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Pool / Reuters
Chinese President Hu Jintao greets Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
BEIJING – Will an international summit hosted by China that includes major “movers and shakers” in Asia, including Iran, Russia, India and Afghanistan, lead to an eastern version of NATO?
“Absolutely not,” Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping told NBC News.
Cheng was speaking at a media event as some 16 heads of state and top officials, representing more than half of the world’s population, have gathered as members, observers and dialogue partners of the innocuous-sounding Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an economic and anti-terrorist security bloc initiated by China and Russia in 2001.
The meeting comes as China’s rising profile has raised questions about a possible power struggle between the U.S. and Beijing, with the recent Asia tour of U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta highlighting America’s effort to strengthen military alliances and partnerships in the region.
And as a sign of efforts to dilute U.S. influence, the summit granted observer status to Afghanistan on Thursday, a move should position China and the bloc to cultivate ties and play a greater role in the impoverished war-torn country even before NATO ends its military mission by 2014.
Already, Chinese firms have moved into Afghanistan, with designs on the country’s untapped trillion-dollar mineral and energy resources.
Granting observer status and inviting Afghan President Hamid Karzai will help to strengthen “political, economic and civilian cooperation between the SCO states and Afghanistan,” said Cheng at the media event.
Pool / Reuters
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit leaders and observers gather for a family photo, (from left to right)India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Mongolia President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 7, 2012.
“No military alliance” but…
When NBC News asked Cheng if the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would become an “eastern NATO” or a military alliance in the future, he very firmly downplayed the possibility.
“The main purpose is politics, economics and security and under no circumstances will the SCO become a military organization,” he said..
“But I personally think that, as the international environment becomes more complex, the SCO should enhance its cooperation with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), for the sake of peace and stability in Central Asia,” he added.
It’s extremely rare for Chinese senior diplomats to offer their personal views to foreign media, and Cheng’s pronouncements may be China’s trial-balloon for new security thinking.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which China is not a member, is a defense alliance formed in 1992 by Russia and former Soviet Republics, which Russia has been trying to reinvigorate in recent years, with stronger military contingents to counter the “eastward expansion of NATO,” among other threats.
By using the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a vehicle to coordinate closely with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, China may be hoping to benefit from stronger military ties with Russia, while avoiding the pitfalls of a formal military alignment.
Alexey Druzhinin / AFP - Getty Images
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao shake hands before a meeting at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing, on Thursday.
“It is my personal view,” Vice-Minister Cheng emphasized to NBC News, “but I will try to push for it."
“The peace and stability of Central Asia is related to China’s core interests, we will not allow the unrest in West Asia and North Africa to spread to Central Asia,” he said, referring to the threat of Arab-style upheavals.
Tiananmen activist found dead under suspicious circumstances
“America should not worry”
“I don’t think America should worry about China’s Central Asia strategy,” said Professor Shi Yinhong, a leading international affairs expert at Renmin University, one of China’s top research institutions.
“There is no possibility for SCO to become a formal military alliance like NATO, but there can be greater security cooperation among SCO’s member-countries,” he told NBC News.
Nonetheless, Shi conceded there are “some elements" of counter-balancing strategy in China’s latest moves.
“China has neither the stomach nor the power to confront America’s strategic advantage in East Asia, but China has the capability to improve cooperation in Central Asia,” he said.
“China’s difficulty in East Asia is a motivation for China to do good diplomacy in Central Asia, otherwise things will become very difficult for China,” he explained.
Researcher Horace Lu contributed to this report.
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Well isn't that special! We spend billions in Afghanistan, fight and die there and the Chinese move in.
Makes sense, rebuilding with thing bought in China is a lot cheaper than using US labor costs. The Chinese have a excellent cost cutting system in place when it comes to production, if only the US could catch on.
So many pundits point to China's rise to become the world's largest economy as inevitable. It will happen if we continue to do nothing and "blame Washington" for everything. China is not a democracy. Chinese leaders have a history of abusing their citizens when their power is threatened. Here is my formula on how the US remains ahead of autocratic China:
Americans must compel lawmakers to stop partisan, destructive and short-sited fighting and to take honest and heroic measures to cut the deficit.
Americans must rally to support measures to improve the economy and agree on shared sacrifice to save the middle class.
