Topic: China on top now? A bit depressing.

[Pugnate]

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/19/make-your-child-learn-chinese/?hpt=T1

[scottws]

It is what it is.  Eventually the same thing will happen to them that happened to the U.S.  As they develop into a prosperous nation, labor there will get too expensive and manufacturing will move elsewhere.  It will take a long time, but it is inevitable.

[Cobra951]

I watched Bill Maher late last night, and this morning I see this.  *Sigh*  I am so depressed.  America, the world's newest banana republic & 3rd-world country.

[Pugnate]

What happened on Bill Maher last night?

[Cobra951]

They were discussing the bleeding of jobs out of the country, the redistribution of wealth over the past few decades to the top 0.5-1% (which they called the elite class), the lowering of wages across the board, resulting in 100 million "working poor", the steadfast (and successful) conservative resistance to social, taxation and healthcare reforms, all while joking around jovially.  And why shouldn't they?  None of the people on camera has any financial worries.

[Cools!]

On a lighter note, this comment made me laugh:

Dream on, Jack. The average American kid can't even speak English properly, and you're asking them to learn Chinese? Yeah, right.

[Quemaqua]

Haha, that's funny.

And yeah, China scares the shit out of me.  Chinese culture and language is very interesting stuff, and I have nothing against the people, but the government and entity of China scares me more than any other nation on earth.

[gpw11]

I have a vague suspicion something will arise which will stop progress in China dead in it's tracks for a while.  After that, that's when we should be concerned. 

Then again, their government is really good at what they do.

It's actually part of the reason I switched to a field that couldn't be exported.

[Cobra951]

I found a really interesting article on economic theory and economic history.  I figured this thread was the best place to link it.  Note that it dates from 1993, so some of its assumptions are dead wrong.  (Best example: Japan projected to continue its economic rise, while China is scarcely mentioned.)  On the other hand, much of it seems eerily prophetic of our fate here in America, even if the author himself didn't realize it.  Most compelling is the proposition that Adam Smith's laissez-faire economics are akin to religion in America, as if there could be no successful competing economic models.  Friedrich List's more paternalistic theories are offered not only as a viable alternative, but even necessary to emerging economic powerhouses.  In short, America could have never become what it was late last century without violating the principles of Adam Smith.  It's a long and involved read, but ultimately rewarding if you can stick with it.

[shock]

Good read.  I only wish it went a bit further and gave a little more insight into the "what happens now?"  Or is it inevitable that we are slated for gradual decline?

[Cobra951]

What happens now would depend on whether we can muster the political will to steer our economic future from the top: investment in, and protection of, our future as a nation.  The article didn't teach me this.  It provided strong erudite support for how I felt already.

[shock]

Well, in that case, we're fucked.