[CzarNicky]

If China decided to go to war with us we could just not buy the crap they make. They'd be broke in four hours.

[reluctantwarrior]

The chinese hold enough of o ur debt to stifle our economy and if it continues to buy our debt to shut us down without firing a shot.

RW

[varon]

If China decided to go to war with us we could just not buy the crap they make. They'd be broke in four hours.

and our troops would be without boots!

[Quix]

THey care a lot more about their pride than they do 100's of millions of lives or the money.

[Paul Ross]

Actually, "entanglement" which is the free trader theory that China will be inhibited from crazy provocations and go-for-broke aggressions by their trade "relationship"...is a two-way street. And it is more inhibiting on a democracy, and its companies with short time-lines for reporting profits, than it is on a communist command-economy which has required closely-held "partnerships" with all foreign firms directly investing in China. 50-50. I.e., 50% ownership of the enterprise on Chinese soil is required to be in the hands of the Chinese partner...even if they had no technology, no intellectual property, and even no damn capital to contribute. They get the land and the people from the government which provides both.

It is a model set-up from the get-go for "re-nationalization" on the Q.T. when the balloon goes up.

Who is more at risk, economically, in the blow up between West and East? Clearly, the West.

[attiladhun2]

I am not very worried about a bellicose China. The population of this nation is aging faster than any other country in the world. In a protracted war they would soon be unable to replace their young men and would have to rely on young women and middle-aged men. In a short war they would soon have their industry and communications crippled. I believe China is the proverbial "paper tiger."