Democracy seen threatened by new authoritarianism
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Countries like China become even more economically powerful and we are and will become even more in debt to them. We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs. "Policymakers do not appear to appreciate the dangers these 21st century authoritarian models pose to democracy and rule of law around the world," said the study by Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, all prominent U.S. democracy-promotion bodies. "Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are eroding the international rules and standards built up by the democratic world over the past several decades, threatening to export the instability and abuses that their systems engender," it said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE55344V20090604?sp=true[^]
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Countries like China become even more economically powerful and we are and will become even more in debt to them. We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs. "Policymakers do not appear to appreciate the dangers these 21st century authoritarian models pose to democracy and rule of law around the world," said the study by Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, all prominent U.S. democracy-promotion bodies. "Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are eroding the international rules and standards built up by the democratic world over the past several decades, threatening to export the instability and abuses that their systems engender," it said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE55344V20090604?sp=true[^]
I saw an article the other week (Australian I think) about how Australia, New Zealand have to start preparing for the US to be a diminishing power and China an increasing power. I'm not sure what entails "preparing" but I assume it means larger defense outlays. Article did not say decades, I think time frame is less than 10 years.
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I saw an article the other week (Australian I think) about how Australia, New Zealand have to start preparing for the US to be a diminishing power and China an increasing power. I'm not sure what entails "preparing" but I assume it means larger defense outlays. Article did not say decades, I think time frame is less than 10 years.
kmg365 wrote:
I think time frame is less than 10 years
That's less short-sighted than I would have expected, but I wonder if it is long enough to do more than delay the inevitable by a few weeks.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin
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Countries like China become even more economically powerful and we are and will become even more in debt to them. We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs. "Policymakers do not appear to appreciate the dangers these 21st century authoritarian models pose to democracy and rule of law around the world," said the study by Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, all prominent U.S. democracy-promotion bodies. "Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are eroding the international rules and standards built up by the democratic world over the past several decades, threatening to export the instability and abuses that their systems engender," it said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE55344V20090604?sp=true[^]
This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
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Countries like China become even more economically powerful and we are and will become even more in debt to them. We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs. "Policymakers do not appear to appreciate the dangers these 21st century authoritarian models pose to democracy and rule of law around the world," said the study by Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, all prominent U.S. democracy-promotion bodies. "Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are eroding the international rules and standards built up by the democratic world over the past several decades, threatening to export the instability and abuses that their systems engender," it said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE55344V20090604?sp=true[^]
CaptainSeeSharp wrote:
We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs.
There's the Glorious Free Market™ in action, baby! The Free Market says people are free to buy whatever they like and that demand will determine the winning supplier. People like cheap stuff and China makes it. Don't like it? Don't buy plastic crap from China... good luck finding alternatives though.
A study by Freedom House says:
Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are...
Authoritarian regimes don't rule with laws? Someone needs to check their dictionary, 'cause mine says the defining characteristic of authoritarians is laws and rules.
A study by Freedom House says:
Democracies needed to stand against the authoritarian tide and do more to safeguard and promote democratic institutions, said the report, without spelling out suggested responses.
No suggested responses, eh? Then why did they even bother? Here's the thing, China has so much power now because they have so much money. China has so much money because they're responsible for so much manufacturing. Here's my 'suggested response': start manufacturing things at home instead of having them made in China. Then the worker here earn the money and the Chinese don't. Then we have more money and more power. Then our workers will be able to afford their mortgage payments and the banks won't collapse.
You never ever could win a war / That's what you have to learn / Here everybody is a loser / You will get nothing in return - "Fortunes of War", Funker Vogt
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This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
Christian Graus wrote:
This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Than why didn't this happen back when we actually had unfettered capitalism? Unfettered capitalims is what we had when we were becoming the great power we are today. It wasn't until after we became almost exclusively socialistic that we collapsed.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
Christian Graus wrote:
And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism
No, Christian. If Australia is not ready, willing, and able to defend itself from China, that is the fault of the Australians.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin
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Christian Graus wrote:
This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Than why didn't this happen back when we actually had unfettered capitalism? Unfettered capitalims is what we had when we were becoming the great power we are today. It wasn't until after we became almost exclusively socialistic that we collapsed.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Then explain this quote "Finally, Mr Xia said the global financial crisis resulted from US crises in the real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors, and was the fault of the financial, petroleum and grain groups. Current global thinking should be replaced by new EU-Chinese economic financial cooperation, and the US should take the blame for the current debacle and change its approach." Source at bottom paragraph Here[^]. So Stan, how should the United States change its approach?
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Then explain this quote "Finally, Mr Xia said the global financial crisis resulted from US crises in the real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors, and was the fault of the financial, petroleum and grain groups. Current global thinking should be replaced by new EU-Chinese economic financial cooperation, and the US should take the blame for the current debacle and change its approach." Source at bottom paragraph Here[^]. So Stan, how should the United States change its approach?
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors,
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
So Stan, how should the United States change its approach?
By getting the government out of real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors and simply letting those markets work their own problems out.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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Christian Graus wrote:
This is inevitable. And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism. Let the jobs go, go into debt, buy more crap.
