US political-class types like Barack Obama and New York Times China apologist Tom Friedman think the Chinese model of crony capitalism and central planning is just dandy. They envy how the ex-commies can uproot millions and spend billions at the drop of a bayonet, certain that emulating the Chicom model can dig us out of Obama’s holes.
Critics like Ying Ma think that’s a crock. As an example, she derails Casey Joe Biden’s high speed train fantasy:
Westerners have consistently pointed to the rapid construction of China’s high-speed rail system, now the most extensive in the world, as Exhibit A of China’s infrastructure prowess.
…going high-speed in China has highlighted endemic corruption and created unhappy customers. In February, Liu Zhijun, China’s minister of railways and architect of the country’s $300 billion high-speed rail network, was fired and arrested amid accusations of wheeling and dealing in bribes of $155 million — and keeping 18 mistresses.
…concerns about shoddy construction and safety have surfaced.
China’s state media once trumpeted the trains’ top speed of 210-236 mph as the fastest in the world, but the trains were never designed to run above 186 mph. … Caxin.com … reports that the “high-speed bubble” was all a “naked, systemic lie,” concocted and fanned by the Railways Ministry.
…most Chinese citizens cannot afford to ride the shiny new trains and have opted instead to pack into buses for their long-distance travel.
The Chinese government spends wildly, produces shoddy products while cronies and pols make out like the bandits they are. Not much different from our model after all.
– Written by Bonfire of the Absurdities
Source: PajamasMedia.com
This post was last modified on October 14, 2021
View Comments (29)
"I like Chinese, they only come up to your knees, they are wise and witty and always ready to please"
The worse thing that will happen to the Chinese will the formation of their empire. IMHO they will not be able to control the world and their own population (especially all the angry young men with so few women to love) without our purchasing power propping them up. Unfortunately for us without their scarfing up our debt all that lovely paper money becomes even more monopoly money than it already is and we are in a world of hurt when it comes to trying to pay for things. Hopefully there is enough left in the American character to start over after the bottom falls out and wisely use the resources that we have within our borders.
"...(especially all the angry young men with so few women to love)..."
THAT is the future, right there.
What is the current rough estimate of the unbalanced ratio of men to women in China? I've read somewhere in the 50 million range. Truly scary as they will have the man power (already do) to pretty much steamroll over anything. They currently have a sort of 'selective service' that enrolls 10 MILLION young men EACH year!
I believe they are just biding their time and that the hour of choosing is theirs. They have circled the globe devouring any and all resources it can get its hands on and America is for sale.
There's a good article on zerohedge...kind of long, but worth reading...titled, "How China Ate America's Lunch"
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/how-china-ate-americas-lunch
Actually, Kip, unbridled slave labor has made their GDP skyrocket; our debt is what is truly holding them back. They have yet to see a return on their investment besides the creation of more debt. Our actual "payments" to them mean nothing. Sooner or later, they will catch on. They will imperialize us, and they will drain our resources dry. They are the next superpower. We are going the way of CurrentTV.
When you own a 1% stake in a company, your opinion hardly matters. When you own a 51% stake in a company, the company is relatively yours. China is investing heavily in America so that they can dictate our means of production. This is extremely evident in all things economical. China began receiving their ETF's in gold. They are draining this nation dry, using our own overspending against us. Ten more years or so, and we will be owned by China if we do not rescind from our ways of living beyond our means.
I'm trying to think of ways that you might not be right. So far it's not going so good. And that is very scary indeed.
They must know the payments mean nothing already though. I don't think they could ever have been under the illusion that constantly creating more and more money for us would not have significantly reduced the value of their reserves. I don't think it has ever been about being repaid. It is about leveraging control and using US demand for products to backdoor bankroll their industrialization and military.
But its not as though they haven't done this before. Our English friends once thought Chinese Tea was far better to hold onto than silver. Had the Chinese not developed a large appetite for opium who knows how that might have turned out. Perhaps we will find out soon enough.
In any event I still think they'll burn through their empire pretty quickly. But perhaps that is just Pollyanna.
As soon as "free trade" was established, we were on the path to doom. We simply can't keep up with a sweatshop labor force. That's why tariffs would have been good. It would force them to produce better working conditions for their labor force, create more reliable products, and the price would have been kept stagnant. Of course, thank Clinton and Bush for that flop. Most politicians can't see past the edge of their nose though.
China has already caught on somewhat. I do not believe their endgame has been realized though. The red disease is very contagious.
"Liu Zhijun, China’s minister of railways and architect of the country’s $300 billion high-speed rail network, was fired and arrested amid accusations of wheeling and dealing in bribes of $155 million — and keeping 18 mistresses."
WTF? He got arrested for that? Hell, that's just business as usual in Dee Sleaze. Our political scum (pardon the redundancy) would say, "Well 18 mistresses might be a bit excessive, but $155 million is peanuts."
I have to wonder how many babes Slick Willie had. (For him, I invented the "Slick Willie Zipper Teflonicator" for "When you just can't wait!!)
Hey, when you live in a four room, cinder block mansion, $155 million is a big deal!
Plus, the cost of living in China is lower, so each mistress costs less to keep.
I was told that the only difference between men and boys was the price of their toys, but we can also add here, the size and scope of the damage they inflict on their surroundings when their shit breaks!
18 broads sounds pretty good. ... Clinton and Weiner and Spitzer only had a few each.
Well the Chi-Coms have better GDP growth so their officials can afford the good life.
ROR @china. Raff out Roud.
Scooby? That you?
Everything they build is like the toys they make, a couple of days after it's finished the wheels fall off.
"Everything they build is like the toys they make, a couple of days after it’s finished the wheels fall off."
But the lead is so tasty!
My kid read a report about a Chinese passenger jet to compete with Airbus and Boeing. I told him that the only way I would get on that thing would be if they were holding a gun to my head -- and if I knew the gun was chinese with chinese bullets, I'd take my chances with the gun.
Norinco makes some pretty dam good AK/SKS models.
Take note that the weapons you speak of were NOT designed in China.
Psycodad, please be extremely careful. obomie has already told us (his words) he will work just below the radar to repeal amendment number two. I'm completely on your side. (my favorite TV show is SoG) but we must be super careful. I'm very confident somebody from team obomie reads this site hourly.
Didn't Airbus either build, or will build a factory in China? I thought, "That'll be great. Now the weather forecasters will have to also predict Aluminum Thunderstorms."
I wonder how much of those billions were from USA ? Or how about thos billions going down south to Brazill? I saw last night on 60 minutes that Brazil has found lots of gas deep underground & offshore. But they need engineers and welders to make the oil rigs. So, Americans are going down south to get a job that was sponsored by USA taxes. It was a good (?) thing that Obama has sent Brazil money to help start there oil industry, at the expense of the American oil industry and our tax dollars.
None of our billions are going to china. Our payments to them come in debt to us. We spend so much that our "interest payments" aren't even truly paid. China is what is keeping the power on in your house.
"...created unhappy customers..."; it's created dead customers, which even Progressives would have to admit....wait, Progressives don't have to admit anything...which most people would admit is about as unhappy as rail customer can get.
Hey, stop bad mouthing 'Merica, we have the BEST fat poor people in the world dammit!