American Politics

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sun_tzu said:
So this decicion to focus military spending on the pacific rather than againt russia... has that been questioned yet?
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Only by the people that can see Russia from their bedroom window. Most Americans recognize that China is their new global rival. Russia has too many local problems and its economy is a basket case, which will affect its military capabilities beyond its own immediate region.
 
surf said:
Only by the people that can see Russia from their bedroom window. Most Americans recognize that China is their new global rival. Russia has too many local problems and its economy is a basket case, which will affect its military capabilities beyond its own immediate region.
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So Tina Fey thinks this. Interesting.

Russia may have "local" problems but that doesn't minimize their influence on global politics. I do agree that China is a new global rival but China and the US are way to financially linked to ever have a major problem with each other.
 
surf said:
Only by the people that can see Russia from their bedroom window. Most Americans recognize that China is their new global rival. Russia has too many local problems and its economy is a basket case, which will affect its military capabilities beyond its own immediate region.
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Communist China is the new global rival. The US and China may have trade relations....but they don't need each other. If there was to be a major war...it will be the Chinese we need to fight.
 
Red Dreams said:
Communist China is the new global rival. The US and China may have trade relations....but they don't need each other. If there was to be a major war...it will be the Chinese we need to fight.
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Have you been to China - its very hard to think of it as a classical communist country, as for a war I think it is very unlikely - possibly some disputes further down the line (eg diaoyuti /senkaku... maybe even taiwan one day) but a war as in american troops invaiding mainland china or vice versa simply wont happen - well unless they send another cruise missile into a chinese embassy by accident but fingers crossed nobody is that stupid
 
sun_tzu said:
Have you been to China - its very hard to think of it as a classical communist country, as for a war I think it is very unlikely - possibly some disputes further down the line (eg diaoyuti /senkaku... maybe even taiwan one day) but a war as in american troops invaiding mainland china or vice versa simply wont happen - well unless they send another cruise missile into a chinese embassy by accident but fingers crossed nobody is that stupid
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your mention of increase of military spending in the Pacific region is not an accident. We are right to do that. China is our main rival. Not Russia....a country run by gangsters.
 
Red Dreams said:
your mention of increase of military spending in the Pacific region is not an accident. We are right to do that. China is our main rival. Not Russia....a country run by gangsters.
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your main rival will also be your major trading partner - I just don't associate that with rivalry and I think it seems a strange decision - time will tell I guess
 
Red Dreams said:
until China is a democracy...they will remain our main rival...and cannot be trusted.
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I'd talk about democracy not exactly being untarnished by history but don't want to invoke godwins law

but why exactly cant china be trusted... is it because we eat dogs or have we committed some other crime... or is it simply that we have a different political system to you (also if / when democracy does come to china do you think it would be fairer to have a pr system with many parties or a first past the post system dominated by two parties and access to money?)
 
China and the US need each other economically, in fact both countries are used in Joe Nye's classical example of how complex economic interdependence works. Nye writes that although the US and China appear adversarial, they are also economically dependent on one another. China owns more than a trillion dollars in US debt and if they wanted to destabilize the US, they could simply reclaim their money - but they don't, because the US alone imports nearly half a trillion dollars in Chinese goods each year and could equally destabilize the Chinese economy should they wish. Therefore both countries are economically interdependent and as such are unlikely to come into conflict with one another.
 
Raoul said:
China and the US need each other economically, in fact both countries are used in Joe Nye's classical example of how complex economic interdependence works. Nye writes that although the US and China appear adversarial, they are also economically dependent on one another. China owns more than a trillion dollars in US debt and if they wanted to destabilize the US, they could simply reclaim their money - but they don't, because the US alone imports nearly half a trillion dollars in Chinese goods each year and could equally destabilize the Chinese economy should they wish. Therefore both countries are economically interdependent and as such are unlikely to come into conflict with one another.
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yes and I can only see things being more intertwined over the coming years the view should be more of allies and friendship rather than adversarial and suspicion.
 
Red Dreams said:
You are wrong of course...but I'd be wasting my time trying to explain it all this to you...because you are comfortable with slave labour.
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no please explain to me... being Chinese I'm interested to be educated by your good self about about our labour market I'm sure you know much much more than me and I am eager to learn

My MBA probably misinformed me about so much to do with the way companies function that I cant wait for you to enlighten me

As for my time working in banking I'm sure that painted such a false picture of macroeconomic issues for me that your insight is going to be wonderful in pulling the curtain back

I cant wait

enlighten me
 
Red Dreams said:
is google censored in China?
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relevance to slave labour??? or are you simply trying to deflect the argument
yes there is censorship of the internet - and in truth its not as bad as many portray it but mostly they can only read in English rather than access the Chinese websites directly and understand what is written there
 
sun_tzu said:
relevance to slave labour??? or are you simply trying to deflect the argument
yes there is censorship of the internet - and in truth its not as bad as many portray it but mostly they can only read in English rather than access the Chinese websites directly and understand what is written there 你可以阅读普通话
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you have missed my point entirely....
 
