Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Looking as to how many are saying China could very well become the number 1 economic power in the not so distant future, what is your own personal opinion of China?
Looking as to how many are saying China could very well become the number 1 economic power in the not so distant future, what is your own personal opinion of China?
I've never traveled to China before but I've worked with/known dozens of Chinese nationals in my lifetime.
Personally I am not a fan of Chinese culture. It seems focused on groupthink and, at least to me, is inordinantly cruel to animals. Consequently, Chinese culture seems to have less compassion for human suffering than Western culture. That isn't to say that Western culture isn't callous...it is. I just think Chinese culture is a bit more so.
The Chinese people I have worked with have been, almost without exception, very reserved and quiet. Most have been competent and hard-working. They seem to absorb verbal abuse better than their American counterparts (perhaps due to groupthink) and also seem to be more forgiving of personal slights. IMHO they make better I.T. workers than Indians do because their education/culture/both seem to still permit and encouage independent/creative approaches to problem solving. I usually had to give exquisitely detailed instructions to Indian colleagues if I wanted something done correctly. This is not the case with Chinese or Western colleagues, usually, unless they're incompetent.
As for China as a nation...I can't stand the government and they are going to absolutely eat us alive. You can count on it. Between China and India, they are going to gobble up every natural resource that we haven't already gotten our hands on, and the next global conflict is going to be between us and one or both of them, and it's going to be over natural resources, probably water, minerals, or both. China and India are huge polluters and as they become ever-more industrialized and urban, they're going to make us look like wussies when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The industrialization of these two nations alone is what's going to tip us into irreversible (at least in our lifetimes) climate change, the consequences of which will be nothing short of catastrophic.
It's hard to resent the Chinese for wanting what we have; we've been waving it in their faces long enough. I don't think they fully appreciate that there is only one planet Earth and it would take a dozen of them to support China, India, and the US living the average US consumerist lifestyle.
Basically the world is screwed, the industrial revolution in Europe started it, we perpetuated it and grew it to monstrous proportions, and the Chinese are going to put the final nails in our coffins.
Whatever negative criticism one may level at China today, consider the staggering changes that country has managed to achieve in just two decades without a revolution. I submit to the forum that any culture capable of doing what China has done has no comparison to any other country on Earth.
True, China is unique. Not every country tortures and kills its own citizens, forces women to abort, imprisons everybody it dosen't like, oppresses regime critics, censors everything etc.
Oh, wait. Never-mind. That's what Hitler did, too.
True, China is unique. Not every country tortures and kills its own citizens, forces women to abort, imprisons everybody it dosen't like, oppresses regime critics, censors everything etc.
Oh, wait. Never-mind. That's what Hitler did, too.
You ignore the capacity for change. China has been doing all you list above for at least half a century, but it's only been lifting the largest number of people out of poverty in human history for about 20 years. Give it time.
And the other shining moral counter-example you'd like to offer is...the USA perhaps?
You ignore the capacity for change. China has been doing all you list above for at least half a century, but it's only been lifting the largest number of people out of poverty in human history for about 20 years. Give it time.
And the other shining moral counter-example you'd like to offer is...the USA perhaps?
China has not accomplished a lot. The mere fact that they have 1,3 billion people is the reason that their overall GDP is high, the mere reason that they are where they are now. They are far, far away from a per capita GDP that would rival ours.
The U.S. is the most accepting country on this planet. While there have been problems, there is not other country with so much racial diversity. No other country with so many cultures and races living together peacefully, and successfully. So, yes, the U.S. is, indeed, a shining counter example.
don't understand the hatred of the chinese govt by westerners. its prolly the best run govt in the world for a developing country. most other developing countries have MAJOR MAJOR problems, china should have a lot more than it does considering how rapidly the country is changing. much less civil strife, govt abuses, etc than the US when it was industrializing early last century for example, but few are willing to look at it in this context. great management.
don't understand the hatred of the chinese govt by westerners. its prolly the best run govt in the world for a developing country. most other developing countries have MAJOR MAJOR problems, china should have a lot more than it does considering how rapidly the country is changing. much less civil strife, govt abuses, etc than the US when it was industrializing early last century for example, but few are willing to look at it in this context. great management.
You don't understand, huh? I forgot too add that they secretly execute people, the "trials" last a whooping day, verdict handed down the same day. They execute people like crazy. China has absolutely no regard for human rights or human dignity. China's human rights abuses are well known and I don't have to list them here. If I did, I'd busy listing them until tomorrow. It's not a matter if if, but only a matter of time until it collapses.
China has not accomplished a lot. The mere fact that they have 1,3 billion people is the reason that their overall GDP is high, the mere reason that they are where they are now. They are far, far away from a per capita GDP that would rival ours.
china is only starting to get back on eats feet after a few centuries of struggle. the chinese ppl have a work ethic comparable to europeans. just look at overseas chinese, they completely dominate the economies of SE asia even tho they only make up a tiny fraction of the population. mainland china is on the rise, not much you can do about it man.
anyways, i dont have much of an opinion of china. it is what it is. lived in HK when i was growing up, its my fav city in the world so props there i guess. not a big fan of the culture or chinese people. visiting the country is fine, i wouldn't want to live there tho, prefer living in other places.
china is only starting to get back on eats feet after a few centuries of struggle. the chinese ppl have a work ethic comparable to europeans. just look at overseas chinese, they completely dominate the economies of SE asia even tho they only make up a tiny fraction of the population. mainland china is on the rise, not much you can do about it man.
anyways, i dont have much of an opinion of china. it is what it is. lived in HK when i was growing up, its my fav city in the world so props there i guess. not a big fan of the culture or chinese people. visiting the country is fine, i wouldn't want to live there tho, prefer living in other places.
Work ethic? Is that what you call forced labor? Forcing them to work 20 hour shifts ? Got it.
And this is very common. Apple Wal Mart and many others have been accused of exploiting those conditions. But, of course, nothing happened...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
