HALF A MILLIONAIRE

History shows that every empire has an end, and I believe that American domination on the international stage has been weakened by China. And, although the Asian giant is still about 100 years behind the U.S., it will catch up and eventually take the lead in the long run because:

1. The growing pain that China is currently bearing is exactly the same pain which the U.S. had to go through during its industrial revolution period. However, China saves a lot of time and money on scientific research, which the U.S. and other nations have done.  

2. China is America’s largest creditor. And, personally, I don’t believe in “good debt” because debt weakens our nation. Many argue that the debt is small compared to the national GDP and that America can still handle it. In my opinion, it is the most ridiculous and irresponsible excuse. When we are in debt, our voice is no longer the strongest, and it shows during President Obama’s tour of Asia.

3. America is not being led by strong leadership, and I am not just blaming it on President Obama. I am calling out everyone in Washington DC. Turn on the TV and we can see how they fight each other for political gain. They do not really care for the American people. Most of them care about personal legacy and their own pockets.  

4. Chinese leaders are tough-minded. They learn from the collapse of the Soviet Union, so they are slowly reforming their country. Of course, many in the Western world have been criticizing China’s human rights record for years, but the Chinese leaders never give in. They hear the complaints, and they solve the problems behind closed doors. They are not afraid of external influence because they know that the problems are theirs and that no one can tell them what to do. We all must remember that China is not the United States of America. It has thousands years of history. Its society is governed by a different set of values. We, Americans, should be more careful and sensitive when we attempt to introduce our democracy to others.

5. On the other hand, President Obama is trying really hard to please the world because he believes that America’s image has been destroyed by the previous administration. In my opinion, it is a waste of time. Why do we have to care so much about what others think of us? I believe that his first priority is to create jobs for Americans. Why did he have to tour Asia during this time? I listened to his speech in Tokyo, and, as always, it sounded really good. He told the world what he would do to fix America. However, the speech would have been more meaningful if he had actually succeeded in fixing America’s problems, in my opinion. If I were him, I would have stayed home and worked tirelessly to create jobs for Americans. And, I would have let the results speak for me.  

6. We, Americans, complain about everything because we never feel satisfied with what we have. We borrow money against our house to purchase things that we do not really need. Now, we want free healthcare when the national unemployment is over 10%. However, we must remember that nothing is “free” in life. How will we fund for universal healthcare? If we print more money, the value of the dollar will go down even more. If we finance the cost of healthcare by borrowing from China, how will we pay it back?

7. China has the largest labor force, and everyone wants to improve their livelihood. Therefore, they all are willing to work hard. Americans on the other hand always demand a higher standard of living, so the cost of doing business in America is higher. Thus, jobs will leave our shores. Bankers, engineers and doctors will do fine, but those without high education will struggle to find work. The gap between the rich and poor will widen. The poor can no longer afford the things that they used to. Frustration and anger will peak, and riots will break out.

Although the momentum is on China’s side, the Asian country will be facing many serious problems in the future that can potentially hurt it. For example, environmental pollution is slowly killing the Chinese people. After having tasted the fruit of their labor, they will begin to seek political freedom and democracy, which can lead to unrest. However, in my opinion, learning from the mistakes made by the Soviet Union and the U.S., the Chinese leaders are ready for these challenges. They will continue to rake in the money by doing business with the West, but at the same time they will keep a tight grip on their people. Regardless if we like it or not, it is their country, and they have the right to do whatever they want to do. Most importantly, we must remember to keep our mouth shut because China has a leash of debt around our neck.