Conquer Club

The humble stamp.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepar ... usa-cheap/

I can buy a magnifying glass from China for $1.27. That includes Ebay fees, Paypal fees, the item, the battery (it has lights), packaging and postage from CHINA to my mailbox! If I shipped that from Houston, Texas to Austin, Texas (only 240 miles away) just the shipping would be $2.86. Yep, much more than the shipping cost from Beijing to Houston.

So instead of fighting a tariff war...how about raising postage rates China pays the US Postal Service to the same level that I pay?

1) Instead of loosing millions the post office would be earning money
2) The postal union pensions could be funded
3) A reduction in Chinese imports into the US would reduce the trade deficit.
4) Less wear and tear on postal equipment and the city roads.
5) Some jobs might even come back

And guess what...we didn't raise tariffs on a foreign country. Also, it only hurts Americans that buy foreign goods.

Currently, I couldn't purchase that magnifying glass and resell it on Ebay without taking a loss.

My 2 cent stamp,

HitRed

In April 2018, the trade surplus of China had amounted to about 28.78 billion U.S. dollars.

Not a single country has as many succesful multinationals as the USA. So how about introducing profit taxes on american subsidiaries? Guess what... you don't raise tariffs on a foreign country this way. It only hurts those who buy american products.

For those who like history the Opium Wars might give insight to current events.

Short story...

Europeans and other countries prized Chinese goods like silk, porcelain, tea, ivory, jade and teak (wood). The Chinese though were not interested in many European goods. This resulted in a huge trade imbalance with massive quantities of silver coins being amassed in China and many European counties in crippling debt.

To return the balance the British grew opium in India and forced its introduction into China. Realizing the detrimental effects to his people the emperor tried to stop the opium. Two wars broke out and the European armies won.

Today there is a huge trade imbalance caused by Western desire for Chinese goods and limits to outside imports into China. China does enjoy western movies and certain items. I'm sure this will get worked out.

HitRed

Except during the Opium Wars the Europeans had technology that was 400 years ahead of what the Chinese had. Today, the Western powers are (maybe) 4 years ahead of the Chinese, or maybe not even that.

I would not want to try landing a hostile force at the Hai River estuary in 2018.

Dukasaur wrote:Except during the Opium Wars the Europeans had technology that was 400 years ahead of what the Chinese had. Today, the Western powers are (maybe) 4 years ahead of the Chinese, or maybe not even that.

I would not want to try landing a hostile force at the Hai River estuary in 2018.

This just shows the american empire doesn't even come close to the amount of power the european empires wielded during their heydays. #USAweakestempireinhistory

HitRed wrote:For those who like history the Opium Wars might give insight to current events.

Short story...

Europeans and other countries prized Chinese goods like silk, porcelain, tea, ivory, jade and teak (wood). The Chinese though were not interested in many European goods. This resulted in a huge trade imbalance with massive quantities of silver coins being amassed in China and many European counties in crippling debt.

To return the balance the British grew opium in India and forced its introduction into China. Realizing the detrimental effects to his people the emperor tried to stop the opium. Two wars broke out and the European armies won.

Today there is a huge trade imbalance caused by Western desire for Chinese goods and limits to outside imports into China. China does enjoy western movies and certain items. I'm sure this will get worked out.

HitRed

I typed some huge missive about this in PL recently so can't be bothered going into too much detail again, but yes you're right that there's a connection. The century between the first Opium War starting (1842) and the end of WWII is known as the century of humiliation. Imperial powers (esp UK, France and Japan, but also Germany, Russia, America, Belgium etc.) spent 100+ years invading, ransacking and forcing all sorts of unfair concessions from China. In the national psyche - if there is such a thing - people are pretty aware that the only way China can avoid being bullied and exploited again in future is to become strong enough that no one is able to bully or exploit it. And whenever things like the 'Pacific pivot', these tariffs etc. happen, people interpret it as an American attempt to contain China's rise. Which it is, to be fair, so they're not wrong.

Thankfully China is no longer the weak and stagnant place it was when it was the Qing Dynasty. Now China is in the position where if America keeps putting its hand inside the crocodile's mouth, its whole Pacific fleet is going to be buried under a hail of fire. It'll be like that Ben Affleck film, Pearl Harbor, except rather than the Americans eventually winning it will just be the opening 10-15 minutes of carnage played on a constant loop.

mrswdk wrote:

HitRed wrote:For those who like history the Opium Wars might give insight to current events.

Short story...

Europeans and other countries prized Chinese goods like silk, porcelain, tea, ivory, jade and teak (wood). The Chinese though were not interested in many European goods. This resulted in a huge trade imbalance with massive quantities of silver coins being amassed in China and many European counties in crippling debt.

To return the balance the British grew opium in India and forced its introduction into China. Realizing the detrimental effects to his people the emperor tried to stop the opium. Two wars broke out and the European armies won.

Today there is a huge trade imbalance caused by Western desire for Chinese goods and limits to outside imports into China. China does enjoy western movies and certain items. I'm sure this will get worked out.

HitRed

I typed some huge missive about this in PL recently so can't be bothered going into too much detail again, but yes you're right that there's a connection. The century between the first Opium War starting (1842) and the end of WWII is known as the century of humiliation. Imperial powers (esp UK, France and Japan, but also Germany, Russia, America, Belgium etc.) spent 100+ years invading, ransacking and forcing all sorts of unfair concessions from China. In the national psyche - if there is such a thing - people are pretty aware that the only way China can avoid being bullied and exploited again in future is to become strong enough that no one is able to bully or exploit it. And whenever things like the 'Pacific pivot', these tariffs etc. happen, people interpret it as an American attempt to contain China's rise. Which it is, to be fair, so they're not wrong.

Thankfully China is no longer the weak and stagnant place it was when it was the Qing Dynasty. Now China is in the position where if America keeps putting its hand inside the crocodile's mouth, its whole Pacific fleet is going to be buried under a hail of fire. It'll be like that Ben Affleck film, Pearl Harbor, except rather than the Americans eventually winning it will just be the opening 10-15 minutes of carnage played on a constant loop.

Get real Mrs.

China attacking the US Navy???

Put the pipe down my lil' fancy lad.

China will attack America and America will have to go fish its sailors' hats out of the South China Sea afterwards:

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articl ... 13008.html

America couldn't even beat a bunch of jungle dwellers in Vietnam, no way it wins a naval conflict with one of the world's largest and most advanced military powers right on its own doorstep.

China got it's ass kicked by Vietnam in 1979.

China has only one true ally in Asia.....North Korea and now that's a bit shaky.

China is alone......

So is America. Who needs allies?