CAN CHINA AVOID THE SOVIET UNION'S FATE?

he People's Republic of China likes to compare itself with the United States. Both governments were forged to throw off the imperial yoke. Both are amalgams of many races and nationalities. Both are great continental powers capable of harnessing immense resources to promote national agendas around the world.
     Beijing's bosses cite these parallels to justify China's ambition of returning Taiwan to the fold -- forcibly if necessary -- and violently suppressing movements for Tibetan independence, Moslem separatism and religious tolerance. The party line: "In a few decades we will be as prosperous, unified and democratic as you Americans."
     Unfortunately, some observers see closer parallels to the former Soviet Union.
     Founded in 1910 to free Russian peasants from oppressive landowners and a weak imperial government, the Soviet government quickly and ruthlessly expanded into a superpower that rivaled the United States in military might and reach. On top of nearly 300 million citizens of several dozen captive nationalities, the Soviet Union became the puppetmasters of virtually every Eastern European government. By 1989 it was buckling under the burden of superpower competition. In 1991 the communists lost power to the reformist Yeltsin. The Soviet Union broke apart into Russia and a dozen independent republics. Today Russia is a nation of 150 million struggling to build a capitalist economy from the rubble of the communist meltdown.
     Among the Soviets' earliest converts were Mao Tsetung, Zhou Enlai and other young Chinese intellectuals who saw in communism salvation for the Chinese people from western imperialism and internal corruption. Mao's long struggle against Chiang Kaishek and the Kuomingtang would have ended disasterously without the support of dozens of ethnic minorities in northwestern China who believed his promise of ultimate political autonomy. Their help proved more valuable to Mao than the billions in American aid and direct military assistance to Chiang. By 1949 the Kuomingtang had fled to Taiwan and the PRC ruled the mainland.
     Beijing's bosses have been as ruthless as the Soviets in consolidating territory and suppressing separatist movements. But they have been far more successful in creating a functioning economy. They began capitalist reforms in 1979. By 2001 China's economy had become free enough to enter the World Trade Organization. For the past two decades it has grown at an average annual rate of 9%. Few of China's 1.25 billion go hungry and about 125 million enjoy living standards comparable to Malaysia and the Philippines. By some measure China has just surpassed Japan in GDP and will surpass the U.S. by 2025.
     But China's future as a united nation is far from assured.
     Even assuming peaceful reunification with Taiwan and victory over Tibetan separatists, Beijing's leaders face some big hurdles. They must integrate a billion subsistence-level farmers and workers into the consumer economy of the east coast or face ethnic discontent on a scale that would dwarf America's racial strife of the 1960s. Yet burdening the developed regions could breed separatist sentiment in Guangdong, Fujien, Manchuria and other regions. Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken in China. Long-suppressed religious minorities are becoming better organized thanks to the internet and other communications technology.
     Are China's prospects for staying united more like those of the U.S. or of the former Soviet Union?

(Updated )

hkpdjingcha,

"NEC 61' GasPlasmaTv?"

Haven't been in the market for a plasma tv since I got the Pioneer 50". It was ahead of its time until USA caught up recently with digital cable and HDTV broadcast. I needed to get a line doubler before to get the full resolution prior to the higher resolution broadcast, but I also needed to get a reciever upgrade (what a rip) for the HDTV broadcast. Sometimes when guest come over I get tired of being the remote person, because the universal remote is too complicated to be operated intuitively.

I'm pretty sure the is no USB jack in my tv. Do they make video players with USB connectors now?

It is a nice-to-have item. Like GPS or auto-openning doors in a car; Auto-frost glass or water-fall shower in the bathroom. Or the ultimate Toto toilet unit (automatic seat raiser, seat warmer, perfume spray, bidet, and warm air dryer). After 3 months you get bored of it; and you're like I can wipe my own a$$.
AC Dropout
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 06:38:27 (PDT)
The Aim 120-Amraam missle was designed to be a medium range interceptor missle. This weapon is designed to be fired from an F22, an F16, an F18 or the racks of an F15. The problem with this missle is that it is too long to fit in the ever-tightening restrictions of STEALTH FIGHTER BAYS. hiding missles inside the aircraft itself is essential. Furthermore, the Aim 120 puts out a noticeable heat signature that can give away a fighter's position when fired. It is FOR THIS REASON that the AIM-9x single finpair missle was developed and is still in testing. This smaller version of the AIM 120 has a reduced RCS, a reduced heat signature and a smaller frame. It is lighter and can fire at 24 G's.
JING CHA
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 05:06:22 (PDT)
well back to Korean War.. I'm pretty sure Chinese did not suffer as many casualties as UN count.

