President Trump today announced new sanctions on China--including a ban on some students. But these, I believe, are close to laughable. I would, instead, suggest that we break all--all!--relations with China: that we no longer purchase anything manufactured there (even if that means that American consumers must pay a higher price, since what we purchase will not be manufactured by slave labor); and that we no longer allow any Chinese people to enter the US (or any Americans to enter China); and that we simply act as if China does not even exist. And I am serious. Entirely. (Note: The sole problem with this is the fact that we have become so dependent upon upon China for pharmaceuticals--both OTC and prescription ones. But perhaps we could purchase these from another source--say, Mexico?--until we ramp up our own manufacturing.)
There are some elements of slave labor here in the US. How do we provide products at a higher price enough Americans can afford? How do we compensate the higher wages US workers, will no doubt demand?
And where will we get all those people? Maybe Mexico. What people don't understand is that American companies sell about $250 billion of the same stuff we import to the Chinese. Quite simply, we can't afford to cut them off. I keep waiting for them to finally get pi$$ed and nationalize all those US companies.
Looking at it from Europe, China and America are two very big countries. Both countries dealing with huge problems of governance. However people are on the whole people everywhere (I base that on having been to both countries) and the authorities don't reflect the populations, existing as they do on an organic level. The answer to the question is that everywhere that assembles into a country should treat everywhere else that assembles into a country with respect and empathy. Certainly there is no heirachy of good or bad between China and America. Seems a shame so many Americans appear to hate China.
China should be dealt with the same way Apartheid South Africa was dealt with. Large scale divestment, banishment from international sporting competitions, trade embargos, international scrutiny, etc...
Almost right. We can ignore the slave labor and other comments but should certainly end our business relationship with China. I think it is critical that we do that.
Take a look at South Africa today, and the murderous rampages going on against the white farmers - which only proves we have no damn right to intervene in other nations. Instead of taking into account the differences in cultural standards, comfort factors, etc., we went and imposed our own politically correct ideals in order to please our own domestic constituents. Do you think that the blacks are better off because of it, and that they wouldn't have been better off in their own subsidized and developed homelands within a federated S. Africa? In the Russian Federation there are 123 different ethnic groups, and in addition to Russian, over 60 language are taught so each can maintain their own traditions and heritage. But of course Washington knows best. After all South Africa is not the only nation and people we destroyed, we've added quite a few to the list since then. So then why not China? We'll show them how much we love them by destroying them. We call it democracy in action? Let's play the game of right is wrong, and sing along with wicked song - of criminality and sin. And thinking that we'll always win. Yet hubris leads to one's demise for thinking that we are the wise, when history has always shown that nations cannot go alone. It won't be long but I think soon, when all we see will be a ruin. Let's hope not! - Jeannette
That is a fair question. But I would suggest that we not make this policy immediate; but that it should start in, oh, say, 30 days after its announcement. That would allow these people to come back to America (or wherever else they might prefer).
Seems to me that pretending that 1/6th of planetary population (and its marketplace) doesn't exist isn't the most effective approach to maintain American global political and economic hegemony.
We do have a minimum wage here. And whereas $7.25 per hour ($290 gross pay per week--and more than that in some states, which have a state minimum wage; it is $13.00 per hour in Massachusetts, California, and Washington state, and $14.00 per hour in Washington, DC) does not seem like much, it is certainly far greater than the pittance that Chinese firms typically pay their workers.
Well, our current approach is obviously not working; so what would you suggest, instead? (By the way, I am certainly not suggesting that we should act as if the Chinese people are invisible to us. Rather, I am suggesting that we should act as if the Chinese government is invisible to us. I would immediately remove all our ambassadors and diplomats from Beijing; and order China's counterparts to leave Washington--in fact, to leave the entire US--within, say, 30 days. And never return.)
I'm not talking about the present situation in SA, I'm talking about policies that were effective in bringing change, for better or for worse.
China is terrible on average in terms of human rights violations, no doubt about it, but that does not negate the way in which some US companies and warehouses abuse employees, nor does it negate the claim that most companies will not pay US workers a fair wage if Chinese manufacturing were brought back to the US. Of course China is guilty of using sweatshops.
One can only judge a tree by the fruit it bears, and since our policies in the past 50 plus years have been destructive and never productive, then why are we continuing them? At one time we fought nations that were out to destroy others for their own self interests. Seems we're the nation that wants to destroy others now for our own self interests. The fate of Germany and Japan comes to mind. The Corona virus and the riots are just the beginning. The problems instead of subsiding, will probably be compounded with climatic and geological upheavals. Add a war in the Far East together with our astronomical debt, and you have a recipe for disaster. (Sing to the tune of Row, row, row your boat) Washington's Money Machine Turn, turn, turn the wheel all the life long day.So we can all merrily spend our life away. - Jeannette
But. But. But. That would mean that for a lot of corporations, next quarter's stock price won't be higher than this quarter's stock price by the amount set by the Wall Street Analysts. The world would end.
If we do that we are well and truly ****ed The Chinese will simply stop using the dollar as it's reserve currency, most other nations will follow suit as they will have little choice We will then no longer have monetary sovereignty over the entire world like we do now, and the effect of that will be that the majority of our National Debt, a great deal of which is actually owed to China anyway, will become due and payable all at once.
It seems as though you think that a tactic like diplomatic/economic isolation is the end game. What kind of behavior would this tactic prompt China to adopt? Rarely have I seen "I'm taking my ball and going home" be a winning tactic.
We compensate them 1st by tariffs. I'd like you to articulate your "slave labor comment". We had slave labor once in this country and it was incompatible with a free labor system. We fought a war to end it. So why should we work with another country that employs it? Tariffs make competition fair. Wages become better and more are employed.