The new breastans ref article from the economist 1219

The scenario I am going to write it now may be more SciFi than reality, but provide an interesting explanation for China behavior:

Economic Warfare.

The current situation goes the same for another 5 years. China buy a huge number of US bonds, this keep dollar high. This provide US Consumer Debt the ability to buy Chinese products and make China a perfect investment target for multinational corporations. More and more US corporations close their manufacturing and engineering facilities here and people find worst payed jobs. By 2011 there are no engineering and manufacturing jobs anymore in US, all people switched to services in booming tourism industry for Chinese, Japanese and Indians.

We are months from 2012 - Maya calendar predicted the end of the world.

September 2011: US companies with Chinese backing and financed by US bonds undercover contract all the crop production in US. An investigation is underway but everybody still believe it is just standard market speculators due to not very good year.

January 2012: China invade Taiwan. US decide to defend Taiwan. China sell all at once all bonds and US dollars they have. The dollar collapse to the ground in 3 days trading, the dollar lose 90% of his value.

February 2012: Food crisis start to loom since the "speculators" did not sold any their crops to the food manufacturers. White House authorize the Pentagon to seize all the crops bought by Chinese speculators. When military descent in their warehouses they figure out that what was not shipped to China was already transformed in ethanol, most of them being already in China. The rest was just burn or infested rendering it unusable for human consumption.

Mid February 2012: The world wide price for food double, the dollar collapse even further. A piece of bread that used to cost $5 now you can buy it for more than $500.

Late February 2012: No more tourists no more demand for our "service economy". Unemployment is over 50%. Wages drop due to an over supply of cheap desperate labor. Many families are unable to afford a piece of bread. Violence all over the country. Riots in gangs are going doe to door killing anyone to try to find a can of food. There is no more gas at any pump. The remaining reserves are directed toward military.

March 2012: US nuke China, China answer the same. Russia take advantage and by surprise nuke both of them. Retaliation from the US military deep in the bunkers.

Peace on Earth !!!