<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:14pt"><div>Tara Maya wrote:</div><div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div id="yiv1589370171"><div> </div>
<div>> However, the paradox is that for the past five hundred years (probably more) </div><div>> wars have always been won by the combatant with the strongest economy, </div><div>> and usually that has meant the freest economy. Liberal England vs centralized </div><div>> Napoleonic France, the capitalist democratic Allies vs. the National Socialists, </div><div>> etc. The technological and financial inventions that made the more liberal </div><div>> governments stronger did NOT come from the government, but in time of war, </div><div>> WERE put to good use by the government.</div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">John Grigg wrote:</font></div><div> </div>
<div>> And so what does this say about the rivalry between the United States and </div><div>> Communist China? They will fairly soon have the bigger economy, and is </div><div>> ours really the most free? We do have the technological edge, but that is </div><div>> steadily eroding due to the massive Chinese espionage program aimed against </div><div>> us, their demand that all foreign companies working in their nation divulge </div><div>> all manufacturing tech secrets, and also because of the major resources China </div><div>> is spending to modernize their military and nation in general.</div><div> </div><div>It is a real question whether the United States has the economic freedom </div><div>to successfully compete with China. Chinese central planning prevents</div><div>innovation but they are very good at reverse engineering. They are sitting</div><div>on a
powder keg of internal problems and bad internal investment. On the</div><div>other hand they have their fingers in resources around the world, control</div><div>of trade routes, and everyone owes them money. I suspect the economic</div><div>problems in the US and Europe could destabilize China if it gets much </div><div>worse - then everyone in the world has a bad day - even the central planners</div><div>who caused the problem thinking they had the knowledge necessary for</div><div>economic planning.</div><div> </div><div>Dennis May<var id="yui-ie-cursor"></var></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>