China’s long term ‘advantages’ over the US

Asia Times ^

[FarCenter]

...

A picture from two sides

The Chinese see a list of intertwined problems in the US that make China look safer and better in comparison.

Here is a brief summary list:

Overuse of legal and illegal opioids and drugs sold quite freely; Spread of firearms and violence, unsafe urban environments; Poor basic healthcare; Poor primary and middle school education; Youngsters all hooked on super-addictive smartphones and games; Persistent race issues, perhaps hiding class issues; Lousy food, an overweight population and dropping classical education; Broken families; Infrastructure in shambles. Plus there is the American ballooning public debt with doubts about its sustainability, while this question sits in the middle of complex global trade situation. Can the USA fix it?

Conversely, Beijing feels that China has been outperforming the US in building long-term social resources. It has:

Few drugs; No firearms, safe urban environment; Improving basic healthcare; Improving basic education; New rules limiting children under 18 to two hours of smartphone usage per day; No racial issues; Greater study of Western classics, art, and music; Strong family values; More infrastructure spending domestically and internationally.

The list is simplistic and confusing, as many items would deserve deeper examination. But they are the nuts and bolts of any country, and China here feels, right or wrongly, that it has been outperforming America. Therefore, the present economic difficulties might just be hiccups that need to be fixed but do not require a significant U-turn.

Conversely, do the differing political systems favor China or the US in dealing with their respective problems?

Indeed, in both countries, there are vested interests that oppose systemic political change. But China may feel that its political system is better endowed with the levers to undertake necessary modification. Beijing, this time has started a series of measures to turn the economy around.

Conversely, Beijing feels that although Washington sees its problems, the Americans have been unable to make much progress on any of those issues for years. Many problems have gotten worse. The rich and well-off have good schools, health care, families and safe environments; the poor have none of those.

In this way, Donald Trump’s declared plan to vastly increase presidential powers seems to respond to this crisis of inaction. If Mr. Trump were to become president again, he would be unlikely to improve health care or primary education, which are not on his agenda. But the social divide, the distance between the entitled elites and the growing marginalized ordinary people, creates the resentment that fuels Trump’s outbursts.

In other words, seeing things from Beijing, Trump is the ugly face of an American necessity to change. The US reaction may look as if American elites are trying to eliminate Trump and what he stands for without making any difference. This may prove that there is systemic resistance to necessary US reforms.

This situation in America confirms that despite whatever temporary contingencies and vested interests are involved in keeping the Chinese system, Chinese elites may feel there are no compelling reasons to alter a political structure that may outperform the US in the long run. This opinion is not based on ideology but on pragmatic perceptions of results. The argument may be partial, tainted and inaccurate, but it is not ideological like the old Soviet communists’ arguments.

[TwelveOfTwenty]

As far as the debt and infrastructure spending goes, you can lay that at the feet of the free traitors. Those tax paying jobs that were funding our infrastructure and military were shipped to China and are now funding China's infrastructure and military. Meanwhile, we had to raise the debt limit just to pay the interest on our loans.

What's worse, it was many patriotic, capitalism loving, communism hating conservatives who supported this.

[Flavious_Maximus]

Spread of firearms is the one thing communist fear most.

The Mafia thugs in China fear Trump. The American people are on to you communist pricks. Your days are numbered as well as the puppet you control. /spit

[DoodleBob]

Few drugs; No firearms, safe urban environment; Improving basic healthcare; Improving basic education; New rules limiting children under 18 to two hours of smartphone usage per day; No racial issues; Greater study of Western classics, art, and music; Strong family values; More infrastructure spending domestically and internationally.

This pretty much describes Japan in the 1980s. You know, that other country that was supposed to overtake America.

Oh wait….

This propaganda piece omits several salient points of comparison. Chiefly, America is an economic fortress. Fortresses come under assault and take hits. But America and her fortress economy stand alone.

Before the Eeyores continue, here are a few things for perspective.

America makes up 4% of the world's population...

...and yet we crank out 24% of the planet's GDP.

