[Free Vulcan]

China to me seems like a house of cards. Too much, too fast, too rigged, too controlled. I think overall they are in worse shape than we are.

[BikerJoe]

China to me seems like a house of cards. Too much, too fast, too rigged, too controlled. I think overall they are in worse shape than we are.

I dunno...I'll bet they aren't printing money to buy their own debt yet.

[Malesherbes]

I have the same impression. Part of it comes from the writings of Gordon Chang of Forbes who forecasts some kind of collapse. The other is simply the belief that authoritarian leftists ultimately mess everything up.

I am just back from Warsaw, Poland, a city I regularly visit. In 1939 it had a great mayor, politically conservative, who oversaw the renovation of the city’s infrastructure, including the development of many parks.

Then it had the misfortune of being destroyed by the Nazis and rebuilt by the Communists. But despite their tendency toward concrete shoe-boxes, the Communists did a few things right, rebuilding the Old Town and historical buildings according to the original designs. And the parks remained.

Post-Communist Warsaw is a thriving, market oriented city with a very livable atmosphere. Modern buildings, skyscrapers, and handsome apartment developments have emerged, and the parks are still there. It is a city in which one can feel very comfortable.

[SatinDoll]

“...house of cards...”

You are so right! All it would take is for something seemingly minor to go wrong and everything will tumble down.