Posted on 11/23/2006 1:02:44 AM PST by BlackJack
FWIW, I think the implication of the article is that the US no longer controls the strength/health of the dollar.
Strangely, most of the English-speaking Scandanavians, Germans, and Dutch that I've known don't have a Brit accent, nor anything that I can identify as "American".
It's some sort of accent-free generic English, the kind you would hear on American TV news.
Someday I'll remember to ask where they learned English.
You mean, like our dollar? ;-)
And consequently, the trade deficit will narrow substantially.
I don't find it at all implausible that a person can learn multiple languages and dialects. I've had countless friends (mostly Euros) who are fluent in four or more of French, German, English, Italian, Farsi, Thai, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, etc.
Personally I'm at toddler-level with Vietnamese, Spanish, Thai, (at one time, now forgotten) Nepali.
It's not difficult to get up to a basic level if you're actually in the country and have a notebook, pen, and dictionary with you at all times, and set a goal of learning 10 or 20 new words every week.
One American acquaintance was pretty handy with Mandarin, but said it took her three years with P&G Beijing to get there.
"English in 2006 is what Esperanto long ago strived and failed to be! Best ones - B A"
Pardon, what do you mean by that last sentence "Best ones - B A"?
The lack of even basic understanding of Asia, among Americans, is astounding and dangerous.
China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and most every nation in Asia in fact practice de facto "racial purity" in their immigration policies.
Our ally Taiwan, for example, requires Chinese racial heritage for citizenship - and virtually guarantees citizenship for immigrants of Chinese racial heritage. If your family is from Africa or Europe - don't bother.
I met a woman born in China. She is "white" - and is not a citizen. She cannot be, because she is white.
As we send more and more of our national treasure to Asia to buy trinkets at Wal*Mart we strengthen nations which do not believe in the values we believe in. Nations who do not see the world as a place to "all get along", but rather for the most part believe you are either at another nation's feet --- or at their throat.
As China becomes stronger, it will not become more friendly. China will become more confrontational, and more "proud" - which to us, will very much appear to be more chauvanistic.
But remember.
Tomorrow is "Black Friday". Be sure to run down to Wal*Mart to buy more stuff.
Don't worry about the future. Who cares about your kids anyway.
/s
"Bill Bonner the founder and president of Agora Publishing... "
Bonner and his pal James Dale Davidson should be taken with a grain of salt. I'd like to go over some of the past issues of Strategic Investing, et al, to see how all those recommended pink sheet penny stocks with offices in the Caymans have done over years.
Hey, I have learned English without notebooks and goals. :)
"Can economics really be called a science? Seems like just so much speculation and opinion."
That's why Ludwig von Mises = "founder" of the Austrian school of economics - titled his magnum opus "Human Action."
A magazine called The "Economist" should know this.
"Can you buy land in a supposedly Communist country?"
You can't in Vietnam, which is a big problem for their economy medium-term (right now VN is 3rd only to China and India in GDP growth rate). But now that they're in WTO, VN is having to clean up its act somewhat.
On the other hand, foreign individuals can't buy land in Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia either (businesses have workarounds). It's back to the old leasehold, with 50, 99, and (in Malaysia) 999 year land leases.
Good for you, except I read that most of that money doesn't really even excist, except as electronic ledger entries. Not to worry. We can always default, if we want. Everyone else has.
Blesphemer!!!!
Spend!!
Spend!!
Spend your way to prosperity, America!!!
It is tied to somethings physical, houses and cars, and flat screen TV's.
THE US ECONOMY GREW BY A LARGER AMOUNT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAN HE ENTIRE SIZE OF THE chicom ECONOMY! This article is BS.
LLS
Yep, and in many other formal and informal pratices. And they aren't one bit shy about it.
As China becomes stronger, it will not become more friendly. China will become more confrontational, and more "proud"
True enough, but historically China hasn't demonstrated an imperialistic bent.
Let them go, and stay there. These highly educated business leaders have outsourced all the jobs and technology to China, so that the US now has such a huge deficit. They have done the average American enormous harm. All whilst enjoying the fruit of 250 years sweat and toil at American institutions.
If they ever tried to start WWIII with us, we have the power to make their 1 trillion dollars worth of paper virtually worthless. Now who's holding the trump cards???
True enough, but historically China hasn't demonstrated an imperialistic bent.
-
Arguable, if one were to ask the residents of Tibet.
History repeats itself. Not so very long ago as history goes, China applied their abilities in inexpensive quality mass export manufacturing, to the world market in (ironically) china - plates, teacups, and as sure as the sun rises in the east - began running a massive trade surplus - with Britain.
I'm guessing most Freepers, (being far more educated and aware than your typical Schmoe) know how that one ended, but I'll bet a Renminbi to a donut, you could ask 50 Americans on a typical street before you could find even one, who knows about the Opium Wars.
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