The China Superpower Hoax

Another great article I came about online. Hopefully this is the correct forum for this article, if not please move! I would love for all of you to read this article.
www.truthdig.com...#

China must have the best public relations maestros in the world. How else would a country with a lower per capita income than Iran, Mexico and Kazakhstan, one of the worst environmental records of any major nation, endemic corruption, jails stuffed with dissenters, and a dictatorship, besides, be hailed by so many as the next global superpower?

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Because China has the US in its pocket

US would suffer greatly without China, so China thought it would be for the best if it bought US at the recession, and it did successfully, because almost everything is for sale in US, even the representatives.

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel
Another great article I came about online. Hopefully this is the correct forum for this article, if not please move! I would love for all of you to read this article.
www.truthdig.com...#

China must have the best public relations maestros in the world. How else would a country with a lower per capita income than Iran, Mexico and Kazakhstan, one of the worst environmental records of any major nation, endemic corruption, jails stuffed with dissenters, and a dictatorship, besides, be hailed by so many as the next global superpower?

The USA has the highest prison population of any country in the world
As for environmental concerns the US has China beat on that too with an annual use of 7794.8 Kilograms of oil equivalent per person per year compared to Chinas 1138

Your certainly right about per capita income though.

I think you actually need to look at what a "superpower nation" actually is.

Most define a nation as a superpower nation by examining if that nation can exert force and influence events on a global scale in order to suite its own interests. That's why China is not a superpower yet, but with its current development it will reach that status within the next 10-15 years.

GDP schmeedeepee, superpower status isn't measured by quality of civilian life.

China as a soon to be global superpower is not a hoax, far from it.

China is very powerful.

China is a Super Country full of Super People.

China has a Super and ancient history and culture; a plethora of world-altering philosophy, art and literature.

In China, the experiences offered and the knowledge to be gained are indeed, Super.

But, China a Super Power? Not so fast, Comrade! The article in the OP is right on.

Who knows though, eh?

Maybe one day China will find the "Power" to allow "the wicked and so dangerous Youtube" back onto the Internet. Or Facebook. Or a thousand other blocked sites.

Maybe one day China will find the "Power" to allow people to own property (that they have paid for!). That's right, kids, in China you can go to the bank, get an oppresive mortage (just like in the West), buy a condo (just like in the West), be a wage-slave and work for 30 years paying off the mortage (just like in the West), and then, after that, you, ahhhhh, still don't "own" your home (here the comparison to the West abruptly ends). And don't even think about owning even a square inch of "property".

Maybe one day China will find the "Power" to....bah! There are just too many, endless really, examples.

Maybe one day most people in China will have a chance at a good life - and not just the microscopic percentage of the population that now have the "good life" - but the OP is right: Highly doubtful.

I was pleased to see something I bought today that said "Made in Mexico". Why? Because damn near everything is made in China these days. Economic power with a GREAT power base(people).

Military? A decent army with a pantload of numbers. If they can get their navy on track China will be #1 by 2030.

The people of China are solidly behind their gov't. That stability is important. China is no hoax.

Originally posted by univac500

Maybe one day China will find the "Power" to allow people to own property (that they have paid for!). That's right, kids, in China you can go to the bank, get an oppresive mortage (just like in the West), buy a condo (just like in the West), be a wage-slave and work for 30 years paying off the mortage (just like in the West), and then, after that, you, ahhhhh, still don't "own" your home (here the comparison to the West abruptly ends). And don't even think about owning even a square inch of "property".

Maybe one day China will find the "Power" to....bah! There are just too many, endless really, examples.

Maybe one day most people in China will have a chance at a good life - and not just the microscopic percentage of the population that now have the "good life" - but the OP is right: Highly doubtful.

Univac - I know what you are saying, but just to add a little balance...

In the west, see what happens when you stop paying your 'rent' to the state for land. The state will come down quicksmart and repossess. You don't own freehold in western countries, you just lease it and pay your land taxes.

There are some pockets in China you can buy freehold though, I believe down near Xiamen. But same as the west, you rent the land. As far as the 99 and 50 year leases you buy on your property in China, it is fixed into law that the owner gets to renew it. At no cost. Don't see the big deal here.

However, I would like to add - you know all those cruel, mean stories about the big bad Chinese government reposessing poor peasants land and giving it to developers to build apartments and condos? Well, they aren't such a big bad government as many would like to make out. On the contrary, they mediate to make sure the land owner, or lformer easer if you will, is compensated by the developers.

So what you have, is a new class - millions upon millions - of these formerly 'poor' peasants who are millionnaires. And that's millionnairres by western standards. Typically, depending on the amount of land they own, they are given 1, 2, 3, or sometimes 5 or more, apartments in the new development. The price of these has skyrocketed, and the net worth of many can be counted in the millions of dollars. I personally know of several people - one guy in particular who earns about $400-500/month, but on paper should he sell the apartments that were handed to him at no cost, would be worth some USD2 million. That kind of money goes a loooong way in China.

Second, it is a well known and established fact that the income per capita in China is grossly underreported. These figures represent only declared income, but China is very much a cash-as-you-go society for millions. Some Chinese university studies estimate, conservatively, incomes among many are between 30 to 70% underreported.

So, what you have - is also a class of millions, literally scores of millions, who on paper should they sell their assets, are very much millionnairres by western standards, yet many of them may be happily subsisting on a declared income of 400 or 500 dollars/mnth. How do you account for that when citing China's income per capita, which simply doesn't represent the bigger picture.

reply to post by intrepid


Yep, China's naval modernization is key. There are moves being made between the Chinese and the Pakistani's, all pushing towards China gaining more control in the Indian Ocean. It has India (another rising power) looking very nervous. The Indian Ocean is an area with many key global trade routes, anyone who doesn't see China's attempts at Indian Ocean dominance as important and threatening are kidding themselves.

This is an interesting report: www.fas.org...

reply to post by univac500


All of those things you described about China having censorship, a dictatorship, communist system, etc. have nothing to do with China being a global superpower. China isn't even solely Communist, its more of a mix between Sopranos (lol) and Communism.

reply to post by davespanners


isnt there like 5 times the amount of ppl in china the us???, so chineese ppl work out to use more!! ratio please gawd!!

Originally posted by Chefspicy
reply to post by davespanners

 

isnt there like 5 times the amount of ppl in china the us???, so chineese ppl work out to use more!! ratio please gawd!!

Yes, but that's hypocratical reasoning right? And what if you factor in the US military global comsumption - it's the world's forth guzzler, right ?

BTW, I have never read or heard the Chinese government labelling themselves as "super power" only as a "developing Country" with many poor. So far from my understanding, it was coined in by the Free Presstitutes.

Only India and USA calls themselves that. "Super-power" and "hyper-Power"respectively.

Much of the "developement in china is substandard to say the least.
Even their huge dam has gotten cracks in it already(three gorges dam)
The corruption is everywhere....
I wonder who is actually going to buy those condos that make these guys millionaires?
Somehow i doubt theyll be selling like hotcakes in the near future.......
The chinese have yet to own a single aircraft carrier.....(though they are building one)being a super power involves being able to project power globally, which china caannot do yet and will not be able to for some time to come....

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel



I reckon it's because the elite look at China and say "Hmm not baaad, we could live like that and there'd be even more wealth for us at the top of the pile, let's adopt that social model" so then they start selling us the idea that China's got it right and we orta live that way.

Quote from cloudbreak:

Univac - I know what you are saying, but just to add a little balance...

In the west, see what happens when you stop paying your 'rent' to the state for land. The state will come down quicksmart and repossess. You don't own freehold in western countries, you just lease it and pay your land taxes.

There are some pockets in China you can buy freehold though, I believe down near Xiamen. But same as the west, you rent the land. As far as the 99 and 50 year leases you buy on your property in China, it is fixed into law that the owner gets to renew it. At no cost. Don't see the big deal here.

...................................................................................................................................................... ............

And I know what you are saying, too. China is certainly a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

The thing of it is though, when it comes to China's Orwellian real-estate laws, even the folks here in China can't really say what will happen.

I am always asking people, "Can you tell me what the 70 year rule means?" And no one ever really knows. They go "ahhhh..." and then tell me, they just hope that in 70 years 'things' will be different.

*By the way, for those that don't know, the 70 year rule goes something like this: You can 'own' the house or the condo you bought - but after 70 years, ownership reverts back to the state unless you...(??? and here the confusion starts).

Oh, and while on the topic of real estate: There's a new condo going up across the road from my place. 30,000 RMB per square metre. That's about 3,750 USD...per square metre !

I don't think this is what Mao had in mind.

Originally posted by serbsta
reply to post by univac500

 

All of those things you described about China having censorship, a dictatorship, communist system, etc. have nothing to do with China being a global superpower. China isn't even solely Communist, its more of a mix between Sopranos (lol) and Communism.

Yeah, but what's the use of being a "Super Power" if an ordinary citizen can't go to the movies and see a decent flic?

But I digress. I just think that if a country is going to affix the label "Super Power" to itself, then said country should, at least, be able to offer most of it's citizens a chance at a pretty good life.

That would be super.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


China is thought to be the next economic superpower because it has consistently the highest economic growth in the world. Its population is also not rising very much, compared to other developing countries, partialy because of their succesful population control program. This means that Chinese GDP per capita is also rising very quickly, and thats what sets it apart from other developing countries.

www.nabe.com...
www.willwilkinson.net...

reply to post by Chefspicy


If you ignore the Per Capita thing then China takes a small lead over the US
For example China with its 1.3Billion people produces 22.30% of the worlds C02 emissions The USA with a mere 300Million produces 19.9%
So China is supporting 4 times the amount of people and only producing 3% more co2

Yes china is coming get ready you have been warned this is your last and final warning the red shalt cover the globe but not the communist red as was once assumed i believe something along these lines was written by Nostradamus
i read it about 6 years ago(so don't hate) and is looking very likely that it will happen or maybe he meant the Chinese products will be everywhere?

reply to post by stirling


Double standard much?

China is in no Rush to build a aircraft carrier because they don't intend on invading third world countries like the USA.