If China is our enemy...

[xaeniac]

Why in the world do we do so much business with them?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

China is our enemy BECAUSE we do so much business with them. That and the whole imperialism thing.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Because American business owners can get product X at the cost of $15, but charge $45 for it. Where as if the same product is made in the USA, it will cost $28 to make.

 

[Ausm]

Why in the world do we do so much business with them?

Because we are their Bitch!

 

[jackschmittusa]

xaeniac

In the global economy that now exists, it is probably beneficial to be your ideological enemy's biggest customer. My guess is that Taiwan is still free because the Chinese leaders have decided that the loss of U.S. business that would likely result from an attack on Taiwan would more than offset anything gained.

 

[OCGuy]

Who says they are our "enemy" ?

 

[BurnItDwn]

Who says they are our "enemy" ?

Well, depending on how you look at it, they are technically an enemy of the American middle class, and all the people who lost their jobs due all the off-shoring of Industry.

As the middle class crumbles, so too does all that makes this country great

 

[Phokus]

Well, depending on how you look at it, they are technically an enemy of the American middle class, and all the people who lost their jobs due all the off-shoring of Industry.

As the middle class crumbles, so too does all that makes this country great

It's not China's fault though. It's not their responsibility to protect American middle class jobs. They are just doing what any country should do to build up their industrial base. The real enemy is the alliance of the wealthy/corporate interests and government that let that happen via free trade policies. China's government looks after their own economic interests, our government only looks after the economic interests of a tiny fraction of the American population. Simple as that.

 

[Craig234]

We're not China's enemy, just their competitor, and many of our powerful interests are quite aligned with China more than the American people.

 

[BoomerD]

Who says they are our "enemy" ?

China has been our enemy for decades. Haven't you been paying attention?

We fought them in Korea, we fought them in Vietnam. Nowadays, we fight them on the battlefields of commerce...and they're kicking our asses...and we're letting them.

 

[bfdd]

China has been our enemy for decades. Haven't you been paying attention?

We fought them in Korea, we fought them in Vietnam. Nowadays, we fight them on the battlefields of commerce...and they're kicking our asses...and we're letting them.

They have not been our enemy for decades. We pushed that. Nixon tried to open it back up and re-ignite our friendship. The USA and China haven't always been against each other, nor should they be.

 

[BoomerD]

They have not been our enemy for decades. We pushed that. Nixon tried to open it back up and re-ignite our friendship. The USA and China haven't always been against each other, nor should they be.

 

[OCGuy]

China has been our enemy for decades. Haven't you been paying attention?

We fought them in Korea, we fought them in Vietnam. Nowadays, we fight them on the battlefields of commerce...and they're kicking our asses...and we're letting them.

They were fighting wars near their land that we had no business being on in the first place. We are now rather friendly with Vietnam. Was it worth all of those young lives we lost over there, when we pulled out anyway, and are now friendly with them?

I would have thought someone who was there like you would be thinking the same sort of thing. Unless you are still thinking stopping the "spread of communism" was a good idea.

 

[BoomerD]

They were fighting wars near their land that we had no business being on in the first place. We are now rather friendly with Vietnam. Was it worth all of those young lives we lost over there, when we pulled out anyway, and are now friendly with them?

I would have thought someone who was there like you would be thinking the same sort of thing. Unless you are still thinking stopping the "spread of communism" was a good idea.

Was it a good idea? Yes. Did it work? Not so well.

I do not, and will not, buy any product that comes from Vietnam. I don't have much choice about some Chinese-made goods...but I don't buy things that say "Made in China" if I have other options...even if it costs a bit more.

 

[ohnoes]

Don't buy anything from germany either. Or England. Or Mexico.

What a douche. (that's you)

 

[BoomerD]

Don't buy anything from germany either. Or England. Or Mexico.

What a douche. (that's you)

I'm kind of already ahead of you. I don't buy anything from Mexico...or England...and other than a few cars (BMW's..always used, never new) and shoes, (Finn Comfort) I don't buy anything from Germany either.

You must be Chinese or Vietnamese. Otherwise, why would it bother you?

 

[Infohawk]

It's free trade extremism. Policymakers and many people on this board think free trade is always good no matter what the context. The context here is important. We are industrializing and transferring technology to a totalitarian country. People naively think that they will become a democracy if we just transfer enough industries there.

 

[bfdd]

It's free trade extremism. Policymakers and many people on this board think free trade is always good no matter what the context. The context here is important. We are industrializing and transferring technology to a totalitarian country. People naively think that they will become a democracy if we just transfer enough industries there.

I do agree with your assessment, but that doesn't mean we can't be friendly with each other. If China doesn't like the measures we have to take to secure our foundation, that sucks for them because it would be better for both of us in the long run.

 

[trenchfoot]

China has always taken a long term view of their goals going way back in their history. It is here that their strategy is much stronger than ours where our businesses, who drive our political agenda, want maximum short term gains at the expense of long term stability.

China knows this and is taking advantage of this fatal flaw of ours.

 

[BoomerD]

China has always taken a long term view of their goals going way back in their history. It is here that their strategy is much stronger than ours where our businesses, who drive our political agenda, want maximum short term gains at the expense of long term stability.

China knows this and is taking advantage of this fatal flaw of ours.

Yep. American business and American politicians think about tomorrow. Chinese business and Chinese politicians think about 10 years, 50 years from tomorrow.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

america likes free markets until they are outcompeted.

 

[dawp]

Yep. American business and American politicians think about tomorrow. Chinese business and Chinese politicians think about 10 years, 50 years from tomorrow.

Hell, they they don't think about tomorrow, we're lucky if they think 5 minutes ahead, let alone 1 hour. It's instant gratification, no thought about next week. I have been saying for some time now that we need to look long term and put stock performance way down on the list.

Too many companies put stocks ahead of all else.

 

[rchiu]

It's free trade extremism. Policymakers and many people on this board think free trade is always good no matter what the context. The context here is important. We are industrializing and transferring technology to a totalitarian country. People naively think that they will become a democracy if we just transfer enough industries there.

Who cares if the country is a totalitarian or not. It is the business considerations that companies worry about when they pick a country to move their factory and technologies to.

China has the cheap and educated work force, established network of suppliers for raw materials, tools and other intermediate good and services to produce the finished goods, not to mention a huge market with growing income.

Companies will always go to where the profit is, democracy, freedom and other blah blah won't stop the move. US either need to make it cheaper/profitable for companies to stay/come over, or make it expensive for companies to go. The problem with making expensive for companies to go, is that it will make your companies less competitive and stuff more expensive for your consumer.

 

[biostud]

Because you trust the Americans with most money, when they say they fight for the workers living US.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Chinese business and Chinese politicians think about 10 years, 50 years from tomorrow.

Uhm,... no. No they are not.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/07/china-cancer-villages-industrial-pollution