I think the average Chinese worker makes about $100 a month, but my number may be off. But thats good money over there and they are happy to make it. You cann't bring a North American perspective to this, in most areas of the world you can live very well on less than $100 a month. You know they are people just like me and you. They have kids a wife, maybe a dog, and dreams just like you do. Some want to buy neat stuff like a color TV, and dream about sending there kids to school so they can have a better life. Sorry but I won't begrudge any people a shot at a better life to stick to some out dated protect ones economy 20th century way of thinking.

Yes they keep there currancy value low on purpose to lower the price of there goods. But this will change probably in another 5 years. I'm willing to put up with some unfair trade practices in the short term for long term gain.

BTW if anyone actualy bothered to research this matter insted of just shooting off at the hip, we actualy have a net gain or break even by outsourcing production and jobs. You have to remember that jobs are outsourced back to us, 4.5% un empolyment is what I will point at.

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1999 SL500
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2007 Tiara 3200

For the record the Chinese economy has just as many issues as ours and the EU's.

Every economy has issues, currantly the Euro is strong. But that will change.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
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I agree China still has some issues; currency, protectionist trade practice, intellectual property, etc. However, I really don't understand the U.S. public's anti-China attitude (and it's not just the bubbas, I've met intelligent people who still have an issue with them). Are these people still fighting the "cold war," are they afraid of cheap labor, what's the problem? The real question is; will it do more good to engage them or to isolate them? I think the answer is obvious.

I think its a cold war mentality of us vs them. Some people think that for China to gain they must take away from us. I don't understand it but then again I am an internationalist, and try to be as forward thinking as possible on this issue.

The media plays this up to, they show people who lose there jobs and it makes a good news story. The whole story doesn't sell so well.

I mean look at the recent port scandal, the Chinese wanted to buy a major US port and everyone went crazy. I was embarresed for my country men about that, that kind of attitude is going to get us in trouble.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
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2007 Tiara 3200

LOL, I'm frequently embarrassed for the U.S. Unfortunately this type of bonehead move usually signals the beginning of the end for established world powers. Once you start "protecting" yourself from the rest of the world instead of engaging it, you are in big trouble. The rest of they world will just pass you by while you are hiding under the bed. I really hope we get a clue before it's too late.

Exactly. You can stick your head in the sand all you want, it doesn't stop the world from going forward.

I think this problem will correct itself, my generation seems to be a lot more in tune with globalization.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I hope you're correct, like it or not, globalization is happening. The only question is whether the U.S. will be on the bus, or under the bus.

We won the Cold War. The result is the rapid spread of capitalism all over the world. This is the biggest threat to the American standard of living imaginable. In a capitalist world the jobs will keep moving to whomever is willing to work for the lowest income, generally speaking.

Of course, quality concerns and other issues will have some impact, but a lot of folks shop ONLY on the basis of price. If this weren't so, there would be no Walmart.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I'm confused, are you saying that we created "biggest threat to the American standard of living imaginable" by winning the cold war.

In reality, the spread of capitalism has created enormous opportunities for anyone who actually has a clue (regardless of where they happen to live).

What? Its the best thing that could happen! Americans are the movers and shakers all over the world. We are putting together and doing deals that no one else is, we bring money to the table that no one else does. You can't just look at the bottom rung, the top rung is getting larger and is mostly American.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I think some of my generation will get passed by, but a lot seem to be on board. The internet has a lot to do with this, its not uncommen to deal with people from all over the world on a daily basis.

I know I am embracing it, my dream occupation involves doing RE deals in as many countries as possible.

For those that embrace it, the 21st century is going to be awsome. For those that don't well look at what happened to horse carrage makers when the Henry Ford introduced the model T.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I don't have the exact numbers either, but I know for a fact the standard of living in China is much lower than ours. The downside of globalization is the trend toward equalizing of living standards. Their standard of living goes up, ours goes down, at least in terms of wages. Of course on the upside you also have lower prices like in Walmart. There's no free lunch. There was a Frontline episode on PBS called Is Walmart good for America? I don't remember all the details, but my impression is that the answer depends on whom you ask. Walmart executives have certainly got rich, exporters in China got rich, factory workers in China and other Asian countries have more job opportunities though with longer working hours and very strict, almost slave-like workplace rules, Americans can buy cheap, but some have lost jobs because of this or they have to work at Walmart for measly wages and little benefits... you get the picture. Some have called this trend the race to the bottom.

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Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

That seems to be the misconception that drives most of this fear. It seems to assume that there is a fixed amount of wealth available and it has to be divided up in a win-lose situation. Of course, that's not true. Done correctly, globalization will be win-win. The reality is that having large discrepancies between "standards of living" in various parts of the world is not sustainable in the 21st century, that's the kind of situation that results in wars.

BTW, we need to stop talking about globalization like it's a choice the the U.S. has something to say about, it isn't.

What's not sustainable is for all of the 6+ billion people in the world to have a good standard of living. There just aren't enough resources for that. So in some sense, yes there is a finite amount of wealth that can be distributed, though I agree that it's not fixed.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I just don't believe that. Poverty is not caused (and never has been caused) by a lack of total world resources. The average standard of living in the world is much higher than it was 100 years ago (population = 1.6 billion). The biggest difference is technology (medicine, agriculture, energy, transportation, etc.) Do you think people in 1900 could foresee the world in 2006? What do you think the world will look like in another 100 years?