America must launch a domestic Marshall Plan to rebuild highways, bridges and railroads, and develop an alternative to oil. (If there isn't is a top secret Manhattan project somewhere...there should be!)
America must stop squandering our resources on stupid wars in countries that hate us. Spending $1.5 Trillion and losing 5,000 US lives in Iraq was sheer madness. Keep only essential US bases abroad.
Super PACs and lobbyists hurt both Republicans and Democrats. Ban Them. Put corrupt CEOs, who rob their companies of millions, and corrupt union bosses on trial
We must persuade US industries to divest from China, and to invest in Mexico which shares our border and has a large labor force. It would be better to have Mexico make all the stuff we want. Besides, Mexico for all of its faults is a democracy. China is not.
We must improve public education (for real, instead of just talking about it.) Hold teachers, kids and parents accountable. Extend the school year...and create new science and math requirements. It won't kill our kids if they have to learn a foreign language.
Double, even triple NASA's budget and let's start exploring space again. It would create new demand for scientists and engineers. It's crazy that astronauts have to hitch a ride with the Russians, because we can't launch our own rockets.
We have time to turn things around. Our political class is weak and lacks backbone. We must demand more of our leaders...and of our ourselves.
Chirs150, you're comment saddens me.
China derives it's "cost cutting" methods on the back on it's own people. It is virtual slave labor.
There are problems in the US, when we support this. We do so because of a desire to save a "few" bucks at Walmart. To me, this is a "family, friends & neighbors be damned" mentality. "It's cheaper for me".
U.S.A. grown corporations (like Walmart, GE, Bain and most others), no longer have any interests in America or it's people ... only those few who hold their stock.
Profits are great; but they won't put police, teachers, trash collectors to work in our cities & towns. Profits are great; but they won't maintain our roads & bridges ... and, on and on. Profits are great; but they don't help the average working Joe. That will only happen, if and when they are taxed like the rest of us.
I say, share the burden -- to those who profit without paying. Do it fairly; but do it. Stop the multi-million dollar CEO's, other administrative big-wigs and stock holders who are in fact -- already becoming like the Chinese "ruling class".
Do not worry, the US is in fact catching on to China's "cost cutting" methods ... fewer lunches with longer days for less money.
It's pretty simple really; jobs sent overseas = less jobs here. This is done to increase profits.
Less jobs means, less income. Less income means, less spending and less taxes from what is left of the working class. No taxes, mean longer weeks with no protections and no services. Again, I say -- SHARE THE BURDEN. DO IT FAIRLY, BUT DO IT!
We are already becoming like the Chinese -- a nation of the "have" and the "have-nots".
... but hold, unless our "GREED-ONLY" ways change -- the us in the US ... will continue to send our money to China ... until one day they evict us from our homes
... peacefully, of course!
Yes Chirs150 we should copy the chinese strategy of paying people $1 an hour or less, eliminate pollution and any safety requirements here then we'd "catch up" to the chinese.
There are other ways. If you can't motivate, automate. Having one guy watch a machine that increases production, can in fact reduce costs in general. I think though you really have to stay like priced to other countries though that are able to do things cheaper. With large unions, no wonder companies would rather produce over seas.
Oh, we used Mexico for a while, but wages there are around 2 bucks an hour, they still cannot compete with China, which has a standard of about 80 cents an hour for manufacturing. The US is way behind at more like 20 dollars an hour, plus health and other costs.
Good news for the US though, China still has trouble producing high skilled required products, which gives the US an edge.
You can always train people to do whatever is possible. The Chinese have been sending their students to the best US and European universities for decades. I wouldn't underestimate them. They weaseled the construction of the new San Francisco Bay Bridge out of the State of California - payed for with US and CA tax dollars.
The US Army Corps of Engineers discovered the mineral deposits in Afganistan. Some are rare earth elements essential to the construction of high tech products and a scarce resource. Karzai's brother sold the mining rights to the Chinese for 300 million dollars (probably now in a Karzai family Swiss Bank account). The Chinese have been actively mining these resources for some time now. Meanwhile our troops are dying and we are spending billions of dollars to keep Afganistan safe for this kind of activity. Can anyone answer why this is happening?
