#2 This is amusing, in a bizarre sort of way. The Chinese are behaving like the "Yankee traders" of old, who are mostly known to modern Americans from the Star Trek, The Next Generation series, as the aliens known as "Ferengi".
The reality was that the original Yankee Traders were pure capitalists, always on the lookout for a better trade deal, and unconcerned with how foreigners carried out their side of the bargain, at least at first.
It represented colonialism without establishing a colony more than a trading post. In the early days of the founding of the United States, these traders became the forefront of the democracy movement around the world, to a great extent because democrats were far more trustworthy than tyrants and princes, who would cheat you at the drop of a hat.
So the Chinese are following in their footsteps, after a fashion. More than willing to make profitable deals with fourth world tyrants, as they screw their own nations, and far more concerned with political stability than enriching the locals.
Unlike the United States, that has lost its capitalistic edge, China will become very strong through ruthless capitalism. But eventually what will happen to them is what happened to the US. The public will get tired of putting money above all things. |
