Why is it that most American citizens do not realize that our country is possibly in the process of being "bought out" right from under us by foreign investors?

I think the formal strategy is mercantilist.

I see it as a street game:

Keep the dollar high and manufactured goods will be in high demand. If manufactured goods are in high demand, hundreds of millions of China's citizens are happy and hopeful. If the citizens are happy and hopeful, the government won't be trashed and replaced.

The owners of the yuan, yen, peso, mark, pound, etc. are getting their banks to buy massive amounts of US Treasury paper - so as to keep their currency down and the dollar up.

If the dollar goes down, many bad things can happen (all around the world) most especially if the dollar goes down fast. However, if the USA's products are 20% cheaper than they were not long ago, many industries in North America will be prospering.

Well, if China does demand the payback of loans we can just glue some money on our nuclear weapons and launch the money to China.

Oh well it may be too late soon. i've been warning for years and it's this. First if we do not now start buying everything American that we possibly can which is now rare getting more rare) then we are going to sell our assests everyting we own to China and any other foreign government. Second the unions are already just about got us destroyed all our manufacturing has almost gone around the world.Third we are at the bottom in saving money at the top in credit card debt. Listen read all of the above and read every alphabet carefully and if you don't spread it all around the US to save us then we've had it and don't think it can't happen(sigh)

IMO the day of reckoning is when the credit bottoms out and the shelves are empty.

In the 1950s there was a popular analogy: If you dig a hole deep enough you'll go all the way to China. IMO we almost are there.

Rolling Stones fans might recall the album "Let It Bleed". That's another way of saying "We'll wait."

Yes, I am an old curmudgeon. I grew up in northern Indiana -- United States Steel country.

Dude, you've fallen off the deep end. The US Treasury will never default on its debt obligations. Look at the deficit as a percentage of GDP over the last 50 years. Then think about the nonsense you just wrote.

Do you remember the parable of the grasshopper and the ant. The United States is the grasshopper. China is the ant. How did that one end?

America- fat, lazy people controlled by greedy, self-absorbed, swellheaded, bickering politicians. Don't for a minute think China is stupid and does not have a plan to enrich itself at others expense. Their one-party tightly controlled system allows them to formulate such.

You people make me laugh! Has any of you been to China , have you any understanding of the world , we all live in.
China is more open more capital's now than ever and to run any kind of operation here one need's work HARD,BE STRIGHT FORWARD, AND NOT AFRIED OF GETTING THERE HANDS A LITTLE DIRTY, MAYBE us American's should understand the reason we became great, though hard work and not wanting everything under the sun. and when we do a job do it well, and not want 3 mo's off, 5 hour's for 8 jours work and over paid three cars 5-6 bed rooms, four bath's and everything in site.
Then maybe we would understAND THE REST OF THE WORLD has every right to what ever kind of freedom they choice not what we think is freedom which you and I have little of any longer. Look around the world and understand America is not alwyes the best. Gov makes law's and soon controls what when and how you do.Thanks for listen or reading

well the clintons sold us out to china in 1994. hillary was on the board at walmart. now we are in this mess and she's running for president. i just pray she does not get in and make things worse. right now the country is on track to both adjust and get things right. we always have in the past. but..by signing that most favorable trade agreement in 1994...this is what caused the present situation. i just wonder what ole hillary will do next with the chinese. its rather odd that chinese business folks keep going to jail for giving her cash..but its barely a story in the hedlines.

American made:
http://www.fakebuddy.com

Since when did the word "communist" noy preceed the word "China" They have out-smarted us hands down. The Egyptians have the other half of what Communisr China does not have. It is very simple. Buy American...period...do not accept imitations.

Walmart or should it be China Mart?

This info needs to go to the news media so that
they may educate the American people as to what
is real in the world.

Well, between the original article and all the comments exactly one person appears to not be a moron. Congrats KenC.

``The consumer is not tapped out yet, which is what everyone had thought,'' said Andrew Seibert, who helps oversee $400 million at Nextier Wealth Management in Pittsburgh. ``The market is looking for every positive it can get at this point.'' I love how they call us fools right to our face and nobody pays attention. NOT TAPPED OUT YET. They won't be happy until they take your last penny. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! The rich are playing us for fools. They don't lose. Only the ever decreasing middle class and the ever increasing poor lose. DEBT=SLAVERY

I agree wholehartedly with Gary's statement. I have talked to friends for years about allowing the Chinese to hold so much of our debt. They are not stupid and I believe that they have every expectation of winning this game.
The unfortunate thing is that none of the three potential presidential candidates has mentioned our debt problem and won't because it doesn't fit in with their plans, which is to spend more money that we don't have. I believe that we are close to the tipping point regarding our ability to pay off these huge sums of money and if Americans don't start paying attention and start demanding change, we will eventually become a third world country in the not to distant future.

THE GOOD NEWS:
I've read both Mr. Sattlers eloquently written article and the responses made by the "bloggers" and I must say I'm proud to live in a country where we can exchange ideas and express ourselves without fear of punishment. There were some really good points on both sides of the fence and as a maturing 29 year old that is suddenly emerging in the "real world," I ate it all up so good job to everyone!

Now for the bad news. It frightens me how the general public is unaware of this. It concerns me that the media is spending more time chasing Britney Spears then they are in getting concret answers from our politicians about our economic crisis.

As for China, it's clear they're flexing their muscle. It's their way of competing with us as the next superpower. America needs to get back in touch with its roots and remember just how it got to be such a prosperous nation; Hard work,commitment and dedication.

At the risk of sounding close-minded, the last few decades have opened the doors to many uneducated, lazy foreign deadbeats in our country. Not only are they not contributing anything to society, they're sucking up others resources and I for one feel something needs to be done. While it may seem Anti-American, I feel if you live in this country you should be contributing to our society. Something tangible! If not, you're just taking up space and should reconsider your options. People on welfare still having children should be immediately cut off. Mandatory drug and alcohol testing should be provided each month people on SSI or Welfare pick up their checks. Where am I going with all this? I think America needs to look within for answers before we start blaming China for why we're in this mess. We as a country have become lazy, selfish, arrogant and seriously mislead.

I only pray more Americans are as informed and intellgient as most of you guys on this site!
(And for the record, I'm a Conservative Democrat- we do exist)

Love,
John

China:Population 1.4 billion.
India: " 1.2 billion.combine the middle classes of these two.demand for fine goods,food,energy,cars is beyond belief,we should stop wallowing and just hold our noses and dive in.

I think we are currently experiencing what mr. sattler said above with the collapse of lehman brothers, AIG bailout and who knows what else down the road. Then the US government will have to surrender all these assets to the Chinese at deep discounts.