Than why didn't this happen back when we actually had unfettered capitalism? Unfettered capitalims is what we had when we were becoming the great power we are today. It wasn't until after we became almost exclusively socialistic that we collapsed.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
It's happening now because of the amount of money that's been pumped into India and China, and the fact that technology makes it easier to export jobs overseas now, plus that these companies are now industrialised enough to take them from you.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
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It's happening now because of the amount of money that's been pumped into India and China, and the fact that technology makes it easier to export jobs overseas now, plus that these companies are now industrialised enough to take them from you.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
Christian Graus wrote:
It's happening now because of the amount of money that's been pumped into India and China, and the fact that technology makes it easier to export jobs overseas now, plus that these companies are now industrialised enough to take them from you.
Fine with me. The only reason we are having a hard time competing is because of the amount of wealth the American government is removing from our economy. If they had reduced government spending decades ago, and lowered all forms of taxation, this would have never happened.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
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Christian Graus wrote:
And, it's the fault of the US, more specifically this is the result of unfettered capitalism
No, Christian. If Australia is not ready, willing, and able to defend itself from China, that is the fault of the Australians.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin
Oakman wrote:
If Australia is not ready, willing, and able to defend itself from China, that is the fault of the Australians.
I'm not sure how we got there, but, I have no doubt we're all screwed when the Chinese start to spend their USD on guns. Certainly the US will have more than enough problems. They won't be helping us.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
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Christian Graus wrote:
It's happening now because of the amount of money that's been pumped into India and China, and the fact that technology makes it easier to export jobs overseas now, plus that these companies are now industrialised enough to take them from you.
Fine with me. The only reason we are having a hard time competing is because of the amount of wealth the American government is removing from our economy. If they had reduced government spending decades ago, and lowered all forms of taxation, this would have never happened.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
Stan Shannon wrote:
The only reason we are having a hard time competing is because of the amount of wealth the American government is removing from our economy.
No, the American PEOPLE are removing it, to China.
Stan Shannon wrote:
If they had reduced government spending decades ago, and lowered all forms of taxation, this would have never happened.
And if you lowered taxation, so the government had less money, don't you think MORE bridges would be collapsing, and you'd be in MORE debt now from bailing out failed companies ?
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
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Richard A. Abbott wrote:
real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors,
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
So Stan, how should the United States change its approach?
By getting the government out of real estate, financial, petroleum and grain sectors and simply letting those markets work their own problems out.
Chaining ourselves to the moral high ground does not make us good guys. Aside from making us easy targets, it merely makes us idiotic prisoners of our own self loathing.
I deliberately left this in the quote "EU-Chinese economic financial cooperation" My reading of that (and the whole document I referenced) is the United States is no longer the preferred and primary trading partner of China. Letting those markets work their own problems out (your words Stan) I fear without both US Government input and US Government incentives, the relative position (and strength) of the United States could just about deteriorate to something approaching insignificance. That would be a problem that individual businesses could not address and accomplish on their own.
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Countries like China become even more economically powerful and we are and will become even more in debt to them. We buy their overpriced garbage trinkets that burn up, fall apart, and fail after short period of time, and then they loan that money to us. We buy their poisoned pet and baby food and let them take our jobs. "Policymakers do not appear to appreciate the dangers these 21st century authoritarian models pose to democracy and rule of law around the world," said the study by Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, all prominent U.S. democracy-promotion bodies. "Just as they rule without law within their borders, authoritarian regimes are eroding the international rules and standards built up by the democratic world over the past several decades, threatening to export the instability and abuses that their systems engender," it said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE55344V20090604?sp=true[^]
The result of the walmartization of America.
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The result of the walmartization of America.
Le Centriste wrote:
The result of the walmartization of America
As opposed to the Disneyfication of France? ;)
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin
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Le Centriste wrote:
The result of the walmartization of America
As opposed to the Disneyfication of France? ;)
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin
I am not sure to understand...
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I am not sure to understand...
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Stan Shannon wrote:
The only reason we are having a hard time competing is because of the amount of wealth the American government is removing from our economy.
No, the American PEOPLE are removing it, to China.
Stan Shannon wrote:
If they had reduced government spending decades ago, and lowered all forms of taxation, this would have never happened.
And if you lowered taxation, so the government had less money, don't you think MORE bridges would be collapsing, and you'd be in MORE debt now from bailing out failed companies ?
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
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Stan Shannon wrote:
The only reason we are having a hard time competing is because of the amount of wealth the American government is removing from our economy.
No, the American PEOPLE are removing it, to China.
Stan Shannon wrote:
If they had reduced government spending decades ago, and lowered all forms of taxation, this would have never happened.
And if you lowered taxation, so the government had less money, don't you think MORE bridges would be collapsing, and you'd be in MORE debt now from bailing out failed companies ?
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Please read this[^] if you don't like the answer I gave to your question. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums.
Christian Graus wrote:
No, the American PEOPLE are removing it, to China.
But the government has greased the wheels. For instance, one of the things that Obama wants to get rid of is a tax break that applies only to companies that invest overseas. if they ever try to bring the investment back to these shore, they are suddenly taxed on it. How much more intelligent it would be if the reverse was true.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin