Quote Originally Posted by Torog
Do you believe that China is being run by hard-line commies who eventually want to rule the world ?

Do you believe that the same is true of Russia ?

You see,I believe that the answers to both questions,are a loud and resounding YES.

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Modern China is communist only in so much as it is ruled by the Communist Party and that is just a name. There is very little about China today that resembles communism. A huge percentage of state run businesses have shut down and/or have been privatized. People are free to build what they want and to buy what they want. Old communist era cement blck building are being torn down and replaced with high price condos. Honestly, if you were to suddenly wake up in someplace like Shanghai or Beijing you would have no idea you were in a "communist" country.

The bottom line is that, about 20 years ago, the Chinese government realized
communism wasn't working. The rest of the world was rapidly advancing while they were waving their Little Red Book and growing rice. Since then they've gradually introduced market reforms that, ecomomically speaking, make them just about as capitalist as we are.

The problem for the govt there is that it has been like containing a nuclear reaction. We in the west like to complain that they are not changing fast enough when in reality they are changing at a blinding pace. The difference between China in 1976 and 2006 is like the difference between the US in 1906and 2006. Just in the last 10 years since I lived there the change has been enormous. I go back now and just shake my head because it's a totally different place. Keeping all of this under control while keeping themselves in power has been a massive challenge for the govt. So, they let the leash out bit by bit. Long enough to keep the people reasonably happy but still short enough that they can pull it in if needed.

In any case, China is definitely ruled by hard line commies intent on world domination. Why spread communism to other countries when it didn't work there? What they do want is to become a major economic, technological, and (yes) military, power. In other words, they want to become more like the USA. Don't forget, at one point in their history they were the most advanced society in the world. Why shouldn't we expect they would want to be, at least one of the most advanced, again? And, who are we to deny them that wish?

Don't know about Russia, but my gut tells me that all of the "Stans" that used to be part of the USSR, and still have nukes, are more of a threat to worldwide peace than Russia itself.