Well, what would happen if the media started making a bunch of noise about how much farther ahead of us Chinese states are progressing? If Americans knew that the average retirement age is 60 and they've got lower levels of household debt and higher savings rates and lower cost of living and more job stability and there's no such thing as "medical bankruptcy"...

Would they start envying that quality of life? Would they start emulating Chinese cultural and economic practices? Would they start migrating across the Pacific in pursuit of this lifestyle standard?