China?

The other day my father was going on and on about the great world potence China would soon become, and rejoicing of the end of the "yankees" at the hand of the Chinese. For five seconds flat I made the attempt to talk some sense into him, but failed and decided not to pursue the road towards enlightment with him. You see Dad is one of those people who likes to pretend to be oh-so-smart and thread theory after theory with the shreds he gets from here and there. No real knowledge behind his words, only the desire to figurate. Yes, I know, cruel thing to say, but that's his case. It's better to be clear with it.

Before the turn of the millenium the theory of China rising above the world as the First Potence of the future clogged the textbooks, and made the delight of thousands of development theory volumes. The basis behind this hypothesis were the large size of China, the way it managed to stand on its feet so fast after WWII, and its ability to produce obscene amounts of goods at insultingly low prices... and sell them so cheap it gara be a mistake. Now, I'm not an expert on Chine-istics or Asianistics, nor an expert in development, for I have spent waaay too much time working different areas, yet walk with me a few steps, now would you?

China's productive explotion comes, thanks not only to the large amount of labor force it has, but also because it's cheap and some. Well, Honey, you can't get cheaper than slave labour, now do you? No wages to pay, no social security, no vacations, no union rights, no breaks, no schedules. Buy them once and you have them for ever and ever and all eternity. Add to it, if there's one thing Chinese goods are known for is it's bad quality. It is indeed improving in a few industries, but still: it's not quality products. If you think it isn't so, please, do mention ONE Chinese brand known for good quality. And I don't mean that Great Wall car or Lenevo computer you have that has turned out to be so good. I mean a real, honest, world wide known quality product.

If China's strenght is its bulk production, tell me how will it survive during the crisis? People will have less money, and they will cut back expenses, going for the basics: food and shelter. Indeed they'll prefer cheap clothing and low cost goods, but even so, they won't demand as much as before, and if the goods are of no good quality, their demand will sensibly decrease since people will prefer (if they are rational or behave with a certain degree of rationality) to purchase durable things, so they reduce their expenses in an incertain future. Yeah, yeah, I might be just theorizing there, but please look at the news: China's exports fell back around a quarter compared with this same month last year. Import ain't doing any better. Enterprises around the world are trying to cut costs back in order to survive. They are doing lay offs to shave some expenses from the payrolls. Will Chinese enterprises do the same to shoulder the drop in the income? Okay, and how exactly will laying off slaves reduce the costs?

Unless they are sitting on loads of good money, that they are planning to release soon for their grand entry and take over the control of the world, all logics say they are sinking just like the rest of us. Add to it, what are they falling back onto?

Some talk of a Red China, communist ridden, but please, care someone to explain this to me? Because last time I checked my "manual for communism for Dummies", communism is about the equal treatment of all people. In the communism people own and share with others the tools of work and the fruits of their labor. People are all equals, no masters, no owners, but all proletars. So, how come a communist country has slaves? How does slavery and slave labor survive in a communist country?

Censored Internet for a whole country, open corruption, open and flagrant violation of human rights. Is this the way a First World Power looks like? Where are we? Went back to the Ancient Age? Hell, well, don't wake me up at least until we reach the Middle Age, would you?

No, I don't see China as a World Power, nor I wish to see it. This is not a country to become a Power, but a shame. Why are we letting this happen to these people?