Current Global Terror Alert

[Anglesachse]

One of the reasons I live out in the sticks, If anything happens it isn`t happening where I live :cool: so even if the world went nuke, I am fully self reliant and far enough away from Military, Political and Populace targets to "Calm down, and Carry on" the place I opted to live is exactly like valley from Z for Zachariah.

 

[vikingr12]

You know, China once closed all it's borders to trade and immigration, even refugee's, then when they eventually reopened, they were a world power.

Well, the truth is China closed its border during a very tumultuous period in their history, and they already were on the Security Council of the UN. So they were a world power before the closure but not a strong one. They did have the nuclear bomb. But they were not an economic power at all before they closed their borders. Mao hated capitalism but tried to make it his kind of capitalism -- the Great Leap Forward is a good example. He tried to make China beat the US in steel production in a five year plan. And he created conditions that led to famine that killed over 30 million people. Already he was responsible for about 30 million dead already, even before the Cultural Revolution. (One other famine and the 1,000 Flowers movement that liquidated all the intellectuals.)

It was not until the Cultural Revolution and Deng Xiaoping came to power in the late 70's (after Mao died) that China even was able to feed (most) its own people. Many people in China are still starving. Just recently, the government had to release pork allocted to the army to bring down pork prices so its ppeople could afford it. The housing market is mushrooming so much that they are worried about a housing bubble similar to what happened to the US. Housing costs are out of sight in China. People are buying houses using hard earned savings that eventually will run out. Economically China is living on the back of the tiger, despite all its perception of being cash rich. The CP, with all its corruption, knows one bad mistake and they are gone or there will another bloody civil war. It's a world power that has to be very careful. They are facing a possible war with 3 other countries over disputed islands in the South China Sea. And they face the more difficult dilemma of know they need democracy to be a real world power but the Marxist doctrinaires simply will not let it go.

If the US closed its borders to trade, it would not only affect the US, but practically the rest of the world.

 

[Barberian]

If the US closed its borders to trade, it would not only affect the US, but practically the rest of the world.

It would be the end of the world as we know it. Not in an apocalyptic way, but EVERYTHING of economic and world security would change. And yes, I believe many governments would collapse. The economic and food aid we give around the world is in the billions of $$. The world supply chain annually is in the billions not counting oil and other forms of energy.

One aircraft carrier battle group pulling into a foreign port for a week can easily infuse that city with over $100 M with sailors wages spent, food and fuel taken on by the ships, port fees, etc...

Most people just don't understand what an economic juggernaut the U.S. is.