The american system is rotten to the core and run by frauds and crooks who use our government as a money making racket. That’s obvious to anyone with eyes, just as the reality of climate change is obvious to anyone who’s seen the photos of the arctic ice and the glaciers receding. And the author is right, our infrastructure is falling apart at the seams, thanks in no small part to the car companies well funded opposition to public transit investment and the massive corporate welfare that went into the national highway system.

But acknowledging those points does not justify the author’s absolutely disgusting assertion that since china is investing in mass transit and alternative energy their well-documented human rights abuses don’t matter. China is not free. It is nothing even remotely near free. To say that it’s mass murder of political dissidents doesn’t matter is to endorse that murder and be complicit in it. Such as stand is morally bankrupt and utterly indefensible. Just as the american companies that have laid off americans and outsourced their jobs into chinese prison camps are morally bankrupt.

If Clean Technica makes a habit of running articles this mind-shatteringly stupid you can expect to lose readers. I know I won’t be coming back.

If only one of the two countries tells the truth about climate change, I’m glad that it is the country that has over a billion people in it.

when was the last time you saw a video or photo of and afgan child with her arm blown off by american soldiers/weapons? i can guarantee u that it has happened and continues to happen. every week we read about another scandal some political leader is involved with in america, from one angle we are as free as can be, take a look at another angle and we’re despots.

the point is all governments are as guilty as the next, but progress can be made, and we should look to each other and progress meaningfully.

if the chinese are becoming more eco-friendly only good can come of it. there are over a billion of them and if they can live in an ecologically sustainable manner we all would benefit from it, now, and the generations to come.

Corporations present their views. Apparently, your idea of “freedom” is silencing anyone who disagrees with you.

Freedom requires free expression. Yes, even for those saying things that are demonstrably wrong. Because not that long ago, climate change would have fallen into the category of “demonstrably wrong”, or a while further back, the earth orbiting the sun. The better info will win out.

In this country, Exxon writes the science curriculum for our schools and publishes its propaganda freely, (now, even on PBS NOVA, as I covered here). In China, by contrast – 82% of the educated know the facts about climate change.

We are no longer free, because corporations with an interest in hiding the truth tell us what to think about climate science.

While Congress continues to shamelessly debate climate bill China already has a major renewable energy target and is investing billions upon billions of dollars executing renewable energy projects, be it solar PV, solar thermal, wind energy or ocean energy. China will be commissioning more renewable energy-based power plants compared to conventional power plants – http://bit.ly/bwTDvK

Unlike the United States, China (and even India to an extent) does not have political interference in matter of energy security and renewable energy. It is extremely disappointing to see politicians holding crucial legislations hostages because of other equally crucial legislations (Graham/Immigration/Climate Bill). You won’t find that happening in China.

Post Copenhagen China seems to be having much more meaningful moves as far as climate change and renewable energy technologies is concerned.

I beg to differ with your definition of “land of the free” as a nation with a sudden boost of infrastructure and renewable energy by the hot money in a overheated economy.

And you think censorship in China does not matter, maybe not to you? but trust me, corrupted, ignorant and shortsighted Chinese officials have the power of destroying the country AND the world (not necessarily in that order).

The only thing in your article that interests me is, which train was John Kerry on?

A recent US survey by Capital One says “nearly 80 percent (78%) believes EVs are are here to stay and are not just a passing fad while over half (54%) think they will own an alternative motor vehicle in their lifetimes”

http://electric-vehicles-cars-bikes.blogspot.com/2010/04/nearly-80-believe-electric-and-hybrid.html

It’s right here in the USA!

USA USA USA

If China is so attractive to you, perhaps you should try living there for a year or so. While there, try criticizing the government. The Chinese government, not the US.

I agree that rulers that have political prisoners are bad, but not as bad as the ones that cover up climate change..

ARE YOU NUTS? Are you saying that people being tortured and killed for their political views are not as bad as rulers having a dissenting opinion?

Please go to China for a first hand look….

China has our money to invest in just about anything they want so they can pursue both non traditional and traditional power sources way beyond the resources we have and they are doing so in a way we cannot even fathom. We on the other hand are thinking about implementing what might be good green policies in a way that punishes our economy in both the short term and long term hence the arguments that occur. If you look behind what China says and does, they don’t really believe its man that is causing Global warming they just jump on the band wagon cause they need all the power sources they can muster, green or non green. They still are building more coal plants each year than all other countries combined along with nuclear, solar and wind. In regards to your freedom issues, in some ways China may be freer than us since this administration is working hard to limit and remove liberties we have held dear for a long time. John Kerry should look at himself and the Democrats as roadblocks to progress. Building of infrastructure improvements over the years always seems to get stopped or delayed by Environmentalists and others usually associated with the Democrats. Infrastructure improvements in China seldom ever get stopped by anything so in that way China is freer, if only it was so here.

Maybe that is where Swiftboat John should concentrate his efforts in making us more like China.

The Chinese have made all the moves so they don’t power EVs off coal – you need to check renewable energy sites more often.

China is spending $9 billion a month on clean energy, have transformed their long distance transmission rules for renewable energy, made power companies buy all the clean energy anybody produces, so many examples

http://cleantechnica.com/2009/12/26/china-requires-utilities-to-buy-all-the-electricity-generated-by-renewable-energy-companies/

It’s easy to build a massive infrastructure project when there is no opposition, because you’re a one party nation still on the edge of totalitarianism. It’s also easy to shape public opinion when you control the news.

And where do you think all the electricity is going to come from to power those cars? Last time I checked, China was still building coal fired power plants at an astonishing rate.

Let’s temper our enthusiasm for a government that still routinely imprisons its citizens for speaking their mind, and oppresses the occupants of seized territories, eh?

Last time I checked, being free meant not having to worry about being locked up for disagreeing with the government, not being able to drink a glass of water on a high speed train.

I don’t remember the Americans letting the Chinese stay and prosper, even as they were a major contributor to the growth of the nation.

http://cprr.org/Museum/Chinese.html

But while Americans didn’t want Chinese around, China people don’t get along with outsiders very well either. Especially Africans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_anti-African_protests

When the govt. capitualated and accomidated the people in this protest, they had no idea how good the victory tasted to the students. The protesters went way overboard, and 6 months later, the govt. had to call in the boys from the boondocks to settle things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

Chinese men in power need lots of money. American men in power need lots of money. Money seems to make them happy, but they also never seem to have enough. Greed is like gravity, and it’s necessary in this universe. But balance keeps everything alive.

The Chinese worker is closer in history to starvation and deprivation. And they just have a knack at working all day, if surrounded by other people who are working all day along with them. So we don’t have 300 MPH trains because they cost too much to build, and one of the main reasons is that the working people of America charge too much. (“Spoiled”) But is it right to starve us for awhile, maybe allow some fascist Japanese in and terrorize us for awhile to “bring us back in line”?

Well, after all is said and done, my hands, they worked with fire and steel. Chinese can do whatever we do, cheaper and faster. Even write articles.