Obama Wins!

[flameboy]

Here's how it goes:

 

Like it or not, we are starting to move away from a unipolar economic world - the US and the US Dollarhave enjoyed complete economic dominance over the financial markets and indeed a degree of politically-linked economics. The US had been ale to dominate the system through the ubiquity of the dollar, the relative stability of the currency and confidence in the American market.

 

Ow ever, a lot of these factors changed with the global recession: faith has been lost in American banks, growth has gone from decline to snails-pace recovery and perceptions of growing US national debt has led to less confidence in the American monetary system. It's still viable to peg your currency to the dollar, and most international transactions are still carried out in dollars. For example, although I bought my plane ticket in China and the price on the website was shown in RMB, the card issuing Chinese bank converted the transaction into dollars for actual payment.

 

China, on the other hand, has been on the ascent for the last ten years or so: the political system is abhorrent and would disgust most of us if we were to live under it - the rule of law is not respected, the constitution as set out in 1949 is mostly disregarded and there is only one source of information: the Government. Imagine a country where the police can arrest you because you wanted to complain to your local representative about the forced demolition of your property; you will be denied legal assistance, there will be no due process and the entirety of your family could be punished as well. Juxtapose this with the fact that if you are rich enough, or have friends within the local political apparatus, you can literally get away with murder, massive fraud and any other crime that would see you prisoner for the rest of your life if you committed it in the UK.

 

However, despite the disgusting nature of this political system, one thing it does give is relative stability. The markets are still affected by global trends, but the state here is rich enough to pump cash into massive stimulus projects that keep people employed, companies producing goods and the general populace satisfied that things are actually being done. China is still a developing country, but it's model of welcoming huge amounts of foreign investments with big tax breaks (or no tax at all) cheap labour and almost carte blanche to do your most polluting and dangerous production in the country without any worries.

 

China's business model of export-led growth has seen the country's economy enjoy double-digit growth almost every year in recent memory, when you consider that most European nations can muster about 2% growth and be considered successful, figures of 10% or if her are absolutely staggering. Labour here is so cheap and so plentiful that most factory works earn the equivalent of £150 a month. The domestic stability that the state can enforce through the police and military is barbaric, but at the very least reliable.

 

As the Partyis not elected through any direct means, it gauges its success through economic growth and the number of citizens living above the poverty line. Economic growth is paramount, and they will take ANY steps necessary to safeguard that including mass arrests, coercive pressure on regional neighbours and withholding support in international fora until other states cave in. China is now in some ways bankrolling the world - I'm sure you've heard that China owns 27% of America's foreign owned debt, which in the grand scheme of America's actual debt is a minority, but it's still an uncomfortable situation to be in. Though as yet, China has not been able to translate her economic power into political power over the US, it hasn't stopped them from bringing smaller nations into line: pacific island states and a number of African nations have been bullied (and that is the correct term) into accepting certain domestic political concessions in return for investment.

 

Now, the handover is in progress. What does this mean? Well, the watchword of the Hu administration has been "harmony" i.e. government-approved stability, at the barrel of a gun when necessary. The incoming administration is going to inherit a robust economy (still enjoying 7% growth) and a low-level of foreign held debt as well as a confident domestic market.

 

Nonetheless, there are some challenges: the export-led economy cannot go on forever without the majority of the nation being kept in perpetual poverty. House prices have skyrocketed in the last three years -my home doubled in value in about 8 months, meaning that housing is completely out of reach of something like 80% of people. What affordable ousting that is constructed is often ought through various means by the wealthy and then leased-out at market prices which most can't afford. It's not unusual to have three or four families living out of two bedrooms and a living room in order to survive. All the while, the middle class is becoming more prosperous.

 

Now, the middle class has historically been the cause of most revolutions and trouble, and that's a big fear. Post Tiananmen Square Massacre, the government made an unspoken agreement with the population: don't do it again and we will make you rich. Well, the middle class are ow rich and they are looking for more rights - they have all the money they want, now they would like to have more than NE child (in China, families are only allowed one child, and in rural areas families that break this law can be forced into sort ions and even sterilised by the government) they will want the right to choose their leaders and more say in domestic and international affairs.

 

China's growth has put the wind up regional neighbours, traditionally aligned with the US. While the UD is likely to dominate militarily for the next 20 years, neighbours such as Japan, Singapore and the ROK are aware that Cona's coercive attempts to bring them into its way of going are one day going to end up becoming military attempts to dominate them. China, with a focus on harmony and stability WILL NOT accept neighbours that are going to stymie or resist her influence. There's no question that China has ambitions to become the regional hegemon, and neighbours are starting to balance militarily against that happening. The result of that is that China is becoming more aggressive to stop them from challenging its power in the region. It's a no-win situation - unless you are willing to kowtow. Historically, most Asian states were client states or vassals to China, and the Party certainly would have no objection to returning to that status quo.

 

The incoming administration, it is hoped, are going to be reformers. They will have to tackle difficulties with changing the economy from export-driven to consumer driven. But that presents a huge problem in that Chinese consumers are generally too poor to consume the kind of quantities necessary for this transition. If you take Japan as an example, their goods are extremely high-end and expensive, but the consumers are wealthy enough to afford them.

 

China is an integral part of the world economy, and this change is biiiiig.

 

Very well written and obviously from your experiences.

 

I kept saying to my girlfriend who gives a shit it's America they are a dying nation. It really annoys me how people complain about American's think they are the centre of the world blah blah blah but then when it's their election the world falls over to cover it and therefore it perpetuates this belief. Wheres the coverage of China's election? India?

