DMikeS4321

This is an extremely interesting article and gives much food for thought. It's interesting to me, though, that I have so many well educated friends in China who don't believe their country will ever eclipse the U.S. These people imagine a parity between the U.S. and China. Their belief that China will never surpass the United States is based on some of the points alluded to in the article. One good friend explained that his position is based upon the profound cultural differences in learning styles, differences that are so deep that he actually claims they are ingrained in the Chinese psyche, even two to three generations after emigrating to the West. The key to the difference in learning styles is written language. My friend's belief is that whereas Westerners typically learn in a linear fashion, Chinese see concepts holistically. We construct concepts through use of building blocks (letters), but Chinese typically grasp a concept as a whole. He showed me the Chinese symbol for "horse" and actually pointed out the mane, hooves and tail. I couldn't see it at all; it's like seeing a scorpion when you look at the constellation Scorpio in the night sky, but he assured me that is how Chinese read. While I can imagine some advantages to this "holistic" approach, he was adamant that it was a limitation. I insisted that there was much for us to learn from China, but his position was that the learning is all going the other way. In most major fields, his thought was that China will make huge strides, but will never overtake us, simply because we have such a big head start. He also pointed out that China's culture is changing, becoming Westernized at a very rapid pace. He asked me how much cultural influence China had on the West; I was left with nothing more to say than: "Not as much as I would like!", and I was serious about that, but he just smiled as if he'd made a HUGE point. I guess he had.... I hope China and the U.S. can join hands and create a beautiful future together, and I think they can. I'm American through and through, but I LOVE China. I've spent most of my life reading and thinking about the mysterious Middle Kingdom, and now that I actually travel to visit (with the possibility that I may even LIVE there some day), I pray that our leaders will have the wisdom to form a deep and permanent friendship that will benefit the entireity of mankind.

I know this is constantly changing, but could we pin this for future reference? I'd really like to be able to look back on this during the upcoming months. I think it would be very good for new people as well. Thanks! Happy New Year!

Awww, Jim, don't be shy. I would actually like to read your reply! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

A wonderful and fitting tribute to a man I've really appreciated during my time here. Godspeed, Gerald. May He bless you, your lovely wife and the rest of your family. Mike

Very insightful and well said. I agree...

We have differences in conversation between my husband and I. Give you a simple example: A few days ago, our daughter was watching a children TV serious (on DVD) called Dora. I noticed that the TV program always repeat the same pattern and daughter seems to have become less excited with the stories than before. I made a comment casually: this program seems to become a bit dull (for her). As soon as husband heard this, he said with a disturbed tone: "if you don't like it, turn it off", and started walking toward the computer where daughter was watching the DVD. I stopped him. He said, if you don't like it, don't watch, no need to complain.... That was the end of our conversation about the issue. I was quite upset (obviously he was, too) that a simple comment could cause such a reaction. We have been married for way over 10 years, there are still many moments that our conversation didn't get anywhere at all (or ever worse, ended badly). I guess what I was trying to say is, when your wife talks about something, she may not necessary want to get a solution, or relate it to her own life. I found it hard to talk casually with my husband because he takes everything seriously. Excellent example. My wife and I don't have problems like this, but I certainly have seen it in the past. Communication typically means different things to men and women, at least so I've heard. I'm reluctant to say more; I think I'll just wait for an answer....

Glad to hear that. I knew what you had was a quality piece and am happy that you received what it was worth and did not short yourself. Any time you need me to give you an honest asking/sell price on another, feel free to ask. Thanks, I appreciate that. Have a Merry Christmas!

Thanks, Mike! I read this too, but I don't think I quite got it until I read it again. Maybe my friend is right. I hope so... Best Regards P.S. The 1895G sold for $550!!!! Seems the factory porting IS important to some people. Thanks again for your interest!

I'm posting to ask if anyone has any special knowledge about visas for Guam. A friend has offered me a job in Guam. He seems to think tourist visas are much more available for citizen's of China than is the case with visas to the U.S. proper. I haven't found any information on the internet and I haven't been able to locate a (working) number for the visa department in Guam. There is some (probably misleading) indication that it may be easier to get a visa to Guam from PRC. My decision about the job will probably come down to whether or not it will be easier for my wife to join me if I'm in Guam, even for short "tourist" stays. Any and all information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

---------- I've posted this here in the hopes it receives better reception and response; If you can't stay to topic nor avoid baiting comments.. stay out of the thread or risk being deleted. Let's have a civil discussion if that's possible. I'm not sure that there can be far-reaching international agreement at all on what to do; it will probably fall mostly to independent measures being applied domestically. I do think that those at the top of the heap should curb their appetite more so (and I mean measured by population, so per capita). My final hope is that some countries will not hide behind the "it will hurt our economy" cry... if you sleep in your bed, you should make it as well. I heard on the radio today that the U.S. has (proportionately) reduced it's "greenhouse gas emissions" more than any of the countries that signed on to the Kyoto Accords. I'll check to see if I can confirm this statement as being factual. As for your last statement, David, what if it CAN hurt out economy? I'm not sure we can be cavalier about that. The U.S. is the richest nation in the world, but don't we also shoulder a disproportionate share of the foreign aid and charity worldwide? I'm not sure the American economy (read that "American PEOPLE", as WE seem to pay for everything Washington does) can continue to thrive under the stresses we are witnessing now. It isn't a forgone conclusion that we will ALWAYS be the wealthiest country. Is that good or bad? Are we prepared for it, either way? Just asking...

