Think about this when you shop WalMart
You don't support the chinese government by shopping at walmart lol. They're a U.S. based monopoly.
Not a monopoly at all. There are several "big box" chains. Target and Topps in addition to Wal Mart.
ruveyn
Sure we could blow up the world, but we could not stop them with conventional force. And the irony is, all that new military hardware was bought by American wealth.
We have sufficient nuclear warheads in our arsenal to convert the Chinese Military and the population of China into chop suey. And they know it which is why they are not starting any wars with us.
ruveyn
GoonSquad
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Absolutely. We do not want to return to the world of Dr. Strangelove.
Did anybody read the story about Chinese missile tunnels? (click)
The doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction will eventually lead to inevitable, assured destruction.
People should study cold war history. We came really close to the end of everything more than once.
Mix in economic competition, missile shield technology and some crazy bastard like Curtis LeMay (or his Chinese analog) who thinks they've found the way to win at nuclear war, and we're cooked...literally.
Compounding the problem is the fact that the Chinese civilian government and the People's Liberation Army seem to have different positions on foreign policy some of the time...
I'm have trouble finding links right now, but when the Chinese were complaining about Obama's plan to station Marines in Australia, the government made a statement AND the military made a different, more bellicose statement!
What the hell is that about? The Chinese military does not necessarily answer to the civilian government. That is not a good thing.
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That's very forward thinking. In a few years maybe you'll get a pat on the head and a bowl of rice when they're running things here.
You're delusional. China lacks the military superpower to even hope of invading America.
There's a catch here. They could cripple us to North Korean status simply by cutting of trade with themselves and Taiwan. Ever bought a computer without ram and a motherboard? Ever bought something at an empty store.
As for running things, all they have to do is buy everything up. We're already dependent on them for just about all consumer goods and rare earth minerals. They can enforce their wishes with sanctions.
Why would they do anything to harm their biggest customer? Taking aside the question of why, the how is still tricky for them, as millions of soldiers cannot simply cross the Pacific on rafts, and we have ways of dealing with their numerical superiority in a self preservation situation. I doubt it would even come to nukes or germs or poison though, you simply can't move that many people in force without being observed, and if there's on thing the US is still the best in the world at it's efficient, remote killing.
Regimes like China are not defeated on the battlefield or through isolation, but by engaging their people and showing them that something better exists, that what they have isn't what they have to settle for. That's why the Chinese government is so fanatical about information control, they're terrified of their people rising against them, but their position is untenable if they also need to engage economically with freer nations.
But what do I know, I'm just a lapdog for China, albeit one that doesn't need to resort to ad hominem when disagreed with.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
How long do you think we can maintain our position as number one customer? We bleed out more than $270 billion in American wealth to China via trade every year. We import sophisticated consumer electronics and export cardboard and scrap metal. That is not a sustainable model. What happens when we are no longer a valuable trading partner? What happens when our only value is in labor and land?
The Chinese are also fanatical about KILLING people who cause problems and don't go along with their program. The Chines position is perfectly tenable as long as they are being funded by the west and they're willing to ruthlessly suppress any dissent.
...and that's the whole point of this thread. The Chinese people already know that something better exists. The government is about to jail a guy (or worse), simply because he made some posts on the internet ABOUT WANTING SOMETHING BETTER.
There will not be a "Chinese Spring." There's sure to be another massacre like the one in 1989 in Tiananmen Square, but no Chinese Spring....
But what do we care? The death of a Chinese peasant or a 1000 or 10,000 Chinese peasants is nothing compared to the tragedy of higher consumer costs or slimmer corporate profit margins.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
If we did care, we might insist that the Chinese make political reforms and have some slight regard for the human rights of their own citizens if they want to continue trading with us...
But what do I know? I'm just a mean, old ad hominemer!
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
Edit: damn auto correct!
Don't we have even more people in jail than China? Who's more oppressed?
jojobean
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Why would they do anything to harm their biggest customer? Taking aside the question of why, the how is still tricky for them, as millions of soldiers cannot simply cross the Pacific on rafts, and we have ways of dealing with their numerical superiority in a self preservation situation. I doubt it would even come to nukes or germs or poison though, you simply can't move that many people in force without being observed, and if there's on thing the US is still the best in the world at it's efficient, remote killing.
Regimes like China are not defeated on the battlefield or through isolation, but by engaging their people and showing them that something better exists, that what they have isn't what they have to settle for. That's why the Chinese government is so fanatical about information control, they're terrified of their people rising against them, but their position is untenable if they also need to engage economically with freer nations.
But what do I know, I'm just a lapdog for China, albeit one that doesn't need to resort to ad hominem when disagreed with.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
How long do you think we can maintain our position as number one customer? We bleed out more than $270 billion in American wealth to China via trade every year. We import sophisticated consumer electronics and export cardboard and scrap metal. That is not a sustainable model. What happens when we are no longer a valuable trading partner? What happens when our only value is in labor and land?
The Chinese are also fanatical about KILLING people who cause problems and don't go along with their program. The Chines position is perfectly tenable as long as they are being funded by the west and they're willing to ruthlessly suppress any dissent.
...and that's the whole point of this thread. The Chinese people already know that something better exists. The government is about to jail a guy (or worse), simply because he made some posts on the internet ABOUT WANTING SOMETHING BETTER.
There will not be a "Chinese Spring." There's sure to be another massacre like the one in 1989 in Tiananmen Square, but no Chinese Spring....
But what do we care? The death of a Chinese peasant or a 1000 or 10,000 Chinese peasants is nothing compared to the tragedy of higher consumer costs or slimmer corporate profit margins.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
If we did care, we might insist that the Chinese make political reforms and have some slight regard for the human rights of their own citizens if they want to continue trading with us...
But what do I know? I'm just a mean, old ad hominemer!
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
Edit: damn auto correct!
Don't we have even more people in jail than China? Who's more oppressed?
China does not bother with jail most of the time... At least in the US, a person has the right to an attorney before being sentanced to oppression. The Chinese gov mostly kills anyone who as so much anoys them.
I try not to buy chinese products....but somethings I could not get american made...like electronics and tools.
I even went to shopping at antique malls to avoid chinese products.
This all started after the plastic in the dog food, the lead in baby toys, and the hundreds of other recalls ever year from crap made in China.
My mom thinks that China put lead in the baby toys to dumb down American kids so they will takeover in a few generations from now.
I dunno...I think they just have no regard for living beings....and lead is cheap
Jojo
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Wal Mart is about the only big store within 40 miles of me. I have two other grocery stores, one other drug store, several gas stations, a McDonalds, a Subway, a Dollar General, several banks, a bazillion churches although none are Catholic, lots of taxidermists and lumber companies. My options are very limited. I don't have the gas to drive over 40 miles, one way, just to buy something I need. Some of Dollar Generals stuff is ok, but lots of it is cheap and falls apart.
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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA.
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The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com