erynthered Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Just like the Soviet Union, huh? Democracy is a process and infant democracies are just like teenagers. They want what they see out there but aren't patient enough to get it. 345589[/snapback] Help the dumb mic out here. Wouldnt you say that China has a better infastructure to turn to a Democrocy, I think so. They're players in the Global market place already. Where as the Soviets were mostly just selling arms, Am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 The Chinese are looking to increase their role and dominate within their sphere of influence, and it IS going to happen. There have been many reforms and a great deal of modernization over the last several years. We speak of Hong Kong, which is an absolutely amazing city-but the development in Shanghai has been staggering. Disney is openning a theme park near the Airport in HK later this year, and has plans for one in the Shanghai area soon. And, as for "old men", China has been quietly replacing the old guard political hacks with a younger, better educated and more forward thinking crowd. They are also very patient, and very pragmatic. China will end up being either a strong partner, or a fierce economic adversary. The only thing that will screw up serious, decent relations between us both is the Taiwan issue. As long as Taiwan behaves itself, and maintains the staus quo, everything will be hunky-dory. Should Taiwan decide to press for full independance, it's going to throw the entire region into some serious upheaval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted May 26, 2005 Author Share Posted May 26, 2005 The Chinese are looking to increase their role and dominate within their sphere of influence, and it IS going to happen. There have been many reforms and a great deal of modernization over the last several years. We speak of Hong Kong, which is an absolutely amazing city-but the development in Shanghai has been staggering. Disney is openning a theme park near the Airport in HK later this year, and has plans for one in the Shanghai area soon. And, as for "old men", China has been quietly replacing the old guard political hacks with a younger, better educated and more forward thinking crowd. They are also very patient, and very pragmatic. China will end up being either a strong partner, or a fierce economic adversary. The only thing that will screw up serious, decent relations between us both is the Taiwan issue. As long as Taiwan behaves itself, and maintains the staus quo, everything will be hunky-dory. Should Taiwan decide to press for full independance, it's going to throw the entire region into some serious upheaval. 345602[/snapback] History has proven that there can be only one great global superpower at any given time. Any other situation leads to conflict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 is it true that they work for 1 - 2 dollars per day ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted May 26, 2005 Author Share Posted May 26, 2005 is it true that they work for 1 - 2 dollars per day ?? 345640[/snapback] Some less than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philburger1 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 As long as Taiwan behaves itself, and maintains the staus quo, everything will be hunky-dory. Should Taiwan decide to press for full independance, it's going to throw the entire region into some serious upheaval. 345602[/snapback] You mean they should be "absorbed" and not have a say? China is the good guy in this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 You mean they should be "absorbed" and not have a say?China is the good guy in this? 345709[/snapback] I can see how you drew those conclusions from his post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 You mean they should be "absorbed" and not have a say?China is the good guy in this? 345709[/snapback] What do the words "status quo" mean to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 I can see how you drew those conclusions from his post. 345714[/snapback] you said the "d" word Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 you said the "d" word 345768[/snapback] ssssshhhhh. Maybe it will go away.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 China has 320 MILLION people under the age of 14. That's more than the entire population of the US. 300 million rural chinese will move to the cities in the next 15 years. China will have to build the equivalent of Houston's infrastructure EVERY MONTH to keep up. More people use the Internet in China than in the USA. China has more English speakers than does the United States. China has more than 300 completely unregulated biotech firms. *** Like it or not people, we are going to be China's economic bitches within the next 20 years. 345463[/snapback] I wouldn't be so sure. Before this day arrives, I am thinking that America and Russia will be best friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 I wouldn't be so sure. Before this day arrives, I am thinking that America and Russia will be best friends. 345774[/snapback] Russia better start making some kick ass cars pretty soon then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philburger1 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 What do the words "status quo" mean to you? 345758[/snapback] "status quo" meaning the existing state of affairs. Yeah, great. China has said many times in the past Taiwan is "dragging its feet" when it comes to "reunification with the motherland". So keeping things the way they are now is not good enough for them China, in their minds, a legal reason to attack. In fact, I think they just passed law that said it would be A-O.K. to fire away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 I wouldn't be so sure. Before this day arrives, I am thinking that America and Russia will be best friends. 345774[/snapback] If/when the EU actually gets it's stuff together, you might see the US making some very strange bedfellows. If any one of 2 or 3 Mid-near east governments go belly up, and get replaced with a fundamentalist Islamic theocracy, most of the EU, led by France will make deals real quick. It will take some serious clout to offset that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 "status quo" meaning the existing state of affairs.Yeah, great. China has said many times in the past Taiwan is "dragging its feet" when it comes to "reunification with the motherland". So keeping things the way they are now is not good enough for them China, in their minds, a legal reason to attack. In fact, I think they just passed law that said it would be A-O.K. to fire away. 345785[/snapback] But, they are not going to until the rest of their powers of national projection come together - if then. China will increase it's economic clout, and while doing so see which way the wind is blowing. Our old buddy France has been getting pretty chummy with them recently. The writing is on the wall, that unless we take steps now- the United States could well find itself rendered inconsequential in a not so distant future. The paradigms are shifting, but the "average American" is not watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britbillsfan Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 To add to any paranoia about future economic super powers and Americas position as such but India has finally stopped being very dumb in its economic policies and its economy is taking off quite a bit as well. There are well over a billion of them and they have a democratic multi-party system in place (even if it is really corrupt in many places). One good thing about them though is that they and China are regional rivals, with one war and numerous skirmishes over the years since Indian independence, so there could be a willing partner to counter balance the influence of the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philburger1 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 The writing is on the wall, that unless we take steps now- the United States could well find itself rendered inconsequential in a not so distant future. The paradigms are shifting, but the "average American" is not watching. 345789[/snapback] I agree with you on some points. But i don't think China's rise to Super Power statis will be so smooth. They have too import Huge amounts of resources keep the wheels rolling. By 2020 they will be using importing more oil than the US. And they have a billion mouths too feed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 To add to any paranoia about future economic super powers and Americas position as such but India has finally stopped being very dumb in its economic policies and its economy is taking off quite a bit as well. There are well over a billion of them and they have a democratic multi-party system in place (even if it is really corrupt in many places). One good thing about them though is that they and China are regional rivals, with one war and numerous skirmishes over the years since Indian independence, so there could be a willing partner to counter balance the influence of the other. 345809[/snapback] Good catch. This hasn't been lost on us, has anyone noticed how nice India and Pakistan are playing together since we got involved? Oh, that's right-this administration can't do foreign policy. My bad. Let's not discount Singapore as a future player, as well. Point is, EVERYTHING is shifting. Maybe the average American is too caught up in Lost, 24 or American Idol to notice...but most of the rest of the world is watching. We, thanks to a variety of reasons we never seem to want to consider long range planning. Folks see something on the TV, and they want a certain thing to happen RIGHT NOW. Well, it is often the case that certain things right now go against a long term strategic plan. Everyone has their own opinions, but I'm glad we finally have an administration in place willing to worry about the future and take risks-be unpopular, to see that we have a future. that's not Republican-Democrat type of thinking. I'm looking at this particular group of people. If it were a Democratic administration pursuing the same policies, I'd be just as happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 I agree with you on some points. But i don't think China's rise to Super Power statis will be so smooth. They have too import Huge amounts of resources keep the wheels rolling. By 2020 they will be using importing more oil than the US. And they have a billion mouths too feed 345815[/snapback] And, they are taking plenty of steps to get there. They don't have to reach "Superpower" status, to be either a nuisance or a friend. From the limited experience I personally have had in China, I'll say this-they are a heck of a lot smarter than most of us take them for, and things are almost never the way they appear. If they usurp America's role as the "go to" guy in the Pacific and far east, we could have a strategic dilema on our hands that might be very hard to solve. China is also very quietly modernizing it's military capacity exponentially from what it was even ten years ago. Locally, they will be able to exert a lot of influence. just my view, but I think they bear a lot closer scrutiny than Russia. Russia has way too many internal problems and difficulties with former member states to be able to consolidate anything at the rate China can. But, Russia's ace in the hole is oil. As the middle east goes into whatever it turns into-our idea or someone elses, Russia could well be holding a big trump card for playing the big game. We can sing hydrogen powered Kumbaya songs all we want, but oil is going to drive the world economy for a long time to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philburger1 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 And, they are taking plenty of steps to get there. They don't have to reach "Superpower" status, to be either a nuisance or a friend. From the limited experience I personally have had in China, I'll say this-they are a heck of a lot smarter than most of us take them for, and things are almost never the way they appear. If they usurp America's role as the "go to" guy in the Pacific and far east, we could have a strategic dilema on our hands that might be very hard to solve. China is also very quietly modernizing it's military capacity exponentially from what it was even ten years ago. Locally, they will be able to exert a lot of influence. just my view, but I think they bear a lot closer scrutiny than Russia. Russia has way too many internal problems and difficulties with former member states to be able to consolidate anything at the rate China can. But, Russia's ace in the hole is oil. As the middle east goes into whatever it turns into-our idea or someone elses, Russia could well be holding a big trump card for playing the big game. We can sing hydrogen powered Kumbaya songs all we want, but oil is going to drive the world economy for a long time to come. 345830[/snapback] Well, I have read reports that China is having a lot more problems feeding its people that its letting on. And it will only get worse. And I had a friend that was in college that was at T. square when the tanks rolled in. He said a lot more people in China are unhappy with their government then you here about. But I think in the long run, China and the US can live well together. Their economies can work with each other. Both want to make money. If the Tiawain issue gets settled in a peaceful way, that will go a long way to removing the tension. It is far and a way the biggest thorn in how the two countries get along. Long term, the biggest threat to both countries will be the spread of militant Islam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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