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Kevin Jacobson

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Des any one think that the U.S. and China will ever go to war?

I just seems like a possibility that something like this could happen. We are in an economic war and the only way I can't think of to defeat China is to cut off trade to it for about a year. But I wonder if a physical war is a possibility.

Topics: peace
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  • Efrain Torres

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    Aug 9 2012: This is the view of China through an economist eyes.

    http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_jacques_understanding_the_rise_of_china.html
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    David Hamilton 50+

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    Aug 2 2012: "Demons run, when a good man goes to war" Doctor Who.

    As much as we have huge economic and social disagreements with China, I think we see each others people, as good people. It would be very difficult to get either side to develop violent hatred towards one another. No one wants to see the two of us go at it... It would be catastrophic enough to make the gods fear humanity.
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      peter lindsay 30+

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      Aug 2 2012: It is one of the greatest effects of the "information revolution" that it has become almost impossible to demonise the population of another country as the truth is only a keystroke away. Look down the list of contributors to any one of these discussions. If you want to learn the truth about another country you just ask.

  • Rhona Pavis 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: PAUL, the point you are making is...................
    One of my favorite things about the USA is FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. It has worked quite well for us so far. I think the Chinese people would appreciate the respect and those in power in China are smart and wise enough to appreciate the value of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION as it is a component of national and individual prosperity. China is ready for changes for the better. Business is happening in China now. China is ready, willing and able to change in ways that improves the lives of the Chinese people. In the USA, the top 2% are forgetting about the role of effective consumer demand as they greedily impoverish potential consumers. The USA and China can both change for the better. I wonder how you would suggest China and the USA change to improve the lives of those at the top and those in the middle and those at the bottom.

    • paul Ashton

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      Aug 2 2012: Hi Rhona,
      Eloquent words before. As a matter of fact I was working on a gem of an idea not so long ago. Here it goes. I, like you, agree that China is prepared for well tailored democratic change made to fit its particular diverse needs. I believe technology is fundamental in this pursuit as per one of the currently posted ideas alludes to. In my perspective data sets of chinese populous cross sections opinions, views, provincial and local concerns, leader preference, and views on government direction could be effectively used to facillitate a transition towards democracy while meeting both government and a growing affluent entrepreneurial population need. While still maintaining "necessary" controls the Chinese government expectations could mandate a committee composed of government officials and respected citizens to views trends, work more within public concern, Recommend accountability, and collaborate towards a democratic solution in a communist shadow.

      As for the states? Pull your heads from out your ;0?

      Kidding! Kidding! Really.

      Thanks for responding.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Aug 2 2012: PAUL Ashton, I am glad you are working on this. Oh what a wonderful world it will be when everyone is as wonderful as you and me. I think I just said that or said it partly just because it rhymes. So many so-called leaders become intoxicated and corrupt when they get their hands on power. I think we should look to the majority of the populations of China and the USA to demand honesty in government. In the USA we pay lip service to "capitalism" while the "capitalists" write legislation and control the "elected" officials to artificially distort the market place to benefit their greedy selves. Let's demand an immediate end to the loopholes instead of another 28 years studying it and talking about it. If those loopholes are not gone within the next 2 years, I think it is time for another true American Revolution, kicking out all elected officials that stand in the way of eliminating the loopholes that favor the people and companies contributing to their election campaigns and in other ways enhancing their wealth. I think we should start here at home and clean up our government. Let's reveal the change in income and assets of all elected officials between the time they start running for public office, enter public office and leave public office. The Chinese people will have to come up with their own courage, wisdom and action to get the freedoms they are entitled to and the honesty in government they and all people deserve. No more talking., No more studies. Everyone knows what the problems are. Now is the time for action. There are an abundance of intelligent, educated, honest, well-meaning people in the USA and China. We must get them into positions of power.......NOW.

  • Efrain Torres

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    Aug 1 2012: The question presented by Kevin is genuine and everyone needs to talk about it.

    War was historically initiated is by an economic collapse. People can do insane things to cover their survival needs.

    I'm not an economist but in my point of view US has to adjust his economic debt and China has to adjust his economic growth.

    Neither US or China wants an economic collapse.
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    Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: we are at war already ..it's an economic one and china is winning and will continue to win as long as the rest of the worlds nations continue to try to grow their own GDP by feeding China's aggressive and non sustainable growth rate.

    China will consume what it wants at needs at any price with anyone who will provide it to them. Political and economic control will begin to shift even further toward China and her bloc of resource provider allies.
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      Krisztián Pintér 200+

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      TED Translator
      Aug 1 2012: are you listening, kevin? here comes the US.
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        Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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        Aug 1 2012: Krisztian,

        I would say the U.S. has no weapons of any relevance in its arsenal against the economic war it is losing to China.