If the Chinese government is so wonderful, then why are the Tibetan people demanding their freedom from China by setting themselves on fire? China ain't so great!
@Freedomfys - stop watching Fox news and listening to fat drug addicted junior college drop outs for your talking points. Take a trip to China and see for yourself what is going on. NOBODY is setting themselves on fire to "gain freedom" in China. In fact -- the VAST majority of Chinese people have more personal freedom than you do and VASTLY more opportunities to become wealthy entrepreneurs!
Of course China moves in, while we spend billions blowing up the countryside they spend billions on roads, and infrastructure, and there isnt any talk about corruption either, which would you rather have in your country?
Can't you just smell it brewing? China is buying our debt, feeding us cheap crap at Wal-mart, selling counterfeit parts for our military hardware, how having a summit with alot of people we really don't like. China is gonna backdoor our a$$ and our stupid government is gonna let them. Guess I better contact Rosetta Stone and get that Mandarin Chinese program
China talk diplomacy, whilest USA talk with guns, bombs, massacres of women and children. Who would you rather do business with?
LOL.
Americans and their NATO allies are in deep in denial over the atrocities and war crimes their beloved stormtroopers are guilty of. (See US military "kill teams" in Afghanistan, US troops posing with trophy body parts of dead Afghanis, or the recent US military Kandahar Massacre, or the routine killing of Afghan civilians by NATO bombers).
Americans still delude themselves into believing their noble troops are fighting for freedom in Afghanistan no less!
In reality, America invaded Afghanistan in order to encircle China, Iran, and Russia, while controlling the energy resources of the Caspian basin, as well as transport corridors.
Deep down, I think most Americans realize their war against Afghanistan was an act of clear aggression and a war crime. Sept. 11th was just the pretext for this America-driven invasion.
They are just upset that America hasn't been able to fully capitalize on this war.
Witness their whining here about losing out on mineral deposits in Afghanistan.
Apparently, Americans think they don't have to actually PAY for rights to those deposits (unlike China which did pay). And the USA is entitled to steal them outright.
After all, that's what the US military is really there for. ;-)
THE time is ripe this very minute cut of all forien aid and money to afganistan and pull all nato troops leave them nothing let Karzai regrim run on chines dong and afgan drug money let china have there ten year stint do them good.==coyote
What a slap in the face to the U.S.
GermanGem,
you are so right ... a real shame!
China protects it's industry at all costs including manipulating it's currency, imposing high tarriffs, delaying imports on the docks for "inspections" to drive up costs and whatever else to maintain it's edge. Forty years ago we were the worlds largest producer of most kinds of manufactured goods now we produce little. Since the days of Reagan the agenda for "free trade", and lowering trade barriers which we honor and our competitors don't has left us holding the bag. It wont end until our wages equal those of the poorest countries on earth. As Chirs150 points out we'll be competitive when we're able to compete with those living in grass huts eating grass as a normal meal.
You americans said the same thing about japan in the 70's, South Korea in the 90's, and now China. Americans are best at 1 thing, blaming others for your own problems.
Yeah, and look what happened to Japan...
When the United States decides to pay down its debt maybe we can be taken more seriously . Giving tax breaks to the super rich and big corporations isnt helping any either so they can buy out elections .
Hey Chirs, now I get it. So sorry!
I am sure that our beloved companies are happy you swallow there smear campaign; and that YOU now realize why they want to ill-legitimize all "collective" bargaining rights. If only others would understan and get-in-line. Our rights and freedoms in a free society should play NO part in a profit-driven business environment.
Having been born, raised, educated and had the opportunity to work hard at making a decent living ... all in "my" USA; and having done this longer that you've probably been alive ... I seem to remember the strange concept of our Founding Fathers ... and will share it with you as follows:
"The People", not just a priviledged few ... have a "Right" to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
... but you are right -- IF we did eliminate lunch breaks, require longer work days/weeks and pay a generous $1 an hour in wages ... we could eliminate the UNIONS as you suggest. But, let us not stop there. Let's eliminate the "cost of health care altogether; and as to "other costs" you mentioned ... would these include the "rights" of the people to NOT expect to be discrimated against, to suffer mental or emotional abuse or physical harm in an unsafe or unhealthy workplace. Hell, maybe we could make Unions illegal?
