History Of The State Of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations

For decades to come, MaoБЂ™s determination to preside over a military superpower in his own lifetime was the single most important factor affecting the fate of the Chinese population. MAO WAS IN a rush for his arsenal. In September 1952, when Chou En-lai gave Stalin PekingБЂ™s shopping list for its First Five-Year Plan (1953БЂ“57), StalinБЂ™s reaction was: БЂњThis is a very unbalanced ratio. Even during wartime we didnБЂ™t have such high military expenses.БЂ«БЂњThe question here is БЂ¦ whether we will be able to produce this much equipment.БЂ«According to official statistics, spending during this period on the military, plus arms-related industries, took up 61 percent of the budget БЂ” although in reality the percentage was higher, and would rise as the years progressed. In contrast, spending on education, culture and health combined was a miserable 8.2 percent, and there was no private sector to fall back on when the state failed to provide. Education and health care were never free, except in the case of epidemics, and often not available, for either the peasants or the urban underclass ...»