standard of living because the underpaid labor force bears the brunt of the burden. Wealthy elites, meanwhile, thrive by extracting immense value from these workers, profiting both from exports and domestic consumption. This is the reality behind China’s integration into the global economy—a vast engine of production, powered by countless individuals whose efforts sustain the comfort and wealth of others. It is a system built on an unequal exchange of value, where labor and lives are undervalued while foreign profits and consumer satisfaction take precedence.

2024 12 25
Mike Shang