11/16/2022

Thomas Friedman - 7 years of China and the US


The United States “New York Times” (Published on July 28, 2018) shocked the country, causing a sensation in the White House!

Thomas Friedman, a famous columnist of the New York Times, wrote an article titled “The Seven Years of China and the United States”. It was published in The New York Times and shocked the White House !

He wrote: “When I sat in the seat of a Chinese stadium and enjoyed the magical performances of thousands of Chinese dancers, drummers, singers, and acrobats on stilts, I could not but recall the past seven years. Different experiences in the United States and China:

China has been busy with various infrastructure projects, and we are busy dealing with al-Qaeda (terrorists); they have been building better stadiums, subways, airports, roads and parks, and we have been working on the construction of better metal detectors, Hummer military vehicles and drones…

Differences have begun to show. You can compare the dirty old LaGuardia Airport in New York and the beautifully shaped international airport in Shanghai. When you drive to Manhattan, you will find out how dilapidated the infrastructure is along the way. Experience Shanghai’s maglev train at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. It uses electromagnetic propulsion instead of ordinary steel wheels and tracks. You have already arrived in Shanghai. Then ask yourself: Who is living in a third world country?

I think: As a modern country, China has accepted the main concepts of modern national sovereignty and human rights. However, the various qualities of Chinese civilization make it unique. One of the characteristics of China’s development model is that the scale effect of learning + innovation + huge population affects China and the world. Many foreign companies investing in China have a slogan. If they can achieve the first in China, they will be able to achieve the world’s best.

With the rise of China, this trend is beginning to expand into more and more areas such as tourism, aviation, film and television, sports, education, new energy, modernization models, and high-speed rail.


The above is part of an article posted by Tan Kin Lian in TRE. The comments by Friedman would be things that the Americans would find difficult to accept but have to grudgingly as it was written by another respectable American academic. Most Americans have been fed with the lies that China is a poor and backward country and the revelation by Friedman would be wished away quietly, not to be acknowledged or talked about. And many, especially the hillbillies, would want to continue to believe that China is a backward country and stealing American technologies everyday, now wanting to know that it is the Americans that are envious of the new discoveries and innovations by China and trying to steal Chinese technologies.

As in one lecture on US China relations, one silly American, think a journalist, mostly likely a CIA operative, arrogantly condemned China as a repressive and dictatorial country, etc etc, and Kishore's reply which he excused himself for being blunt, told this American and all present, that if China is so stupid and oppressive, then the Americans have nothing to worry about, as China would destroy itself because of its own stupidity.

The truth, Kishore quoted him a few examples, one was that in 2019, 139m Chinese nationals left China voluntarily, to tour the world, and spending a lot of money, and the same 139m Chinese returned to China voluntarily and happily. If China was such a repressive country, why would the Chinese return to China? The other point was that China, under the CCP, has educated the whole population to the highest level that no past dynasties had ever achieve before. China is mass producing STEM graduates in the hundreds of thousand annually and many are at the post graduate and doctoral levels.

The Chinese people have not only been liberated from poverty, but also liberated from illiteracy. They are now enjoying life like no Chinese have ever enjoyed in the past and are very appreciative and supportive of the CCP for what it has done to uplift their lives and the modernisation  and elevation of China as a super power on par with the USA and surpassing the Americans in many fields and would be the number one economic power not just in PPP terms but in nominal terms  before the end of this decade.

And the evil Americans are desperately and aggressively trying to stop China from surpassing them by all crooked, unethical, immoral and illegal means. The things is that the harder the Americans try, the faster they fall behind China. Instead of trying to get ahead, the Americans are digging themselves into a sink hole to bury themselves.

The rise of China is unstoppable. Huawei has returned and getting more advanced and stronger with more and better innovative products, including its own chips and operating systems for mobile phones and 6G and the Internet of Things. 

The Americans can continue with their pursuit of war and destruction. China will continue with its peaceful construction and infrastructure development.

Bye bye American pie.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

>>>>>
Chua Chin Leng aka redbean November 13, 2022 10:55 am
"Hi Leo81,
What you said are applicable and relevant to people with millions in their bank accounts. For many
Singaporeans living from pay check to pay check, the big picture is meaningless to them. They don't even
have enough savings to last 3 months, some nothing at all.
The immediate concerns are cost of living, how much it cost for 3 meals, how much for transportation.
And many would be concerned about the hundreds of thousands for a public flat or $100k for a COE or
$13k COE for a bike."
<<<<<


Hi Uncle,

Many people who endured the torturing queue at the checkpoints each weekend are probably those whom you mentioned above.

