178 China

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Market purists aren't sure what to make of China: on-the-one-hand, it's a Communist nation, but-on-the-other, they are cutthroat, no-holds-barred Capitalists using Market Theory to drag their multi-billion human nation from the Dark Ages into the forefront of modernity. Socialists are also in a quandary: on-the-one-hand, it's a Communist nation which is a positive for them, but-on-the-other, there is vast income disparity & inequality. Neither of the two extremes care much about liberty nor Civil Rights, so China usually escapes international censure when there's a Tiananmen Square incident.</p> <p>China also throws the “Free” Traders for a loop because they exploit the greed of the West without reciprocation. For example, China doesn't allow foreign companies to own control of their subsidiaries in China; China doesn't allow foreign powers to own their nation's natural resources; Chinese goods are always cheaper through currency manipulation; and Chinese consumers are indoctrinated to buy only Chinese goods. Also, China is effectively a World Power through trade without having to commit its blood or gold to foreign adventures. They eschew the role of World policeman, gladly leaving America stranded in that quagmire, and proving a nation need not look beyond its own borders for dominion nor feel concerned about the affairs of people's not its own. And if they want something like the South China Sea, they just take it. Who's going to stop them? China is a World Power without even trying.</p>