We could learn to do only as we were told; and not to question those in authority -- or else. After all, we could lose our jobs.
If we allow all this for our "benefactors", (those who care for us and employ us for a profit) ... then we could definitely eliminate "all" Unions -- and not just the "large" Unions that you suggest.
By then, we would have definitely gained ground on China and their "cost-cutting" measures.
Do not worry Chirs150 ... of course, this would not apply to everybody. There will always be those who have no regard for others -- just their wallets & pocketbooks & houses & cars and ...
They will be exempt from all of the above. They will be calling all the shots, making policy for us and passing our laws.
Ranger your long posts are boring, I stop reading them after the 1st sentence, please shorten them up. This isnt a forum for a book.
I think this SCO is a good development. US has been the only superpower after collapseof Russia and dominating the world all over. Indiscrimately killing anyone in any part of the world without any accountability. I don't know how US will think if Russians and the Chinese start using drones and killl all of their adversaries in the US friendly countries.
The world needs a balance of power against extreme US imperialism and war mongering. US has its soldiers in more than 60 countries in the world and they can kill any one in those countries with full UN impunity. No power in the world can prosecute a US soldier for killing an inncent civilian in another country, that speaks a volume about US imperialism. If SCO ulimately froms an eastern NATO like alliance, that would place a lid on unchecked US hegemony. The US military genie is out of control with $1 trillion budget and expanding...
As a American having lived in China these past 10 years and with a ticket "home" in two weeks I feel compelled to make some comments in regards to this situation. Personally I think it is fine that the SCO has formed. Take a close look, the US is not in the center of the world and other countries do have a right to position for “political, economic and civilian cooperation between the SCO states and Afghanistan. Why not? Because it upsets you to think others have gained a strong hold position over the US in whatever regards? Since childhood I have heard, read and witnessed the issues that are constantly raised in regards to China. But tell me, has the two party system positioned the US for this century and beyond. Really, just the opposite. DC is not able to get anything accomplished due to our system and the inability of the parties to work together for the good of the people. US politicians are more concerned about their own livlihood than that of their constituent. Sure, there is corruption with the Communist system in China, but do you feel for one moment that the US democracy is without corruption? Sure, there is pollution in some areas of China but this is greatly blown out of proportion with the focus being on Beijing. I have spent these years in Qingdao which is virtually free of smog. Yes, there are problems in China and these definitely easily surface due to the countries rapid growth to move from a "developing" status to a "developed" status.
Those of you who think China works 24/7 on $1.00/hr are ill advised. This population has grown in total over the last 20 years and there is affluence now beyond the upper echelon. Sure there is a vast difference between China's upper class and its lower class, but do you consider the US without this?
You are quick to point fingers at China because of the lost jobs in the US. Folks, it took US buyers to create the flow of materials from China to the US and Europe. China is not selling in the US-US is selling Chinese product in the US because of the need of the powerful profit line at the bottom of the P&L statements. China did not take these manufacturing jobs from the US. US business owners opted to do this for the sake of profits.
Now China has more than "loomed" as a powerful country. To me it seems that the US population and government is doing everything possible to create disharmony between the two countries that to create a healthy economical and political atmosphere. There is so much hate written by Americans about China due to pure ignorance. Most of you have no idea.
The US has taken several steps backward during these last half dozen of years and China has made tremendous strides with its growth during these last 12 years. Yee, the USA is great-but not free. Take a look at our tax dollars at work. Take a look at the great losses due to the Middle East conflict these many years-not taking into account the lost of US lives. The US is so occupied in trying to fault others than to take the steps to correct itself. Fixing the issues in the US will not come timely or at a low cost. The harm that has been created since 9/11 and the continued development of other countries has positioned the USA at a troubled spot that is not easily corrected with a flip of a coin. Even in this off year China may reach a 7.5 economical growth. When was the last time you have personally witnessed this level of growth in the US.
China should be handled as a strong nation with its own agenda and problems. China should be a friend to the US and not what most of the population suggest. Guaranteed, China is not going away any time soon-so best to hold hands rather that bicker at ever bump in the road.
This is a very good and accurate assessment of the China situation. Most of other posters spill trash have no idea of what China is like but simply blame China for all the demise of US.