And while we are at the top of the Countries that Consume the Most Oil (2020 barrels per day)

United States — 17,178,000
China — 14,225,000
India — 4,669,000
Saudi Arabia — 3,544,000
Japan — 3,268,000
Russia — 3,238,000
South Korea — 2,560,000
Brazil — 2,323,000
Canada — 2,282,000
— Germany 2,045,000

...we also top the list of Countries with the Highest Oil Production (barrels per day)

United States - 11,567,000
Russia - 10,503,000
Saudi Arabia - 10,225,000
Canada - 4,656,000
Iraq - 4,260,000
China - 3,969,000
United Arab Emirates - 2,954,000
Brazil - 2,852,000
Kuwait - 2,610,000
Iran - 2,546,000

Thus, we Americans, making up only 4% of the planet's headcount, produce about a quarter of GDP - punching way above our weight. In relative contrast, China is a joke.

And if THAT wasn't cool enough, America's 4% of the population is at the top of the equity market food chain:

And, of course, we win the gun race by a mile...

....but we're not losing the murder race.

As for the national debt, we have trillions in untapped oil and gas and mineral resources. IER estimated the worth of the government’s oil and gas technically recoverable resources to the economy to be about 8 times our national debt.

There are lots of problems in the US, but did you notice that even the economic doom newsletter sellers always take payment in fiat currency?

America's eulogy has been written many times before. And we will emerge victorious this time as well.

[bigfootbob]

Hmmm, no mention about China’s Uyghurs or the Falun Gong or Christians for that matter. We can all play that kind of cherry picking facts game. Trump 24.

[Brian Griffin]

“The rich and well-off have good schools...the poor have none...”

Let’s visit a school in a lower income area.

You look to be a teacher.

Folks, is she incompetent? No.

Kiddies and parents, should she be fired? No

Let’s have a look at the learning materials. They look to be the same state-mandated ones used in the higher income districts.

Little girl, what is wrong here?

I think it is because our homes are dysfunctional.

Tell us about that.

Mommy is a nutcase. Her male friend is even loonier. The TV is on until after midnight. They both use their cell phones at hours I need to get a good night’s rest. Mommy feeds me junk food and sweets, at least when she is not spaced out on drugs. Our neighbors are every bit as bad and maybe worse.

[Brian Griffin]

“Uyghurs”

The Communist Chinese constitution requires work capable people of working age to work. Marx: “From each according to his ability...”

[sauropod]

.

[nopardons]

BTTT

[ClearCase_guy]

Some folks observe that China has demographic trouble and a rapidly aging population. Hard to see a bright future in that.

[Brian Griffin]

“we’re not losing the murder race”

Joe Biden is importing millions of youths from the homicide leading countries and giving them ‘refugee’ status, which allows them to get naturalized and then buy guns.

[Brian Griffin]

“China has demographic trouble and a rapidly aging population”

Chine has unemployed young adults. When it runs out of them, then it needs to worry a bit.

[Brian Griffin]

“produce about a quarter of GDP”

ORDINARY HOSPITAL

Patient Bill

Care 08/01/2023 to 08/03/2023

Total $110,000

Due and Payable Immediately

[DoodleBob]

And?

[Brian Griffin]

“we Americans, making up only 4% of the planet’s headcount, produce about a quarter of GDP”

Many other countries educate their kids, treat their sick, repair stuff, pave roads, build bridges, prepare three meals a day, etc.

[Brian Griffin]

“IER estimated the government’s coal resources in the lower 48 states to be worth $22.5 trillion”

https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/coal/federal-assets-above-and-below-ground/

[Brian Griffin]

“And?”

Both the hospital bill and the US GDP are highly inflated.

Don’t look at the billed amounts, but compare the number of general anesthesia surgical operations of say China and the US to calculate national economic output.

I’ll add that the hospital bill is quite likely to be for treating a side effect of a defective lifestyle. Both the defective lifestyle and the operation needed to overcome it represent wasted human capability.

[elpadre]

If a people are will to surrender their basic freedoms, then all those things mentioned in the article can be had.

[aquila48]

China’s GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) is 33 trillion dollars vs 26 for the US.

In other words stuff generally costs less in China so you can buy more there with a dollar than here.

The other thing to note is that China GDP is growing a lot faster than ours.

And societally, China is going in a much better direction than we are at the moment.

When you look at where China was 30 years ago, the progress they’re made has been nothing short of miraculous.

[PGR88]

And yet, every year Chinese parents pay ridiculous fees to send tens-of-thousands of their children to start a 5 or 10 year education in the USA.

There are something like 600,000 chinese students in the USA at the moment, the vast majority of whom will not return to China to live.

They must know something Asia Times does not.