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Richard Wheeler's avatar

Thank you Andrew. Regards Richard

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David Sheinkopf's avatar

Great Article, Andrew. Thank you for broadening my thoughts

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Kathy Aspden's avatar

The balance of ironies appears to be the only true balance between the US and China. The leading import statistic is especially startling. A good and bad irony of the US being the world's number one consumer, but not the number one trade export sounds lose/lose. Image what we could do with China if we removed the propaganda of how each country portrays the other. Actually imagine what that would do for the world.

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Andrew Singer's avatar

There is definitely room for each country to downplay propaganda and warmongering to collaborate. The question is if politicians on both sides are able to, assuming they are willing to in the first place.

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Hal Rifken's avatar

Well done analysis, Andrew. Structuring your argument around “ironies” so on point!

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Andrew Singer's avatar

Hal, we get so caught up in the emotion of X or Y on a daily basis that we often cannot see the forest for the trees.

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Richard Eng's avatar

Yes, the ideological clash between America and China is at the root of all US-China tensions. The Americans oppose China's system of governance, and the Chinese oppose USA's global hegemony. The Americans want to remain #1 in the world. They believe in their supremacy.

The USA is in decline. This drives the American people crazy. The decline is irreversible.

China will be #1 in the world. This is China's century. It is inevitable and unstoppable.

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Andrew Singer's avatar

Richard. Yes, each side viscerally opposes the other's desire to be (or remain) #1. The US is in decline, yet I sometimes wonder if it is irreversible (it is hard to argue the point most days). As for China, I do not know if this will ultimately be China's century (again). More ironies.

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Richard Eng's avatar

US decline is theoretically reversible if the USA can completely overhaul its political system. Currently, it's thoroughly corrupted by the corporate capitalist elite.

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Andrew Singer's avatar

America's political system has indeed become rigidly polarized, toxic, and dangerously dysfuntional.

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