Quote:
Originally Posted by baystater
I think eventually china will be able to have a self sustaining economy in the future. Not exactly sure when but I believe it coming in the near future. They won't need us anymore sooner rather than later.
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10, 12, 15 to 20 years for sure, but they are working toward that goal very steadily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by baystater
Could you elaborate a little more on why South Africa is the place to be? You've got my interest peaked.
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Not South Africa
per se, but South America and sub-Saharan Africa, which would certainly include southern Africa, as well as South Africa.
You have 1 Billion people, of which about 750 Million have practically nothing. "Homeless" people in the US have more than they.
They're only in the 1st Phase of the 1st Economy and moving toward the 2nd Phase, which is the processing and export of raw materials, rather than merely exporting raw materials.
Eventually they'll move into the 1st Phase of the 2nd Economy, where they'll be producing heavy machinery, then the 2nd Phase where they'll be producing durable goods, like washing machines, dryers, hot water heaters, cars, and other personal vehicles, and materials for housing and housing construction.
Eventually they'll move into the 3rd Economy and start producing consumer goods.
The potential for expansion there is extraordinary. Sure there's some problems, but that is mostly the fault of the Europeans and the US, who use the "divide and conquer" scheme to put the smallest tribes in power and leave the largest tribes disenfranchised and without an wealth or hope of wealth and prosperity. The Chinese are successful because they're appealing to the disenfranchised. And yes, there are other problems like malaria, but that was a problem in the US. You drain the swamps and develop them for agriculture or industry, just like the US did.
In South America, you have more well developed urban areas, but the rural areas aren't developed at all.
One of the most damaging and embarrassing things to the US is the Canal and the trans-Andean highway. The US promised to build one for 75 years but always made excuses that it would harm the Canal. Even after the US dumped the Canal, it still made excuses for 30 years as to why it couldn't build it. The Chinese just jumped in there and started building it, and they're expanding the Canal. It's also a rail and pipeline system in addition to a highway. That'll allow China to pump oil across the Andes to terminals on the west coast, instead of sailing through the Canal, plus Chinese imports can be transported more cost effectively across the Andes and the Chinese can use the Canal for imports/exports to Africa.
The growth potential there is just explosive.
Of course that requires that those peoples be able to purchase commodities on the world market at reasonable prices, and they can't so long as US consumption is so excessive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by baystater
My only issue with Iraq (at least the cost of it.) Is the amounts private contractors/mercenaries are making. I understand why these companies are asking for so much. They are in harms way. But my problem is, why can't some/most of the jobs be done by us military personal instead of contractors. Even if there is some inefficiencies it would cost us a lot less.
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I have no explanation for that. It's astoundingly illogical.
After WW II the US military governors had contracting boards that awarded contracts to German firms to rebuild the infrastructure and maintain US military facilities. Working Germans are less likely to be involved in an insurgency.
The same is true for Iraq. Unemployed Iraqis make great insurgents. I fail to understand why the money wasn't given to the military governor to dole out to Iraqi companies to being rebuilding the infrastructure.
If someone wants to say it was done to enrich/reward a few friends of Bush or Cheney and others, I have no basis to disagree with that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by baystater
Unless we are so weak or enlistment/reenlistment is so far down that we simple don't have the man power to do this. I have not heard anything like this out there so I think we can start replacing the contractors.
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Actually the US could have activated US Army Reserve logistical units (S&T Battalions/Brigades as well as Engineer Battalions/Brigades), but why, when there are plenty of Iraqi truck drivers sitting around with nothing to do, except join the insurgency?
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