        Once the $ U.S. is no longer the global trade currency it is all over and it is the U.S, who will be the 3rd world nation.

        The Fed has held its false low interest rate for way too long and there is no place lower to go. When it is forced to abandon this strategy for masking how deep the trouble we are in really is, forced to raise interest rates, we are dead.

        I wonder how much the Chinese are investing in Mitt Romney's campaign?

        China and its trading partners will be pinging our drones out of the air everywhere their use threatens China's resource supply chain.
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    James Zhang 30+

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    Aug 1 2012: War would only happen when either side sees a benefit that outweighs the death, casualties, image-destruction of the nation, and all the other trade-offs and negative consequences.
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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    TED Translator
    Aug 1 2012: it could only happen if the US attacks china, possibly for economic or dominance reasons. you are inside, vote carefully (in your case, try to convince people to vote carefully).
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    Edwin Nazarian 10+

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    Aug 1 2012: why on earth one thinks of war?

    maybe because they have got more weapons and they don't know what to do with them or it is a cultural thing.
    their Can-Do attitude may create everything unexpected.

    why don't you sing some more positive song; the moon is bright, man.

    Do you think being in war is fun?
    Have you ever been in Army?
    Have you ever carried a weapon and known what it can do?
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Aug 1 2012: No, I truly do not think it is in the Chinese character unless you invade them and then it would not be pretty!
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      David Hamilton 50+

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      Aug 2 2012: Hey... It's not in the American character either... We never pick on people our own size : p

      To be fair to us though, nothing China is doing, could drum up violent hatred in the US. We love Chinese people too much. We have issues with the government, not the people. They trick us into the wars in the middle east because the Christians and the Muslims still think they're fighting to control the world... as if they were even relevant anymore, lol. No one hates the Chinese here though, and as you say, China doesn't invade.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Aug 1 2012: O.K. a country with nuclear weapons ( a lot of them ) has never been attacked. Of course, if the world were larger and we were not so easily killed, there would be other more dangerous weapons as I guess there are. Of course we've been involved in wars. Gunboat games( see the Sanpeebles) A war to keep opium flowing into China (55 days in Peking) Where Charlton Veston plays Marine Captain Handsome Jack Meyers. Of course, I hope we the U.S. are not thought ill of because of WWII., but don'tr forget there revolution of 1049 and all that. Also don't forget the Korean War. So of course, there is war by proxy. Our nuclear sheilds should limit direct problems unless we are all idiots. Gee, we sometimes are.
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    Ken brown 30+

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    Aug 1 2012: They should,it would give both militaries valuable data,it could also galvanize the two to merge as a planet police force,china is anything but a capiltalist in sheeps clothing,The current system seems to work for them

  • Scott Koenraadt

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    Aug 1 2012: I very much doubt it.

    Personally the only way I could see it happening is if the US attacked China, which I doubt because China and south east Asia provide the US with much of its consumer products.

    And I cannot see China starting anything like this because they already are doing more of a fiscal takeover of the US

  • paul Ashton

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    Aug 1 2012: Sorry but without China there is no America as we no it anymore. Capitalism is based on buying power. America is low in that already let alone if all the affordable goods were to disappear of the shelves of Walmart. Ummmmm... Thef is all of that borrowed money the U.S. has borrowed from China too. Geez sorry to be the bearr of bad news but Chna is winning the "war" but if they weren't we would all be losing. No China does mean no U.S. but it also means n Canada because we are dependent on the American trade. Less so than before though and once we take our "dirty oil" elsewhere (China) even less than that. China is largely a benevolent force in the world criticized for having no scruples about who they lend or trade to. They are more Ferengi than Klingon in nature I think. Profit profit profit.... Which s ironic considering the system. Whatever you think of them old bad, first last, is irrelevent, we are a global community not a national one but you can call it whatever you want. If their screwed, you're screwed, we're all screwed.

  • Andrew Hu

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    Aug 1 2012: I have to say you are too selfish and narrow-minded ,besides, I don't think your opinion can represent most of the Americans' . Why don't we try to create a pacific world which will do good to all of us not only Americans.

    • Scott Koenraadt

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      Aug 1 2012: a pacifist world or a world without war would be a very tragic tale of how an awesome idea created widespread suffering. Think of how humanity reproduces, and how much farmland would be destroyed and how much food could be produced, it would not end well in the long run
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      Kevin Jacobson

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      Aug 1 2012: Andrew, I am looking at this from an American stand point and right now, for an American, America is all that matters.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: The relationship of China and the USA is complex, but IMO, all issues between the countries are insignificant compared with trade. The USA and China will not get into a war because a war would destroy the economy of both nations. The USA corporate leaders, who are the real decision makers in this country, will not allow war. The Chinese leaders know that they are very vulnerable to a people's revolution. A war with the USA would, almost overnight, put millions of Chinese workers out of work, and these unemployed would be angry and desperate and would have time to plot.

