[simonh]

>More freedom how?

From what I've seen (I have family over there), it's much less restrictive in most ways in terms of regulation and licensing. It is a very regulated society in some ways, but a wild west caveat emptor laisez faire anarchy in others. Also what regulation there is can often be circumvented by the right payments to the right people, which is a form of freedom if you squint at it right.

There's also little in the way of consumer rights. Of course if the anarchy gets too disruptive, in go the police and it gets bad for everybody. It's Big Stick regulation. The only stick they have is a big one, so they tend not to use it often, but when they do....

Take the baby powder doped with Melamine. There is no real enforcement of quality controls, but when the scandal went public and there was a huge scandal they tried and executed - actual shot in the head killed - some executives. A few months later it transpired that the confiscated baby milk powder had 'dissapeared' and was back on the market. By that time the public outcry had died down though.

[dullgiulio]

Having to bribe people to avoid rules is not freedom, however you look at it.

[simonh]

I agree completely, but many over there don't have the same expectations. As a naive participant, how do you distinguish between freedom and toleration? As a practical matter large swathes of their economy are based on that implicit model. In fact selective application of the rules is one way they stack the deck against foreign competitors operating within the country.

[coldtea]

It's just not a state approved freedom automatically given to everyone, but it's a freedom nonetheless. You get to do X which elsewhere it's impossible.

[adinobro]

You often don't have to bribe people. Just talk and explain the situation.

Laws are often strict but loosely enforced unless it is a priority.