A Simple Way to Extend The United States’ Dominance

March 10, 2012 in Daily Bulletin

China is projected to surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy in the near future, a prospect that alarms many Americas. Charles Kenny at Foreign Policy writes: “if you really want to preserve America’s top spot in the GDP rankings, there’s only one way to do it. You’ve got to make more Americans…if the United States can’t keep up its output lead by more rapid growth of GDP per capita, then perhaps it should just find some more capita.” Highlights of his tongue-in-cheek argument include:

  • The US population is currently projected to grow to 409 million by 2050. If the United States were to allow more immigrants in and let it grow to 450 million by 2050 then it would remain the largest economy in the world.
  • The US could just try to grow more people on its own. It could, for example, pay people to get pregnant. But in this case outsourcing would be cheaper. Raising a child to 18 in the United States costs over $200,000. This could raise 34 kids in the developing world.
  • Moreover, if the US imports people then it decreases the number of people in other countries – therefore ensuring its own dominance.
  • Immigrants are generally entrepreneurial – 25% of science and technology companies founded in the United States between 1995-2005 were led by a foreign chief-executive.

To read about the sneaky policies undertaken by the Pentagon to ensure the United States’ dominance, why the US can use remittances to undermine the economy of other countries, and what role an ageing population has to play in all this click here.

Source: Foreign Policy

Via: Marginal Revolution