Way too long a post, whoever you are.
Well said bmciyama! Too sad that most people chose to stay home to remain ignorant. People should travel more outside of their border to open up their eyes, especially China, to see for themselves what is really going on, instead of reading all these bias media reports.
Your post is too rational and intelligent for most Proud Amuricans. They won't listen. They are blinded by their nationalist demagoguery.
This anti-China hysteria is being deliberately whipped by up the American media and many American chauvinists.
Ultimately, it serves an important political purpose: divert blame away from America's obscene capitalist system onto a foreign scapegoat.
After all, why focus on the Wall Street, when you can blame the Yellow Peril? God forbid, that would be (gasp) communist to question the US capitalist system.
This is just a replay of the 1980s where Americans imagined themselves to being "taken over" by Japan. This was called Japan Bashing.
Now they are hysterically wetting their pants about China taking over the poor, little innocent USA.
The hypocrisy is that it's America that is literally taking over much of the world with its wars of aggression and free market Capitalist system.
Even in China, the USA is aggressively pushing for the privatization of state-owned Chinese companies.
Guess who is buying out these state-owned Chinese firms? America and its corporations.
This is called the Washington Consensus: American capitalist privatization and market reforms on steroids.
Motz KC, I agree with you. Sadly, I don't see it happening. And I think some unions have pushed too hard for higher wages ands benefits. Auto workers years ago were making around $25.00 per hour. I know someone who just a few years ago was making at least $35.00 per hour. And that was a starting wage, with benefits. The Congress needs to do their job and get Americans back to work. Then the economy will get better. Taxes will be paid, to cover its expenses. The government should put back all the money it took from Social Security. Then it would be solvent. Medicare too. Reform the tax laws, and get rid of Citizens United. If something isn't done we will be China, or worse. We the people have the power.
I'm embarrassed to be an american anymore. I'm sorry to say it, but this country just sucks! The United States has become a horrible place. A new third world on the horizon.
Obama has proven himself to be the worst president ever and we probably haven't even seen the worst of things yet. The economy is teetering on the edge of a bottomless pit and everything could just drop right out any day. Even so, the media tries to report fake propaganda news about how the economy is recovering. The truth is that Bernanke is sweating bullets and just waiting for the straw that will break the camels back and send everything plummeting into oblivion. There are so many people who are struggling and the presidents Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, has the nerve to advise Obama that we need to have higher gas prices and shut down all coal power plants which is our cheapest source of power. Yeah, let's make things more expensive while people are already hurting and struggling to just get by.
I have never seen the USA in such a sad state of affairs in so many ways. Add to this the fact that the FDA and the USDA has been allowing the food industry to contaminate our food supply with synthetic chemicals such as growth hormones, aspartame, and MSG which has been scientifically proven to cause cancer, brain tumors, and obesity. Does the FDA respond by banning these chemicals??? NO!!! They just change the names on the label to say corn oil or sodium casienate instead. It's still the same chemicals! There has been at least 12 different names that have been derived for MSG to try to trick the consumers into thinking that they are safe and believe that they are eating healthy. Everyone wonders why Americans are so fat. Why, why why? Americans are not lazy. They are just being poisoned and it is being done to allow the corporations to make a larger profit. It would be a conflict of interest for the government to create a health care system because a lot of people are getting sick and dying from what has been allowed in the name of profit.
The only problem that Americans really have is that they are too trusting and they lack the initiative to check things out for themselves because it has been implied that there will be someone looking out for trouble. The truth is that the people that are supposed to be looking out are on the take from the corporations that they are supposed to be watching.
Then the government gives these corporations a tax cut so they can lay off half of their work force and use the extra money to buy a presidential candidate in the next election. America does not care about Americans anymore. Integrity has become obsolete. There are hundreds of new prisons being built. That is the only sector of development where there is really anything going on. The government is going to allow everyone in the country to be taken across the coals and then they will lock them away. Out of sight out of mind.
There are honest solutions to the problems that we face. Until those solutions are implemented, the United States will continue to circle the drain on it's way down. Obama is obviously not the answer. He was bought by special interests somewhere along the campaign trail in 2007. The other bag of bones is probably no better. We are all screwed. The Chinese will end up renting our country back to us at 3 times the price of what it was when we used to own it.
