Clinton: China or Europe Will Replace U.S. as Top Power

NewsMax.com ^ | 5/02/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Ex-president Bill Clinton predicted this week that either Communist China, which helped bankroll his 1996 reelection campaign with hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal contributions, or the European Union, would replace the United States as the world's number one power within the next 30 years.

"In all probability, we won't be the premier political and economic power we are now," Clinton told the Washington Post in an interview from Mexico on Thursday. Saying the shift would occur within "a few decades," the ex-president cited the growth of China's economy and Europe's already formidable economy as factors that would doom continued U.S. supremacy.

Clinton said the question of whether China or Europe would replace the United States depended on how their respective governments invested in military might. While Europe's defense investment has been minimal since World War II, China now has the fastest growing military budget in the world.

In 1996, the Clinton administration approved the transfer to Beijing of key missile guidance technology which enabled China to hit most major U.S. cities with its intercontinental ballistic missile fleet.

Clinton offered his prediction to the Post in an attempt to clarify comments he made to an Australian audience in February, where he warned "This is a unique moment in U.S. history, a brief moment in history, when the U.S. has preeminent military, economic and political power. It won't last forever. This is just a period, a few decades this will last."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

China/Taiwan
Clinton Scandals

[Filibuster_60]

SARS apparently thrives in unhygienic places where lots of people inhabit small spaces, spit all over the place, don't dispose of garbage in a tidy manner, rarely shower, and use non-flushing public toilets which in turn produce waste that isn't comprehensively treated by sewage plants. It's easy to see why China is far more vulnerable than we are, despite the large ethnic Chinese population in North America. I'm hopeful that SARS has peaked out already in advanced areas such as Singapore, Canada, etc. The big worry now belongs to China.

[Irish Eyes]

:-)

[Willie Green]

Well, Clintoon certainly did his part to make sure that this happens.

Well Dubya sure has Robert Zoellick working overtime to fulfill Klintoon's vision.

[Ramcat]

...when the U.S. has preeminent military, economic and political power. It won't last forever. This is just a period, a few decades this will last."

And New York won't always have the Yankees but every NY politicians goal will be to keep them.
What's up with these national politicians who are willing to give up without a fight? (Clinton, Dean, the list grows)

[breakem]

Ouch, sounds like Main Street in LA. I'm out.

[Mat_Helm]

What an idiot. What a complete moron and traitor. We lead the world in technology, finances, aviation, agriculture, leadership, freedom, great looking women, inovation, productivity, medicine, government, military discipline and fighting ability, music, and did I mention FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just as soon as we perfect fusion and have infinate energy supplies our economy will shift from oil to hydrogen and even more electronic advances and will further leave the world in the dust. While China mass produces rifles and bullets we will mass produce laser rifles and high energy weapons cheaply that will pierce through armor and walls. As long as this nation follows God and has His favor we will prevail. But only the nation that follows God's will can prosper and a free nation will always out perform totalitarianism and socialism or any other ism.

Clinton is evil, wrong, and should be ignored.

[Alissa]

Just what does China and Europe (how can a continent be a super power anyway) have to become economically able to come close to the US? I heard today we have a fleet of 12 aircraft carriers, which are the only ones in the world. They sure have a lot of catching up to do!

Clinton was just pandering to the anti-American Mexicans. He's just plain scummy!

[AlexW]

"Clinton is right. If our nation continues to erode lose its morals and values and the bleeding heart liberals take political control then we will lose our international standing to China or the EU"

Do you think the EU as represented by 60% athesit France
has any morals or values?
We will fall behind when we get too fat and lazy, but most
of all, we have lost our lower and higher education system to the far left.
Just where will the future thinkers come from when we are down to a one word, "Duhhh", vocabulary.

One thing you can be sure of, Clinton does not give a rat's
ass about the US. He will hook his wagon to whatever perverted group that pays him the most, or plays with his privates.

[ffusco]

Don't go there!

No... really.

[webstersII]

"Clinton is right. If our nation continues to erode lose its morals and values and the bleeding heart liberals take political control then we will lose our international standing to China or the EU."

So you are saying that if we continue to lose our morals and values we are likely to be surpassed by countries that have even looser morals and values than we do? Surpassed by a semi-Communist country which still doesn't have freedom and a conglomeration of socialist has-been world powers whose productivity is so low because of their affinity for the 35-hour workweek and month-long "holidays"?

[Hootowl]

China has planned its own demise with its one-child policy. In 30 or 40 years, China will have a population of predominantly old, unproductive people, with only one younger person to support two (or more) elders. Unless China decides to start eating their elderly, their economy will implode under the strain.

[Mustang]

Tend to agree. The Chicom government lacks a soul. But, the people of China do not.

What bugs my butt, is that Clintoon & Company knew this, and were willing to hang around and cash in on those China game chip$... As he stands there pissing gas on the leftist's started flames against our President and military.

The Toon's are deplorable traitors. They will always be:

"CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGERS".........

Mustang sends from "Malpaso" News.

[Filibuster_60]

Not really. The one-child policy was always a two-child policy for the rural population - i.e. 900 million Chinese. Even today over 80% of Chinese children have at least one sibling.

[Paul Atreides]

Please Bill, just slink off somewhere and *bleep.*

[LibWhacker]

Of course, Toon thinks that. That's because he believes in the inherent superiority of socialism and tyranny over capitalism and democracy, though he can't point to a single successful communist state.

A socialist state will never defeat us or surpass us in any sense of those words, except by encouraging our own homegrown socialists to undermine us from within. I predict that in 30 years we will have militarily kicked China's butt all over the battlefield, and quite possibly much of Europe's, too.

[ValenB4]

Which one has the bent penis?

[bart99]

"Europe's already formidable economy as factors that would doom continued U.S. supremacy. "

---

I'm sorry - WHAT formidable economy. Everything I'veheard is that France and Gremany are in big trouble.

Oh.... and thanks Bill, for making China a military might.

Interesting that he doesn't even speculate what the USA might be doing all this time. I wish I could see 30 years into the future.

[Jim Robinson]

Democrats = socialist traitors. They hate America, hate freedom, hate prosperity, hate success and are trying their damndest to bring the country to its knees. None of them deserve any support whatsoever. Vote the RATs out!

[jslade]

If his wife becomes president, she will all but eliminate our armed forces. Can you imagine her as commander in chief?

She will be taken out with exreme predudice.

[jslade]

If his wife becomes president, she will all but eliminate our armed forces. Can you imagine her as commander in chief?

She will be taken out with extreme predudice.