America in the future - Page 3

Thestevedawg · 12-12-2007, 01:17 PM

yayss

bobleplask · 12-12-2007, 02:23 PM

But why do you seem worried? Is China gonna do something worse as "head of the world" than USA?

AB517 · 12-12-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobleplask

But why do you seem worried? Is China gonna do something worse as "head of the world" than USA?

lol your kidding right.
we are very gental. History is the proof of that. none have been better yet.

bobleplask · 12-12-2007, 04:56 PM

No, not kidding.

And I seriously do not think they will do worse..

Requiem · 12-12-2007, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobleplask

But why do you seem worried? Is China gonna do something worse as "head of the world" than USA?

You can't be serious; the US is the only country who has a history of winning wars, but not invading the country after. Though this may be due to modern perceptions of morals, right and wrong and so on. (More evidence of moral relativism even?)

shaun · 12-12-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Requiem

Though this may be due to modern perceptions of morals, right and wrong and so on. (More evidence of moral relativism even?)

Hardly. From the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Those are some absolute moral claims, there.

**Skepticologist** · 12-13-2007, 01:27 AM

What we're seeing is nothing more than the business cycle writ large in global terms. The good news is that we as Americans, driven by our capitalistic values, have suceeded in exporting them to developing countries. The bad news is that we failed to take into account the law of unintended consequences.

But the consequences should come as no surprise to us. Back in the 1970's, when America was fat and happy, it virtually ingnored Dr. W. Edwards Deming's principles of quality improvement based on statistical process control. When American firms wouldn't listen, Deming found a receptive audience in the Japanese, who were sruggling to become a global eoconomic player.

Fast forward to today and Toyota's inevitable ascension to the top of the ranks of the world's producers of automobiles.

There's nothing mysterious in this evolution. Manufacture a product that meets or exceeds the customer's requirements, employing processes that minimize the costs of production, and you can sell it at a premium price.

China and India haven't yet fully adopted the quality-based manufacturing processes that drive down the cost of production, but they're learning rapidly. In the meantime, they're producing goods and services at a fraction of the (primarily labor) costs that Americans can achieve due to the elevation of manufacturing wages in the pursuit of the American dream.

Having imprinted the principles of capitalism on the global economy, there's no turning back. The genie is out of the bottle.

Over the next couple of decades, we'll see a rapid leavening in the distribution of wealth globally. Countries like China and India, once considered third world, will inevitably take on more and more of the manufacturing and service provision once provided by American workers; not because they can produce a higher-quality product, but because they can produce a viable product at one-sixth to one-tenth the cost it can be produced in America.

Gettin' In Tune · 12-13-2007, 03:30 AM

Lets stop nation building and become a global community. (My pipe dream...a secular, anarchist, peaceful world).

bobleplask · 12-13-2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Requiem

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobleplask

But why do you seem worried? Is China gonna do something worse as "head of the world" than USA?

You can't be serious; the US is the only country who has a history of winning wars, but not invading the country after. Though this may be due to modern perceptions of morals, right and wrong and so on. (More evidence of moral relativism even?)

No, you can't be serious. What war did USA win and not invade after they did it. And why is this something good? I am not saying USA never did such a thing, but have they ever invaded something? Last 50 years, who's been involved in more wars than USA? I don't think it's China..?

If China takes place as the only superpower on earth - what's th worst case scenario? And what's the most likely scenario if this was to happen?

**Skepticologist** · 12-14-2007, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gettin' In Tune

Lets stop nation building and become a global community. (My pipe dream...a secular, anarchist, peaceful world).

What a wonderful thought. Only problem is that it didn't take hold in the 60's and it won't today. It's too much in conflict with the interests of our monied economy.