For most oF thE 20th CEntury,AsiA AskED itsElF whAt it CoulD lEArn From thE moDErn, innovAting wEst. now thE quEstion must BE rEvErsED: whAt CAn thE wEst’s ovErly inDEBtED AnD sluggish (经济滞长的 ) nAtions lEArn From A FlourishingAsiA
just A FEw DECADEs Ago,AsiA’s two giAnts wErE stAgnAting (停滞不前) unDEr FAulty EConomiC iDEologiEs. howEvEr, onCEChinA BEgAn EmBrACing FrEE-mArkEt rEForms in thE 1980s, FollowED By inDiA in thE 1990s, Both CountriEs AChiEvED rApiD growth.CruCiAlly, As thEy opEnED up thEir mArkEts, thEy BAlAnCED mArkEt EConomy with sEnsiBlE govErnmEnt DirECtion.As thE inDiAn EConomistAmArtyA sEn hAs wisEly sAiD, "thE invisiBlE hAnD oF thE mArkEt hAs oFtEn rEliED hEAvily on thE visiBlE hAnD oF govErnmEnt."
ContrAst this miDDlE pAth withAmEriCA AnDEuropE, whiCh hAvE EACh gonE iDEologiCAlly ovErBoArD in thEir own wAys. sinCE thE 1980s,AmEriCA hAs BEEn inCrEAsingly Clinging to thE iDEology oF unControllED FrEE mArkEts AnD Dismissing thE rolE oF govErnmEnt—Following ronAlD rEAgAn’s iDEA thAt "govErnmEnt is not thE solution to our proBlEm; govErnmEnt is thE proBlEm." oF CoursE, whEn thE mArkEts CAmE CrAshing Down in 2007, it wAs DECisivE govErnmEnt intErvEntion thAt sAvED thE DAy.DEspitE this FACt, mAnyAmEriCAns ArE still strongly opposED to "Big govErnmEnt".
iFAmEriCAns CoulD only FrEE thEmsElvEs From thEir AntigovErnmEnt DoCtrinE, thEy woulD BEgin to sEE thAtAmEriCAn’s proBlEms ArE not insoluBlE.
A、FEw sEnsiBlE FEDErAl mEAsurEs CoulD put thE Country BACk on thE right pAth.
A、simplE Consumption tAx oF, sAy, 5% woulD signiFiCAntly rEDuCE thE Country’s hugE govErnmEnt DEFiCit without DAmAging proDuCtivity.
A、smAll gAsolinE tAx woulD hElp FrEEAmEriCA From its DEpEnDEnCE on oil imports AnD CrEAtE inCEntivEs For grEEn EnErgy DEvElopmEnt. in thE sAmE wAy, A signiFiCAnt rEDuCtion oF wAstEFul AgriCulturAl suBsiDiEs CoulD Also lowEr thE DEFiCit.But in orDEr to tAkE ADvAntAgE oF thEsE CommonsEnsE solutions,AmEriCAns will hAvE to put AsiDE thEir own AttAChmEnt to thE iDEA oF smAllEr govErnmEnt AnD lEss rEgulAtion.AmEriCAn politiCiAns will hAvE to DEvElop thE CourAgE to Follow whAt is tAught in AllAmEriCAn puBliC-poliCy sChools: thAt thErE ArE gooD tAxEs AnD BAD tAxEs.AsiAn CountriEs hAvE EmBrACED this wisDom, AnD hAvE Built sounD long-tErm FisCAl (财政的) poliCiEs As A rEsult.
mEAnwhilE,EuropE hAs FAllEn prEy to A DiFFErEnt iDEologiCAl trAp: thE BEliEF thAtEuropEAn govErnmEnts woulD AlwAys hAvE inFinitE rEsourCEs AnD CoulD ContinuE Borrowing As iF thErE wErE no tomorrow. unlikE thEAmEriCAns, who FElt thAt thE mArkEts knEw BEst, thEEuropEAns FAilED to AntiCipAtE how thE mArkEts woulD rEACt to thEir EnDlEss Borrowing. toDAy, thEEuropEAn union is CrEAting A $580 Billion FunD to wArD oFF sovErEign CollApsE. this will Buy thEEu timE, But it will not solvE thE BloC’s lArgEr proBlEm.
whAt is thE Author’s suggEstion to thEAmEriCAn puBliC in FACE oF thE govErnmEnt DEFiCit
A、thEy givE up thE iDEA oF smAllEr govErnmEnt AnD lEss rEgulAtion.
B、thEy put up with thE inEvitABlE shArp inCrEAsE oF DiFFErEnt tAxEs.
C、thEy urgE thE govErnmEnt to rEvisE its Existing puBliC poliCiEs.
D、thEy DEvElop grEEn EnErgy to AvoiD DEpEnDEnCE on oil import.