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 )

Superman:
Do you happen to know China's official count of their casualties in the Korean War?
When the Americans actually counted bodies, did they accidentally count one body two or more times because they just thought the same person was another Chinese soldier (Asians look the same in non-Asian American eyes)? ;)
I saw a documentary on the Korean War where one American vet recalled how at night, Chinese soldiers would yell to them from the top of the hills, "You're going to die, American!" Seems like a pretty effective demoralizer.

KA
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 22:48:34 (PDT)
What is so funny about people who SMOKESCREEN in arguments is how foolish they show themselves to be.

Positron decided to attack my statement
"America is technologically superior to China" by introducing the AIM-120 Amraam missle and then bashing it with claims of the R-77's supeiority. Now the Air force is a great place to start if you want to talk about tech superiority



NOW FIRST OF ALL...how can it be said that the missle itself is technologicaly superior without even talking about how it is introduced.


lets see.
The F22 is a stealth fighter. The Su-27 (all Russian fighters and Chinese variants) are not stealth fighters.
An F22 can fire an "inferior AMRAAM" at a Russian fighter without being detected. an f22 can fire 6 missles with independant tracking yet remain undetected while they reach their targets and send them back to the communist's drawing board.


this ridiculous statement is like claiming a boy with cerebral palsy and a glock 9mm can beat a healthy kid who has a crossbow.
God I hate stupidity.
Dont reply to this Positron cause Im not gonna entertain your foolishness.
JC
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 14:08:16 (PDT)

Who cares about pollution? The United States? after it's consumed ALL the freaking fossil fuels the world has to offer, and gone through it's period of reckless consumption. Sounds like a typical excuse by Americans to curtail economic development in China, just so it won't be an economic 'threat' to the United States in the future. Cute... The usual spiel, and an old one at that. My heroes, maybe they should just run everything, LOL.

And be sure use up all the oil, while it's still around... hate to see China get any of it.

I'm not sure I would trust any 'good' intensions on the part of the United States. You ever listen to some of these scum regarding the countries America has 'helped' in the past? Such ugly attitudes (generals, presidents, etc.). They must think we're their 'new' indians or something. Notions of setting off nukes in Korea to stop Chinese troops during the Korean War. That is ALL I ever need to hear, sick. The general attitude Americans have is that Asians are NOT human beings. The f***ing gall of these people. Bigots, oh, of course not.

And notice how eager America is to come and fight, when some dictator invites them to countries like Korea and Vietnam to help kill some fellow Asians. Oh boy, oh boy. I bet they loved that. Thanks but no thanks. Does anyone really believe the United States is interested benefitting Asia, or any part of it? Other than to have someone else do all the work, but we've all seen that before, haven't we?

So research all you want, collect your data, and have some beurocrat or politician pick and choose whatever details that suit him/her for whatever motives... US interests. People should know damn well that science is thrown out the window on such matters. Especially if the information doesn't support their agenda.

The term "gook," meaning "people" in Korean, but Americans have managed to turn its meaning into anything but. I don't need to say anything more, do I?

And kimchi is one of my favorite dishes... Which apparently some bigots use to insult us? Because I've never even heard of this being an insult until I read your post. How come nobody told me this is suppose to be an insult to Koreans, of which I am part of, if ya didn't notice. But You bigots would know about that, right? you bigots are getting pretty good at this, aren't you? you take a part of our culture to insult us with? sick scum.
kimchi u.y.a.
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 11:20:38 (PDT)
JING CHA,

Didn't Beijing shut down all the internet cafe in Beijing after the recent fire killed 24 people.
AC Dropout
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:46:44 (PDT)
JING CHA,

Old Chinese saying, "Wealth only lasts 3 generations."

NSA, NASA, whatever. Still an employee collecting a salary or until your funds/grants run out.

"Why should an open space be any different when pollution is in high content? Have you ever been to Asia?"

Lived there to study and continue to go there to conduct business. I think you need to brush up on the Student-T test anaylsis, if you think strict medical studies are based on the assumption that all environment on the planet earth is the same.

Just like the higher breast cancer rate in Long Island. No one knows yet. There are only speculations. You have to have statistical corolations to prove a hypothesis.

When you lock up 6 million Jews in a gas camber there is your proof of suffocation. When you nuke 2000 USA army personel in radiation experiments, there is your proof of radiation poisoning. I'm not going to waste anymore time explaining the elementary subject of the scientific method.

When the NSA tried to recruit me out of college they were interested in my combinatoric skills. I never knew they had a medical department. Seems out of place.

A few months. That's more of a survey, not a study of the causitive effects of pollution on human health. That would be like a Chinese guy sent by the PLA to LA to study the effects of smog which leads to brain damage and gang violence.

Why do you consider yourself black, instead of native american?
AC Dropout
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:41:57 (PDT)
hkpdadolf,

Hmmmmm. F-22s, MX missiles, F16s, F18s blah blah blah blah. looks like someones been reading those colorful airplane picture books too. let's see how many ways we can fry asians, huh, adolf? sorry, i stopped reading those back in grade school, but they are colorful and informative aren't they?

A geophyshist? or a soil technician. hehe. I noticed your "attempt" at making my alias an issue. First time I've heard of a problem with it... I guess I needed a non-asian BIGOT to point that out to me. nice try. Maybe you're workin' a little too hard trying to be what you're not. And you're right, save you're comments for people with 'class', cause apparently asians aren't apart of this 'class' you're speaking of.

Also sounds like you're rich or something, can I spend some of your daddy's money too. Maybe even get some gov't handouts like you, after all, I'm a minority, I think. And I also make a great secret agent, although I'm not sure what the NSA is doing over in the far east. I'm sure it's for the good of asians, whatever it is.

kimchee up your a$$
   Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:41:11 (PDT)
AC Dropout

GAS PLASMA TELEVISION. I kid you not. 61 inches. This damn thing cost 15,000 and taxes brought it close to 20,000 with the addition of optical cables and the wall mounting kit.
It is Really nice because it is FLAT and takes up no space. I use it as a Conversation peice.
All I say is "GAS PLASMA..." and that thing brings a smile to faces. No one knows how it works. The Picture tube era has reduced imaginations I see.

If you think that is great, the USB interface and the IEEE interfaces support computer input. I can play Counterstrike or Solitaire on it by pushing a button. My fiance loves using it to talk on QQ instant messenger even though I call it a waste of time!!!

I purchased a Hewlett Packard Pentium 4 2.54 Gigahertz custom PC. I must say It KICKS ASS. Actually I dont notice the difference between this one and a 2Gigahertz but the quality is there.
JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:15:03 (PDT)
AC DROPOUT
---Those numbers will take years to compile. Not to mention detailed knowledge not directly related to geophysics.

I am currently working with an Endocrinologist, a geneticist and a marine biologist all commissioned by the NSA.
You are CORRECT. The information WILL take years to compile. BUT guess what? NASA and the NSA are willing to fund the money for us to travel, research and compile info. For me this is an EASY trip to my PHD.

JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:09:58 (PDT)
AC Dropout------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.

My barber shop explanation is accurate. If you GO TO ASIA youll see what I mean. The "Jing Cha" chinese police extort the buisnesses and the government claims that they are CRACKING down on them. Yeah right!

JING CHA
hkpdjingcha@yahoo.com    Monday, June 17, 2002 at 09:07:53 (PDT)

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