The People's Republic of Capitalism - I thought the Vietnam War was fought to stop Communism! (Corporate Profits, wages)

[gorgeet]

The People's Republic of Capitalism - I thought the Vietnam War was fought to stop Communism!

"when Apple sells a $299 iPod (designed in California and assembled in China), the American computer company makes an $80 profit, while the Chinese assembly plant makes just $4."


Koppel on Discovery : Program Highlights : Discovery Channel

[MamaBee]

Greed...

[jufrbo]

Taking lines of credit from China will destroy this country. Things being made in China I don't think is the huge deal. It is a problem but not the biggest.

But watch out when China comes to cash in their bonds. You think inflation is bad now.

They'll be the death of us. I wouldn't be surprised at a Chinese-US war within the next 50 years.

[texdav]

That is a values judgement. Captalism certain gives more people more than one bowl of rice per day but there are like 1billon peole still at that stae amung 1.3 bilion people there. The governamnt still controls too much information. Recently saw a shw on chinese that returned to china after being educted in the west. They say that they have a hard time sdealing with the corruption i running a business nw that they have learned ths is not normal in much of the world. Many said what they learned abut the protest in the square was that politcs is very dangerous;which I found a odd but interesting comment.I thnik that the global dependency means less chance of war. That is why it is so dangerous to have North koea such a closed society.

[Frankie117]

Lets review the options.

1. Be economic partners, despite the obvious complications

2. Throw nukes at each other

The choice is yours

[phoenix_talons]

China isn't abolishing the one-child policy. Give about two decades or so, their numbers are going to fall drastically soon (especially after the last generation of Mainlanders born before the policy was instituted die out). Mega-size economy but insufficient manpower to sustain it. Who do you think they are going to come to for help? United States.

[SocialDem]

Originally Posted by gorgeet

The People's Republic of Capitalism - I thought the Vietnam War was fought to stop Communism!

"when Apple sells a $299 iPod (designed in California and assembled in China), the American computer company makes an $80 profit, while the Chinese assembly plant makes just $4."


Koppel on Discovery : Program Highlights : Discovery Channel

While I'm not entirely sure of the legitimacy of the statistics you provide, your underlying point stands. However, what most Americans don't realize when looking at this kind of information, is how much that $4 is to an average Chinese worker or firm. You have to place the price in relation to the average per capita income and overall cost of goods. $4 is a lot more money in China, where many individuals and families live on less than $1000 a year, than it is in the US. That four dollars can feed an individual a good three meals in a day, in the US it wouldn't buy a single nutritious meal. The same goes for overall incomes; while often we'll hear about how people in a certain country make a certain income that seems really low to us and we immediately scream that its immoral without recognizing that the people making that income at that factory are still probably making more than 80% of the people living in their country. You have to place the price of wages and profit in relation to the economy of the country its earned in, not in relation to the US' economy.

[SocialDem]

It's important to point out that the US doesn't really have that much of a choice when it comes to the question of engaging with China economically. We are living in an increasingly globalized world with thousands upon thousands of major international corporations operating globally. Our markets are all so closely intertwined and interdependent that you can't simply cut off trade with a country with an economy as large as China's. There is a question of how much we should (and can) regulate it and it's certainly a mistake to continue borrowing as much as we do, but overall we will continue to engage with China in all types of economic matters. The inclusion of China in the WTO is particularly important, making it absolutely vital for us to work with them, as does their growing dominance in Southeast Asia and Central Asia. China also holds one of the permanent seats on the UN Security Council and holds a sixth of the world's population; they are a major and growing power and, as such, must be dealt with directly unless we want another (and even more severe) Cold War. Times are changing and the global economy is becoming increasingly complex. This process isn't stoppable at this point and even if it was, US' power remains dependent upon it. Thus, there really isn't a choice in the matter.

[LibertyandJusticeforAll]

Originally Posted by MamaBee

Greed...

I would agree. These Companies and corporations have no sense of right or wrong and american patriotism really is. Mulitnational corps are like UN groupies looking to spread it's cancer like a disease.

[gorgeet]

Originally Posted by SocialDem

It's important to point out that the US doesn't really have that much of a choice when it comes to the question of engaging with China economically. We are living in an increasingly globalized world with thousands upon thousands of major international corporations operating globally. Our markets are all so closely intertwined and interdependent that you can't simply cut off trade with a country with an economy as large as China's. There is a question of how much we should (and can) regulate it and it's certainly a mistake to continue borrowing as much as we do, but overall we will continue to engage with China in all types of economic matters. The inclusion of China in the WTO is particularly important, making it absolutely vital for us to work with them, as does their growing dominance in Southeast Asia and Central Asia. China also holds one of the permanent seats on the UN Security Council and holds a sixth of the world's population; they are a major and growing power and, as such, must be dealt with directly unless we want another (and even more severe) Cold War. Times are changing and the global economy is becoming increasingly complex. This process isn't stoppable at this point and even if it was, US' power remains dependent upon it. Thus, there really isn't a choice in the matter.

It's ironic that unimaginable lives and money were squandered on a war, ostensibly with Vietnam, but actually against China and the Soviet Union, and now Russia and China hold 2 of the 5 permanent seats on the UN Security Council. These wars of 'ideology' (ie, to 'stop Communism' or 'build Democratic governments') are actually fought in the name of corporate profits, and those corporate interests always emerge victorious, whether the wars are won or lost. Those who suffer and die in those wars always lose.