[Nowhere Man]

I don't post much on these threads anymore because I've got nothing much original to add anymore. But the tradeoff on this deal is really something to behold.

They get state of the art knowledge on how to support their own (and our) infrastructure.

We get cheap Radio Flyer wagons made in China.

Some deal.

Yeah, me too. Sometimes I wonder if we are the new Roman Empire where we are doomed to fall at some point, again this is one of the things my father spoke to me about when I was a young kid back in the 1970's. I'm looking at a website for old TV's, I'm an radio-electronics buff, and looking at the sets made in the 1950's, it amazes me that back then, we were on the top and then a generation or two later, we are not there now, sure we have the money but without a good manufacturing base to build it on, we are a house of cards.

[Euro-American Scum]

Sometimes I wonder if we are the new Roman Empire where we are doomed to fall at some point

I was thinking the same thing. The wheel of global power has been moving steadily westward over the centuries. Which would be consistent with the rise of Asian economic -- and soon military and political -- power in the coming years.

It was a nice run while it lasted.

[Cronos]

I'm an radio-electronics buff, and looking at the sets made in the 1950's, it amazes me that back then, we were on the top and then a generation or two later, we are not there now

That comparison does not hold. REmember that in the 1950s the world was just recovering from a war -- Germany and Japan were in ruins, barely able to feed their own people, forget about manufacturing etc. The rest of Europe was in scarcely better shape, France's industry was destroyed as was Italy's, the UK was in a shambles etc. Future ASEAN countries and India were just gaining independence and China was just cleaning up after the end of it's decades old civil war.

There was NO Competition. You cannot compare that time to now. That situation can never happen again.