Philly this isnt the place for a book, few read those long posts, boring just blah blah is all I see.
Square dude, I just finished reading this post and several others like it, all you do is comment about the length of the posts. I mean complain, get some new material.
Be careful of how you talk about your future bosses. As far as the Bishop goes I don't think the Mormons care for the Chinese, it could get ugly.
Anyone see the PRC's projected demographic numbers by 2050? Our baby boomer issue will be small change compared to that tidal wave.
Does anybody really think that Obama did not know this was happening? After supporting the egytion uprising and then bringing in the Muslium brotherhood to run for office, now the chineses have bought the mineral rights in a country that our solidgers are dying in to protect them from Islam.
This is all part of the progressive democratic socalist partys plan to take america out of superpower status and to put us in our place.
Anybody remember Obama with that open mic tell the russian priminister that he would be able to do better with the weapons treaty "after the election" Obama already gave serial numbers and quanties of all of our weapons to the russians!
Somthing really stinks here!!!
You should 1st try going back to school to learn how to spell and proper gramma.
That's true enough, but sadly the word is grammar.
Stop buy Chinese and force America to hold itself up. How hard is that? Take the power from the politicians that sold our souls to the Chinese for a buck away.Not rocket science. We are worried and then continue to buy things made in china. SO STOP and help put the dent in the side of the future problem. For once americans need to do whats right . I don't hate any culture but I'm not dumb enough to help one think they can over run our country and be sold out .
If you care support America and stop helping them destroy us and have a laugh about how dumb we have become to believe our leaders. They don't care about us only the power and money. I wish they would get rid of Putin as well . He is a dictator like all before him in russian history. He is the real threat.
Looks like Americans are showing their Yellow Peril instincts once against. First is was Japan in the 1980s that America was demonizing. Now America is demonizing China with BSNBC's comically lurid "Behind the Wall" propaganda/news series.
As evidenced by this BSNBC "news" article and some of the comments by Proud Amurikans here, the American Empire is desperately nervous and afraid the its "unipolar world order" dominated by the USA is unravelling, as China, Russia, Iran, Syria, and others refuse to kowtow to the USA's fake brand of democracy and freedom.
America's phony War on Terrorism is a Goebellsian big lie and in reality is about advancing one thing: global American domination of the planet.
All nations that oppose or stand in the way of this agenda (like China et al) must be demonized and subjugated by the American Empire.
And it's truly hilarious that Americans try to shed crocodile tears about human rights in China, even as America is guilty of waging murderous wars of aggression around the world, slaughtering millions.
It's obvious that America is, as always, trying to manipulate issues like freedom, democracy, or human rights as a PROPAGANDA weapon.
Nothing more.
If you want to see what American democracy and human rights are really about, look at the crimes the USA has comitted against Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya--with routine US military massacres, torture, and atrocities.
All Made in the USA.
Or better yet, look at the thinly disguised police state America has created with its Homeland Gestapo department, Patriot Act, Gitmo Gulag, extraordinary rendition (i.e. kidnapping), water-boarding torture, and Predator Drone death lists.
And, BTW, all you Proud Amuricans whining about buying products made in China apparently don't realize that many of those products are made by Chinese workers FOR American companies who own the factories or the local subsidaries that are exploiting these workers. US corporations benefit from extracting super-profits from Chinese workers, and American consumers pay less for goods that really should cost more if there were made in the USA.
All this whining about "foreigners stealing American jobs" is pure nationalist demagogury that America and its corporate media promote to divert attention away from the real issue: American capitalist exploitation of low-wage labor ... in China and elsewhere.
Those are all issues that Americans and the US "Free Press" like BSNBC don't want to address.
America, the self-styled Beacon of Liberty, is nothing more than a Beacon of Lies.
You might want to tell the little terrorist to not F with the usa. Actually america will not stop until all terrorist stop their suicidal ignorance.
Perhaps, MSNBC should start a news series entitled: "Behind the Beacon of Lies, examining
events in America big and small." ;-)
I hope you are american.
Here's another question that Americans and their "free press" don't have the courage to ask:
Why do Americans always think of themselves as being threatened by other nations, even as the USA is aggressively attacking, invading, and economically exploiting the world?
