Can China Avoid the Soviet Union's Fate?
(Updated )

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? "Well, I come from a mixed background.
European and African/Native Indian American.
I don't need to explain what either of them has done because they make their success well-known."

??? How cryptic. Ok...if you want to make it a pathetic game of it...

What is your European heritage? Do tell.

(Some examples: Portuguese? They invented the "pbresheuto" (wutever you might call it)..fish, tomatos, rice soup I think.
Irish? Riverdance.
French? The funny hat and mimes.
Russia? Vodka.)

Indians? Didn't invent anything or passed on anything, but taught Americans to respect earth.

But you can't really claim the whole world; you can only claim one ethnic group. The fight is one on one, you have to be fair.

Since you told us you are Blk and you are probably mostly Blk, lets examine what Africa had given the rest of us.

...............I can't think of anything. This is not me trying to be mean. Really, I can't think of anything.

Nicki, didn't I just shut you up?
You are like that ignorant fool standing on some corner pointing at others because that's all you can do.

My advice to you is go back to wherever your ancestors come from (troll land, Africa, Antarctica...who knows what your lying mouth speaks as truth) and actually try to make a difference.

That is time far better spent rather than wasting your life in a country you despise, being a parasite and living off of the blood and sweat of the average Chinese working man.

Or come back to America, where you are just another loser. The sad thing is that you can hide behind that shield of America when you're in China, but in America you are nothing, and that's why you are in China.

It's the country that you bash that actually gives you some significance in your otherwise loser life.

You are proud of America but your sorry ass didn't take part in making it great. Everyone in this post is here in America and being their productive, successful selves and contributing to progress here. Yes, Chinese Americans, and by extension China, have contributed to America far greater than their numbers. But you...oh you...you hide in China while taking credit for America's greatness, where you brush up on your acquiantance with your ego by taking pictures of shabby houses.

Loser.
another voice
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 19:10:09 (PST)    [68.9.169.159]
"So basically what I realized today is that strangely enough, in between the technologicaly profficient (French designed) airport and the futuristic (pussified pink ) colors of Pudong (also foriegner designed) there is absolutely nothing Shanghai can show us besides a rotting corpse of a villiage."

A Frenchman heads the architectural team and suddenly the airport belongs to France? And Pudong too?

What superior logic and reasoning skills you have. I kid. how childish.

It's as if all the buildings and the money just landed in some village, I guess. I guess some places have all the luck. No! Bad Bad Maglev...Go back to your mommy!

Nicki...you are such a child...and a small person at that.
another voice
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 18:46:06 (PST)    [68.9.169.159]
The new train line proposed for JFK in NYC has no stops in it. And the short "Mag-lev" for JFK actually killed people during the testing phase.

---Ac Dropout, if you were so damned smart you would know that the JFK train is NOT A MAG LEV train. It cost Far less than 50 Million dollars as a simple monorail. I know the line very well. It runs from JFK through the VAN WYCK Expressway and to manhattan. It is a 30 mile train to take the pressure off of CAB services.
Dont compare apples and oranges.
The MAG LEV train of Shanghai was built sloppily and QUICKLY to meet the 2003 new year deadline. The JFK flyer was built over 2 years by skilled workers under US construction regulations.

BTW, those superior building codes of China you mentioned...resulted in the collapse of a building not far from SI Ping that took 2 construction cranes along with it. Maybe they should hire foriegn engineers.

Monday, I am getting the hell outta here. This is probably my 5th long stay in China besides being in BEijing and I am very homesick. Perhaps living in California, you think you are top sh!t but let me explain something to you... you are incorrect. First of all, I seriously doubt you live in a good area and EVEN IF YOU DO, perhaps you already know of the certain doom all Californian residents are currently in as, you have no idea when earth is gonna collapse under your feet and deliver you to the depths of the inner core. With any hope, you will fall in a crack that takes you back to China since you love it so much.
Oh and to correct your little black man in project statement, Actually, I live in a neighborhood called BAYSIDE, Queens which is a higher rent area.
Unlike you I own a costly home that my occupation allows me to maintain. My home costs more thatmost because of its land. My House and Car amount to more than 50 China families income added together and multiplied by 10.
Why don't you tour NYC Chinatown sometimes and see exactly what condition they live in.

In time, people like you will have to face the hard truth that America no longer is the only dominant force, or can still be in denial like the British
---Christine

I wouldn't expect you to be able to comprehend this but, in terms of living standards, America is not #1 (Nuremburg) yet, America is sought after by a vast majority of the world.

In terms of Military force and warfare...America is #1 with a bullet.