It is true that certain armies were commanded to take positions at all costs, and with the lack of heavy firepower wave after wave *was* thrown and enormous casualties resulted.

However in the successes Chinese did not fight this way when pushing the Americans back to the south.. although I have not studied the war extensively I believe the Chinese did most of their fighting at night, launching surprise attacks against UN encampments with grenades and submachineguns, a confusing and brutal assault.

UN counts are over inflated because of the racism of the Americans, their ignorance, and the difficulty of counting enemy casualties when for most of the time the enemy was hidden or far away. Americans excelled at the long distance fighting and heavy firepower, casualties would be estimated w/o much evidence.
Also Americans would probably like to think there are hordes of Chinese out there, among the hills, anyway, so that many would die in one hit.

Most importantly, Americans have great difficulty telling the difference b/t Chinese and North Koreans. LOL

but seriously, there is a difference, I just have no reason to think that Americans would be trained to recognize it. I say Americans because the UN expedition was led, obviously, by USA.
Superman
   Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 20:31:07 (PDT)
hkpdjingcha,

I don't know how your lawyer interpreted the laws in the Economic Zone of Shanghai. But it is us foreign investors who need the Chinese Natives to step up shop in China, not the other way around. Even in lax provinces of Guangdong you need to at least satisfy the partnership laws to set up shop.

There are prostitutes in the USA as well and they advertise in differnet fashions. You can goto websites in a simple web search and find escorts by the millions in every major city. Not to mention the yellow pages will have an escort section for anyone to look up. In asia that is not the case, and some barber shops and sauna offer adult services. Just like in the USA we have brothels, strip clubs, massage parlor, tanning salons, dark alleys that might offer adult services. Perhaps your just horny and you think every barber shop is offering you an adult services. Or you just in a section of town where adult service are offered.

That's like when I go up to harlem in NYC and see skanky black women on the corner, do I assume all black women in mid-town are also working girls.

Sorry many but the m/f population break down is not based on the theory of natural selection proposed by darwin. It is based on emperical data submitted by the U.N.

You are a Geophysist. What are the corolation in environmental polutants and population health. Those numbers will take years to compile. Not to mention detail knowledge not directly related to geophysics. You should have an onclogist or at least a molecular biologist in the research.
AC dropout
   Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 13:22:53 (PDT)
AC DROPOUT.

"I am 100% certain that pollution there is affecting the future generations." How in the world can you be certain you can provide an unbaised study for you clients.

If you lock a human being in a airtight room and fill it with Carbon dioxide. THEY DIE of suffocation.

If you place a person near Plutonium for a day, they die later of radiation poisoning.

Why should an open space be any different when pollution is in high content? Have you ever been to Asia?
Ive been to various parts of China, S.Korea, Phillipines and Laos. Basically I stay there for short spans and conduct research then report to the NSA.

JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 12:07:32 (PDT)
-Ac Dropout.
Make no mistake about it, I am Black. Im proud to be Black. My father is African American and My mother is Native American Pawnee. The only problem with even letting a forum on goldsea know what you are is that people would rather call you a "racist" than a "fool" if you make a comment like
"Nigeria is technologicaly inferior to America".
I lay my buisness on the table. Other posters hide behind STUPID names like Positron and Kimchee. They cant argue so they spread BULLSHIT and ruin forums for others. I dont succumb so easily to ridiculousness.
JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 12:03:51 (PDT)
--AC Dropout

Honestly AC, I am not a buisnessman. I tried to tell my Father but he wants me to have his buisness flourish. He advises me when I need it but my thing is...if Im gonna run it, I wanna run it myself. I am trying to go to school and start networking so I can get a doctorate in my major. This buisness makes my time shorter as you could imagine.
I invest in Nvidia, Shanghai internet cafes and a few other corps but I have noticed, that if I dont go high level, I dont see much return profit. I really am not cut out for this. The money is great and all but I perfer teaching. THERE IS NO OTHER more meaningful job to me than teaching. (maybe being a doctor).

I want to simply marry, and raise my family. Thats it. It is easy for geologistics majors to get jobs simply because NASA THROWS MONEY away to minority scientists. I KID YOU NOT. The NSA and NASA are big time employers for secondary applications. This buisness thing is getting in my way.
JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 11:59:46 (PDT)
-KIMCHI
From what I know about Korea, Kimchi is a Sweet/hot pickle and used as a racial slur against Korean's. Id respond to your AD- HOMMIMAN argument, but Your not worth it. I will reserve comment for people with class.
JING CHA
   Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 11:53:59 (PDT)

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