I think this is a clear case of the psychopathic American mind, where the USA tries to project its aggressive and rapacious nature onto others.
It's not a secret that America is aggressively pushing its Washington Consensus policy (i.e. free market capitalism) onto other countries in order to economically exploit and subjugate them.
Nor is it a secret that America is waging wars of aggression against Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, while routinely bombing Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and waging dirty covert wars against Syria, Iran, and God knows
where else.
But Americans simply don't have the stones to face this reality and try to demonize other nations as a threat, while upholding the USA as the moral judge and jury of human rights, freedom, and democracy no less!
Un-frigging-believable.
Human rights has become nothing more than a propaganda mask/weapon for America to establish its moral superiority over other countries--particularly those that refuse to obey American diktat.
That's the arrogance of the American Empire.
Read John Perkins' book Confessions of an Economic Hitman for more about the USA's real behavior around the world.
Or better yet, check out the interview "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions"
Hey Americans do not want to be in any other country for any reason. It is a few war mongers in high places that like to fight. Namely Republicans, they like war for their personal profit. Americans are trying to get these pigs out of position.
That's a lie.
The American Empire has its occupation troops colonizing Afghanistan and Iraq (even despite the phony withdrawal), not to mention stealth infiltration of Libya, Pakistan, Honduras, and elsewhere.
What right does America have to invade and colonize a nation like Afghanistan thousands of miles away from it?
The answer: America is a global empire that wants to colonize the world in one form or another.
What's more the American Empire has its imperial military implanted in over 100 nations around the world!
There nations are American neo-colonies in everything but name.
The tentacles of the American Empire surpass that of the British Empire which spawned and created it.
The reason for this: America wants nothing less than global domination.
That's not just a "few warmongers" nor just the Republicans.
With Democrats in power, America has attacked more nations than under the Republicans, as it is routine bombing Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, as well as continuing wars against Iraq and Afghanistan.
The enemy is the the entire American Empire and nation.
Americans are not a peace-loving people.
Deep down, Americans think they have a right to rule the world.
This is America's neo-colonial Manifest Destiny for the 21st century.
I've skimmed most of your posts and you reek of hypocrisy. How can you start with how we demonize all these other countries yet they do the same?
"Americans are not a peace-loving people." - tet68
Wow, so high on that pedestal how can you tell what's going on? The fact is wherever you go people are people. There is a constant mix of all kinds of people in the world in every country. I will say this, our @!$%# definitely stinks here but there is no need to typecast the American people. The truth is many Americans are born into the stinch of big business and corporation. If China surpasses the US, good for them. If you think they are infallible then you're as ignorant as you are arrogant. The only people at work for ruling the world ARE corporations. If you would change the word "americans" to "corporations, I would whole-heartedly agree. Watch the movie "The Corporation". I'm sure there will be a follow-up to that labeled "The Government". You have hate, that's great. Steer it towards the appropriate direction. If more Americans did perhaps we could remove as much corruption as is needed.
I smell cockroaches and rats. Me think the USA should remove all troops immediately and load up on ammo, technology and build up the military. And then kick some booty to hell. NOW.
Biggest three threats to the security of the world: Chinese communism, radical Islam, our own laziness.
2 things:
1) THe Chinese booming economy is a bubble not unlike the internete and housing bubble we experienced here. It's built on slave labor and artificially valued currency. When the math catches up with them (and it inevitably will... economic law, much like mathematics and physics is immutable) their house of cards will come tumbling down, just like it did in Japan (and here...). As I see it, we have a three - five year head start on the Chinese in trying to reform our economic system. So far, our "leaders" in Washington have squandered that time bickering about political ideology, instead of cooperating in developing our egress from the economic mess we find ourselves in. Our future is a s bright as the minds we place in the seats of government... So far, things look pretty bleak. Shame is, they don;t have to.
2) Has anyone ever seen anyone less trustworthy looking that Vladimir Putin. The guy looks like the prototypical con man/hitman... What the hell was George Bush thinking about when he said that "he's somebody I can trust to do business with.' The guy is nothing more that a criminal, unrepentant KGB thug who usurped the Russian government... He will do more harm to our position in the world if we don't figure out a way to check his sneaky adventurism...
