It doesn't matter who eats the apples. It matter who owns the orchard.

The US is eating the apples but China owns the orchard.

Yet somehow they have built up more infrastructure in a year then we did in decades while running a huge trade surplus. We get back disposable crap that does not create any lasting assets.

We already have infrastructure, China had next to none and still doesn't really. A lot easier to grow when you're starting from zero.

The Beijing subway system is already better than NY's: more lines, better quality, clean, safe...

That's just one example but I was impressed when I saw it. And they have been adding 1 new LINE per year in Beijing, wheras we don't even add 1 new station per year in most US cities.

Not exactly related, but being in Tokyo, I now see that Toronto's subway system is a joke. I think it hasn't really been updated since I was born. There's like, three lines in total.

They have 12,000 mi of high speed rail system, (more than the rest of the world combined) we have 0.

> "China ... still doesn't really"

Have you been to China recently?

> Yet somehow they have built up more infrastructure in a year then we did in decades

We spend most on military, social security and medicare. China doesn't.

Having dominant military is a key component is having USD as world's dominant currency which in turn drives about 30-40% of our GDP, so even aside from security aspect it's a very good investment.

I think our spending on social security and medicare is certainly a problem. Don't know much about military spending though.

US Government spending:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Rv5UHrNsvcucvflDwwz_pqEjjH...