Is This the America You Want to Live In

[DavidW]

Of course gmg is so ugly, we're paying for the old gal to put 'em out of sight.

[Josquin des Prez]

I actually find gmg to be quite attractive. The soft white/blue combination is quite easy on the eye and doesn't require contrast adjustment despite being quite bright.

[Scarpia]

JdP, ironically you seem to be the most direct evidence of the collapse of western civilization you are constantly prophesizing.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Well, if you like consensus and mediocrity, settle down in "Old Europe". I'm pretty sure 99% of all US Americans would run away. We're not even able to build a railway station ("Stuttgart 21", the 2nd favourite playground after nuclear power for the left wing and other conspiracy theorists).

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Well, if you like consensus and mediocrity, settle down in "Old Europe". I'm pretty sure 99% of all US Americans would run away. We're not even able to build a railway station ("Stuttgart 21", the 2nd favourite playground after nuclear power for the left wing and other conspiracy theorists).

My impression however is that Germany is the only major economy that is doing well at present.

[The new erato]

My impression however is that Germany is the only major economy that is doing well at present.

Up here we're booming (along with Sweden) but we're hardly major.

[Josquin des Prez]

JdP, ironically you seem to be the most direct evidence of the collapse of western civilization you are constantly prophesizing.

Yeah, reminds me of Tarkovsky's Nostalghia. Well, except i'm not dousing myself on fire anytime soon.

[Todd]

My impression however is that Germany is the only major economy that is doing well at present.

I believe China is still growing at a nice pace and working on all manner of huge infrastructure projects, and it's the second largest economy in the world.  Is that not major enough?

Now, let's get back to the slut talk.  I like sluts.

[Scarpia]

I believe China is still growing at a nice pace and working on all manner of huge infrastructure projects, and it's the second largest economy in the world.  Is that not major enough?

Well, if you believe the people who say they are deliberately undervaluing their currency they are already, more or less, the largest economy in the world.  The reall question is whether the people who claim that the infastructure projects in China constitute the biggest economic bubble the world has ever seen are right.  We'll have to wait to find out.

[Todd]

Well, if you believe the people who say they are deliberately undervaluing their currency they are already, more or less, the largest economy in the world.

That's incorrect.  Even if the yuan were "properly" valued (ie, freely floating, without any government intervention, like the US never, ever, ever does), nominal Chinese GDP would be smaller than nominal US GDP.  Evaluated on a PPP basis, it is closer, but it is still smaller.  Depending on which projections one uses, the Chinese economy will overtake the US in overall size between 2016 and 2040.  And that's at an aggregate level.  Per capita GDP is quite low in China, and will remain so for decades to come.  Of course, from a military and geopolitical standpoint, total GDP is more important than per capita GDP. 

I think it is fair to say that there are bubbles forming in the Chinese economy.  Are Shanghai residential property values really supported by economic fundamentals, for instance?  I think it may be hard to say yes.  Commercial real estate values are also reportedly a wee bit high all over the country.  Throw in an opaque financial system where bad loans and cronyism are known to be involved, growing economic inequality in a country already rather unequal, and economic imbalances from having such staggering reserves caused by trade surpluses, and there are elements in place for a rollicking good time, that's for sure.  (None of this is to say that Western countries set a good example, of course; it's a bit hard to do that in light of what has happened over the last few years.) 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Yeah, reminds me of Tarkovsky's Nostalghia. Well, except i'm not dousing myself on fire anytime soon.

I picture you more as the guy carrying the candle across the dried-up pool at the end.

I believe China is still growing at a nice pace and working on all manner of huge infrastructure projects,

About those huge infrastructure projects: check out this eerie video on China's "ghost cities":

http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/601007/n/China-s-Ghost-Cities

[Todd]

About those huge infrastructure projects: check out this eerie video on China's "ghost cities":

No one has ever said that Red Capitalism is without problems . . .

[Lethevich]

I suppose there is some comfort that your neighbours up north have equally crazy shit going on

http://shitharperdid.ca.nyud.net/

[Josquin des Prez]

Speaking of Canada:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/torontos-slut-walk-protest-or-why-feminism-is-doomed/

Seems like a lot of gmg members ought to relocate there.

[Daverz]

Speaking of Canada:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/torontos-slut-walk-protest-or-why-feminism-is-doomed/

Seems like a lot of gmg members ought to relocate there.

We already know you don't consider brown people or women to be human beings.

[Josquin des Prez]

About those huge infrastructure projects: check out this eerie video on China's "ghost cities":

http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/601007/n/China-s-Ghost-Cities

Looks like a futuristic Detroit.

[Josquin des Prez]

We already know you don't consider brown people or women to be human beings.

Kinda like Muhammad Ali didn't consider white people to be human beings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqiWFLsgVi4&feature=player_embedded

[The new erato]

Kinda like Muhammad Ali didn't consider white people to be human beings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqiWFLsgVi4&feature=player_embedded

Yes, but at least he had some reasons to feel superior.

[Josquin des Prez]

Yes, but at least he had some reasons to feel superior.

He's not talking about superiority. That's the fallacy in your entire line of thinking. To prefer ones own is not the same as saying that ones own is superior, and does not mean one automatically must "hate" others, or think of them as less then human.

[Scarpia]

I see no reason to continue this thread.