Personally, I worry far more about social unrest in China causing another Great Leap Forward-esq (otherwise known as the largest man made famine in human history) or Cultural Revolution-esq (otherwise known as the children run the cities of the world most populous country for a decade) internal shift in power from the Dengist developmentalists to the Maoists.

China is overdue for such a minirevolution, and the social, environmental and economic problems are severe enough to trigger such a rebellion. Did anyone else read the NYT article on training around the anticipated Beijing pollution during the 2008 Olympics? And this is a showcase city at a showcase moment for the country. Not even the PLA can hold such forces in forever. If and when that snap happens, we're going down the drain right with our Dengist partners.

Think about how our youth are influenced by the constant sea of information, culture, and networked lifestyle... Well in China similar things are happening and the young kids aren't taking it for granted.

I really think that the olympics are going to be a spark or two for some powder kegs that are sitting around. There will be too many eyes on china for old china to squash new china's message.

As someone who's spent a lot of time in China, I agree (I think) with Drew. If you've been to China, you'll realize the Maoists aren't going to take over again any time soon, if there are any Maoists left at all. The managing of the Chinese economy is actually remarkably unpoliticized, and will remain so for the long term. The political realm-- the part of it divorced from economic policy-- remains "Communist," but it's agenda is only to preserve social order. In the poor Western provinces it pays to be "Communist" and trot out the tired Maoist nationalism to preserve social order. But in the rich East you'll find much less or none of that. Deng-style dynamism and reform is the policy, and modern business-capitalist is the zeitgeist. If any minirevolution happens, I think it'll be moving further away from the Maoist past.

The sooner China joins us and begins to fully contribute to the great expansion of knowledge and technology the better.

I just subscribed to The Atlantic after reading the Obama cover story in the previous issue. Fallows's China piece alone was worth this month's price of admission.

Against this specter of America as debtor nation, I've had the same reaction Jonathan has had to this rush toward an economic stimulus. It's as if an athlete is starting to show the harmful effects of taking steroids. And the trainer's response? "Let's pump him with even more steroids."

One of the best posts on the Stranger in a long time.

I was prepared to role my eyes when I saw the word "stimulus" and "China" within a few lines of each other.

Alas, thank you Jonathan for a thoughful post. As always.

@14 and 15. Thank you. For what it's worth, Charles, ECB, Annie, Eli, and Josh--who each receive some of the nastiest comments on Slog--are among the smartest and most articulate people I know. And I know many smart people.

And, kudos to Mr. Golob.

I therefore have no use for them.