China+murphy

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 * __Geography__**
 * First cities built 4,000 years ago
 * Yellow Sea (east) The China sea and Pasific sea=nateral barriers
 * Mountain ranges + deserts take up 2/3 china's landmass
 * To the west= Taklimakan desert + icy 15,000ft plateau of tibet.
 * Southwest= Himalayas
 * North= the desolate Gobi Desert + Mongolian plateau
 * Huang He (yellow river) in north= flows to pasific ocean
 * In central China= Chang Jiang (yangtze) flows east to the yellow sea
 * Huang He deposits silt or fertile soil called loess which is blown away by Northwest desert winds


 * __Environmental Challenges__**
 * Flooding
 * Sometimes Huang He overflows and floods cities (called"China's Sorrow")
 * Because of isolation people had to supply themselves goods rather than with outside people
 * Frequent invasions from North and West
 * 10% land good for farming
 * North China plain is China's Heartland
 * Heartland= center of civilization


 * __How They Began__**
 * Fossil remains show that ancestors of modern human lived in SW China about 1.7million years ago
 * In Northern China, near Beijing, a Homo erectus was found
 * Peeking man's remains show people how they lived by the river valley as much as 500,000 years ago
 * Around 2000BC settlements grew into China's first cities
 * xia Dynasty emerged and the leader was "Yu"
 * Yu's flood-control and irrigation projects helped tame Huang He and Tributaries so settlements could grow
 * later Shing rose to power in northern china 1700bc-1027bc
 * left written records/ archeologists found elaborate places and tombs
 * Anyang= most important Shang cities/ built mainly of wood


 * __Warfare__**
 * waging war all the time
 * massive earthen walls for protection
 * chariot=major tool of war


 * __Religion__**
 * believed dead ancestors spirit had power for good or bad fortune
 * paid respects to father's ancestors and had sacrifices
 * Shang Di-supreme god
 * 'oracle bones' animal bones and tortoise shells for communication with the gods
 * cracks in bones revealed future
 * polythistic
 * ancestor-elder family member that a person descendes from;father, mother, grandpa, etc.

__**Government**__


 * 2000bc-first cities
 * dynasties:Xia, Shang, and Zhou
 * Xia:first dynasty, irrigation, engineer, mathmatician, Yu
 * Shang:first family to leave written records, 1700-1027bc \
 * Zhou:roads, coin money, blast furnace
 * coin money made trading easier because everyone had the same money
 * "Mandate of Heaven" ruler had divine approval
 * "Feudalism" political system where nobles and lords were granted rights to royal land. In return for loyalty and service
 * dynastic cycle;ruler starts dynasty, dynasty is succesful, ruler is said to have mandate of heaven. When dynasty starts having trouble and disaster, ruler is said to have disapproval of mandate of heaven and the ruler is overthrown.

__**Technology**__ > iron to create knives, weapons, sickle,spades, ect. -Zhou
 * roads and canals to increase trade and agriculture-Zhou
 * coined money to improve trade-Zhou
 * blast furnaces for cast iron-Zhou

__**Natural Barriers**__

> mountains
 * pateu
 * desert
 * ocean and sea

> no link between spoken and written language > nobles children were educated not the peasants kids
 * __Writing__**
 * each character stands for one syllable or unit of language
 * all peole could learn language
 * true scholar had to know 10,000 symbols
 * barely literate had to know 1,500 characters


 * __Family__**
 * elder men controlled all affairs
 * inferior women;were expected to obey all males
 * improve family status by bearing sons
 * central to Chinese society
 * respect elders


 * __Social Class__**
 * sharp divide between nobles and peasants
 * noble families owned the land
 * males were at the top of the social class
 * improve status of family by bearing sons

Throughout history, China has been used, conquered, and stepped on, its people have been maliciously murdered, raped, and everything that should have belonged to China was savagely stolen from them. America, on the other hand, used to be the mightiest country in the entire world! In fact America has been regarded as one of the world’s most powerful leaders in history! Though China was previously viewed as a naive and weak country for many centuries, it might have finally discovered its potential. Many believe China will finally step up to the plate and take a swing at the United State’s world leader position. Because of China’s growing and thriving economy, aggressive and stealthy military, remarkable education system, and futuristic technological experience, China will become the next world leader. Economy is what a nation is built on. Money is power and those who have money, have power. How could

** Question: Is China likely to take the place of the United States as a world leader? **   ** (Outline) **


 * __Intro:__** Throughout history, China has been used, conquered, and stepped on, its people have been maliciously murdered and raped, and everything that should have belonged to China was savagely stolen from them. Though China was previously viewed as a “push-over” country for many centuries, has it finally realized its potential? Will China finally step up to the plate and take a swing at the United State’s world leader position?


 * __Thesis:__** With the help of China’s thriving economy, aggressive and agile military, remarkable education system, and futuristic technological experience, China will become the next world leader.


