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Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma Says the US Wasted Trillions on Warfare Instead of Investing in Infrastructure (cnbc.com)
Alibaba founder Jack Ma fired a shot at the United States in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. An anonymous reader shares a report: Ma was asked by CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin about the U.S. economy in relation to China, since President-elect Donald Trump has been talking about imposing new tariffs on Chinese imports. Ma says blaming China for any economic issues in the U.S. is misguided. If America is looking to blame anyone, Ma said, it should blame itself. "It's not that other countries steal jobs from you guys," Ma said. "It's your strategy. Distribute the money and things in a proper way." He said the U.S. has wasted over $14 trillion in fighting wars over the past 30 years rather than investing in infrastructure at home.
To be sure, Ma is not the only critic of the costly U.S. policies of waging war against terrorism and other enemies outside the homeland. Still, Ma said this was the reason America's economic growth had weakened, not China's supposed theft of jobs. In fact, Ma called outsourcing a "wonderful" and "perfect" strategy. "The American multinational companies made millions and millions of dollars from globalization," Ma said. "The past 30 years, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, they've made tens of millions -- the profits they've made are much more than the four Chinese banks put together. ... But where did the money go?"
To be sure, Ma is not the only critic of the costly U.S. policies of waging war against terrorism and other enemies outside the homeland. Still, Ma said this was the reason America's economic growth had weakened, not China's supposed theft of jobs. In fact, Ma called outsourcing a "wonderful" and "perfect" strategy. "The American multinational companies made millions and millions of dollars from globalization," Ma said. "The past 30 years, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, they've made tens of millions -- the profits they've made are much more than the four Chinese banks put together. ... But where did the money go?"
It might just be possible to be a billionaire in the US without being an evil psychopath. Maybe. But not in China, where you must be complicit in the atrocities of its government in order to succeed in any noteworthy way.
But of course China wants us to have a weaker military. Water is wet, the Pope shits in the woods, and China wants the possible military opponent with the strongest military to be weaker. What were the odds? Taiwan isn't going to conquer itself, after all.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
China loves free trade . . . for everyone else. For themselves they much prefer mercantilism (fostering their economy with subsidies, tariffs, investment controls, currency controls, technology theft, government sponsored corporate spying, and any other trade barriers they can raise to their advantage). It's past time the playing field was leveled. If they want to keep playing with the big kids they need to start playing by the rules.
Too many chump western politicians have let this go for far too long, rather than make the necessary waves.
We have all of these in the U.S.:
Medicare
Medicade
Progressive Income Tax
Social Security
Social Security Disability
Unemployment Insurance
SNAP (Food Stamps)
WIC
What world do you live in where this doesn't resemble socialism?
You forgot bank bailouts. ("Socialism for the rich"). Which cost far more than all the other stuff put together.
Incidentally, state pensions and unemployment insurance were introduced by Bismarck in Germany, 1881-9. Bismarck was not a socialist.
I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
China doesn’t need any carriers, military airplanes, or build artificial islands in South China Sea. They totally could use that money to build more bridges, skyscrapers and maybe fix the roads between Tianjin and Beijing. Or maybe a few more nuclear plants.
"If our defense budget was cut in half, which freedoms would I lose?"
You would gain freedom, because there would be more money for taking care of citizens.
The "Defense" of the U.S. is poorly managed. Highly qualified people don't want to work helping the military kill people and destroy property.
800 military bases in more than 70 countries: Where in the World Is the U.S. Military?
Quote:
"Despite recently closing hundreds of bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States still maintains nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 countries and territories abroad -- from giant "Little Americas" to small radar facilities. Britain, France and Russia, by contrast, have about 30 foreign bases combined."
You realize we have nuclear subs positioned strategically around the globe that can hit any country on earth at any time. Every other plane, soldier, tank, etc outside the US is unnecessary (except maybe embassy and special assignments).
Not that we won't keep a strong military and continue to be the arms dealer of the world. Just having that honor means half the world would fight to protect our interests meaning we'd need even fewer actual troops of our own.
"The USA was trying to navigate a isolationist policy, not get into the war, yet our weakened stance is what tempted Japan into risking a war."
That is not accurate. We'd already been sticking our noses in Japanese interests and pissed them off.
"Further, "provide for the common defense" is one of the primary purposes of the Federal Government established by the US Constitution."
Common meaning common to these united states not every other state on the globe.
The constitution is not the fucking ultimate ethical guide to everything.
It was written by some of the best educated and intelligent men of the day who had an incredible understanding in political science, sociology, and economics. They had insight into our bickering and partisanship that persists to this day. The Constitution has been the standard bearer of governance around the world.
Forgive me if I think your opinion is rather empty.