Yeah I don't know about that...

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1580595,00.html?cnn=yes

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

Interesting. I wonder if American's will ever wake up and re-divert money to space technology. I would hate to see it, but I suspect in my lifetime we might see the USA become a second rate power as China persues the high frontier in Space that the USA vacated.

- Peter.

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Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Its a bluff. A politcal tool, by not saying anything look at what they get.

As far as Taiwan I'd hand them over to China in a heart beat if we can get some favorable trade agreements. How about China lets its currency fluctuate and stop keeping it cheap, start enforcing trade and copy right laws, and stop seizing property. For those three things heck take Taiwan. Besides Taiwan is run by a third rate government and is not our problem, its whats left of China's civil war. Let them finish it if they want.

The Nationalists lost, lets move on already.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I wouldn't mind if the USA became a 2nd or even lesser power. We wouldn't have to police the world and spend tons of money overseas. Maybe even the terrorists would stop focusing on us. Our quality of life might actually improve. I'm certainly not gonna move to China even if it becomes the #1 superpower. Has anyone seen the recent 4-series PBS documentary on China? It's pretty much a place in hell for most people.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

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

The White House and Pentagon whining like little *****es with skinned-knees. How is this any different from the US Missile Defense programs, developed over the objections of allies, a UN resolution and established treaties? Grow up George.

China has a plan. The US doesn't. The Chinese are focusing on their future, the US is focusing on today. The Chinese mind their own business, the US is in everyone's face. The Chinese are investing their money and the US is borrowing it.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Anybody can attack us. All it takes is determination, a good plan, and boxcutters.

Only centralized control can guide a national plan. I'd rather have a plan like this: More freedom, open markets, lower taxes, and keep the government interference in my life at a minimum. I'd prefer that a million times over anything the Chinese plan.

B

We are a democratic republic, they are a one-party dictatorship.

Bot

I agree, but we sure could use some national direction. It seems like this country has lost it's way when it comes to where were going.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Supporting Hobbes eh?

The largest national economy in the world is the US. Obviously. Japan is #2, Germany #3, China #4 and India #5. However, Texas' economy is roughly the same size as India and California matches up with China. Not saying they won't impact things, they just have a long way to go.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

There is an understatement. The way I see it China has a 55/45 chance. 55 percent the liberalize and adopt a more open form of government. 45 percent that the old communist and PLA hard liners clamp down causing a massive civil war and throwing them back 30 years. Study China's history if they can pull of a governmental change without a massive bloody civil war it will be a first.

Don't overreact the world is not coming to an end, don't beleive everything thats on CNN.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm more on the 85/15 side. China has a huge history of extraordinarily bloody revolutions that sometimes last decades. The result of a particularly bloody episode was the popularity of Confucius' teachings in which the goal of life is harmony. The current government has tried to meld Confucianism with communism, which seems like a good fit. Unfortunately, the commies never were able to replace the mandarin system, though they did successfully kill most of the mandarins.

The Chinese leadership looked at the world and noted the failure of Soviet communism and realized that they were headed for a parallel collapse due to their controlled economy unable to compete with free economies. So now they're trying to allow a free economy to exist with centralized planning in a Chinese version of perestroika. The results are becoming apparent -- free economies are fertilizer for growing free people. The Chinese entrepreneurial class will demand increasing power as their economic impact increases. That will come into direct conflict with centralized government. The government's one great weapon against the entreneurial class is the vast peasantry that has seen little significant improvement in their lives. If the entrepreneurs become too powerful then the government can blame the wealth disparity on them and a proletarian bloodbath will result.

The key is this: which faction will the army follow? Right now it acts pretty independently of the national leadership. It has been allowed to organize itself into a national army. Until the last couple of decades or so it was little more than a poorly equipped and poorly trained hodgepodge of regional militias under nominal central control. It is becoming a truly national army without local loyalties.

B

Thats a good point. One thing is certain at some point China will have to liberalize there government. The growing middle class will demand it, heck the world will demand it. People that I know that invest in RE projects all of the world won't touch China these days! China needs to fix that to draw foreign capital in.

So what we need to watch is which side will the government and PLA come down on? Peasents or growing middle class? My gut is telling me the government will try to save it's self so they may move against the middle class. But that is today, the old guard are dieing out.

Another point, the PLA has a lot of ties with business and a vested interest in keeping the party going. The PLA will probably go with there funding and support change. But the government could do an end run around them.

Its complicated, and all guesswork at this point.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

good thoughts.

i really have nothing to add.

thanks

tom w

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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.