The Next American Century

choi

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Time magazine has ten essays on the future. Naturally China is part and
parcel when it comes to America's future.

(1) Andres Martinez, The Next American Century; Don't Believe the Prophets
of Doom. Time, Mar. 11, 2010.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1971133_1971110_1971104,00.html

Quote:

"With only 5% of the world's population, the U.S. produces a quarter of the
world's economic output

"And yet doomsayers continue to decry America's decline. This isn't new. As
far back as 1988, when Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
was a best seller, the commentariat latched onto his (more hedged than
remembered) warning that America ran the risk of 'imperial overstretch' * *
* So, what happened next? Well, the Berlin Wall collapsed

(2) Christina Larson, China and the U.S.: The Indispensable Axis; Their
Frienemy-ship Will Shape the Decade. Time, Mar. 11, 2010.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1971133_1971110_1971106,00.html
("But it has little ability to project force beyond its borders, and Beijing
has shown little interest in supporting or paying for the global commons
that underpins the world economy. For now, China prefers to be largely a
free rider on the international system that helps safeguard trade routes,
sea lanes and relative regional stability

Note: common (n): "sometimes commons: land used in common by people of a
community" Webster (3rd ed, 1961)


(3) Michael Lind, The Boring Age, The Times, They Aren't A-Changin'. Time,
Mar. 11, 2010.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1971133_1971110_1971120-2,00.html
("We are often told that China will surpass the U.S. in a few decades and
usher in a Chinese century. But China's growth model, like Japan's, is based
on exports, and in a saturated global market in which American consumers
are tapped out, the Chinese export machine may choke. Even if China
continues to grow, the country will be far poorer in terms of per capita
income than the U.S., Europe or Japan for generations to come. In a decade
or two, predictions about Chinese world domination may seem as quaint as
those about Soviet global hegemony.

Note: tapped out (adj): "spent, exhausted <tapped out after months on the
road>"  www.m-w.com

My comment: There is no need to read the rest of the three articles.


----------------Separately
(1) 美大使：美中分歧不应影响合作.
http://www1.voanews.com/chinese/news/US/CHINA-US-20100318-88379212.html
(洪博培：[Renminbi undervaluation] 不仅是美国的问题)

(2) Editorial: The Yuan Scapegoat. Wall Street Journal, Mar. 18, 2010.

My comment: The current issue of Economist also has an editorial against
pressing China too hard to appreciate Renminbi, althought the magazine
acknowledges Americans are hardened. I come to believe that the executive
and legislative branches of the US government, as well as many states, have
decided to fight the Renminbi issue--and many others--with China.

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