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I'm certainly not denying that. I would just argue caution in jumping to far fetched conclusions, like China will become a superpower so we should all learn Man

I'm certainly not denying that. I would just argue caution in jumping to far fetched conclusions, like China will become a superpower so we should all learn Mandarin.

cabalamat 9y ago
China is already a superpower.
- HumanDrivenDev 9y ago
  The USA was a superpower. The USSR was a superpower. The British Empire was a super power. China is nowhere near those levels. Again, people want to buy into the narrative.
intended 9y ago
China is already a super power. I don’t know why it escapes attention, but China has the power to regularly bully their neighbors, have pretty much annexed territory, their ships raid protected regions for fish, they have massive diplomatic programs and trillions they spend on funding it - none of which has any challengers in the diplomatic space. Do note they also have their own space stations. In essence China has learnt from the western lessons and converted the parts that work for it. I don’t understand why HN is unwilling to countenance this, but let me put it this way - Can America afford to antagonize China ? As for the Japan comparison - Japan is tiny compared to China. Chinese surplus production destroys industries in other nations. Not to mention it has an actual army and navy which is constantly being upgraded. Something which it uses to enforce its geo political will and aims. In contrast - the backbone of American international ability, it’s state department, is unstaffed and seen as the enemy by an administration which thinks that only MBAs can do a job effectively, while everyone else working in the govt must be a leech of resources. Not to mention how many bizarre steps the govt has taken to ensure people look for more stable patrons than the current administration. China has monstrous momentum. edit: I would ideally like a solid and non-wonkish rebuttal of China's ascendance. For example people can highlight debt/finance issues and over capacity in China - and then address how China won't be able to solve it by just exporting to everyone and everywhere.
- HumanDrivenDev 9y ago
  > I don’t understand why HN is unwilling to countenance this, but let me put it this way - Can America afford to antagonize China ? It's antagonising all year round - US military presence in Japan and Korea, continuous arm sales and pushing the envelope on unofficial relations with Taiwan, support of Japans claim to the Senkakus, "Freedom of Navigation" exercises in defiance of chinas maritime claims, opening up military relations with Vietnam. Again, China is not the USSR. There's no "Korean missile crisis" where China can provoke an international crisis if the US decides to park ballistic missiles in its near abroad. There's no equivalent of a Warsaw block. The US has an entanglement of military alliances and relations all around Chinas backyard. China is not a superpower.
  - intended 9y ago
    China just basically bought itself a base in Sri Lanka. They built islands to increase their territory in the South China sea. They just bullied Bhutan and India over Doklam. They're worse than the USSR, they just aren't competing with America in a directly military stand off?

I'm certainly not denying that. I would just argue caution in jumping to far fetched conclusions, like China will become a superpower so we should all learn Mandarin.

cabalamat 9y ago

China is already a superpower.

HumanDrivenDev 9y ago
The USA was a superpower. The USSR was a superpower. The British Empire was a super power. China is nowhere near those levels. Again, people want to buy into the narrative.

intended 9y ago

China is already a super power. I don’t know why it escapes attention, but China has the power to regularly bully their neighbors, have pretty much annexed territory, their ships raid protected regions for fish, they have massive diplomatic programs and trillions they spend on funding it - none of which has any challengers in the diplomatic space. Do note they also have their own space stations. In essence China has learnt from the western lessons and converted the parts that work for it. I don’t understand why HN is unwilling to countenance this, but let me put it this way - Can America afford to antagonize China ? As for the Japan comparison - Japan is tiny compared to China. Chinese surplus production destroys industries in other nations. Not to mention it has an actual army and navy which is constantly being upgraded. Something which it uses to enforce its geo political will and aims. In contrast - the backbone of American international ability, it’s state department, is unstaffed and seen as the enemy by an administration which thinks that only MBAs can do a job effectively, while everyone else working in the govt must be a leech of resources. Not to mention how many bizarre steps the govt has taken to ensure people look for more stable patrons than the current administration. China has monstrous momentum. edit: I would ideally like a solid and non-wonkish rebuttal of China's ascendance. For example people can highlight debt/finance issues and over capacity in China - and then address how China won't be able to solve it by just exporting to everyone and everywhere.

HumanDrivenDev 9y ago
> I don’t understand why HN is unwilling to countenance this, but let me put it this way - Can America afford to antagonize China ? It's antagonising all year round - US military presence in Japan and Korea, continuous arm sales and pushing the envelope on unofficial relations with Taiwan, support of Japans claim to the Senkakus, "Freedom of Navigation" exercises in defiance of chinas maritime claims, opening up military relations with Vietnam. Again, China is not the USSR. There's no "Korean missile crisis" where China can provoke an international crisis if the US decides to park ballistic missiles in its near abroad. There's no equivalent of a Warsaw block. The US has an entanglement of military alliances and relations all around Chinas backyard. China is not a superpower.
- intended 9y ago
  China just basically bought itself a base in Sri Lanka. They built islands to increase their territory in the South China sea. They just bullied Bhutan and India over Doklam. They're worse than the USSR, they just aren't competing with America in a directly military stand off?