3 ms·

Relevant: http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html

by volgo 9y ago

common_ 9y ago
Actually, irrelevant. There would be more articles that are critical of China if newspaper publishers weren't paranoid about losing a shot at a payday buyout from a Chinese media firm.
- thanksgiving 9y ago
  Are you sure? My uninformed guess would be to assume that if you're critical and they can't just shut you down, they'll more likely pay you a reasonable amount to shut up.
  - bostik 9y ago
    Sounds unlikely as that would only incentivise being openly (and vocally) critical. If you have the resources and the time to invest in a long game, scorched earth strategy is likely going to be more effective.
- volgo 9y ago
  Wrong. There's negative China articles coming out every day. If you just browse HN you'll find a fair selection of them
adventured 9y ago
The things mentioned are occuring and should be covered in the press globally. It's called being the new superpower on the block. Welcome to the party of relentless, global, 24/7 criticism, China. It's going to get dramatically worse with each passing year and every action taken (no matter what that is). If they're already violently annexing territory 4x the size of Texas from half a dozen neighboring nations, imagine what they'll be doing with a $20 trillion economy and $500+ billion in military spending in about a decade. Who's going to restrain their behavior then? My guess is: nobody.
- mschuster91 9y ago
  > Who's going to restrain their behavior then? My guess is: nobody. It is very well possible that the downfall of the Chinese regime will come from the interior. The regime depends on economic growth like an addict on heroin - they need to feed 1.3B people, of which many are transitioning from poverty to middle-class level. And much of the Western world is nearing saturation with Chinese products (and in addition, the Western economies aren't growing that much as before themselves!) - that explains the Chinese investments across Africa. They're on quite a gamble at the moment... either a modernized Africa will be the new target market so that the Chinese economy can grow or they're screwed. The question is: will Africa get up to speed before the Chinese economy collapses from a lack of growth?
- glangdale 9y ago
  My guess as to who (or what) will restrain their behavior: demographics. China is a dynamic country with a powerful economy, but they also have a enormous demographic time bomb ticking (an aging population and a low birth rate - one that isn't responding that well to relaxing population control laws). Also, as for violently annexing territory, they are mild-mannered compared to pretty much every other 'young superpower'. It's worth putting this in perspective with the historical behavior of European superpowers as well as the USA and USSR.

Relevant: http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html

by volgo 9y ago

Relevant: http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html

Actually, irrelevant. There would be more articles that are critical of China if newspaper publishers weren't paranoid about losing a shot at a payday buyout from a Chinese media firm.

thanksgiving 9y ago
Are you sure? My uninformed guess would be to assume that if you're critical and they can't just shut you down, they'll more likely pay you a reasonable amount to shut up.
- bostik 9y ago
  Sounds unlikely as that would only incentivise being openly (and vocally) critical. If you have the resources and the time to invest in a long game, scorched earth strategy is likely going to be more effective.
volgo 9y ago
Wrong. There's negative China articles coming out every day. If you just browse HN you'll find a fair selection of them

adventured 9y ago

The things mentioned are occuring and should be covered in the press globally. It's called being the new superpower on the block. Welcome to the party of relentless, global, 24/7 criticism, China. It's going to get dramatically worse with each passing year and every action taken (no matter what that is). If they're already violently annexing territory 4x the size of Texas from half a dozen neighboring nations, imagine what they'll be doing with a $20 trillion economy and $500+ billion in military spending in about a decade. Who's going to restrain their behavior then? My guess is: nobody.

mschuster91 9y ago
> Who's going to restrain their behavior then? My guess is: nobody. It is very well possible that the downfall of the Chinese regime will come from the interior. The regime depends on economic growth like an addict on heroin - they need to feed 1.3B people, of which many are transitioning from poverty to middle-class level. And much of the Western world is nearing saturation with Chinese products (and in addition, the Western economies aren't growing that much as before themselves!) - that explains the Chinese investments across Africa. They're on quite a gamble at the moment... either a modernized Africa will be the new target market so that the Chinese economy can grow or they're screwed. The question is: will Africa get up to speed before the Chinese economy collapses from a lack of growth?
glangdale 9y ago
My guess as to who (or what) will restrain their behavior: demographics. China is a dynamic country with a powerful economy, but they also have a enormous demographic time bomb ticking (an aging population and a low birth rate - one that isn't responding that well to relaxing population control laws). Also, as for violently annexing territory, they are mild-mannered compared to pretty much every other 'young superpower'. It's worth putting this in perspective with the historical behavior of European superpowers as well as the USA and USSR.