The recession is really damaging to national self confidence: 44% of Americans now believe that China is the world’s leading economic power, as opposed to the 27% who (correctly) believe that it is the United States. Compare those latest Pew poll stats from those from February 2008, when 41% identified the US as the leading nation (with 30% identifying China).
James Fallow of the Atlantic, however, refutes these beliefs with some hard facts -- namely that despite China’s awe-inspiring rise, it's still not a superpower. China still lags in global brands, scientific innovation, and living standards. Almost no one in the United States is a peasant farmer. Most people in China are. Nearly everyone in America has indoor plumbing. Most people in China don't. Japan has one-tenth as many people as China, yet its economy is larger -- the second largest in the world. America's is of course largest of all, three times larger than Japan's and about four times larger than China's. Name 20 large American corporations that do business worldwide. Without trying, you can probably name 50. Try to name even 10 from China.
Ouch. Harsh, perhaps, but we think Fallow has a point - China is still the place to watch, and may yet become the world’s leading economic power, but it still has some way to go in terms of development.
Great points. I'm happy to know that the United States is still on top. I wonder if China will actually become an economic power in the future.
ReplyDeleteChina right now is just one big copy machine. A cheap one, which is what seems to work for us as capitalist. Will they become the super power? Not in the near future due to the things they lack such as innovation and education, which even though seems great is not. Is it possible? Of course it is why not? Hopefully before that happens we as americans can live up to our past and become the great America we once used to be.
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