KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) Is anyone currently listening to Rush Limbaugh? He just played a sound clip of Obama talking after the cameras stopped rolling saying (paraphrasing) "Have you seen the Olympics? Have you seen how much China spends on infrastructure - their airports, their trains, their sea ports? They are all far ahead of us here in the U.S.? Then corporations see that and decide to move there... [blah blah blah]" So basically he's saying - Look how great communism is because slave labor can build such wonderful (and ugly) sports stadiums?!?! Edited August 22, 2008 by KevinDW78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01503 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Sounds like something he would say. Unfortunately, my dad was reading a book called "The World Is Flat" about how America is behind China and Japan, etc. I think it's because we're in so much internal turmoil. Communism obviously isn't the answer; I don't exactly like the idea of gulags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Yeah but the stupid part is "Have you seen how much they spend on infrasturcture?" Who is "they", Mr. Obama? THEY is the communist government via slave labor. *runs to bathroom* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandonk2009 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Meh. Doesn't surprise me too much. Also, how many people did China's government immorally confiscate land from in order to build all of these buildings? Sounds like something he would say. Unfortunately, my dad was reading a book called "The World Is Flat" about how America is behind China and Japan, etc. I think it's because we're in so much internal turmoil. Communism obviously isn't the answer; I don't exactly like the idea of gulags. Off topic, but "The World is Flat" is a study on economic globalization and while it's been a while since I read it last, Friedman thought that America was behind China and Japan on communication infrastructure in the sense that in almost every single place in Japan, you can access Wi-Fi. And in the newly expanding urban China you see the same as well. There were other examples... It's also important to note that without America's mixed economic system, China wouldn't be the global economic powerhouse it is today. The same applies with socialist India. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) I like the point Rush made in response to it - China is so great that they have to enforce that people not have more than once child because they can't feed them all. [but they can spend money on ugly ass Olympic stadiums.] Gotta love socialism. Edited August 22, 2008 by KevinDW78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Rush is certainly flawed, but he is funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moebius Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Is anyone currently listening to Rush Limbaugh? He just played a sound clip of Obama talking after the cameras stopped rolling saying (paraphrasing) "Have you seen the Olympics? Have you seen how much China spends on infrastructure - their airports, their trains, their sea ports? They are all far ahead of us here in the U.S.? Then corporations see that and decide to move there... [blah blah blah]" So basically he's saying - Look how great communism is because slave labor can build such wonderful (and ugly) sports stadiums?!?! China's infrastructure -at least along the coast- probably are ahead of us. After all the government doesn't need to consult anyone if they wanted to lay a twelve lane highway right through your town. They just do it. Furthermore their infrastructure are attractive to corporations who are picking potential sites to build factories on. So as far as I can tell Obama is right on both counts. Just going by the information you provided, I don't see how you came to your conclusion on what Obama is saying.. You are right though -- those stadiums are ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Rebel Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 China's infrastructure -at least along the coast- probably are ahead of us. After all the government doesn't need to consult anyone if they wanted to lay a twelve lane highway right through your town. They just do it. Furthermore their infrastructure are attractive to corporations who are picking potential sites to build factories on. So as far as I can tell Obama is right on both counts. Just going by the information you provided, I don't see how you came to your conclusion on what Obama is saying.. You are right though -- those stadiums are ugly. Spot on. I would add that in addition to the customized infrastructure they have a hand in organizing, also consider that the labor prices are well below what they are here in the United States. I read a report the other day discussing how finance jobs many of the Ivy League MBA'ers have are being outsourced down to India for a fraction of the cost. Same, I think, will occur with BIGLaw. One question I would like to know is, does China have a minimum wage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) China's infrastructure -at least along the coast- probably are ahead of us. You missed the point. I am not arguing with Obama's assessment of who is superior - I am pointing out the absurdity in pointing to a communist country pouring money into infrastructure and then saying how great it is. I am dealing with principle. The pyramids of Egypt were the most advanced thing in the world at the time - that doesn't mean they were great considering they were built with slave labor. Obama's implication is that the U.S. needs to have the government pour money into