It long has been known that the United States unquestionably has led the world, not only in personal freedom but also in economic development and prosperity.
Remarkably, after U.S. atomic bombs defeated Imperial Japan’s aggression in World War II, Japan – with the help of U.S. military occupation, democracy and friendship – made an amazing recovery, to develop the world’s No. 2 economy.
Until recently!
While Japan still thrives, many people are quite surprised – even shocked – by the report that Communist China’s economic development now has catapulted China into the No. 2 position among the world’s nations in “gross domestic product.”
China, long backward in many ways and with roughly a fifth of the world’s people, has made some modifications and compromises in its still very dictatorial and oppressive Communist system to make great progress, reportedly growing economically at a rate of about 10 percent.
Of course, most of the people of Communist China do not have a living standard comparable to that of most Americans. And certainly, the Chinese people do not have personal freedom approaching ours. But China has passed Japan and Germany and all other nations – except ours – in economic production.
We do not begrudge the Chinese people the economic progress they have made, despite their Communist system. We wish they also had freedom. But we Americans should be fully aware that we have major economic competition throughout the world from China.
That awareness should prompt us to sharpen our free enterprise activities, shed some of our bureaucratic, non-competitive and unproductive habits, and assure continued U.S. economic progress for all Americans in our increasingly competitive world.