[Magnus]

Thats just the last two/three weeks, i could post pages of the stuff, wish i could find his tirade on Gays it was just epically biggoted

 

I'll look later

I'm sure we all have people on Facebook who we're only friends with to see what crazy thing they will say next.

 

A woman on my Facebook shared a picture of Obama dressed up as Hitler and the text "is this your president?"

 

I'm not sure what point she was trying to make. She's British.

[Mokong]

Can you sport what is wrong in this?

 

 

The girl who posted this has since closed her twitter

 

ONly just occured to me.... but why is she so concerned about having a Christian President? Isn't Obama a Christian? And if Romney had won...he's not a Christian, he's a Mormon... so would she still have wanted to leave either way?

 

And I'm not an expert but I'd assume you could count on Obama to "support what he says" more than you could Romney.

 

Again I just don't understand what Republicans want

[MoogleViper]

And if Romney had won...he's not a Christian, he's a Mormon...

 

Mormons are Christians.

[Ramar]

ONly just occured to me.... but why is she so concerned about having a Christian President? Isn't Obama a Christian? And if Romney had won...he's not a Christian, he's a Mormon... so would she still have wanted to leave either way?

 

And I'm not an expert but I'd assume you could count on Obama to "support what he says" more than you could Romney.

 

Again I just don't understand what Republicans want

 

You've forgotten one important fact. She's American.*

 

 

* I jest. She's just incredibly dense.

[gaggle64]

The better choice was elected, that's all I'll say.

 

Also, there's this -

 

[Mokong]

Mormons are Christians.

 

Ah crap I was thinking Catholic when thining "christian vs mormon"....never mind

 

but still isn't Obama Christian too anyway.... why do Republicans refuse to believe this? Cause he black?

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

Because he's clearly a Nazi Muslim Socialist. Haven't you watched the news?

[Jonnas]

but still isn't Obama Christian too anyway.... why do Republicans refuse to believe this? Cause he black?

 

Because his middle name is Hussein. Also, he converted to Christianity in his adult life, leading idiots to claim he's been secretly Muslim all along (despite the fact that he was an atheist before)

[Mokong]

Because he's clearly a Nazi Muslim Socialist. Haven't you watched the news?

 

I watch the news, not Fox :wink:

[Agent Gibbs]

I watch the news, not Fox :wink:

 

Where as she obviously watches Fox and believes the madness

[MoogleViper]

Ah crap I was thinking Catholic when thining "christian vs mormon"....never mind

 

Wait are you saying Catholics aren't Christians?

[Mokong]

Wait are you saying Catholics aren't Christians?

 

No I'm saying I misread/mistook "Christian" as the single Christian denomination of "Catholic". When I said "Romney is a Mormon not a Christian" in the previous-previous post, in my head I was thinking "Mormon not a Catholic"

 

I probably just sometimes forget Christian can refer to a number a different faiths/denomiations of faith as I think I tend to associate the term "christian" with the "Church" and when I think of the "Church" it's the "Catholic Church" I would be thinking of but would just called it the "Church"

[MoogleViper]

No I'm saying I misread/mistook "Christian" as the single Christian denomination of "Catholic". When I said "Romney is a Mormon not a Christian" in the previous-previous post, in my head I was thinking "Mormon not a Catholic"

 

I probably just sometimes forget Christian can refer to a number a different faiths/denomiations of faith as I think I tend to associate the term "christian" with the "Church" and when I think of the "Church" it's the "Catholic Church" I would be thinking of but would just called it the "Church"

 

Ah right, fair enough.

 

On a similar note, a lot of people who view Christianity as Anglicanism, and see it as Christians vs Catholics. In fact, my mum thought Christians only referred to protestants/Anglicans, and thought that Catholics weren't Christians. What makes it worse? She went to a Catholic school.

[bob]

I went to a catholic school and i don't really know the difference between them all.

 

 

EDIT: Anyway back to the election: here's a very telling chart about the difference between democrat states and republican states

Edited November 9, 2012 by 130131301364

[jayseven]

best comment I saw (I thought it was in /r/bestof but I couldn't find it).

 

Republican states are generally rural, with voters far apart from each other so they can kind of live their lives thinking the government is a far-away, not-involved-in-their-day-to-day-business way, whereas obamavoters live in densely populated areas, and are forced to socially interact with others multiple times on a daily basis, so the idea of everyone working together for the good of everyone is more relatable to them.

 

Something like that. I thought it was a nice theory.

[heroicjanitor]

Because his middle name is Hussein. Also, he converted to Christianity in his adult life, leading idiots to claim he's been secretly Muslim all along (despite the fact that he was an atheist before)

 

I happen to think he says he is Christian purely because it is necessary to be Christian to be the president of America. Even though the constitution says there should be no religious test for office I still think he is atheist.

[Cube]

He's still more Christian than Romney.

[MoogleViper]

I happen to think he says he is Christian purely because it is necessary to be Christian to be the president of America. Even though the constitution says there should be no religious test for office I still think he is atheist.

 

How many people that say they're Christian/other religion actually are? Compare the number of "Christians" recorded by the census with church attendance numbers.

[Agent Gibbs]

some American "ideals" are mental

for example

 

 

The latest survey, from June, found that 54 percent of those asked said they would vote a "well- qualified" atheist into the Oval Office— the highest percentage since Gallup began asking the question in 1958, when only 18 percent said they would back a nonbeliever.

 

On the other hand, the survey showed that those who do not believe in God still come in behind every other group polled for, including gays and lesbians (68 percent) and Muslims (58 percent).

 

what ever happened to the founding father principles of a government free from religion and the best man for the job?