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The blog post reads like propaganda - hitting on the same old metrics like GDP by PPP (ignoring all the other metrics that are getting worse). Who cares if it'
by refurb 1y ago
The blog post reads like propaganda - hitting on the same old metrics like GDP by PPP (ignoring all the other metrics that are getting worse).
Who cares if it's the largest economy? What matters is productivity per person, which is around what Thailand produces - $13,000 USD per capita.
One question I love asking is the pro-China faction is - assuming China grows at 5% per year (it's no longer growing at 7-8%), how long would it take to catch up to the US on a GDP per capita basis with the US growing an anemic 2%?
What people forget is the US growing at 2% is equivalent to to China growing at 12% (since per capita GDP is 6x).
China needs to stop their slowing economy all in an environment of reduced global trade and a terrible demographic shift.
- aurareturn 1y agoRetirement age in China has been around 55. If you go to China, you’ll see a ton of older retired people traveling around the country on high speed trains. You won’t find that many young people during day time. So that factor into GDP per capita. But besides GDP per capita, I think your criticism of GDP PPP per capita is wrong. You can live a very decent life in China. In some ways, it’s superior to Americans for many Chinese people. You just have to go to China to see it for yourself.
- refurb 1y agoIt's not about "decent life", GDP per capita is what pays taxes, which pays healthcare and defense and other essentials. Sure, China has a fine quality of life - similar to Thailand. But they aren't going to be able to afford cutting edge healthcare, deep social program or a bottomless defense budget on 1/6th the GDP per capita.
- aurareturn 1y agoI think you need to go to China and Thailand if you think China is similar to Thailand. Go see for yourself instead of reading about China through the lens of western media.
- refurb 1y agoI live in Asia, spent time in China. Sure the wealth concentrated in tier 1 cities makes them look shiney but China isn’t just its tier 1 cities it includes its rural poverty too. But I’ve experience things like healthcare and if you think it’s on par with the US or Europe, oh man, that’s painfully not true.
- aurareturn 1y agoWhere in Asia? When was the last time in China? Are you comparing Shenzhen to Bangkok? Or lower tier cities to lower tier cities in Thailand? What do you think is the trend for Thailand and China in the next 10 years? Do you think Americans can afford cutting edge health care? Or even any healthcare at all? You keep mentioning "cutting edge" healthcare like China doesn't have it. In the US, basic health care is expensive and tied to your employer. If you're out of a job, you're out of health insurance mostly. In China, they have universal health care where basic health care is cheap. If you want private health care in China, it's expensive. So you tell me which is better. I think a ton of people make the mistake of comparing average China to average US and then say "see! I told you China is bad". In reality, many parts of China 30 years ago barely had electricity and running water. It's more important to talk projections rather than August 2025.
- refurb 1y ago> Where in Asia? When was the last time in China? Are you comparing Shenzhen to Bangkok? Or lower tier cities to lower tier cities in Thailand? Maybe you misunderstood? Clearly Shanghai is nicer than Bangkok, but China is not 1.4B people living in Shanghai, you need to include the people living on a few dollars per days in rural Chinese areas. > What do you think is the trend for Thailand and China in the next 10 years? I have no idea, but even if China continues to grow at 5% per year (if they're lucky), in a decade they might have a per capita GDP of what? $20,000? That puts them on par with Panama or Uraguay? > Do you think Americans can afford cutting edge health care Absolutely. Just look at things like CAR-T adoption, it's the highest in the world. Far exceeding Europe and Europe exceeds China. > In China, they have universal health care where basic health care is cheap. If you want private health care in China, it's expensive. So you tell me which is better. Cheap healthcare in China is just that - cheap. I've been to Chinese hospitals. I've seen doctors prescribe antibiotics for viral infections. I've seen them recommend "hot water" as a cure. It may be convenient and cheap, but quality is terrible unless you get to the high end private hospitals and guess what? CAR-T therapy cost hundreds of thousands everywhere in the world. > I think a ton of people make the mistake of comparing average China to average US and then say "see! I told you China is bad". Why would you not compare averages? Or would you prefer to compare Shanghai to say the top 10% of income earners in the US? We could do that too if you'd like. The truth is that China, while making great strides, is still about as rich as Thailand on average. They need decades are very strong economic growth to even match the US, let alone exceed it. All while facing a massive debt overhang and demographic changes that will only slow economic growth.
- orwin 1y agoMan, I spent a month in WV circa 2019 (Lincoln county to be specific, although I moved around), and a month in rural China, I guarantee you the worst places to live weren't in China. I love WV, but 'meth and abject poverty' is a close contestant for the state catchphrase.
- refurb 1y agoYou're going to compare China poverty with US poverty including welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, child tax credits, etc? The average impoverished American on Mediacid is getting far superior healthcare to poor Chinese (I've seen it with my own eyes).