From the Readers

For business in the long run

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-22 07:51

Comment on Hong Liang's column, "Policy inconsistency may hit credibility" (China Daily, June 14)

People's anger and disappointment will finally turn into distrust. But before the government comes up with better solutions, we too can think about what we can do. I have always believed that society needs believers in and doubters of government both. But they should have individually free minds.

Policy is more like an implied trend than an absolute way to go. Take the example of the "live chickens" case.

Even the government's policy of balancing bird flu infection and people's craving for fresh chicken by allowing only central slaughterhouses to supply poultry meat won't be a long-term program.

Otherwise, why didn't it issue such an order in the first place instead of allowing vendors to develop their business all these years? Highly developed medical science will only shorten the process of central abattoirs supplying fresh poultry meat. If vendors believed there was no longer any point in rejecting the government offer, they should have started other businesses with compensation from the government instead of regretting and complaining. They claimed that what they gave up was a business that had yielded an income for many years, maybe even a family business. But if it means so much, why not hold on to it like the 133 of the 800 vendors?

After one or two years of competition with central slaughterhouses, there's a good chance the vendors' business will be stronger.

Won't that be better?

Only when the government's policy works with people's active thinking does it promote a better society.

Kroxy Wang, via e-mail

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(China Daily 06/22/2010 page9)