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Declension
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31 May 2012, 2:05 am

ruveyn wrote:
The government of the the U.S. does not dictate policy to the Chinese. Some world rule!


There is no difference between dictating policy directly and simply making certain policies inconceivable. For example, do you think that China is likely to invade a non-neighbouring state under false pretenses anytime soon? Of course not. Only one country is allowed to do that.



ruveyn
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31 May 2012, 9:20 am

Declension wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
The government of the the U.S. does not dictate policy to the Chinese. Some world rule!


There is no difference between dictating policy directly and simply making certain policies inconceivable. For example, do you think that China is likely to invade a non-neighbouring state under false pretenses anytime soon? Of course not. Only one country is allowed to do that.


It is not the U.S. We are in hock up to our testicles to the Chinese.

ruveyn



Declension
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31 May 2012, 9:51 am

ruveyn wrote:
It is not the U.S. We are in hock up to our testicles to the Chinese.


Even if we assume that international debt works like that (and it doesn't), the US is not in any immediate danger.

Consider an analogy. Suppose that I am a kid, and there is a guy in my school that owes me a lot of money. However, everyone knows that he is in the habit of beating up any kid who challenges his dominance in any way, and there is no authority that I can appeal to. Would I really ask him for my money back?

Military power is real power. Economic power is a fiction, and it can be rewritten by the people who have military power whenever they like.



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31 May 2012, 10:25 am

Declension wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
It is not the U.S. We are in hock up to our testicles to the Chinese.


Even if we assume that international debt works like that (and it doesn't), the US is not in any immediate danger.

Consider an analogy. Suppose that I am a kid, and there is a guy in my school that owes me a lot of money. However, everyone knows that he is in the habit of beating up any kid who challenges his dominance in any way, and there is no authority that I can appeal to. Would I really ask him for my money back?

Military power is real power. Economic power is a fiction, and it can be rewritten by the people who have military power whenever they like.


"Military power is real power. Economic power is a fiction, and it can be rewritten by the people who have military power whenever they like."

And this is why we need to keep a powerful military.
Might DOES make right.



DC
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01 Jun 2012, 12:37 am

Declension wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
The government of the the U.S. does not dictate policy to the Chinese. Some world rule!


There is no difference between dictating policy directly and simply making certain policies inconceivable. For example, do you think that China is likely to invade a non-neighbouring state under false pretenses anytime soon? Of course not. Only one country is allowed to do that.



Oh now that you mention invading people, you do know that for most of the month May this year China has been making unsubtle threats of war to the Philippines over a territorial dispute?

What does it matter if you are neighbours, Hitler invaded Poland and it wasn't a very nice thing to do...