This is a good analysis and I think you have nailed the primary concern of CCCP. As for Lee's above post, the free market doesn't MANIPULATE values (as separate from some traders), it SETS values. Wal-Mart pushes for lower prices so they can sell for less than their competitors. They increase their bottom line through volume, not margin. "Discovering" that formula is what made Sam Walton rich.

OK. I'm sure the people in NYC would be sad to hear that they don't live in a sustainable community. Be that as it may, your post clearly proves my point; the decisions are based on POLITICS. I think you pretty much admit this, GZ, as you reference "the powers" twice here in describing POLICY. The POWERS have made a political decision. Call it whatever you want. As for density, you STILL haven't addressed all the large countries with greater density than China, one of which is India. Many seem to think that India will dethrone China as THE economic powerhouse in the next few years. Best tell them they can't without population control, Bill. I don't think they've gotten the word yet. Merry Christmas!!!

Good idea, Mike! OR Kim!! I seem to be on a losing streak.... Best Regards

Good idea, Mike!

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources. Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK? P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it. Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know. Yes our planet is huge. Texas has a land area of 2000 square miles. I don't think the math would support this. Sorry, Charles, Texas has a land area of 268,601 square miles. If you divide the estimated population of China, 1,300,000,000 by that number, you end up with 4839 people per square mile. At 27,880,000 square feet per mile, you end up with about 5,761 square feet per person, enough for a 1500 square foot home on a 4000 square foot lot with room left over for streets, shopping centers, etc. This population density wouldn't be to my liking, but it isn't outrageously overcrowded, either. Population densities of some American cities are: New York City, 23,705 per square mile; San Francisco, 15,502; Jersey City, 15,338; Salinas, CA, 5848; Long Beach, CA, 8589; Evanston, IL,9389; Los Angeles, 7427; Springfield, MA, 4890; even little Lodi, CA (remember the Creedence Clearwater song, "Stuck in Lodi"?) has a density of 4894! (Stats from demographia.com) The point isn't that such a place would be pleasant to live in. I think MY town is too crowded, but.... there is so much mis-information about this topic that people need to hear the truth and recognize that almost ALL of our problems are political in nature. China's family and population policies are based on something other than gross population and/or population growth. It has to do with economic growth, productivity, the governments ability to control the population and factors of that nature. China may or may not be able to feed it's population (I don't know how much of their food they have to import, nor do I know how much of their land is viable from an agricultural point of view) but I do know that they are capable of generating enough economic activity to provide for themselves. I also know that limiting their population growth will make it easier for the government to control the population in the "countryside", which is where most of the poor live. Thanks for listening. Please resit the math portion of the GREs. Your claim was "every human on earth," not the population of China. That would give each and every person a grand total of 1,134 sq. ft. If that's not outrageously overcrowded, pigs can fly. Your truth is moronic. My bad on the stats. I mixed up tables and graphs. Even at 1,134 square foot per person, the density would be approximately that of New York City. I would guess it would be less than several others like Jarkarta, Mexico City, Shanghai and Tokoyo. I don't care for urban living, but I don't think, for the purposes of this discussion, that they are OUTRAGEOUSLY overcrowded, at least not to the point that pigs can fly. Thanks for checking the math, but that doesn't change the point, and I don't think it's moronic. It is foolish, however, to pretend that the problems we're discussing are a result of population and/or population density. It's culture and policy, pure and simple. Sorry if you disagree. Best Regards

Charles, There is certainly no apology necessary. This information is the kind of thing that should be taught in elementary school, but isn't. It should be reflexive or intuitive (just like most people don't have to think about the answer to the problem of 10 X 10 = ?) for people to know these things; it would help cut through a lot of the nonsense we are constantly being misled with. I'm not trying to make this political, but I think it's really important for people to recognize the political origins of most of these problems. We can't really address the issues unless we understand where they come from. China isn't overcrowded. It has a big population, but as I showed in one of my earlier posts, there are several big countries that have greater population densities. There isn't a big gender imbalance in China because there are a great many more boys being CONCEIVED than girls, it's because there are a great many more boys being BORN than girls, and that is a function of cultural biases exacerbated by government policy. Best Regards

