I don't buy your definition of need and luxury, but I agree that words like 'need', 'desire', and 'want' should be defined a bit more clearly. Yeah, my use of the word 'need' is perhaps a bit vague, but these words are used in a vague sense all the time.
Let's just say that working to produce things you can't afford to buy annoys a lot of people.
I think the discussion has started off topic in that it's about materialism - consumerist-materialism, anyway - in China specifically and the discussion (that I guess I veered off into) is about the consumerist-materialist impulse in China specifically.
If you want to discuss the subject in general terms, by all means start a thread, I'll be happy to kick in my point of view.


Portraits from the Tea Horse Road
发布者Terrific photos, great portraits.
Mike, I don't understand about the 13 centuries, or what era is ending.
Yunnan Baiyao "secret" ingredients found on US websites
发布者In referring to 'the Chinese' and 'the US' I assume you mean certain bureaucracies located in China and the US. A common way to speak, admittedly - but doesn't it (subconsciously) corrupt the way we tend to think? Surely only a tiny percentage of real people are involved - we all know this, of course, and we forget it all the time. No blame on JHC, just a reflection that, um, we might all reflect on more often. Managed thought is dangerous and manipulative, let's not assist the managers out of carelessness and lack of attention to what really goes down.
Yunnan Baiyao rebounds after rough start to 2013
发布者Have scientific tests ever been done on this stuff (i.e., by other than company personnel) - not just on what's in it, but on what it can/does or cannot/doesn't do? I'm not suggesting it's bunk or anything like that, I'd just like to know.
Book Review: Unsavory Elements
发布者Somewhat stereotypical impression of 'foreigners' too, although I think I may have seen these 2 before.
Zhaotong official may face resentencing following weibo uproar
发布者I fail to see the point of an execution, public or otherwise. Has somebody confused vengeance with justice?