There are several rather important priorities for America moving forward:
Grow the Middle Class.
Reduce income inequality.
Reduce dependance on foreign sources.
Prioritize production over speculative enterprises.
Deal effectively with climate change.
Reduce wasteful time kids spend on their laptops.
All needed and very important undertakings. By the way, these priorities are from Xi Jinping’s “Thought” for China.
And guess what: Xi is likely to make faster progress than we ever will. While not endorsing Autocratic regimes, they can, in fact, move more decisively and at lickety-split speed. No drumming up consensus, no excruciating political in-fighting, no endless committee meetings, environment surveys, impact studies and right-of-way battles.
- As of 2022 China had over 25,000 miles of high-speed rail tracks operational and another 8000 miles under construction; with trains traveling at speeds up to 286 mph. Before 2003 they had none. (Planning for the 800 mile California High Speed Rail System was started in 1996 and may be operational in 2030-2033, with crazy cost overruns).
- In one year, 2020-2021, China completed over 5,000 miles of express highway.
- China has the largest Solar power system in the world, over 390 GW, 30 GW added in the first 6 months of 2022.
- In 2021 China was the largest manufacturer of motor vehicles in the world, over 25 million, 32% of the world and almost three times that of the U.S.
Liberal capitalist democracies are patient, inclusive and protective of the rights of all, but they move at an agonizing snail’s pace. I am not advocating for authoritarian, repressive and unilateral rule that is China, and so many other countries in the world, but simply to point out that this is increasingly what we face globally and against which we must compete. It is essential that we streamline our policies and practices, and start working together, or we’re going to be left in the dust. China is already eating our lunch worldwide at so many levels, while we bicker among ourselves, even on mundane, strictly politically issues.
We should be better than that. – – – We have to be better than that.
- – – – Just the view of a common man
Views of a Common Man 
To the point like usual !
Sent from my iPad
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Ollie’s post is a true prediction of our future wherein the U.S. will be
“left in the dust” bickering among ourselves unless we start working
together as a unified, rather than a politically-divided, nation. We were
warned years ago by Steven Chu (American physicist, Nobel laureate,
former U.S. Energy Secretary from 2009-2013, and currently a professor
at Stanford University). In 2010 in a talk to the National Press Club
Chu illuminated the growing list of sectors where China’s emerging
leadership threatened U.S. players. To that list he added leadership
in supercomputing as then the most recent Sino-superlative, and that
China’s ascent to the top of the list for supercomputing speed
revealed a new front in this race. He stated, “When it comes to
innovation, Americans don’t take a back seat to anyone . . . it’s time for
America to do what we do best: innovate.”
Chu then highlighted several crucial technologies, mostly in the areas of
power generation and transportation, where China was already outpacing
U.S. efforts, adding that the U.S. must innovate or risk falling far behind.
Those crucial technologies he identified were: high voltage transmission,
high-speed rail, advanced coal technologies, nuclear power, alternative
energy vehicles, renewable energy, and supercomputing. That was 13
years ago!
As of 2023 U.S.-Chinese relations are at their lowest level in decades due to
disputes over security, Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong and Muslim ethnic
minorities, territorial disputes and China’s multibillion-dollar trade surpluses.
China is also furious at U.S. efforts that cut off access to technology to make
advanced computer chips. President Xi Jinping’s government sees the chips
that are used in everything from phones to kitchen appliances to fighter jets
as crucial assets in its strategic rivalry with Washington and efforts to gain
wealth and global influence. Chips are the center of a “technology war”.
The ruling Communist Party is now throwing billions of dollars at trying to
accelerate chip development and reduce the need for foreign technology.
Ovid, a Roman poet born in 43 BC, was astute when he said, “You can learn
from anyone even your enemy!”.
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Thanks Jeanette, Very important and relevant complement to the subject.
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