[Drew]

[quote="Old Reliable":77e0f]um , check your facts bub, by the year 2020 or so, china will be the strongest economic power. their only problem, like us are the environmental concerns. so bascially by 2100 economic growth wont matter and governments will be too busy scrambling to clean up the planet[/quote:77e0f]

Wow, that is probably the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in the entirety of my life. First and foremost, China practices Communism. The entire point of Communism is equilibrium, not growth or decline. Communism effectively crushes any attempts at significant growth over a period of time.

Secondly, you are telling someone to check their "facts" in regards to some website that you Google'd that made a prediction that China would be the greatest economic power in the world by 2020. That's so dependant and subjective that it isn't even worth arguing against. However, Bush is calling for reform to NAFTA and the Chinese trade agreement signed by Clinton. Two things which economists blame for the current instability of the economy and what is referred to as the "silent Clinton/Gore recession." It's called that because Democrats did a fan-fucking-tastic job of spinning the recession on Bush despite the fact we were in recession while the debate over who won the election was still ongoing.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is the obvious and total lack of regard for the Cost of Development. In order for a nation to prosper continuously over a period of time, it requires two things:

A) A free market (Communism does not provide for this outside their "spheres of influence")

B) Consistant development

Without development of the impoverished rural areas of China (which accounts for over 80% of the population and over 90% of land area) growth will inevitably be halted and unable to progress. China will be forced to pour endless amounts of money into social improvement programs which will delay any significant growth by a minimum of twenty years from the time this begins. China, as yet, has chosen to completely ignore its rural constituency.

Now, go check YOUR facts and stay the fuck out of my threads if you don't know what you're talking about.