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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2010 9:14:22 GMT
I'm just wondering if there is anybody who still believes that China is not on the fast track to become the most powerful country in the world. I used to think it would take about 20 years, but now I am thinking that it will be #1 in ten years.
Just seeing how quickly a Chinese company snapped up Volvo over the weekend can give rise to speculation. The Chinese company has only been making cars for 9 years, whereas Volvo is more than 80 years old. From what I read, even though there are no (announced) plans to close down Volvo immediately, the main reason for the purchase was to obtain all of the technical expertise of one of the most respected manufacturers in Europe.
This is happening in all sorts of industries.
I'm not losing any sleep over it, but it will have a major effect on our consumer habits when the products that we purchase will start being designed in China rather than just built there.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2010 22:13:27 GMT
Yes, it's all happening so fast. Probably much faster than anyone preticted. I think the wars in the Golf and Afganistan may have had an influence in where China stands now. And the fact that the US is in debt to China.
They are and always have been a very industrious nation. I do wonder where we will all be in 10 years from now. The shift of power would have changed considerabley.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2010 5:33:40 GMT
I have not checked all of the following "facts," but they give a little food for thought: Facts about China |
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Post by spindrift on Mar 30, 2010 20:31:50 GMT
I have read the horrifying 'Facts'... and in any case I'm worried about the inevitable rise of China. Need I say more than that the Chinese are funding and building a road across the Himalayas skirting the ancient walled town of Lo Manthang (where I trekked 2 years ago) and continuing through the Kali Gandaki gorge under the Annapurnas. Soon Nepal and India will be filled with Chinese who will swarm over the continent starting businesses as they go  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2010 20:52:48 GMT
Of course, that's not much different from the Europeans invading the Americas and destroying the local civilisations and peoples. It happens over and over again every hundred years or so, and it looks like this sort of thing will go on forever.
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Post by Jazz on Mar 30, 2010 21:12:52 GMT
I'm just wondering if there is anybody who still believes that China is not on the fast track to become the most powerful country in the world. I used to think it would take about 20 years, but now I am thinking that it will be #1 in ten years. This is conservative, I think it will take another 5 years. My wakeup call was viewing an outstanding documentary series on CBC a few years ago, China on the Rise. It doesn't worry me as I think of it as part of the natural ebb and flow of history. American dominance has been waning for at least 20 years. The British empire faded very quickly. If you like Bill Maher (I love him), this is entertaining and sobering, |
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Post by fumobici on Mar 30, 2010 21:43:33 GMT
Can't happen soon enough. Hope they enjoy it, it's at best a mixed blessing.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 31, 2010 5:01:44 GMT
The Chinese will have a hard time in Nepal, it's full of Indian business men already  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 5:09:40 GMT
It's true that the Indian population is going to pass the Chinese population in not very many years, but as a democracy it has a handicap for forced development. The people can slow things down if they get too intense, and that is not yet an option in China.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 12:04:18 GMT
I certainly hope the Indian population doesn't pass what the Chinese have now. I would have thought that it would slow down. With prosperity comes less children, usually.
Jazz, I saw that program 'China rising', it was really interesting. Maybe more so because of the contrast of the rich and poor in the country. Those who have and those that still suffer terribly. China has aggressive polices to move forward and up, and in it's trail is leaving quite the mess in pollution, lack of human rights and damage to their environment in other ways...some of which will not be able to right it any time soon, if ever.
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Post by Kimby on Mar 31, 2010 14:10:39 GMT
In some countries children ARE prosperity. And security for your old age. And proof of your virility. Fewer children usually come once women are treated equally. In India that seems to be slow to happen, AND they don't have a draconian birth control policy, hence the faster growth rate.
Will be interesting when overcrowded nuclear-armed countries decide to force other more sparsely populated countries to take some of their surplus population off their hands.
All our environmentalism in the US will be for naught. We're all in the same boat, when it comes right down to it. There is only one mother earth.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 14:18:01 GMT
I heard on the radio recently that it is IMPOSSIBLE for all of the countries to develop the way that Europe and North America have, because the planet is incapable of producing enough food for everybody in the world to match our calorie intake. So I think the Chinese and the Indians will just starve us out and use our abandoned countries for farmland.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 31, 2010 14:37:45 GMT
Very likely. As the glaciers in the Himalayas are receding quite fast (in Nepal anyway) it seems that India in the near future will have an enormous water shortage. They are hard-pressed for water right now. The Chinese in the north, controlling the rivers of Tibet and perhaps soon of Nepal will have whatever water there is and leave little for anyone else.
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