Let’s consider that the real dollar values for the United State, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are, respectively, 1.605 billion dollars, 0.272 billion dollars, 0.802 billion dollars, and 0.215 billion dollars, according to the population figures presently resident on wikipedia.org.

It takes a pretty creative outlook to claim that nations which, all combined, are spending fewer dollars than the United States are in fact each individually outspending the United States.

And note the palmed card– by that metric, China is spending a mere $0.10 per captia– or $0.47 per capita if you use that naive inflated $611M value as your basis. But wait! They’re outspending us, too! I guess that per capita metric isn’t so important when it’s giving the wrong answer. (And that’s even assuming you believe any Chinese financial or macro-economic statement, which I simply don’t.)

C’mon, now. Grain of salt, people. Failing that, grain of math.

Or at least pick a metric and use it consistently!

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050705-024615-3388r