China has 3 million soliders and some nukes....big deal, BUT, America is the only country in the world who has the ability to conduct warfare in countries over 9,000+ miles away.
No other country has the FORWARD TROOP Deployment standards that America has.
No other country has the stealth technology America has.
No other country can boast un-invadable cities like America can because no other country has a Police force or civilians with the types of weapons and numbers we have.

Dont joke on the British just yet. The British don't conquer with guns and bullets, they conquer the mind.
Perhaps you can explain to me why it is that in China, all te men have abandoned traditional clothes for buisness suits (British style) even when they are lowly cab drivers? I wonder why the man who begs me for change has a shirt and tie?
PErhaps you can explain why many of the prominent eye surgeons who offer Chinese women "corrective" eye surgery to remove slantedness are British.
Perhaps you can explain to me why when I walk through a mall, the models are usually white women?
Could it all be that perhaps the people are trying to be someone else?
I call that MANIPULATION.

The sun never sets on the British Empire.
NS PHD EMP
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 17:53:10 (PST)    [211.156.8.185]
To: Another Voice

Dude, get with the times. Mandarin / Putonghua is now the official language of Hong Kong and has been for 5 years.

If you go back a bit in the messages, you'll see where I state clearly that I am only providing the anti-Cantonese bits to balance out Eric's moronic Cantonese superiority trip. I personally don't have a beef with most people from Canton or Hong Kong.

To: Nicholi

Absolutely true, I am not a very important person. But then I never claimed to be. You're not an important person either, but you claim non-existent degree, education and work experience. You ask "SO WHAT?" The answer is this: "So it is proven beyond doubt that you are a fraud and an imbecile and have no credibility whatsoever." Take that up your *ss.
Phil Chen
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 15:05:09 (PST)    [207.214.44.147]
NS PHD EMP,

"SO WHAT?"

They basically stated you're a lying piece of trash.

Hey if you think you have no need to provide any evidence on why we should consider you to be a credible member of the goldsea community, instead of our daily punching bag laughing stock.

You're entitled to that as well.
AC Dropout
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 09:11:51 (PST)    [24.136.115.189]
More indication of China economic progress and individual wealth in China.

CNN reported more Chinese tourist in Hawaii

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/01/12/china.hawaii.travel.ap/index.html

The Hawaii local government is actively courting vacationers in China to come to Hawaii.

Since we in the USA don't have to money to visit there anymore, we seek funds from Chinese tourist.

Soon we just sell land to the Chinese like the Japanese of the 80's.
AC Dropout
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 09:09:02 (PST)    [24.136.115.189]
Nicholi Servia PHD EMP,

"Had this been a city in America, that mag- lev train would be a railroad train making 5 mile stops"

The new train line proposed for JFK in NYC has no stops in it. And the short "Mag-lev" for JFK actually killed people during the testing phase.

'Those houses (and I took pictures of every single dirty looking one I could) would make most foreigners look and ay “goddamn…this place needs money and fast”.'

You mean like the projects in the USA you grew up in?

'I guess America could build one for the $30 Billion except for the fact that we would much rather spend $2 Billion on a B2 and $45 M on an F22."

Me thinks you've been outside of USA for too long. Where is this imaginary money coming from this year. Bush and his fearless leader economic plan has nearly bankrupted our government for the next five years.

While you live in the only country on this planet with significant economic growth. The rest of the planet is experiencing the brink of a depression. Of course you would know anything about that, since your living the good life in China, how ironic.

Come back to the USA and you would probably be another unemployed black man living on welfare in the projects.

That's why you never plan on coming back. So get off the hypocracy. You left the USA, because you knew you could never live the good life here. So enjoy your good life in China and the rest of asia benefitting from her economic growth.
AC Dropout
   Monday, January 13, 2003 at 07:00:45 (PST)    [24.136.115.189]
Frank Persu
Toshiba
Honda

to answer all those shallow articles you spent all your time and creative energy writing, all I can ask is
"SO WHAT?"
NS PHD EMP
   Sunday, January 12, 2003 at 16:10:53 (PST)    [211.156.9.60]
China Is No World Power
The great civilizations in the history of mankind collapsed because of ignorant idiots like you. Rule number one, never underestimate others. 9 11 happened because America didn't think the terrorists were capable of accomplishing such a large scale plan. Americans didn't think the mighty country could possibly be attacked by others. In time, people like you will have to face the hard truth that America no longer is the only dominant force, or can still be in denial like the British.
Christine
   Sunday, January 12, 2003 at 11:52:54 (PST)    [141.151.10.244]

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