China is Implementing a New Social Credit System
It seems like an episode of Black Mirror, but this is in real life! The Chinese government is setting up a social ranking system based on citizens “social credit.” It will be fully operational by 2020 and is mandatory, but it is being used for millions of people already. It is basically like a private credit score where a person’s score is determined on their own behavior. If you buy too many video games or disrespect your parents, your score can move down. If your score gets too low you can get banned from traveling, certain hotels, be disqualified from certain jobs and schools, have your internet speed drastically reduced, and face public shaming as a “bad citizen.” If you are a “good citizen” you can get discounts, special privileges, and even special interest rates when taking out a loan at the bank.
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Toliet Revolution
Public toilets in China are definitely something to avoid. Besides the squatter style toilet which some find uncomfortable, most bathrooms in China are incredibly dirty and lack toilet paper, soap, hot water and dryers. Most people don’t flush and often “miss” the squatter. In order to encourage tourism, the government is implementing a “toilet revolution” to improve the hygiene and quality of bathrooms around the country. The government has invested $3 billion USD so far, but much more work needs to be done.
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