 * __Reason #1: Economy__**


 * __Reason #2: Military- Foreign Policy__**


 * __Reason #3: Technology + Education__**


 * __First body: ECONOMY__**


 * __R1:__**

Over the course of a few decades, China has pulled itself from the bottom to the top of the economic chain. Smart trading and investing has raked in the cash and created a superb economy in China. As our economy fails, China’s economy sores.


 * __Quotes:__**

//“China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 9.3 percent between 1979-1993. The world experienced a growth rate of 2.6 percent for the same period. China's GDP has also quadrupled over a period of only fifteen years. It has also improved its status as a trading nation, rising to eleventh position from number thirty-seven in ten years. Another important fact is that China has accumulated a large foreign currency reserve and is second in the world to Japan. China has also taken advantage of foreign investment and is also rated second in the world, after the US.”** (#1) **//

//“China’s rise is viewed as America’s relative decline.”** (#1) **//


 * __R2:__** They buy everything so they get first choice on the market

//“A central goal of the Chinese government was// //to make China’s economy relatively self-sufficient. Foreign trade was generally// //limited to obtaining only those goods that could not be made in China.”** (#2) **//
 * __Quote:__**

They bought up everything they didn’t have and at the same time they were more self-sufficient than dependant on other nations. America has a problem with relying too much on other nations which is causing us debt!

//“China’s foreign exchange reserves rose from $2.5 billion at the end// //of 1980 to $819 billion at the end of 2005. In February 2006, China// //overtook Japan to become the world’s largest holder of foreign// //exchange reserves (at $854 billion), and by the end of 2006, the// //Chinese government estimated that reserves had topped $1 trillion.”** (#2) **//

Because China is buying up everything and making wise investments, it gets the first choice of product for being the best customer. Thus, China gets first pick on cars, technology, oil, and other extremely important products leaving the second choice up to the less frequent buyers such as America.


 * __Second Body: MILITARY__**


 * __R1:__** Foreign Policy: China, unlike in previous years, is creating positive relationships with many nations and adding allies which will help to protect China if a war should emerge.

//“Improving Relations with Developed Countries to Promote Common Progress” ** (#3) **//
 * __Quote:__**

//“On the basis of the principle of peaceful coexistence, China has constantly stood for establishing and developing relations with developed countries, and regarded improving the relations with developed countries and promoting development with them as an important task of China's foreign affairs.“** (#3) **//

More advanced weapons and military improvements means a stronger hand on the world
 * __R2:__**

Military weapons advance


 * __Quote:__**

// “In January 2007, China successfully tested // // a direct-ascent, anti-satellite (ASAT) missile // // against a Chinese weather satellite, demonstrating // // China’s ability to attack satellites operating in // // low-Earth orbit. The test put at risk the assets of all space faring nations and posed dangers to human space flight due to the creation of an // // unprecedented amount of debris ** .”(#4) **//

// “By October 2006, China had deployed roughly // // 900 mobile CSS-6 and CSS-7 short-range // // ballistic missiles to garrisons opposite Taiwan, // // expanding at a rate of more than 100 missiles // // per year. Newer versions of these missiles have // // improved range and accuracy.” ** (#4) **//

Because China continues to have a thriving economy, it can buy more products. In buying more advance weapons and military vehicles they have the opportunity to study more advanced structures and technology in which they are given a head start in the world of inventions that will ultimately make China far more advanced in military control than any other nation in the world.

// “China first began to discuss developing an indigenous aircraft carrier in the late 1970s. In 1985, China purchased the Australian carrier the HMAS Melbourne. Although the hull was scrapped, Chinese technicians studied the ship and built a replica of its fl light deck for pilot training. China purchased two former Soviet carriers – the Minsk in 1998 and the Kiev in 2000. Neither carrier was made operational; instead, they were used as floating military theme parks. Nevertheless, both provided design information to PLA Navy engineers.” ** (#4) **//


 * __Third Body: TECHNOLOGY + EDUCATION__**

// “Now there's another area in which the Chinese are suddenly emerging as a world power: education. ** “(#5) **//


 * __R1:__** Smarter Education system = Smarter generations = more inventions and thinkers


 * __ Quote: __**

// “Chinese teenagers from Shanghai far outscored their international peers in all three subject matters that were tested last year: reading, math and science ** ”(#5) **// // “The stunning success of Shanghai-China, which tops every league table in this assessment by a clear margin, shows what can be achieved with moderate economic resources and in a diverse social context ** ,"(#5) **//


 * __R2:__** They have superior technology; they have a head start to advancing technology

//“China is an emerging superpower, and now, also an emerging supercomputer power. This week, the country's Tianhe-1A supercomputer was ranked number one on the most recent Top 500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers** .”(#6) **// China was able to create the best of technology. The combination of smart innovative generations and the wonderful economy, China can create some of the best and most advanced technology in the world, thus, adding to its potential to become a world leader.
 * __Quote:__**