sun_tzu said:
Have you been to China - its very hard to think of it as a classical communist country, as for a war I think it is very unlikely - possibly some disputes further down the line (eg diaoyuti /senkaku... maybe even taiwan one day) but a war as in american troops invaiding mainland china or vice versa simply wont happen - well unless they send another cruise missile into a chinese embassy by accident but fingers crossed nobody is that stupid
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Anything can happen, but chances for a full scale war between world superpowers in the near/mid future are extremely low.

For what accident you are talking (Belgrade embassy)?
 
sun_tzu said:
no please explain to me... being Chinese I'm interested to be educated by your good self about about our labour market I'm sure you know much much more than me and I am eager to learn
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@Red Dreams

I'm not sure if I've missed something in the debate here, but the Global Slavery index estimates that China has over 3 million slaves in forced labor. Most producing cheap electronics and designer clothes/handbags. The low costs of production of which underpin your country's success as a global exporter of cheap goods.

The problem is hardly single fold though, because as consumers of these goods we, in the west, are just as culpable. It's a humanitarian travesty that Western governments can no longer get away with (because lets not forget, they did it in the past), but are more than happy to turn a blind eye to when it's happening elsewhere and is economically beneficial to them.

The world is just pretty f***** up. Sure am glad for that cheap new iphone 5c though.
 
of course the West is culpable...to be precise companies that exploit other countries availability of cheap labor. And to say products will cost us double if workers were paid a living wage is just plain wrong. Companies make enormous profits by driving down costs. Simply...volumes make up for reduced margins per unit. Finally....its simply a matter of doing what is right.
 
Red Dreams said:
its so early. I'm sure there will be. She was inevitable in 2008 too.....


my only question where she is concerned is...she will be 68....and if you think of 2 terms...well do the math.
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Yeah I brought that up before if she wins she will, I think, be the 2nd oldest person to be President of the US (maybe 3rd). No doubt some statements will be made about her age, afterall previous candidates (Reagan, McCain) had their age brought into it, but doubt it will stick as a negative with most voters. Especially since it will be countered with a charge of sexism couple with ageism.
 
Funnily enough I just checked what the polls were like in the race a couple of days back, the nomination's hers if she wants it. I've not heard about any Obama-like figure skulking around as a rival, and he was a clear opponent last time round. In terms of age, she'd be 69 at inauguration and the second oldest after Reagan. Don't think it would be too big a hindrance, she can still win a landslide against most of the Repub field.
 
there are already mentions of the Golden Girl....by some repubs....more importantly is how she herself is mentally and physically. A presidential run can take a lot out you...and if she does win it as looks likely...what about the second term...?

Older voters will not have an issue....will younger voters flock to her...or just not bother to turn up.

All in all. The Electoral College favours any democratic nominee. In addition to the normal states Dems always win....they will also win Virginia and Florida now fairly easily. The Clintons buddy is Governor of Virgina...and Crist will take Florida this year.

They can afford to give the GOP Ohio.
 
Twisted_Woody said:
Was just sent this - thought there might be interest on here to see it.




"FULL VIDEO – Edward Snowden on German TV – US Media Blackout

This interview with Edward Snowden was shown on German television then subsequently blocked from US networks. No major news outlets are covering this story. The video is immediately taken down every time it’s posted on Youtube and Vimeo has been under possibly related DDOS attacks."
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Was just reading an article about him and in it has is quoted as saying he hopes the EU can pressure the US into changing so it does not imprison people for dissent and criminalize free speech. What is interesting is that he is hiding in a country that does just that. Plus he could have stayed in the US and spoke out all he wanted against the US policies (many people here do) and not been jailed, it really comes down to the fact that he stole US Govt secrets as the reason why the US Govt wants to put him on trial. Most governments in the world would do the same to someone who stole their secrets.

Not that I am saying everything the US Govt is does is right, so don't even go there.
 
JustAFan said:
Was just reading an article about him and in it has is quoted as saying he hopes the EU can pressure the US into changing so it does not imprison people for dissent and criminalize free speech. What is interesting is that he is hiding in a country that does just that. Plus he could have stayed in the US and spoke out all he wanted against the US policies (many people here do) and not been jailed, it really comes down to the fact that he stole US Govt secrets as the reason why the US Govt wants to put him on trial. Most governments in the world would do the same to someone who stole their secrets.

Not that I am saying everything the US Govt is does is right, so don't even go there.
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He loves over-saturating himself in the media nowadays rather than busting top secret organisations.
 
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