throwawayforare

I don’t think most Americans are willing to embrace the lifestyle that comes with reindustrialization. Few want to work on farms or in factories under harsh conditions for low wages—jobs that are often left to immigrants when no other options exist. Similarly, in China, many workers endure long hours and low pay. I don’t believe currency manipulation or intellectual property theft are the main reasons behind China’s manufacturing dominance. The key factor, in my view, is their lower standard for human rights, which allows for a level of labor exploitation that would be unacceptable in many other countries.

There’s a fundamental tension between human rights and affordability or efficiency. Take California’s high-speed rail project, for example—it repeatedly runs over budget. That’s partly because we hold ourselves to higher labor and environmental standards.

In the long run, I believe robotic automation is the only viable path forward. Reindustrialization without it isn't a realistic solution.

I'm seriously considering leaving the U.S. I can't justify paying taxes to a government that leaves me feeling disheartened. The EU should have visa programs for skilled professionals looking to leave the U.S.

I suppose broader access to education and free information should influence people's behavior. Perhaps that's why people in the medieval era were less civil. Even today, some societies still deny women the right to education—clearly, some are better, and some are worse.

You know, there are plenty of so-called "patriotic" influencers on the Chinese innernet who eagerly flatter the government, selling their souls. But they usually do it in a more subtle and calculated way. I've never heard of anyone outright worshipping Xi as a king or suggesting that his birthday should become a national holiday.

In contrast, the decline of America feels both faster and more destructive—after all, China mostly harms its own people, while the U.S. brings chaos on a much larger scale.

I left China two decades ago, believing America held itself to higher moral standards. But now, I’m watching it turn into another China—and the reality is a slap in the face.