The International Monetary Fund has set 2016 as the year China's economy will surpass the U.S. - effectively ending the 'Age of America'.

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

It is the first time the IMF has put a time frame on the inevitable march of the communist country, and forecast has profound implications for the balance of global power.

Endless potential: A female worker in a sprawling weaving factory in Jinjiang. China's roaring economy will overtake the U.S. in 2016, according to the IMF

Slow decay: By comparison, the once-bustling but now derelict Packard Motor Plant in Detroit is a stark example of the decline in U.S. economic power

The IMF seemed almost embarrassed to announce the news, inserting its prediction without fanfare on its website in recent days.

The ramifications for the U.S. - and indeed any country that has allied itself politically and monetarily to the superpower - are unsettling.

No country in the modern era has come close to matching the might of America's economy.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380486/The-Age-America-ends-2016-IMF-predicts-year-Chinas-economy-surpass-US.html#ixzz1KarihUh4

It was bound to happen. When you don't care about any one citizen, and citizens of the country don't have any rights, then it stands to reason that a country like China will succeed on the backs of the poor. The American leaders thought their run would last forever and allowed people like Bernie Madoff and the American banking system to gamble with other peoples money. The naive American public voted in oil backed power brokers who then took away the rights of the people for their own greedy ends. .

Historic cycles is all. Empires fall, others take there places. And round and round it goes.....another 200 years?

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

Ridiculous. China is growing, that doesn't mean the USA (or anyone else for that matter) is "falling".

china has 1/3 of the global population and has more people living in poverty than most countries have populations, hence by 2016 I would not be shocked to see an uprising from the grass roots sector of china. China has many issues to manage within it's own house, many of which have already been addressed by G8 nations I don't see China leading the way to the future anymore than i see mr. obama solving the economic crisis in the USA.

China will succeed on the backs of the poor

makes me think of another country which succeeded to build the foundation of its fortune and economic power on the backs of poor slaves, the back of poor imported labour treated like semi-slaves and stolen land from indigenous inhabitants.

but to be fair. most industrialised nations have used the poor to succeed.

makes me think of another country which succeeded to build the foundation of its fortune and economic power on the backs of poor slaves, the back of poor imported labour treated like semi-slaves and stolen land from indigenous inhabitants.

but to be fair. most industrialised nations have used the poor to succeed.

dam_n those Dutch

dam_n those Dutch

and the bloody Swiss

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

Ridiculous. China is growing, that doesn't mean the USA (or anyone else for that matter) is "falling".

It depends what you define as "falling". Being replaced at the top might be a fall from some perspectives.

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

Ridiculous. China is growing, that doesn't mean the USA (or anyone else for that matter) is "falling".

It depends what you define as "falling". Being replaced at the top might be a fall from some perspectives.

From that perspective you could say that the USA has been "falling" ever since the 1950's as the war torn countries started to produce things again and the USA's share of the world economy diminished.

Anyway, the day China's economy equals the USA's in size, it will still be less than one fourth the size based on per capita.

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

Ridiculous. China is growing, that doesn't mean the USA (or anyone else for that matter) is "falling".

Actually, America and here economy have been dwelling in an uttered illusion for some time now. Reality would show it failed decades ago....only to be propped-up by this facade. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

Obama has to go before it is too late. What a time to have a deluded PC loon in charge.

Obama has to go before it is too late. What a time to have a deluded PC loon in charge.

I think the term is way too harsh, however, why did you vote for a "deluded PC loon"?

It means that whoever wins the 2012 presidential election will have the dubious honour of presiding over the fall of the Uniterd States.

Ridiculous. China is growing, that doesn't mean the USA (or anyone else for that matter) is "falling".

It depends what you define as "falling". Being replaced at the top might be a fall from some perspectives.

From that perspective you could say that the USA has been "falling" ever since the 1950's as the war torn countries started to produce things again and the USA's share of the world economy diminished.

Anyway, the day China's economy equals the USA's in size, it will still be less than one fourth the size based on per capita.

You may be right. On that day. But as America continues to plummet, and China continues to rise, that ratio will change too.

You can be quite sure that China will not throw too many life-buoys to the drowning passengers of that sinking ship. As the American hulk settles in the mud, China may send in salvage divers....but only to retrieve the scrap that has value to China herself.

So take comfort in the "per capita pep talk" while you can.

From that perspective you could say that the USA has been "falling" ever since the 1950's as the war torn countries started to produce things again and the USA's share of the world economy diminished.

Anyway, the day China's economy equals the USA's in size, it will still be less than one fourth the size based on per capita.

You may be right. On that day. But as America continues to plummet, and China continues to rise, that ratio will change too.

You can be quite sure that China will not throw too many life-buoys to the drowning passengers of that sinking ship. As the American hulk settles in the mud, China may send in salvage divers....but only to retrieve the scrap that has value to China herself.

So take comfort in the "per capita pep talk" while you can.

I'm fine. You guys are the ones taking comfort in the doom & gloom you hope happens to the USA. Just remember, the world is inter-connected and without 310 million Americans buying Chinese products, they'll collapse. You guys in NZ can spend every last kiwi dollar on Chinese products but that would amount to a small drop in the ocean.

You also seem to think there is some sort of prize or trophy for having the largest economy in the world. Well, there isn't. If China gets richer that means their people can buy more goods from the USA and other coutnries and that's a good thing. In fact, I read that for the first time, General Motors sold more vehicles in China than in the USA.

