If a Green China overtakes the US in GDP, are they the superior country?

[Thorgrim]

Tom Friedman is on CNBC talking about green China, its massive growth, and after it goes green it could clean our clocks

From the CIA:

China
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.859 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.9% (official data) (2005 est.)


US
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.36 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2005 est.)


If things went as they are, its only a matter of time before they overcome us, if they get the tech edge with a clean economy...

If a Chinese government makes the world's strongest economy, and libertarians respect economic power, does that mean they respect Communism?

If another government outproduces ours, does that make them the better businessmen, maybe the better country?

Just curious

[motivez]

China isn't real Communism, so I don't think that's a fair question

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by motivez

China isn't real Communism, so I don't think that's a fair question

Fine then lets talk about it strictly as a matter of nationalism...they'd be the economic superpower, we'd be in their shadow

[motivez]

China's current growth rate isn't sustainable, so I don't know that we'd be "in their shadow".. so much.

Their population is also much worse off than ours is, there's a whole list of factors that they simply can't compare to the US.. so I think relying on a single statistic like GDP is somewhat foolish when measuring the worth of a country

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by motivez

China's current growth rate isn't sustainable, so I don't know that we'd be "in their shadow".. so much.

Their population is also much worse off than ours is, there's a whole list of factors that they simply can't compare to the US.. so I think relying on a single statistic like GDP is somewhat foolish when measuring the worth of a country

Norway/Sweden has us beat on many factors, but we are still smug about our "economic powerhouse" and laugh at "dying europe" and "poor Asian countries"

If we get beat by individual prosperity by one country, and total economic power by another...thats a big step back than "superpower" especially in an age where everyone with a nuke is considered invunerable to attack, and 20somethings who can barely shoot an AK47 can hold down our entire army

[Diesel66]

Not until they are 3 times our level.

[civicmon]

China's still dirty, polluted, corrupt and 3/4 the population live in poverty.

[ballz2wallz]

it's going to be a century before china is clean.

if they start now.

[SpicyMcVoodoo]

Originally Posted by motivez

China isn't real Communism, so I don't think that's a fair question

Economically, but it is a dictatorship, the effects of which will be interesting to see. They're certainly more efficient.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

They're certainly more efficient.

do you admire this chinese efficiency?

[thomez]

how about when they pass us in GDP per person we'll talk

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by thomez

how about when they pass us in GDP per person we'll talk

Norway does, but I was always told that the "socialist" luxuries of those nations were nothing to envy because the size of our GDP was what mattered and we were the economic superpower...for right this second...anyway

[LegacyGT]

Originally Posted by civicmon

China's still dirty, polluted, corrupt and 3/4 the population live in poverty.

That's where we're headed with this president and congress...

[motivez]

Originally Posted by LegacyGT

That's where we're headed with this president and congress...

Yep

People from the oil industry are in charge of our enviornmental policy.. it's a shame.

[Kytro]

GDP Per capita....US is #7 on the list.

[6SpeedTA95]

China isn't real communism and the parts fo their country that are rapidly growing are more capitalist than the US. HongKong is among the freest economic societies on the planet.

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Norway/Sweden has us beat on many factors, but we are still smug about our "economic powerhouse" and laugh at "dying europe" and "poor Asian countries"

If we get beat by individual prosperity by one country, and total economic power by another...thats a big step back than "superpower" especially in an age where everyone with a nuke is considered invunerable to attack, and 20somethings who can barely shoot an AK47 can hold down our entire army

The problem with Norway and Sweden is their size. Sure their percapita GDP is larger, but when your so small you can specialize an economy and give yourself a real comparative advantage in a particular area. This is what they've done and its worked well.

China's GDP will probably continue to rapidly expand based on their growing middle class. I dont see how this is a bad thing. It's also not necessarily a bad thing for China to surpass the US when it comes to GDP. Per Capita GDP is still much higher here, and it's been obvious for years that China is an economic superpower and will continue to be.

The only way china's growth could slow would be if the government began implementing restrictions. They've actually been doing the opposite the last 15 years, hence the rapid growth.

[Diesel66]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Norway does, but I was always told that the "socialist" luxuries of those nations were nothing to envy because the size of our GDP was what mattered and we were the economic superpower...for right this second...anyway

Norway and the US are basically tied. $500 difference from the CIA Factbook and from this version the US is up by $100

http://www.worldfactsandfigures.com/...untry_desc.php

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by Diesel66

Norway and the US are basically tied. $500 difference from the CIA Factbook and from this version the US is up by $100

http://www.worldfactsandfigures.com/...untry_desc.php

Interesting 2004 figures from the World Bank but the US @ no 7. With a higher figure than the CIA factbooks 1993 figures.

PPP on the other hand:

#1 United States $11,628,083,000,000.00
#2 China $7,123,712,000,000.00
#3 Japan $3,774,086,000,000.00
#4 India $3,362,960,000,000.00
#5 Germany $2,325,828,000,000.00
#6 United Kingdom $1,832,252,000,000.00
#7 France $1,744,352,000,000.00
#8 Italy $1,621,372,000,000.00
#9 Brazil $1,482,859,000,000.00
#10 Russia $1,408,603,000,000.00

[Diesel66]

Originally Posted by Kytro

Interesting 2004 figures from the World Bank but the US @ no 7. With a higher figure than the CIA factbooks 1993 figures.

?



cia factbook
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications.../2004rank.html