You sound like an embedded NBC/CNN/BBC/Fox News media shill. Either that or some Wall Street corporate criminal.
America is a parasite on the global economy--literally living off the blood, sweat, and
tears of other nations.
1. America's economy is based upon Dollar Hegemony, or what is euphemistically called the Fiat Dollar. Because the Dollar is the world's only reserve currency, America is able to steal ... sorry "borrow" money from other nations (like China, Japan) that it will NEVER pay back.
Krassimir Petrov explains that the USA has: “extracted an enormous amount of economic goods from the rest of the world, with no intention or ability to return those goods, and the world was powerless to respond- the world was taxed and it could not do anything about it. From that point on, to sustain the American Empire and to continue to tax the rest of the world, the United States had to force the world to continue to accept ever-depreciating dollars in exchange for economic goods and to have the world hold more and more of those depreciating dollars.”
Economist Michael Hudson put it more succinctly; America has extracted the "greatest
free lunch in history."
In many ways, American Dollar Hegemony--along with such things as the Fed's Quantitative
Easing--is the true "currency manipulation." America's Quantitative Easing, for instance, allows its Wall Street vultures to engage in financial speculation that destabilizes the economies of other nations, while reaping an outrageous profit.
Too bad for America, other nations are moving to divest from the Dollar and engage in
currency swaps where they trade in their own currencies instead of being forced to hold these worthless Dollars/pieces of toilet paper.
That means the END of America's economic free lunch at long last.
2. Speaking of slave labor, you forget to mention that America's corporations scour the world looking for labor to exploit--in China, India, Mexico, SE Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Americans euphemistically call this "outsourcing."
But everyone knows that is US Doublespeak for US capitalist wage slavery.
US corporations reap super-profits off the backs of workers in the Developing World--dirty profits which are then repatriated back to the good ol' USA.
But wait, there's more. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) issued a recent report on Latin American guest labor in the USA, which painted a picture of US treatement of migrant workers that most Americans would rather deny. The title perhaps says it all: "Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States."
America, the self-styled Land of the Free, is literally based and built upon slave labor--whether Black chattel slavery of the past or today Latin guest-workers inside the USA and US capitalist wage slavery in the Developing World.
3. Finally, in terms of Vladimir Putin, Americans hate Putin because he has the guts to oppose America's latest war threats against nations like Syria or Iran. The USA no doubt prefers a drunken American stooge like Boris Yeltsin instead.
Americans instinctively hate any nation, government, or religion that opposes the USA's "New World Order" and its wars of aggression.
In the warped American mindset, America has a divine right to bomb, invade, and threaten any other country in the world--while slaughtering 100,000s if not millions of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Latin America, Vietnam, Korea, etc.
It should obvious that Americans (and their war partners like Great Britain) are a clear and present threat to global peace. No amount of propaganda about Anglo-American freedom, democracy, or human rights can hide this reality.
But most Americans would rather deny these issues and regurgitate whatever disinformation that the USA's vaunted "free press" peddle.
It's really kinda pathetic. This is the same American media that is guilty of peddling lies about "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in Iraq! Yet these Proud Amuricans still believe their lies today.
So much for the self-styled Beacon of Liberty.
Have yourself another supersized order of Freedom Fries.
it has not been that long that we sent young men to fight and die to stop the spread of Communism in Viet nan.
and today we have open trade with RED china. They back Korea Agnese the US. but yet The US still is punishing Cuba who is no threat to the US. china with its child. labor and disregards of the life of it people. taking there land when it wants. it shows that if you have enought money the USA can over look anything. also the thousands of Jobs the USA has let china take. this shows the greed of the USA
TET68 i will say it like i heard a Chinese co. making knock of goft club when caught he said. It is the price the US will pay for exploiting our cheap labor. so now don't complain that you Have to pay the USA for teaching china how to get off its knees crawling around in the dirt. if you want to sell there junk it the USA and play with the big boys. Pay your dues. i think it is sad that the USA would buy a pencil from a RED communism country. it is china that should have embargo instead of Cuba
TET 68 the only thing the USA cares about is country's with money are oil. if you don't have one of those. you wil not have a problem with the US trying to help you are over thought your government. the US wants assets not debt we have enough of our own debt