Troubadour
Banned
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2010
- Messages
- 464
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- Political Leaning
- Liberal
Ever since the Reagan administration first began the trend of liquidating our infrastructure for tax cuts, the United States has steadily lost its global leadership in practically every area of society and economics. In fact, in many areas we are no longer even classed in the First World - for instance, our health care system competes with the likes of Slovenia and Morocco. Meanwhile, massive trade deficits with China, along with forward-thinking infrastructure investments by its government, have contributed to seeing its global power and position skyrocket while ours declines. The answer to this pattern of decline is clearly not to continue that policies that created it, so what solutions can be brought to bear?
I realize it's difficult to understand just how far ahead of us China is getting just by hearing all the statistics that are by now so commonplace, so I'd like to present you with some visual aids. This is the city of Guangzhou:
I could post more examples of Chinese cities that look equally awesome, but apparently there's a 5-image limit on this forum. Anyway, the important point is that practically ALL of the structures shown were built in the last decade. China has remade itself, and what policies allowed it to achieve this? Hint: It wasn't tax cuts, reduced infrastructure spending, or military aggression - sorry, Republicans.
Hmmm. They did it by:
Rolling tanks over protests.
Creating industrial wastelands the size of Montana.
Brutalizing whole religions.
Outlawing unions; allowing near slave-labor conditions.
Robbing the countryside to feed their cities.
And so on.
laughs hystericallyFor instance, our health care system competes with the likes of Slovenia and Morocco.
With china's rapid growth and strong economy it looks strangely like America in it's early days.
I don't actually get your point, here - with the photos stuff.
We have countless cities that look *just like that* :shrug: All over the place.
You're discussing statistics - but presenting nothing but photos of construction projects.
Hmmm. They did it by: Rolling tanks over protests.
Creating industrial wastelands the size of Montana.
Brutalizing whole religions.
Outlawing unions; allowing near slave-labor conditions.
The GDP per citizen in Shanghai is only around $11,000. Modern skyscrapers don't mean everything. China is nothing to uphold as equal to and greater than America.
I agree with the view of Rousseau on this - I'd rather us be just a normal country making our way fairly decently through life if it means people are GRANTED their rights and priviledges in the process as opposed to, apparently, what it takes to be "number one"
Any "number one!" civilization STILL number one? How long did it last? What did they have to do to get there? What are they like, now?
laughs hysterically
Most of China's "success" is government crafted - they are China, after all . .
Had nothing to do with their economy.
As if we haven't been
Also has nothing to do with their economy.
Yes, that's something we definitely can't allow to take place in America, Republican intentions notwithstanding. But the point is the investments in infrastructure being made from the profits.
Now I thought that was an impossible unthinkable unworkable travesty. :ssst:
Most of China's "success" is government crafted
Now - nevermind the smoke and mirrors. You have to asses OUR culture, economy and society within our selves - you can't contrast us iwth china and try to come to some accurate conclusions. It just doesn't cross over that way.
One simple thing: all the jobs that we sent over there- if we just bring them *back here* and become producers and suppliers rather than users and buyers we'd see a shift of some type.
The government can build anything it wants. That doesn't mean there's something sustainably real underneath.
Oh... its a fake economy of some-sort. I see.
New York Times, 8-10-1973 (Notice the year and what was actually taking place in China at the time)One is impressed immediately by the sense of national harmony.... Whatever the price of the Chinese Revolution it has obviously succeeded... in fostering high morale and community purpose. General social and economic progress is no less impressive....The enormous social advances of China have benefited greatly form the singleness of ideology and purpose.... The social experiment in China under Chairman Mao's leadership is one of the most important and successful in history.
They're one of the longest lasting cultures with one of the most ancient languages and have provided the world with numerous innovations - but only *now* are seeing greatness?
That's not greatness, really. That's being a ****ty country.
Modern skyscrapers don't mean everything.
China is nothing to uphold as equal to and greater than America.
Sure it does. You cannot separate their government and its policies from their economy.
Where are they?
But that nicey-nice interpretation of things just doesn't hold. They're able to invest in material with comparatively little precisely because they do it with near-slavery.
After WWII, most every other industrialized country in the world had it's infrastructure decimated--except the US.
After WWII, we would had to have been horrible not to have risen to preeminence.
It's natural now that other countries are catching up.
You know, when it comes to just *them* it seems like it's just long overdue - them having any financial pedestal to stand on for a while.
They're one of the longest lasting cultures with one of the most ancient languages and have provided the world with numerous innovations - but only *now* are seeing greatness?
That's not greatness, really. That's being a ****ty country.
After WWII, most every other industrialized country in the world had it's infrastructure decimated--except the US.
After WWII, we would had to have been horrible not to have risen to preeminence.
It's natural now that other countries are catching up.
Nope. I ain't that much of an asshole, in case you were wondering. I simply find your belief in the equivalence of Slovenian and American health care hilarious, that's all.You find something funny about Americans dying?
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