The economic war of the future

[kiryan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/busin ... l?_r=1&hpw

Make no mistake, China sees its economic influence as power and will use it... not unlike the US. The implications of this are very omnious for the future and I really don't think we are prepared for it as a nation and definitely not as a consumer.

[teflor the ranger]

China will likely be the first real competition for the United States in 2020. We haven't had a real competitor in the world since the Soviets maxed out their game playing escalatio with the Americans.

Finally, there will be someone else the woes of the world can be blamed on instead of us.

[Corth]

Competitor? Give it 20 years and we are going to be an afterthought. While still nominally a communist country, they have embraced free market capitalism while we slide into socialism. A billion people free of the yoke of stifling government intrusion into the private sector. Our economic power and global reach will diminish over time, much like France - while China will leapfrog us in terms of quality of life. Mark my words. Most of us will be alive to see it.

[Adriorn Darkcloak]

You're forgetting one important thing, Corth: sustainable fertility rates. China's has been plummeting since they did their 'One Child Only' thing. By the year 2050 they might be seeing a huge economic crisis due to this; too many retirees and not enough people/money to support them. The US is still fine, thanks in part to immigration.

[teflor the ranger]

Competitor, Corth. The Chinese are still holding onto quite a few unhealthy ideas. They're as stubborn as our voters are stupid.

[kiryan]

and culturally they are still very much lock in step...

a lot of America's innovation comes from thinking outside the box. Still China has the advantage of numbers.

[Adriorn Darkcloak]

Here's a good article on this. It's long btw, but very good.

[teflor the ranger]

and culturally they are still very much lock in step...

a lot of America's innovation comes from thinking outside the box. Still China has the advantage of numbers.

You should see the applicant acceptance rate to Beijing University. 0.01% or lower.