Deforestation and Reforestation

Lots of praise is circulating for China’s reforestation efforts. Before gushing over this, consider China’s current profligate coal use and her past appalling environmental record:

Massive deforestation during The Great Leap Forward, famine and loss of life.

Also, distinguish between what is seen in this “noble” effort (or PR stunt) and what is not seen*. What is not seen is the deprivation of livelihood and choice seized from the (not free) Chinese people who ultimately must pay for this effort. Could they not more wisely choose how to spend the fruit of their own labor, including voluntary tree planting?

It never ceases to amaze, how ordinary folk grovel at the feet of their leaders, rather than stand on their own two feet.

Perhaps they deserve to suffer the confiscatory taxation and grievous errors their pompous leaders routinely inflict upon them.

“There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects that must be foreseen.” —F. Bastiat

Click to access Bastiat_SeenUnseen_CSE.pdf

Re the state sponsored soldiers tasked with this effort:

“Posts on online forums popular among veterans and military aficionados reveal that soldiers covet being re-stationed inland, away from the frigid northern border areas, in order to plant trees, so long as their ranks and entitlements remain unchanged.”

So much for altruism.