Working people in the U.S. are increasingly experiencing a decline in their quality of life as human rights in the country become a privilege for the ruling minority, according to Benjamin Norton, editor-in-chief of the Geopolitical Economy Report, an independent media outlet covering world affairs.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Norton expressed concerns about the United States' ability to meet the basic needs of nearly everyone except the upper classes of its society.
"If you're wealthy, you can live very well in the U.S. But for average working people, their wages have been stagnant since the 1970s. My generation is being told there will be no retirement funding, no pensions. Health care is extremely expensive. Education is prohibitively expensive. So, you have all of these problems. Meanwhile, you have more racism, violence, instability. So, people can see that the lives are getting worse," he said.
Norton criticized the two major political parties in the U.S. for their fundamental failures to address important issues that affect everyday people.
"And yet they have two choices in the political system. You have Republicans. What is their response? They scapegoat immigrants, they blame China for everything. Now we have this drug issue. They blame China, which has nothing to do with it. In fact, the drug issue in the U.S. was caused by big pharmaceutical corporations, including Purdue Pharma, which faced dozens of lawsuits for basically giving money to doctors to encourage them to overprescribe medicine like Oxycontin, which got people addicted. The Democrats are incapable of providing alternatives. They ostensibly say they want to provide better policies for working people, but they're also beholden to the big money interests. So, they have this contradictory policy where they say they want to give us more education and health care, but they don't do it," said the analyst.
U.S. residents see 'lives getting worse' as country fails to meet basic needs: journalist
On his second official visit to China, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai expressed admiration for China's remarkable ability to balance preserving its cultural heritage with embracing innovative transformation.
Salwai paid an official visit to China from July 7 to 12. During his trip, he toured the southern province of Guangdong and explored the megacities of Beijing and Shanghai. His visit included tours of high-tech companies, a ride on a high-speed train, and a performance of traditional Cantonese opera.
In an interview with China Central Television Network (CCTV) aired on Friday, Salwai recounted his journey starting with a warm welcome that included enjoying Beijing Roast Duck, also known as Peking Duck -- a culinary delight introduced to him by the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu.
"Many had to say. Peking Duck. Because we had it here on our arrival, so it was very tasty. And I understand that the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu brought us to one of the traditional restaurants, small but beautiful," he said. The prime minister sees China's preservation of its culture as a vital lesson in understanding one's roots and the journey to the present day, acknowledging China's efforts to integrate cultural preservation with modernization.
"It's going to be my second official visit to China. I'm always impressed to see big changes and especially innovations made by China and especially the cities. Because a big impression is to see how China continues to maintain and keep its culture. Because I think it's the basis of everything -- to know where you come from and to understand where we are today. I feel that China is doing a lot to maintain its culture, but at the same time, doing, innovating to transform its culture,” Salwai said.
He also emphasized the importance of learning from China's sustainable development strategies.
"Today, it comes from a long way, some hardship, the government, and also the people of China. So, I'm impressed to see what is done, especially how China associates infrastructure development with nature. That's meant to keep, continue to keep the environment. It takes effort with the climate change by maintaining the ecosystem. I think it's something that, for a small country like Vanuatu, is important to learn. So, we are here. I'm here with my delegation to learn," Salwai said.
Vanuatu's PM commends China's cultural preservation, innovation amid fast growth
