The advantage that the USSR used to have (and that China does now) is that the government didn't have to answer to the people. They could do whatever they wanted.
China is doing particularly well because their ridiculously cheap labor enables their absorption of our industries. That, in my opinion, is a very bad thing but it doesn't seem to bother many others. Tom Reese > Japan has a larger economy and the infrastructure that permits them to > do so. China's running the ragged edge of their available infrastructure > as it is, their only advantage is a larger, less productive population > base. China's likely in for massive problems if they don't solve their > infrastructure problems, and their economy is essentially far too crrupt > for them to do that easily (Much of the Chinese economy is essentially > oowned by the PLA and the proceeds go to purchasing military gear rather > than the necessary infrastructure upgrades which would allow them to > build said gear in the future) > > Which btw, is the same advantage as the USSR had over the US. The US is > smaller than the USSR was, and has significantly less resources. But it > had the advantage of a better trained, more inventive and more > productive workforce. Japan has the same advantages over China. Note > that Japan currently is tied for #2 in the Worlds Most Powerful Navy > sweepstakes (They have more modern combat ships than the UK, but lack > Carriers and SSBN's). > > -Adam > > > John Forbes wrote: > > > Since Japan has approximately one tenth the population of China, it's > > hard to see how they can hope to remain more powerful. > > > > It was trying to compete in an arms race with a larger competitor > > that brought down the Soviets. I can't see the Japanese being > > similarly self-deluding. > > > > John > > > > On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:22:27 -0000, P. J. Alling > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> Nope, they just have an arms race to look forward to, or abdicate > >> their place as the most powerful country in Asia to China. It's > >> interesting but the Japanese have been arming Taiwan, (with US > >> help),. quietly for the last few years, and with the Chinese > >> stepchild of North Korea rattling it's nuclear saber periodically > >> the Japanese government will see itself left with few other options, > >> and none they will find palatable. I don't good will has much to do > >> with national survival. Even Venezuela , who's current president > >> sees himself as the heir to Castro, will sell Oil to the US. He > >> needs the money to fund his own ambitions, good will has nothing to > >> do with it. > >> > >> William Robb wrote: > >> > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "P. J. Alling" > >>> Subject: Re: The sky is... > >>> > >>> > >>>> The US economy has it's problems but they are fundamentally fewer > >>>> than Japans. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> Both economies are now dependent on the goodwill of foreign > >>> countries for survival. > >>> The peril of an oil based economy when you haven't enough of it > >>> yourself. > >>> Japan isn't beeing bled to death by an expensive to maintain, and > >>> probably soon to escalate, war. > >>> > >>> William Robb > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > > > > > > >
