Is Ed Rendell Right When He Says China Is 'Kicking Our Butt'?

Does Beijing have our number?

Ed Rendell certainly thinks so. During a rant in which the Pennsylvania governor criticized the NFL for postponing Sunday's Vikings-Eagles game until today because of the monster blizzard, he also said the league's decision reflected a broader lack of toughness in the country.

"We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything," he said in an interview with a Philadelphia radio station. "If this was in China, do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."

Is Rendell right? Surge Desk comes up with some answers.

Military
China may wield significant geopolitical influence, but despite some of the chatter about "war with China," The Washington Post still finds its military lacking when compared with America.

According to reporter John Pomfret, Chinese engineers still can't make the military hardware they need, and as a result they remain dependent on Russian arms.

"They've made remarkable progress in the development of their arms industry, but this progress shouldn't be overstated," Vasily Kashin, a Beijing-based expert on China's defense industry, told the Post. "They have a long tradition of overestimating their capabilities."

Infrastructure
There was a time when this question would have been laughable, but in its quest to become a powerhouse economy, the Chinese government has poured billions upon billions into improving transportation and utility systems. At the same time, those calling for updates to America's aging infrastructure are hampered by budget concerns.

An example: New York City has big plans to expand its subway system with a Second Avenue line; it may even move on the project soon -- only 90 years after it was first proposed.

But consider this: In 15 years, Shanghai has built 261 miles of subway.

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Education
In the most recent survey from the Program for International Student Assessment (pdf), students in Shanghai came out on top in math, science and reading, with Hong Kong coming close behind. American students ranged from 22nd to 30th in the three categories.

Football
Whether the European or American variety, the Chinese seem unlikely to give the United States a run for its money. Their soccer team qualified for the World Cup only once in 2002, and it failed to score a single goal.

As far as American football goes, it isn't really a fair contest -- "American" is right in the title, after all. If Rendell wants to see one area where America is probably going to continue kicking butt for some time, he should consider sending the Eagles on a trip.

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