infrastructure to catch up to the Chinese for the sake of attracting corporations. (And even that aspect of his statement is arguable). I would add that in addition to the customized infrastructure they have a hand in organizing it is NOT the role of government to "organize" anything with infrastructure. also consider that the labor prices are well below what they are here in the United States. Correct - it's called "slave labor" from a communist government. Edited August 22, 2008 by KevinDW78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 The really funny part is when Barrack praised the ports. The ports are run by Dubai Ports World, a company that was criticized by Obama as a legislator in 2006. I love hypocrisy. My favorite thing about politicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ithaca Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 In other words, the solution to poor infrastructure is greater governmental regulation. I can hardly feign shock at such an implicit statement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Rebel Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 You missed the point. I am not arguing with Obama's assessment of who is superior - I am pointing out the absurdity in pointing to a communist country pouring money into infrastructure and then saying how great it is. I am dealing with principle. The pyramids of Egypt were the most advanced thing in the world at the time - that doesn't mean they were great considering they were built with slave labor. Obama's implication is that the U.S. needs to have the government pour money into infrastructure to catch up to the Chinese for the sake of attracting corporations. (And even that aspect of his statement is arguable). it is NOT the role of government to "organize" anything with infrastructure. Correct - it's called "slave labor" from a communist government. You speak in principle and I agree. But, the fact is, China is attracting large multi-national corporations because of the benefits they afford to businesses. In theory, no corporation should be attracted to a communist environment. Yet, here they do. The Chinese work for these businesses for cheaper, increasing corporate profits over time, and the corporations have a hand in the direction the infrastucture is headed furthering the corporate direction. To quote Kevin quoting Rush quoting Obama, "Then corporations see that and decide to move there... [blah blah blah]". And slave labor you say? Labor prices are based upon the value provided to the business. I don't know where slave labor comes into play for these multi-national businesses, but if you have some info that they utilize slave labor, do enlighten me. Yet at the end of the day, the purpose of a business is to make money. If they can make more money and increase thier corporate value in a communist country than they can in a country with a mixed economy, then alarm bells should be ringing about what's going on in the mixed economy. Or, alternatively, what isn't going on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thales Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 You speak in principle and I agree. But, the fact is, China is attracting large multi-national corporations because of the benefits they afford to businesses. In theory, no corporation should be attracted to a communist environment. Yet, here they do. The Chinese work for these businesses for cheaper, increasing corporate profits over time, and the corporations have a hand in the direction the infrastucture is headed furthering the corporate direction. To quote Kevin quoting Rush quoting Obama, "Then corporations see that and decide to move there... [blah blah blah]". China's economy is not nearly what America's economy is and the infra-structure of the country overall is vastly inferior to America's. And when he says we should be doing what they are doing, what does he mean? It's a totalitarian society, a totalitarian society that has loosened the chains up in some places to get more loot. Btw, Rush is wrong about things like building code. Building codes do nothing for building safety. The reason buildings are safer in America is because Americans are freer and therefore richer so they can put more money into improving their homes and roads. And slave labor you say? Labor prices are based upon the value provided to the business. I don't know where slave labor comes into play for these multi-national businesses, but if you have some info that they utilize slave labor, do enlighten me. It's been well established that China uses slaver labor. You can google it. Here is Obama once again spouting idiocy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Thanks for the link Thales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 The pyramids of Egypt were the most advanced thing in the world at the time - that doesn't mean they were great considering they were built with slave labor. My understanding is that they were actually the first workfare program. Peasants with nothing to do in the offseason would go work on the pyramids. They weren't actually slaves. Of course it was all funded by taxes and mercantilism, so your reasoning about them not being great nevertheless stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinDW78 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 My understanding is that they were actually the first workfare program. Possibly. I have heard of the emerging theories on that. I was wondering if this would come up. It's kind of a Straw Man though. Use any analogy - the Roman Collesium or what-not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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