How should the US change to deal with China?

[BitTwiddler]

China has woken up and is rising fast.

What should the US do to deal with China?

Specifically, what policies should the US change to maintain its status as a world leader in engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research?

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"U.S. Has No Plan On How To Deal With China: U.S.-China Commission Advises Congress To Fill Bush's Policy 'Vacuum'"

http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/05/1114/art1.html

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U.S. - China Economic and Security Review Commission Annual Reports to Congress (Executive Summary)

http://www.uscc.gov/annual_report/2005/05_executive_summary.htm

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"Chinese build a high-tech army within an army"

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1117/p01s03-woap.html

 

[davefitz]

ziggi,

The stability of our gov't is intertwined with its structural preference for maintaining the status quo ,in all of its manifestations. We apparently can't have one without the other. This means that all of the interest groups that profit from the current tax structure are able to fight tooth and nail to retain the their economic advantages and all of other benefits that the status quo confers. Those interest groups include the marketers of imported goods and the groups that resell out-sourced services, as well as the large corp.s that currently pay less than their fair share of the costs of gov't (ie, zero income tax via loopholes).

Since these groups are the ones that can afford to get their message heard( otherwise known as financing the election campaigns of officeholders), while the mass of taxpayers ( so called "natural persons")apparently are out of the loop, it will probably take some sort of massive economic emergency to change the tax system.

 

[astructurale]

OR it would take an awesome grassroots effort!
Word is spreading, and the book made the New Yorks Times Best Seller list. For a book about taxes that is outstanding!

If we keep thinking it's too big of a problem to tackle nothing will ever happen, but if enough of us can get out there speaking our mind and spreading the truth about our current tax system and the benefits of the Fair Tax then we CAN change things. I'm sure many people thought that african amercians would never get equal rights, back in those days because it was just too big of a problem to takle, but that didn't stop people like Rosa Parks form trying to make a difference. Amazing wonderful things can happen when we really want it too. But just don't count on the media to do it for us. We have to get out there and do the leg work ourselves...which is exactly what I'm up for!!

Apathy and pessimissim will get us no where.
(my 2cents plus some)

 

[ziggi]

davefitz,
that was the point of my comment

astruct,
I agree, but I'm Canadian, in some ways our tax system makes more sense, however it's still chock full or loopholes and other miscellaneous crap.

 

[VisiGoth]

astracurale is right. Just because a problem seems insurmountable does not mean that we should give up. As far as equal rights, what was once considered OK is now thought of as horrid. How much of what we accept as OK behavior or attitude is really horrid in terms of equal rights?

The US real estate tax was done because it was something that could practically be done. It was never a good idea, but only necessary. We now have much better methods of taxing based on income and expenditure. The removal of real estate tax should is important because it is an unfair tax to the elderly and those who suddenly fall on hard times. It is also unstable for local school, police and fire.

The fairtax is a good idea, as long as the first item to be done is real estate tax removal.

 

[astructurale]

The real estate taxes are local taxes and not collected by fedreal. The Fair Tax only deals with Federal taxes, but once implemented it is likely that many states may follow suit for a similar taxing structure, and look at the idea of removing the real estate tax, and other property taxes.

I do agree that the real estate tax if unfair, and I hope that the states will also look at the Fair Tax for local revenues as a better solution.