[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by soundtest

*BANGS GONG*

China will become a superpower and eventually (50 years? 100?) will surpass the US. This is inevitable.

Likely. Nothing is inevitable. A lot can happen over a century. What if the Cantonese become nationalistic? What if Tibet's freedom becomes a major issue in the UN?


What about India and Russia's role in all this. One is just emerging as a major economic power. The other is spiraling into anarchy.

As important as their booming economy is their unity. One common goal and one common people.

Ya, thats the official government position

The huge political divide in the US is a virus that is eating it away from the inside.

Dude, we've gove through two constitutions, a full blown Civil War and a whole bunch of armed rebellions. No matter what Rush Limbaugh and Michael Moore want us to believe, we'll weather this.

(North) Americans are fat, lazy, stupid, and complacent.

Hey, buddy, feel free to go fuck yourself.

The Chinese laugh at the fact that North Americans think they envy or want to be like us! Reality TV. It's a metaphor.

I don't get it? They buy our television shows, our music, our movies and a whole other shitload of parts of our pop culture. There's obvously something there.

China has gone through generations of shit and suffering, and its people now see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Assuming they'll know what to do when they get there.

This motivates them even more and nothing will stop them. The US had its peak and its getting time to step aside or be pushed aside. No empire can last forever.

I don't hear Brumhilda warming up quite yet. Remember, the US is different from the vast majority of superpowers that have existed. Our neighbors are our best friends and trading partners, we are damn near impossible to invade, and we can dominate another nation without firing a shot. To say the time is up is way too premature.

China will never let go of Taiwan - it can't. Its strategic geographic location alone is far too important to China's future.

Thats why the US has that bargaining chip.

Instead, China will continue to wait patiently for 'peaceful reunification'. It will strike only if it is attacked by Taiwan (an 'internal' problem) or if there is outside (US) interference.

Not likely

Then again, one can only wonder how patient Beijing can be... Taiwan will not be getting a better offer than 'one country, two systems'.

They'll be patient.

If this were the Apollo, there would be a clown with a hook right about now.