>>10957717We're more decadent than most of China, a much larger fraction of their society than ours is deep in the shit and desperate to get out, and their government is more than happy to offer such things as a reward for loyalty and productivity. If the Chinese government wants astronauts then Chinese citizens will want to be astronauts because it gets them into good standing with the party and possibly better living. Same reason why so many of them hop on over to the west to get business and STEM jobs, because that's what the Chinese government wants to help them unfuck their hollow economy and terribly planned urban centers. In comparison, even our poor classes of citizens generally have access to an enormous amount of luxury compared to China, India or the rest of the world, many of them still have steady living spaces, some level of healthcare, TV and other luxury entertainment, and steady if shitty quality food, there's less of an incentive to perform the kind of ass-busting required to become an astronaut, or athlete, doctor (of whatever) or any other profession that demands a large degree of commitment.
