Is the US slowly dying?

[SandEagle]

I believe all of them are American.

You can put a cat in the oven, but that don't make it a biscuit.

 

[Soundmanred]

China will be #1? Not anytime soon.

Extreme pollution in water, land, air = http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2011/feb/09/pollution-china-manufacturing-towns

Hundreds of millions Chinese live in extreme poverty (less than $2/day) = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/30/china-raises-rural-poverty-line

China will get older (more elders depend on fewer youngings -due to 1 child policy for support) before it can get richer.

Don't forget about potential uprising in Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other areas. China is spending more for internal security then external defense.

The rich in China are sending their money and kids to US, Canada, Australia.

Not everywhere in China is like Shanghai. See the Chinese made movie "The last train home" and see how a typical factory Chinese worker lives.

Yup, "tourist areas" =/ China.
It's 1% modern marvel, 99% shithole.

 

[Yongsta]

I believe all of them are American.

Probably come from Korean & Japanese families as well.

 

[Childs]

THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF AMERICA AND HALF OF THEM ARE CHINESE.

It was fun while it lasted...

This country has always been fueled by immigrants that want to work hard to make a better life for themselves and there children. So they look a little bit different now, but overall its still the same. Children of immigrants work harder because they don't have the luxury of entitlement.

 

[SSSnail]

eh?

It's easier than EVER to become successful in this country.

Define "successful", and, are you?

 

[LegendKiller]

It's funny that we benchmark this country against everybody else's but don't even consider the attributes that make this one better.

By what measurement is the US dying? How would you compare that relatively speaking? Is China all that much better off? You have an effective slave population with no real rights and crappy working conditions with massive pollution. Is that "living"?

Then you get people who blame a political party. Sorry, but that doesn't cut it, BOTH parties got us here. BOTH parties allowed China to rape our economy through "free trade" while they kept their trade completely unfree. BOTH parties allow them to continue raping us with a depreciated currency. BOTH parties have gotten us into stupid wars, racking up trillions in un-needed debt.

China is far worse off than the US in the debt respect.

But does all of this mean the US is dying? Absolutely not, what a silly idea. People said the US was "dying" in the late 80s and early 90s when Japan was going to take over the world. Before that it was Germany and their economic miracle.

And as far as China being some wonderland. Ghost cities? Horrible pollution? Potemkin Olympics?

 

[alkemyst]

I don't think the US has a rights problem. We have a "corporations making it seem like luxury items are an essential part of life, so take out massive lines of credit to and be indebted for the rest of your life" problem.

We're also in a situation where the cost of everything is outpacing the growth of income. I figure I increased my spending power about 5% a year from the time I started working until around 2005 or so. After that, the cost of fuel, utilities, food, and health insurance, started going crazy. I found a receipt from Kroger a couple of months back dated Oct 2005 (they're a national supermarket chain) and it had things like:

1 gallon milk: $1.69
bread: $.89
eggs: $.79
cheese: $2.00
14 oz. potato chips: $1.50
etc

Today, these same items are:

1 gallon milk: $3.69
bread: $2.89
eggs: $1.79
cheese: $4.00
12 oz. potato chips: $4.00

That's more than double the cost in just 6 years. Health insurance is raising on average 25% a year. Meanwhile, salaries haven't grown at all in the last several years. If you feel poor, this is why.

I think the US is in decline simply because we spend too much, and we're overpricing ourselves to death. At this rate most of the US will be lower middle class within 10 years.

No one is forcing anyone to buy luxury items, but I do have a problem with our welfare recipients and the poor all owning iPhones, iPads, and LCD TVs.

As far as wages, my have increased over 50% in the last 2 years and over the last 5-6 my insurance premiums have gotten lower.

It's all how you apply and align yourself...everyone today just sits at home and thinks one day the phone with ring with opportunities.

 

[amish]

but I do have a problem with our welfare recipients and the poor all owning iPhones, iPads, and LCD TVs.

x 10000000000000000000

 

[0roo0roo]

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/20...-rich-lawmakers-make-u-s-officials-look-poor/

 

[LegendKiller]

Originally Posted by Fritzo
I don't think the US has a rights problem. We have a "corporations making it seem like luxury items are an essential part of life, so take out massive lines of credit to and be indebted for the rest of your life" problem.

We're also in a situation where the cost of everything is outpacing the growth of income. I figure I increased my spending power about 5% a year from the time I started working until around 2005 or so. After that, the cost of fuel, utilities, food, and health insurance, started going crazy. I found a receipt from Kroger a couple of months back dated Oct 2005 (they're a national supermarket chain) and it had things like:

1 gallon milk: $1.69
bread: $.89
eggs: $.79
cheese: $2.00
14 oz. potato chips: $1.50
etc

Today, these same items are:

1 gallon milk: $3.69
bread: $2.89
eggs: $1.79
cheese: $4.00
12 oz. potato chips: $4.00

That's more than double the cost in just 6 years. Health insurance is raising on average 25% a year. Meanwhile, salaries haven't grown at all in the last several years. If you feel poor, this is why.

