The Golden Age

While reading the text book in chapter nine I found something that I thought was unfair that the Chinese did in 800 C.E. was burning the trees in the forest that covered much of the terrain, and pushing the elephants who lived in those lands away so that the emerging population can live there. Then we wonder why there are tree shortages now and animals become extinct. Humans are the monsters destroying nature that the things that live in it.  While further reading the chapter I read about the Sui emperor trying to overtake more land and exhausting resources. It seems to be a pattern from history that money is not being used wisely when it is being invested in trying to take over someone else’s property. If you think about it is it worth it to spend money on all these weapons to use against one another and all the lives that are lost? Yeah, a weapon has a price tag and can be replaced, but a life does not come with a price tag and when staring death in his face the body cannot be replaced. The chapter moves on to what the book calls the “golden age” and its structure under the rule of the Tang and Song dynasties. I did think that the dynasties had some good concepts with the six major ministries and having an agency to check and make sure that the officials were of character and competence. One thing that I do not agree with is how the official’s lets sons of aristocratic families have jobs in public office even though the candidate did not pass the examination. This just goes to show that if you have money you can buy your way into office. Another example of rich people buying their way is how they encroached on the plots of the peasants. You know it is sad because if we could financially be all on the same level I think life would move easier. People could afford health care and homes. There are many days that I sit in my apartment thinking that I am never going to be a homeowner. I do not come from money, and I have always worked hard since I was fourteen years old. Being older I know how to save money and take care of my bills but at the end of the day I do not make enough money to save for a house. That is why if we were more or less equally financially stable no one would have to struggle and everyone would have the same opportunity as everyone else.