    Unless the trade relationship between the two countries changes drastically, there will be no war.
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    Wade Crum

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    Aug 1 2012: We are at war with China. It's even. Once we get a Starbucks on every corner in Beijing we'll have a leg up on them. Oh wait, I have not checked who is more heavily invested in coffee futures.

  • Efrain Torres

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    Aug 1 2012: I think that there are other plans on US and China to avoid a world war in case an economic collapse followed by a national famine event occurs.

  • Rhona Pavis 50+

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    Jul 31 2012: Perhaps China will transition to Democracy and free enterprise. Anything positive is possible. Maybe the Chinese people will awaken to the awareness of their power. Remember the American Revolution? Remember the French Revolution? Anything positive is possible. (Kevin, This is response to your comment, but, again, there was no "Reply" thing in your message for me to touch indirectly through my keyboard.)
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      Kevin Jacobson

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      Aug 1 2012: The Chinese would never just transition right then and their. Even of they decided to (which will never happen) it would take years to make any difference because you would have campaigns. The Chinese government doesn't want power for it's people and it's going to stay that way. If the Chinese people had power and knew what was going on in the world, there would be revolutions, and the Chinese government obviously won't let that happen.
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        peter lindsay 30+

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        Aug 1 2012: The Chinese will never do anything that would negatively impact the ability of the US or Europe to buy all the stuff they make. On another note, China isn't a communist nation, it is essentially a dictatorship that masquerades as a socialist entity. You should explore the real meaning of communism as you are a bright kid and would benefit from getting outside the US realm a bit.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Aug 1 2012: Kevin, I wonder if a peaceful revolution is possible with the Chinese government facilitating it with a positive goal with respect to the country and people of China. Anything positive is possible.
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          Kevin Jacobson

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          Aug 1 2012: Anything positive is possible, but there are very different levels of possibility and China has a very low possibility.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Aug 2 2012: I will continue to be an optimist with respect to all matters. You, Kevin, have choice about the objects of your focus. May as well choose anything positive.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Aug 2 2012: Kevin, I think you and the world would greatly benefit from you being optimistic and positive. It is possible that I am right about this. Thank you for considering it. You might try as an experiment controlling yourself to speak, act and think in a purely positive way for 24 hours and observe the results. I wonder if you are capable of doing that. I think you are.
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          Kevin Jacobson

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          Aug 2 2012: I can think positive and whenever a positive attitude is needed, I have one, but when I see a situation that can't 100% have optimism, that's were the problems start because anything that isn't 100% fine and dandy, will have problems that need to be focused on to make it perfect.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Aug 3 2012: Kevin, I wonder what your reflex reaction to things are. When in doubt, assume positive. That covers a whole lot of situations. Also, you do have the opportunity and power to re-program yourself to increase your positivity......if you have the desire to do that.
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    V Alexander

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    Jul 31 2012: "Does anyone think that the U.S. and China will ever go to war?"

    No - there is no so-heavily-vested economic interest. Anything else is SciFi, wherein we have a plethora of examples, but no probable actualities. The USA and China could easily go to war over OTHER interests, however; I hesitate to conjecture, but we can't ignore the primacy of manufacturing consortiums. They are power, they represent power, and this power is played openly in world politics. Most Americans disregard this reality.

  • Rhona Pavis 50+

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    Jul 31 2012: I wonder if any one thinks the U.S. and China will co-exist peacefully and cooperate harmoniously to elevate the joy level of their populations. It could happen.
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      V Alexander

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      Jul 31 2012: Whatever :) :) :)
      I share joy with my brother, not my enemy. :) As things are perceived.

      • Rhona Pavis 50+

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        Jul 31 2012: Enemy? Enemy? What about your sister? your friend? strangers?
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          Kevin Jacobson

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          Jul 31 2012: The U.S. and China will never co exist because china is still a communist country and the U.S. is obliviously a democracy. The reason I ask this question is because I believe that china is trying to commence in economic warfare and one day the government may come to it's senses and stop this at once. The way we can stop china is to cut off trade to it for about six months so that we can collapse it's economy. Unfortunately, this isn't being done. It would only benefit America. It would bring the American economy up to the top again.

        • paul Ashton

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          Aug 1 2012: You know this is an international forum right?

        • Efrain Torres

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          Aug 1 2012: US and China are acting as capitalist nations. Capitalist nations know that war in their territories has to be avoided at all costs.
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