Does China Threaten Civilization?

[RogerFGay]

Due to global open trade treaties, China is rapidly increasing its wealth selling goods cheaply to the West, particulary the USA. (1) This has led to increased construction with modern features such as air conditioning, more and larger automobiles, and rapidly growing energy intensive manufacturing.

China has a population of around 1.3 billion - 4-5 times that of the US and the EU. If the trend continues, China could consume enough energy from world supplies to cause collapse of the world economy.

How concerned are you about this problem?
What, if anything, do you think should be done?


1. The US trade deficit with China has increased from nearly nothing in 1985 (6 million dollars) to an annual rate of more than $200 trillion in 2007. (US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html )

[Patriot Heart]

I am very worried. I am reading labels also. I have made it my new practice to avoid China made products if at all possible. There is even a book out "Not Made in China" about a family that decided to try living a whole year without buying anything from there.

[ColonialMarine0431]

I trust those rice pickers about 1/10000 of an inch. On a good day.

[Rhino]

How many people remember when they were saying the same kind of things about Japan? Cept for the population numbers of course.