Arkansas was ground zero
 

I'd be interested in seeing that on a global scale.

Pure evil spreads quickly. :sniff:

WOW! China has us by the short hairs. Guess I'll have to move to Nevada - looks like only 3 0r 4 stores in the entire state.:eek:

That's just to match the 3 or 4 people outside of Vegas. If you move there, that'll make it 5 and they'll have to open a new one.

ARRGH! It's like watching the nationwide spread of a deadly infectious disease!

Oh wait...

Prosperity and innovation is contagious. Thankfully.

The Chinese are very thankful.

Yeah, nothing like playing by two sets of rules. Seems like the free market is losing to our communist friends. But you be thankful all you want. Its a free country. The US, I mean.:rolleyes:

It isn't about "winning," with free trade both sides of the trade benefit. I can attempt to explain the "miracle of free trade" but the short story "The Choice: A fable of free trade and protectionism" by Russell Roberts does it better than I can.

Personally I think that exposure to free trade has done more to "defeat" Communism than any war ever would. China has of their own will opened large free trade areas and will undoubtedly expand these areas due to their prosperity. Young Chinese will gain experience and familiarity with free trade, and the move away from Communism will begin.

What would you prefer? Expending more resources than we have to for basic commodities, for the benefit of lowering the standard of living for the Chinese? :eyebrow:

Maybe the cost of oil will make shipping from China so prohibitive, that to stay competitive Walmart will start looking for more local sources?

Or the quality of living will raise enough in China so that labor isn't as inexpensive as before.
"Labor Shortage in China May Lead to Trade Shift"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/03/bu...=1&oref=slogin
"China is no longer the lowest-cost producer."

That was a little more than two years ago. Those searching for cheap labor will just move on and unintentionally raise some more 3rd world countries’ standard of living. If you want to be US-centric think of it as USA forging ahead… and dragging everyone else with us.

Phage, there are people in this country that find the idea of prosperity for everyone abhorrent.

Arkansas Was Gorund Zero ??

Dude Dont you know Arkansas Is the center of the Universe !!!!!

I'd like to see this data overlaid with population density data. Who has too many?