Eighty-three percent, or 6.3 billion of the world's population of 7.4 billion, live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. As of this writing, we have about 323 million in the United States. While this administration is "making us great" again by its neo-isolationism, China is already eating our lunch. Soon they have our breakfast and dinner too.
In his book, In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of US Global Power, Alfred W. McCoy, gives us just a small glimpse of what's happening there.
China is busy spending money uniting the people of the three most populous continents on the planet.
"Between 2007 and 2014, China crisscrossed its own countryside with 9,000 miles of new high-speed rail, more than the rest of the world combined. That network now carries 2.5 million passengers daily at top speeds of 240 miles per hour. By the time the system is complete in 2030, 16,000 miles of high-speed track at the cost of $ 300 billion will link all of China's major cities.
"In October 2014, China announced plans for the construction of the world's longest high-speed rail line at the cost of $ 230 billion. According to plans, bullet trains will someday shoot across the 4,300 miles between Beijing and Moscow in just two days." Simultaneously, Beijing's leadership began integrating the country's national rail network into a transcontinental grid. (Side note: We're cutting Amtrak's budget.)
The Germans and Russians have joined with the Chinese in launching the "Eurasian Land Bridge." Two East--West routes, the old Trans-Siberian Railroad in the north and a new southern route along the ancient Silk Road," binding Eurasia together. (Side note: We can't afford to maintain our existing infrastructure.)
In summary, China is uniting those 6.3 billion people into a single geophysical economic unit.
But I don't want to alarm anyone. This administration is doing everything it can to get rid of 800,000 productive, tax paying "dreamers," and limit new immigrants coming in. Apparently, they're not concerned that immigration has historically fueled U.S. macroeconomic growth--more total workers yield more total output, more workers yield more demand, more demand yields a stronger all-around economy. And, the index of entrepreneurial activity is nearly 40% higher for immigrants than for natives. They create jobs for native born American citizens!
But really, who "needs 'em?" We got NASCAR, The Super Bowl, guns, bibles, and a growing belief that all that fancy thinking isn't very good for the country. "Today, for the first time on a question asked since 2010, a majority (58%) of Republicans say colleges and universities are having a negative effect on the way things are going in the country, while 36% say they have a positive effect.
"Among Republicans, there is an ideological gap in views of the impact of colleges and universities and other institutions: Nearly two-thirds of conservative Republicans (65%) say colleges are having a negative impact, compared with just 43% of moderate and liberal Republicans."
But don't worry too much. We have the mightiest military in the history of human kind. Yes, that military is the key to understanding why "we don't need no educated people." There is one small problem. With the military swallowing up over 57 percent of our budget, how's it going to survive when our economy tanks?
No big deal. The same billionaires who are fighting to reduce their tax burden will step up and pay, right?
Yeah, right! Sorry folks, it'll be the only time they love socialism. To them, socialism means to privatize the profits and share the losses with the public. You know, "Too big to fail."
If you believe this administration is on the right track, you're living in one of the worst nightmares imaginable. Waking up is going to give you a hell of a jolt.
Robert De Filippis
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