China Is No Model

[Mister D]

The West has reached a fork in the road. Our current models of governance and economics aren’t working. The consensus is gathering strength — both in Europe and in the United States — that we must choose a different path. The Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, the protests in Greece, and the increasingly frenetic debate over the future of Europe — all these are signs that people no longer believe in the system we’ve got and want a different one.
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed (“China’s Superior Economic Model”), former union leader Andy Stern tries to show us the way. He urges us not to “double down on an empirically failing free-market extremism.” Instead, he says, America should “study the ingredients of its competitors’ success.” China, he argues, is “on a clear trajectory to knock America off its perch by 2025,” because of its government’s success in setting strategic priorities and “arraying the forces of organization.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/284817/china-no-model-mario-loyola

[Pendragon]

Are things truly so bad in this country? Look around at other nations and I think you will see differently. Much of this hand wringing that has begun since Obama took office is merely partisanship at its worst. Protests are nothing new, truly they are part of the fabric of American History!

[Peter1469]

China has a huge real estate bubble and its financial books are so cooked we don't really know how healthy or unhealthy it is. Also China must transition from an export economy (I mean the cheap crap) to a consumer economy. If it cannot do that then it will not grow much more. If it does, and after it fixes its bubbles, it will become a super power.

[Peter1469]

Are things bad? Official debt is at $15T. We can't pay that off. The last three years have had deficits over $1T. We propose only having a deficit of $900,000,000 each year for the next 10 years and call that fixing the problem.

Then look at entitlement commitments 50 years out: about $75T for social security, medicare, and Medicaid. We can't pay for that.

[Pendragon]

Now that Obama is in the process of ending both the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan we will see positive effect on the balance sheets, of that I am certain. Yes, it will take years to undo the spending of the Madman Bush but we have begun the process. Futrue entitlements will be paid by a new generation of working tax payers as it has always been.

[Mister D]

Uh...Pen, BO is spending as much if not more. Just an FYI.

[Peter1469]

Now that Obama is in the process of ending both the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan we will see positive effect on the balance sheets, of that I am certain. Yes, it will take years to undo the spending of the Madman Bush but we have begun the process. Futrue entitlements will be paid by a new generation of working tax payers as it has always been.


Both wars cost about $1T over 10 years. Obama's deficits for three years were between $1.1-$1.5 T each.

To add context, Bush's deficits were around $450B per year.

[Mister D]

Both wars cost about $1T over 10 years. Obama's deficits for three years were between $1.1-$1.5 T each.

To add context, Bush's deficits were around $450B per year.

And this is no apology for Bush, Pen. It's just to give you some perspective with regard to spending.

[MMC]

Exactly.....Obama has spent more. Obama is dropping more bombs in more Countries than Bush did. Now while the left pouts and touts they are cutting more Militarily than what Bush did. Course increasing Troops in Kuwait and Australia as well as sending in Military Advisors into the African Continent. Setting up drone bases and then moving the larget fleet we have into Club Med.

[Conley]

Why the heck do we need soldiers in Australia ?!? Are the Koalas becoming extremists?

[MMC]

Then there was Barack Tomahawk Obama.....involving us in Libya and blowing off all those missles knowing damn full well that they would have to be restocked by the end of the physical year. At Cost to the American People for involving the County into a Civil War.....under false pretenses that Gadhafi Would Committ Genocide on his people.Not that he was. But that he would.

Just recently he sent Clinton to Burma. To Do what? To see if that government will look to seek to hold Democratic Electons, and that they would not commits acts against humanity on their own people. Show the Chinese that we will step off into the thorn sticking in their side?! After already pressing the issue with the Chinese over the South Pacific. China wasn't to happy the last time with all that took place with Burma and us trying to give them weapons. China exerted pressure on us. Right at the beginning of Obama's Victory. While playing the so called currency game.

China just got down telling Europe they will not bail them out. They have told us they will not continue to buy up our debt.

Now Obama is going to put 2500 Marines in Australia. Again For what. There can be only the look at a strike group. Able to move at a moments notice. While their base of Ops is protected by allies in their own Country. Something else that is not being said is what it will costs us to lease Australian ground, and the fact that once we put people in another country. We don't leave! All for the South Eastern Pacific with all those disputes going on with China and those other Asian Countries.

[Mister D]

Why the heck do we need soldiers in Australia ?!? Are the Koalas becoming extremists?

Not sure. The region is becoming increasingly concerned by China's bellicosity though.

[jgreer]

We have always had foreign bases around the world. This isnt new under Obama just relax. 2500 marines arent alot either.

[MMC]

We have always had foreign bases around the world. This isnt new under Obama just relax. 2500 marines arent alot either.

Yes we have always had bases around the World.....so why are we creating another at a time when we have no money to create another. Yet he wants cuts in the Military. So why is he costing the Country more just for this strike force to be put in place. A Cost we would not have nor do we need to have. We do not NEED to have troops in Australia.

Not to mention we need to be reducing those so called footprints. As well as many of those useless Embassies.