I lived five years in China and I never saw any people urinate in the streets. The “someone” who visited China is lying (or, more likely, this “someone” doesn’t exist and you’re lying). Any idiot who is not completely bigotted will realize that there are no such signs in Chinese elevators. BTW, did you ever tried an elevator in a subway station in the US (or perhaps your village doesn’t have a subway)?

Basing a view on a nations bathing habits on Chinatowns in the US is (almost) too stupid to comment on. I lived in Chigago for five years. Chinatown there is on the southside (roughly between the 20th and 30th street). If you’ve ever visited southside Chicago, you’ll know that Chigago’s chinatown is the absolutely best thing that whole area has to offer. Same with LA. You want to see public urination, you’ll have to get into the slums SURROUNDING the LA Chinatown. THAT area truly stinks.

You’re absolutely absurd remark that many Chinese don’t speak Mandarin is presumably based on your chinatown experiences as well. I’ve lived in China between 98-03, and I can assure you that pretty much everyone (except perhaps some people in Hong Kong) speaks perfectly fine Mandarin. Reason for this is that education and TV in the whole country is in Mandarin. You are much more likely to find an American who doesn’t speak English that you are finding a Chinese who doesn’t speak Mandarin. Obviously, the situation in your local chinatown is likely to be very different. Too bad you didn’t realize this before you blasted out your ignorance.

An Olympic Games edict about no spitting and public urination? I’m not surprised. The Games is a huge thing for China and the whole country is extremely anxious to make sure that it becomes a success. There have been many edicts, plans, TV ads, etc. already, all of them designed to ensure a positive experience for foreingers and Chinese visiting the Games. My experience is that most of these schemes are about teaching Chinese people in service jobs various phrases in westerm languages and inform them about western habits. This is to accomodate people like John who haven’t travelled so much and expect everything to be exactly like back home. Presumably, the Chinese will learn that it’s perfectly normal for Americans to leave the restrooms without cleaning their hands for example. Again, the WHOLE country (including people who have never been to Beijing and certainly won’t go during the Games) are very anxious to make sure that the Games are successful. Don’t know why you find this so bad. I currently live in the UK. I WISH there was an edict here about public urination (and public vomiting)…

How are you going to transport 200 million troops across the Pacific? It will have problem doing that even across the Taiwan strait.
No, I don’t think China is a real threat to the U.S. mainland. It is a very real threat to Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Russia, and the Middle Eastern countries. These countries are vital to the U.S. economic and political interests (much more so than Israel will ever be, I might add) and it is important to maintain U.S. hegemony in Asia.

If China and U.S. went to war today, the U.S. would win hands down, sorry. It will be that way for many decades. I’m just saying that we should keep it that way forever.

I don’t think China has any allies. China may be feared, but it is not liked by anyone. Can you name a SINGLE country in the world where the Chinese are genuinely admired? I thought not.

It would be naive to believe the official statistics provided by the Chinese. Pretty much military expert operating outside China is convinced that those figures are grossly underestimated. China is in fact making aircraft carriers to expand the capabilities of its navy and has upgraded its fighter fleet to match the fighters operated by the U.S., Japanese, and South Korean forces. As I said, the scariest thing about China is the fact that nothing is transparent in China. Although the U.S. has taken harsh international criticisms for the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, the harshest criticisms have come from the domestic sources, and the Republicans have already lost control of the Congress, and are quite likely to lose the Presidental election next year. The leaders in the U.S. are accountable to the populace. The Communist leaders in China are not accountable to anyone. They wipe out a few hundred protesters at Tiannenmen Square and go on just fine. They can invade any neighboring country and does not have to answer to anyone. Don’t you think that is scary? That a powerful totalitarian regime like China is getting stronger by the day?

As I pointed out earlier, China is forcibly occupying terrorities that it does not have legitimate claim to, such as Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet, against the wills of the inhabitants of these regions. All the so-called “autonomous administrative regions” in China do not belong to China. China has tried to occupy Vietnam and gave up only after a bloody war. It has engaged in armed conflicts with India. It has threatened Taiwan (which it again does not have claim to) with using military force, alhough Taiwan is a democratically governed country, the majority of whose inhabitants are not ethnic Han Chinese. China has clashed with Japan on the disputed islands (I forget their names). China is laying low because it is still weak but as its military becomes stronger, it will impose its will on its neighbors and other susceptible countries in an arbitrary fashion. China will try to manipulate and pressure other countries to oppose U.S. interests in the international arena and diminish its influence. The World according to the Chinese View will not be a pretty sight. Yes, Pax Americana has its faults, but can you imagine what kind of world it would be with China at the helm? I can only shudder.