only 643 Billion Dollars is setting China's Economy apart from overtaking the US now

[senheiser]

GDP, PPP (current international $) | Data | Table

so let me see how did the year started so far?

vs

 

[senheiser]

@Raphael @cirr @Taihang @cnleio @Chinese-Dragon @ChineseTiger1986 @StarCraft_ZT @TaiShang @boomslang @LeveragedBuyout @Peter C @gambit @Krueger @atatwolf @KAL-EL

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

Given China's size, barring a financial crisis, it is inevitable that China's GDP will surpass that of the US. On balance, China's continuing ascent helps our economy, so I have no issue with this.

What would you like to discuss concerning our growth rate differential?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Also keep in mind the country the US knocked off the #1 spot over 100 years ago was China.

We'd still be #1 right now if we wanted...however manufacturing had such a devastating effect on our environment we had to offshore it (mostly to China). The cost outweighed the benefits.

Want low price goods and a clean environment..isn't going to happen if manufactured in the US.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Also keep in mind the country the US knocked off the #1 spot over 100 years ago was China.

We've been sleeping for the past two centuries.

And look what happened, we missed the train to become a developed country (something we are still in the process of fixing), and suffered terribly at the hands of foreign powers during the Century of Humiliation.

And we are still so far behind. The next few decades will be crucial for our economic development.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

Also keep in mind the country the US knocked off the #1 spot over 100 years ago was China.

We'd still be #1 right now if we wanted...however manufacturing had such a devastating effect on our environment we had to offshore it (mostly to China). The cost outweighed the benefits.

Want low price goods and a clean environment..isn't going to happen if manufactured in the US.

You raise an important point. Growth comes at a cost, one that the populace often isn't willing to pay. I also appreciate your point about increased purchasing power--offshoring has hurt some, but helped far more in the form of lower prices.

 

[IsaacNewton]

If one fifth of humanity can reach one fourth of American gdp per capita, then it is good news for all of mankind.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

If one fifth of humanity can reach one fourth of American gdp per capita, then it is good news for all of mankind.

It's not good news if you have to boil the water you drink, eat food from contaminated soil or see your national symbol (bald eagle) decimated to near extinction due to chemicals in the environment.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

It's not good news if you have to boil the water you drink, eat food from contaminated soil or see your national symbol (bald eagle) decimated to near extinction due to chemicals in the environment.

It's also not good for environmental fanaticism to lead to wind turbines that slaughter bald eagles in massive numbers, or wasteful investment in ethanol that damages the environment and drives up food prices.

Moderation in all things. We need to return to the spirit of Reagan's Executive Order 12291, of subjecting all new regulation to a cost-benefit analysis.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It's also not good for environmental fanaticism to lead to wind turbines that slaughter bald eagles in massive numbers, or wasteful investment in ethanol that damages the environment and drives up food prices..

While I may sound like a fanatic I'm actually not.

You have to break things down as to what it means to be a "developed" country. I would expect that means easy access to food, shelter, security, and a healthy/happy quality of life.

So if you live somewhere where you have to boil your water (or use bottled), question the safety of your food due to some kind of contamination, live in some apartment with smoggy air, and wonder if you can pay the bills...I wouldn't call that much progress.

I think those problems should be solved first before saying things are "better" than living on a farm in the middle of some little country.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

While I may sound like a fanatic I'm actual not.

You have to break things down as to what it means to be a "developed" country. I would expect that means easy access to food, shelter, security, and a healthy/happy quality of life.

So if you live somewhere where you have to boil your water (or use bottled), question the safety of your food due to some kind of contamination, live in some apartment with smoggy air, and wonder if you can pay the bills...I wouldn't call that much progress.

I think those problems should be solved first before saying things are "better" than living on a farm in the middle of some little country.

It was not my intent to imply that you are a fanatic; on the contrary, I find you eminently reasonable. I was just pointing out that environmentalism isn't always a slam-dunk decision. Protecting the environment is good, but less good if it comes at a cost to animals, or the ability of a parent to feed his child. A balance must be struck, that's all I am trying to say.

According to Chinese-Dragon and Tranquilium, the CCP listens to the populace, and is pragmatic enough to know when environmentalism should play a larger role. If news reports of CCP plans to simply blow away smog are any indication, China is far from reaching that point.

 

[Genesis]

While I may sound like a fanatic I'm actually not.

You have to break things down as to what it means to be a "developed" country. I would expect that means easy access to food, shelter, security, and a healthy/happy quality of life.

So if you live somewhere where you have to boil your water (or use bottled), question the safety of your food due to some kind of contamination, live in some apartment with smoggy air, and wonder if you can pay the bills...I wouldn't call that much progress.

I think those problems should be solved first before saying things are "better" than living on a farm in the middle of some little country.

You just described Canada and the US, well not so much on the food part, but that depends on your definition of fast "food." As well as non organic and those nasty junk food. Also the air is way better, in most of US and Canada.


As to water, you need to boil or buy anyways, I have never drank tap, neither has anyone I know, most people I know or at least call close friends don't go near McDs or the like, and paying the bills? I been to college and work odd jobs before, they have trouble paying bills.


Just in case you were trying to describe China, you don't know much about China, I mean all of the US people that visit China were surprised at how different the things on the ground is compared to what they thought China was. But that's natural, same deal goes the other way.

 

[Raphael]

We are currently he number 1 trading nation in the world, the number 1 manufacturer by output, the number 1 producer of electricity, and soon enough, the number 1 economy when adjusted by ppp. But we're still quite a ways from being the number 1 economy by exchange rates. This should be our next milestone.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

You just described Canada and the US, well not so much on the food part, but that depends on your definition of fast "food." As well as non organic and those nasty junk food. Also the air is way better, in most of US and Canada.


As to water, you need to boil or buy anyways, I have never drank tap, neither has anyone I know, most people I know or at least call close friends don't go near McDs or the like, and paying the bills? I been to college and work odd jobs before, they have trouble paying bills.


Just in case you were trying to describe China, you don't know much about China, I mean all of the US people that visit China were surprised at how different the things on the ground is compared to what they thought China was. But that's natural, same deal goes the other way.

You accuse PeterC of mischaracterizing China, but you are guilty of the same. Your description of the US and Canada is misinformed.

 

[boomslang]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again... China has 300,000,000 people living the dream, BUT they have 1,000,000,000 that don't have a pot to piss in. Good luck creating jobs for them, especially with manufacturing slowly creeping out of China for cheaper, better quality producing locales closer to the target market ( U.S.). And with the rising Muslim unrest and Chinas' dicking around with Viet Nam and Japan....