And because they are "ignorant" about nominal exchange rate and real exchange rate, they are hurting themselves probably physically, mentally and emotionally by being stuck in queues both ways out and in on each trip.

How can such (marathon-like) "agonising and painful " human jam contribute to a better standard of living, whether in material or non-material terms? (Unless irrationally people enjoy the "excitement and adrenaline" of being caught in sardine packed human jam for seemingly endless hours?)

Let's take a look at a few examples why simple Economic knowledge would have enlightened many people that the real exchange rate actually sank than rose in recent times and that they very likely LOSE OUT twice, in non-material and material terms each time they make a weekend trip.

Prices of a famous roast meat food outlet were significantly lower pre-covid when nominal exchange rate was at about 3.10+ to the dollar. Currently prices have gone up by at least a third (more than 33%) in RM. Nominal ER has only appreciated by abt 7 to 8% during this period. Converted to real exchange rate, it has GONE DOWN than up.

Other food items such as toast set, fast food etc exhibited similar trend.

Parking fees in shopping malls have also gone up significantly. In real terms, the exchange rate has actually gone down than up.

In non-material (painful jam) and material (real exchange rate has seemingly fallen substantially) terms, many people likely actually suffered fall in living standard by making the weekend trip without realizing it (due to ignorant of some simple basic International Financial Economics?)

In big ticket items such as housing and cars, the setbacks caused by ignorant of basic knowledge in Monetary Economics among the masses are even more PRONOUNCED?

Since 2Q this year, many people still "blindly" commit themselves to floating mortgage rate loans when it is clear like daylight that future interest rate is going to "shoot through the roof "? Would they have done so had they have some simple basic knowledge of Monetary Economics?

In the recent Cryptocurrency investment rout suffered by many retail investors, again would it have happened if they possess some simple basic knowledge of Monetary Economics?

Some simple basic knowledge of the nature of money and the outlook of monetary policies in the past 15 years in major developed economies could have averted current disastrous outcome suffered by retail investors and going forward likely might get (far) worst?

What is the harm (of gaining some simple basic Economics knowledge for the masses)?

Why learning Economics is only APPLICABLE to the rich, businesses and policy makers?

Why can't it be done to protect the well-being of the masses?

Cheers,
Leo 81

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Morning Leo81. Sad indeed but you are right. Unfortunately most of those caught in the jam did not read economics. Even if they read, some may not understand what they read. Of course some just want to get out of this island or for whatever reasons other than economics.

The hoi polloi would always be behave like that. Running around like mice, doing things that don't matter to those who could have a better bird's eye view of things.

The economics of the hoi polloi is that I could buy one or two things cheaper and that is good enough. They never add in the cost of time and frustration in the jam and other opportunity costs.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I have seen an elderly man quarrelling over an egg until face all red. All because adding an egg means $2.50 for his mee siam but $2 if no egg. The 50c saving meant so much to him.

Then those that appreciate economics would not mind tipping $50 for a meal.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

You are right on this. No need to know much economics to know that everyone has to feed the landlords.

There are still a handful of hawker centres in town, with rent control and very kind hawkers still selling their food at very reasonable prices. Hopefully they would not be swept away by the landlords with increasing rentals and have to price their food high or go out of business.

Anonymous said...

The super rich, ie the propety owners, know how to cannibalise the less rich, the ones actually running the hawker centres. The less rich, know how to rip off the hawkers. And the hawkers know how to skin the customers, you and me. We foot the whole bill and there is nothing we can do.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

War is business to the Americans. Just keep the war going and everyone has to pay for it. Allies have to support it and buy weapons from the Americans. The people dying are not the Americans.

Not wanting to drag the Poles into this war knowing the Poles are also Nazis and vicious and want to fight.

Kherson would be Ukraine's Dien Bien Phu. The Russians have withdrawn all the civilians and waiting for the Ukrainian Nazis to move in before blowing it up to sky heaven. Just send in the bombers, drones and missiles. No need to waste a single Russian soldier.

Anonymous said...

Nato have any weapons left to fight a war with Russia? They already are scraping the bottom of their weapons stockpile, to fulfill the demands of Ukraine. Even the USA is just sending mothballed WW2 weapons to Ukraine. They think Russia is like Yugoslavia years ago, for them to do unhindered carpet bombing for over 70 days.

Any war starting between Russia and Nato is going to unlease a revolution in Europe, with people suffering energy cut off, food shortages, soaring inflation and coping with winter just touching shore in Europe. Hungary, Turkey and possibly Germany will not relish a full conflict with Russia. And what will they like to achieve? Take over Russia?

