Playing A Long Game

The phrase "playing a long game" recurs repeatedly in economics or when discussing a strategy that is aimed to come to fruition at some point in the relatively distant future. Many people recognize that China is very good at playing a long game. They have a long, long history in the world and are used to slowly developing strategies. The West in general and Americans in particular are, quite frankly, not really very good at long term strategies. Call it the "sit-com mentality", cultural attention deficit disorder or whatever, but we tend to like a short, quick resolution to problems. And we tend to lose interest with longer-haul issues.

And it's killing us.

China is playing a long game in the ruckus over global warming that the left is promoting over all other threats in the world. Don't believe it? Read this article.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The impact of global warming on China is clearer each day, but climate change must be tackled in a way that allows sustainable development, a top-level meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao agreed.

The world's number two emitter of greenhouse gasses will release its first national plan to curb rising emissions next week, seeking to rebut international criticism that it is not doing enough on the issue.

Officials in China's State Council, or cabinet, called at their meeting for countries to bear "shared but different" responsibilities to combat rising temperatures, a report posted on the main government Web site (www.gov.cn) on Friday said.

The comments were in line with Beijing's stance that China should not have to sacrifice the emissions-intensive economic growth which industrialized nations went through on their path to greater prosperity.

Read that last sentence again. Critically. "The comments were in line with Beijing's stance that China should not have to sacrifice the emissions-intensive economic growth which industrialized nations went through on their path to greater prosperity."

In other words, the West must cut its greenhouse emissions but China has no intention of doing so. They'll make a show of it, pandering to the true believers in the West, but will demand draconian cuts by the West, knowing full well that manufacturing will move to their country once Western countries can no longer afford the energy costs.

China looks set to become the world's top emitter of carbon dioxide this year or next, just as serious talks start to extend the U.N.-sponsored Kyoto Protocol on global warming beyond 2012.

Next week President Hu Jintao attends a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Germany at which global warming will be high on the agenda.

But Chinese officials have already reaffirmed Beijing's rejection of compulsory caps on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that scientists say are heating the planet. (Translation: you cut yours off, we'll laugh at you.)

When there are no more union manufacturing jobs in this nation, when there are no more union coal mining jobs left in this nation, when all the industry has moved to the new capitol of cheap energy and low-priced oil, it will be too late. The left will outsource American jobs at a breakneck pace. Want proof? Look at the packaging for the compact fluorescent bulbs that they are touting as a big salvation for the environment.

It will say made in China.

China is playing a long game. Sadly, they have a lot of assistance.