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources. Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK? P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it. Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know. Yes our planet is huge. Texas has a land area of 2000 square miles. I don't think the math would support this. Sorry, Charles, Texas has a land area of 268,601 square miles. If you divide the estimated population of China, 1,300,000,000 by that number, you end up with 4839 people per square mile. At 27,880,000 square feet per mile, you end up with about 5,761 square feet per person, enough for a 1500 square foot home on a 4000 square foot lot with room left over for streets, shopping centers, etc. This population density wouldn't be to my liking, but it isn't outrageously overcrowded, either. Population densities of some American cities are: New York City, 23,705 per square mile; San Francisco, 15,502; Jersey City, 15,338; Salinas, CA, 5848; Long Beach, CA, 8589; Evanston, IL,9389; Los Angeles, 7427; Springfield, MA, 4890; even little Lodi, CA (remember the Creedence Clearwater song, "Stuck in Lodi"?) has a density of 4894! (Stats from demographia.com) The point isn't that such a place would be pleasant to live in. I think MY town is too crowded, but.... there is so much mis-information about this topic that people need to hear the truth and recognize that almost ALL of our problems are political in nature. China's family and population policies are based on something other than gross population and/or population growth. It has to do with economic growth, productivity, the governments ability to control the population and factors of that nature. China may or may not be able to feed it's population (I don't know how much of their food they have to import, nor do I know how much of their land is viable from an agricultural point of view) but I do know that they are capable of generating enough economic activity to provide for themselves. I also know that limiting their population growth will make it easier for the government to control the population in the "countryside", which is where most of the poor live. Thanks for listening.

Geezz Mike Texas is mighty big place So I've been told, mostly by Texans!!

Welcome back, Jim!!

China's population policy is based on political judgements, not the ability of the planet to support increased population. The carrying capacity of Earth is far beyond today's population. Most famine is caused by political repression. Most "drought" is a direct result of misallocation of resources. Malthusian propaganda aside, let's not turn this into a political thread, OK? P.S. Planet Earth doesn't possess a "self", it's an inanimate object. It's doesn't "heal", it is a constantly changing eco-system of almost unimagineable dimension. Every human on earth could live in an area the size of the state of Texas. Population density would be approximately that of the City of San Francisco. This would include streets, stores, parks, government buildings, residential lots.... all of it. Our planet is HUGE, as anyone who has travelled overseas should know.

I agree completely. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7019998.stm I'm just fishing for answers as to why my fiancee was concerned I wouldn't be ok with her being older than me...I didn't know if there was something in Chinese culture that makes it taboo or something. It's a cultural thing; men supposedly need a younger woman (or MANY younger women) to keep their "ying" power strong. That is why it is so common for men to have extra-marital affairs. If I were you, I would explain that these "rules" don't apply to Western men. As for her age, 26 isn't that old; I think 29-30 is the point at which single women are considered to be "odd". Tats? I don't know. My wife's best friend used to do tattoos. I think they are becomming common among younger women in China. A sign of being a "modern woman". Personally, I think they can be quite exotic, but I don't care for them on Western Women. Don't ask as I don't really know why... P.S. Your gal is a complete Doll. Good for you!!

I find the people to be friendly (in a reserved sort of way... kind of like they are unsure what to expect from me), curious, hardworking and very, very bright. These are generalizations, of course. I've had several little kids (8 to 12 years old) step in front of me to introduce themselves in English. Very cute! I'm hoping to take my 13 year old son back with me in January; I can't wait to see the reaction of the younger kids when they see him. He is tall for his age, fair skinned, blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm telling him he will be the most popular boy in all of Nanning! He will go to school for a day or two to visit with Lao Po's niece. This is going to be fun! Oh yeah, safe. I've always felt safe. I even let my 15 year old daughter and her friend have their run of Guangzhou a couple of years ago. No issues whatsoever. The only hint of problem I've had was when Lao Po and I took a short cut through an alley late one night in Nanning (against her advice) and 3 or 4 men said something to us. I couldn't understand, of course, but I could tell from Bini's sharp reply that it wasn't nice and she never told me what they said. Being bai chi lao wai, I was quite willing to chat with them about their manners, but Bini handled it. If anyone messes with her they should probably bring some friends because she has a complete no nonsense side to her, unexpectedly so for such a feminine woman. I am just overawed by her command of every situation, but then, as I keep saying, she IS Hakka and she IS from the "countryside", so she's seen a lot. Just yesterday she was telling me how her first job was in a cannery, packing fruit, 12 hours per day, 7 day a week, for 70 rmb per MONTH! From that to buying her first house with CASH by the age of 24... kind of puts it all in perspective. Am I lucky or what?

Hi Charles, Why would this happen? Why would a VO be told ahead of time to issue a blue slip and who would tell the VO to do that? Thanks

The cost will be very high, but in the long run (or even mid-term) a very viable alternative to burning up the carbon on Planet Earth. We had BETTER be on the ball with this, although there is plenty to go around. At 4 tons per year (for us), there is a half-million year supply up there; we could solve a lot of problems. A very interesting and cool idea.

Roger, why don't YOU quit selling Che tee shirts? This wasn't political, it was a comment about morality, or is THAT political too??? I'm deleting my original post. It's up to you to do the same if you find it offensive, or... you can leave it in your replies to me. By the way, Rog, if it was so offensive, why did you quote it and keep the ball rolling?