3 ms·

Not op, but pretty much, yes. GDP per capita is still way lower for China compared to US. China is perfectly justified in playing a system built by the winners

Not op, but pretty much, yes. GDP per capita is still way lower for China compared to US. China is perfectly justified in playing a system built by the winners for the winners. Much luck to them in making the hypocrisy of the system more clearly obvious. The US is complaining about IP theft, where: 1) they are (were? mainly?) the ones with IP assets 2) the rules have been established by the US (mainly) 3) whenever the US sees fit, it breaks its own rules (thanks Trump, finally this is obvious to everybody!) And all the while without even mentioning: A) the war dividends, all around the world. Whoever thinks the US is losing money with NATO is just delluded. B) the massive rent extracting effects that the dollar has throughout the world economy. Tell Trumpy something: if he wants "fair" trade, let's also get a fair currency for all involved. The truth is that the deficit happens because the US consumer indulges in extra hyperconsumerism thanks to an overvalued dollar. The arrangment suits nealy everybody. Now comes Trump and wants a new deal. Let's get one: the US consumes less with a weaker dollar, and the deficit disappears. You know what the US won't get: a world where the US controls the currency, the military and the economy. Maybe you haven't noticed, but the US is only 5% of world population. It wouldn't be fair.

candiodari 8y ago
You must not have paid attention in history class. When the colonies, primarily the US, started doing better than the old European countries ... what happened ? And yes, immigrants in the US beat quite a few traditional industries at their own game, under rules set by people trying to sabotage them. Well done, right ? So what happened ... Peace, love and prosperity ? Or something else ?
- coldtea 8y ago
  >When the colonies, primarily the US, started doing better than the old European countries ... what happened? Nothing much. There were 2 world wars that finished the old European countries, and the US took over the warmongering world leader game, and the colonialism (as neo-colonialism this time). >And yes, immigrants in the US beat quite a few traditional industries at their own game, under rules set by people trying to sabotage them. Not sure what you mean. Immigrants that succeeded in the US still played by US rules and laws. In fact most any immigrant that succeeded was totally Americanized - ending up like those "trying to sabotage them". Did you see any huge story where immigrants changed the underlying culture, ethics, etc?
  - candiodari 8y ago
    What I mean is early US history. When the colonies' industries started growing and outperforming the home industries, the governments of Europe started systematically sabotaging the American (then not-quite-yet-American of course) businesses, eventually using the police and even army to use direct violence against them. Incumbents really don't react well to upstarts even just performing decently.
    - mistermann 8y ago
      That's what's so interesting about modern times, both the leaders of incumbent countries as well as the citizens seem not only not worried about threats from rising countries, but in many cases determined to defend and assist them in their endeavor to dethrone the current incumbents. I wonder if history has ever seen anything like this before, at least on such a widespread scale.

candiodari 8y ago

You must not have paid attention in history class. When the colonies, primarily the US, started doing better than the old European countries ... what happened ? And yes, immigrants in the US beat quite a few traditional industries at their own game, under rules set by people trying to sabotage them. Well done, right ? So what happened ... Peace, love and prosperity ? Or something else ?

coldtea 8y ago
>When the colonies, primarily the US, started doing better than the old European countries ... what happened? Nothing much. There were 2 world wars that finished the old European countries, and the US took over the warmongering world leader game, and the colonialism (as neo-colonialism this time). >And yes, immigrants in the US beat quite a few traditional industries at their own game, under rules set by people trying to sabotage them. Not sure what you mean. Immigrants that succeeded in the US still played by US rules and laws. In fact most any immigrant that succeeded was totally Americanized - ending up like those "trying to sabotage them". Did you see any huge story where immigrants changed the underlying culture, ethics, etc?
- candiodari 8y ago
  What I mean is early US history. When the colonies' industries started growing and outperforming the home industries, the governments of Europe started systematically sabotaging the American (then not-quite-yet-American of course) businesses, eventually using the police and even army to use direct violence against them. Incumbents really don't react well to upstarts even just performing decently.
  - mistermann 8y ago
    That's what's so interesting about modern times, both the leaders of incumbent countries as well as the citizens seem not only not worried about threats from rising countries, but in many cases determined to defend and assist them in their endeavor to dethrone the current incumbents. I wonder if history has ever seen anything like this before, at least on such a widespread scale.