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Having lived in China for seven years I see no sign that the Chinese have eaten, are eating, or are going to eat America’s lunch. Growth at the technological fr
by barry-cotter 7y ago
Having lived in China for seven years I see no sign that the Chinese have eaten, are eating, or are going to eat America’s lunch. Growth at the technological frontier is about what the best are doing and diffuses from there. I am unaware of any academic field or major industry where the US is not in the top three, hardly surprising given its 5% of global population and 25% of global economic activity. As long as the US has enough strivers and hard workers it can afford plenty of slackers.
The only way for the US’ relative position not to decline with China’s rise involve megadeaths, just as after WWII it’s relative power could only decline.
- pergadad 7y agoDecline doesn't have to be rapid.
- BasDirks 7y agoWhat signs of a slow decline do you identify?
- taesko 7y ago> As long as the US has enough strivers and hard workers it can afford plenty of slackers. That's an uncomfortable idea - growth of a nation being dependent on a few people working their ass off. Like sacrificial lambs. Though almost all of these people probably do it willingly.
- ulisesrmzroche 7y agoWhat’s so uncomfortable about it? It’s never been any different.
- lonelappde 7y agoThat's life. Life is incredibly expensive, and people who enjoy it are getting from the hard work and suffering of animals and other people and themselves. And the suffering of others scales far better then self-sacrificing.