Also, I'd rather have the standard of living of the USA than that of China. I lived in Guangzhou (Canton) for two months back in 2008. I generally like China and while they may have a super fast train going to the airport in Shanghai, and some impressive skyscrapers, it will be generations before their people live as well as North Americans or even Western Europeans no matter how big their economy gets.

why did you vote for a "deluded PC loon"?

Because he is also an excellent liar.

why did you vote for a "deluded PC loon"?

Because he is also an excellent liar.

Gotta admit that Hope & Change mantra was captivating at the time.

Add to that the "Yes We Can" later to be revised to oops "No We Can't"

Well......pretty slick are those from Chicago politics

It is a poor poor man who defines greatness in terms of GDP alone. China is generations away from being "great" in human terms. They've yet to have an age of enlightenment or reason. That's gonna be a painful transition if it ever comes.

It is a poor poor man who defines greatness in terms of GDP alone. China is generations away from being "great" in human terms. They've yet to have an age of enlightenment or reason. That's gonna be a painful transition if it ever comes.

Whoever said anything about "greatness"?

I thought China had something like an age of enlightenment - about 1-2 thousand years ago? Weren't they more advanced than most other countries way back then? Then the leftists took over and began to destroy the country. Only when they decided to act more like capitalists have they started to rebound. With the way things have been going around the world, China may very well face another revolution before 2016 gets here. Imagine how fast they could take off if they get rid of their communist oppressors all together.

Why do you suppose the communists were able to take over? China has always been an elitist society. Only those who may consider themselves to be the elite has changed

It is a poor poor man who defines greatness in terms of GDP alone. China is generations away from being "great" in human terms. They've yet to have an age of enlightenment or reason. That's gonna be a painful transition if it ever comes.

China has had 3 or 4 ages of enlightenment. We've been train to disregard such because it's not European.

It is a poor poor man who defines greatness in terms of GDP alone. China is generations away from being "great" in human terms. They've yet to have an age of enlightenment or reason. That's gonna be a painful transition if it ever comes.

China has had 3 or 4 ages of enlightenment. We've been train to disregard such because it's not European.

I don't disregard because they are not European. I disregard because they are not egalitarian. which to my mind is fundamental.

Historiography is always subjective through any such perspective.

Very soon the 'tired, poor and huddled masses, yearning to breathe free' from all over the globe will be making their way to China for a better life.

I think not.

From that perspective you could say that the USA has been "falling" ever since the 1950's as the war torn countries started to produce things again and the USA's share of the world economy diminished.

Anyway, the day China's economy equals the USA's in size, it will still be less than one fourth the size based on per capita.

You may be right. On that day. But as America continues to plummet, and China continues to rise, that ratio will change too.

You can be quite sure that China will not throw too many life-buoys to the drowning passengers of that sinking ship. As the American hulk settles in the mud, China may send in salvage divers....but only to retrieve the scrap that has value to China herself.

So take comfort in the "per capita pep talk" while you can.

I'm fine. You guys are the ones taking comfort in the doom & gloom you hope happens to the USA. Just remember, the world is inter-connected and without 310 million Americans buying Chinese products, they'll collapse. You guys in NZ can spend every last kiwi dollar on Chinese products but that would amount to a small drop in the ocean.

You also seem to think there is some sort of prize or trophy for having the largest economy in the world. Well, there isn't. If China gets richer that means their people can buy more goods from the USA and other coutnries and that's a good thing. In fact, I read that for the first time, General Motors sold more vehicles in China than in the USA.

Also, I'd rather have the standard of living of the USA than that of China. I lived in Guangzhou (Canton) for two months back in 2008. I generally like China and while they may have a super fast train going to the airport in Shanghai, and some impressive skyscrapers, it will be generations before their people live as well as North Americans or even Western Europeans no matter how big their economy gets.

There upi go again with your silly persecution complex that some of us are out to condemn all things American and that we "take comfort in the doom & gloom you hope happens to the USA". Where...where, is there any indication that anyone on this forum "hopes" the US will crumble?

Pointing out factual flaws in the US system is somethiing else altogether....and perhaps if there was less arrogance and more humility in the blinkered right wingers, the real defenders of freedom would not be so quick to point out those glaringly obvious flaws.

I wonder what the standard of living is like in Detroit (or a dozen other cities) compared to Shanghai?

Very soon the 'tired, poor and huddled masses, yearning to breathe free' from all over the globe will be making their way to China for a better life.

I think not.

You're right....only the rich will be able to afford move live in China.

Very soon the 'tired, poor and huddled masses, yearning to breathe free' from all over the globe will be making their way to China for a better life.

I think not.

You're right....only the rich will be able to afford move live in China.

would they want too?

Very soon the 'tired, poor and huddled masses, yearning to breathe free' from all over the globe will be making their way to China for a better life.

I think not.

You're right....only the rich will be able to afford move live in China.

would they want too?

Would the rich want to live in the country with the biggest economy? I guess many would. Birds of a feather.

There are very influential circles that are fastly considering a "takeover" of the model of currency standards. The realistic possibility putting the U.S. dollar to rest as a representation of a economic standard is near.

....next step would be a new universally accepted lingua franca. Best brush up on your Mandarin.:jap:

I wonder what the standard of living is like in Detroit (or a dozen other cities) compared to Shanghai?

I doubt any of us can answer your question. Why don't you take a 3 or 6 month sabbatical from TV, make a trip to Shanghai and Detroit (or a dozen other cities) and fill us in?

The last time I was in Shanghai was 1978 and it was rather grim then.