I think the US is in decline simply because we spend too much, and we're overpricing ourselves to death. At this rate most of the US will be lower middle class within 10 years.

Health insurance isn't raising an average of 25% per year.

As far as the rest of your numbers, I call bullshit on every one of them. It's nice that you just added $1-2 for every single item.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Have any facts to back up your ridiculous assertion?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/u...-to-rise-from-lower-rungs.html?pagewanted=all

yeah, it doesn't feel that way with all the regulations, bureaucracy and govt red tape getting in the way.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

China will be #1? Not anytime soon.

Extreme pollution in water, land, air = http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2011/feb/09/pollution-china-manufacturing-towns

Hundreds of millions Chinese live in extreme poverty (less than $2/day) = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/30/china-raises-rural-poverty-line

China will get older (more elders depend on fewer youngings -due to 1 child policy for support) before it can get richer.

Don't forget about potential uprising in Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other areas. China is spending more for internal security then external defense.

The rich in China are sending their money and kids to US, Canada, Australia.

Not everywhere in China is like Shanghai. See the Chinese made movie "The last train home" and see how a typical factory Chinese worker lives.

life is one big ponzi scheme.

 

[Fritzo]

No one is forcing anyone to buy luxury items, but I do have a problem with our welfare recipients and the poor all owning iPhones, iPads, and LCD TVs.

As far as wages, my have increased over 50% in the last 2 years and over the last 5-6 my insurance premiums have gotten lower.

It's all how you apply and align yourself...everyone today just sits at home and thinks one day the phone with ring with opportunities.

Trust me, you are in the vast minority and very lucky if that's true. "Aligning yourself" has nothing to do with it.

 

[Sonikku]

Yes, America is in decline and Obama and his welfare nation are entirely to blame. People today just want to make excuses to get out of work. All this "Waaaaaaaahhh I'm disabled from the waist down" bullshit is bleeding us dry. You can still flip burgers you lazy fucks. Why should I have to spend any of my pay check so someone else can pop pills or get healthcare? It's not my problem. If we just disband medicare and social security and food stamps and let nature take it's course all the teat sucking seniors/disabled/lazy screwballs could be cleansed from our America and our taxes and deficit would be lowered.

 

[Lithium381]

in short without reading the thread only the title: yes

 

[alkemyst]

Yes, America is in decline and Obama and his welfare nation are entirely to blame. People today just want to make excuses to get out of work. All this "Waaaaaaaahhh I'm disabled from the waist down" bullshit is bleeding us dry. You can still flip burgers you lazy fucks. Why should I have to spend any of my pay check so someone else can pop pills or get healthcare? It's not my problem. If we just disband medicare and social security and food stamps and let nature take it's course all the teat sucking seniors/disabled/lazy screwballs could be cleansed from our America and our taxes and deficit would be lowered.

We should make a huge trebuchet and put a sign on it "FREE IPADS, FIRST 100,000 PEOPLE".

Then fucking launch them out of the country with their new reading material.

 

[irishScott]

We should make a huge trebuchet and put a sign on it "FREE IPADS, FIRST 100,000 PEOPLE".

Then fucking launch them out of the country with their new reading material.

I think it'll take a few launches.

 

[Sonikku]

The plan is doomed to failure anyway because it presumes the poor uncultured heathen folk can read. One time when I was in a Walmart (BIG mistake, wretched poor people everywhere) the 10 items or less line was packed with pudgey freaks on motorized scooters with carts full of crap well exceeding the prerequisits for being in the line. I can only imagine a "FREE IPADS, FIRST 100,000 PEOPLE" sign would be read as gibberish.

 

[Fingolfin269]

In relative decline but 'dying'? No.

 

[alkemyst]

The plan is doomed to failure anyway because it presumes the poor uncultured heathen folk can read. One time when I was in a Walmart (BIG mistake, wretched poor people everywhere) the 10 items or less line was packed with pudgey freaks on motorized scooters with carts full of crap well exceeding the prerequisits for being in the line. I can only imagine a "FREE IPADS, FIRST 100,000 PEOPLE" sign would be read as gibberish.

I am betting it would cause riots.

 

[disappoint]

So their success is our victory?

I think China's days are numbered in that eventually the people are going to overthrow the government. Once the economy isn't centrally planned and doesn't exploit the population, it will be harder to maintain that growth rate. I for one would not want economic success at the price the Chinese are paying.

They are "selling out" the present for the future, we've been selling out the future for the present since Raygun.

 

[brianmanahan]

P&N

<----- it is that way

 

[SP33Demon]

It's quite simple, two words: Intellectual Property. China can manufacture all it wants but they'll always be our bitch until they can penetrate this market and its vastly more efficient use of man hours/profit.

 

[LosDiablos]

It's quite simple, two words: Intellectual Property. China can manufacture all it wants but they'll always be our bitch until they can penetrate this market and its vastly more efficient use of man hours/profit.

>implying 75% of silicon valley engineers aren't either Chinese or Indian Americans.

 

[DominionSeraph]

America is in decline and Obama and his welfare nation are entirely to blame.

^^ the prevalence of idiots like this might have something to do with it...