If they like to have a grinding war, Russia can oblige. Russia has energy, food and weapons to sustain a long war and to feed their war machines. Not Europe. Sure they can try importing food as well from USA, but will surely get sodomised by the USA, like in oil and gas. Worth a try! USA can now sell Europe their assurance that the USA can supply food to Europe. All they need! LOL



Anonymous said...

The last thing that Europe wants is a war with Russia. They are very happy to have a war in the Middle East against weak Arab countries where could go in and whack and kill the Arabs and the Arabs cannot fight back, too weak to fight back, just like Israel attacking Syria with impunity, any time it wants.

Russia has all its nuclear missile ready to launch. That is the reason why the Americans are afraid to unleash the Nazi dogs in Ukraine to attack Russian territories.

Any expansion of the Ukraine War would be in the European countries like Poland, Lithuania, Lavtia and Estonia. Not inside Russia. The Americans might want to push the Germans into a fight and sacrifice Germany. Russia would always be safe from European and American attacks. Russian borders are red lines that the Nato forces cannot cross.

Anonymous said...

With the recent call up of up to 300,000 troops, Russia is beefing up it's control of Donetsk and Luhansk or all of Eastern Ukraine.

Brian Berlectic of 'The New Atlas' is even of the opinion that Russia is eyeing taking control of North Eastern Ukraine, right up to the border of Belarus, a region North East of the Dnipro River. This will provide a buffer zone for Russia against NATO.

Russia is fighting a war of attrition, knowing that weapons supply to Ukraine are dwindling, and trying to lure the Ukrainians into the North Eastern region in their exuberance of their Kherson success. In any case, reports few days ago indicate that only about 30% of Kherson is in Ukrainian hands while 70% is still under Russian control.

Anonymous said...

Many Seek to Have Audience with China's Xi Jinping

At the G20 summit in Bali, many leaders seems to be begging to have a face-to-face meeting with China's Xi Jinping, now widely recognized as probably the most powerful man in the world.

Those who managed to secure Beijing's last-minute nod to have a meeting with Xi - eg Australian PM Anthony Albanese and UK PM Rishi Sunak were estatic, as can be seen from the jubilant comments on Aussie and British news media - like striking lottery grand prize.

Japan PM also expressed his wish to talking to XI directly, but his request was turned down after he said China infringed on Japan's sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyu Islands.

India media were jubilant publishing pictures showing US President Biden tapping President Modi on his back like a ...

Anonymous said...

Why is Xi so stupid to meet with western leaders that want to talk about human rights, Xinjiang and Taiwan?

When would the stupid Chinese leaders learn that these western leaders are enemies and would never regard China as a friend?

Anonymous said...

This is like your guests coming to your house to insult you and find trouble with you.

Such bad behaviour must not be accepted if China is to be respected as a super power. If not, all the little monkeys would think they can mess around with China. China's weakness in this aspect is inviting a lot of trouble from little monkeys, like encouraging the little monkeys to go on to irritate China.

Wake up China! You are asking for it because of your own stupidity.

Anonymous said...

What happened to those monkeys during the protest in Hong Kong? China lured all the monkeys into the net and got rid of all of them, in one fell swoop. Now, Hong Kong is peaceful, rid of all monkeys when they all surfaced and got caught in the net. If Xi is stupid, there are definitely smart ones in the CCP. Cannot be all stupid?

Anonymous said...

The comments by Friedman would be things the USA would find it hard to accept. Yes, too hard to accept for a country that cannot handle the truth and is the Empire of Lies.

As Abraham Lincoln said: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people most of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time"

Anonymous said...

The latest, Hong Kong monkeys participated in South Korea in a rugby competition. They won. I think many of the players were whites. When the Chinese anthem was supposed to be played, they smuggled in the street demonstration theme song to be played instead.

Many of the monkeys are diehard British subjects and would not want to be Chinese citizens. China must get rid of these monkeys for good.

Anonymous said...

China got rid of the monkeys on the mainland after the rise of Mao. But monkeys continue to thrive in Hong Kong and after it's return to China, the monkeys thought this was a chance for a regime change in Hong Kong, after completing half of the 50 years of the 'one country two systems' arrangement. They created unrest, tried to demonise the system, failed, fell into a monkey trap and were forced to flee to Monkeyland.

Now that all the monkeys are chased out of mainland China and Hong Kong, a new variant of monkeys are causing trouble in Taiwan, supported by foreign monkeys agitating for trouble with China.

China must put all the monkeys into a monkey circus for good. Let them monkeying around with each other, like in the UK now.