Politics

[observe]

 

[observe]

 

[sgt_zim]

I doubt Western action or inaction over Ukraine would have much of an impact on China. Let us say China chooses to invade Taiwan at some point in the next 10-20 years. What could the West do to realistically stop it ? You can introduce sanctions on Russia because Russia is a 1.5 trillion economy. Compare that to America which is 22 trillion economy. Now China is a 18 trillion economy, and it is poised to overtake the US in terms of GDP at some point in the next decade. In terms of P.P.P. China has already surpassed the US. This article lays out China's vs. America's economic position quite well https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/great-economic-rivalry-china-vs-us Furthermore just walk into your neighborhood Walmart and look at how many things are made in China. If the West tried to introduce sanctions on China, over its hypothetical invasion of Taiwan, the West would also be greatly hurt by these sanctions as well. Sanctions work if you are the more, economically, powerful side. They don't work so well if the two sides are equal. Plus sanctions against China, unlike against Russia, would lead to severe shortages in the US, Canada etc... as China occupies a central role in global manufacturing and supply chains. This would have severe consequences on domestic opinion. Being a "human rights defender" and "global social justice warrior" is great and all until it effects your bottom line and prevents you from getting basic necessities at your local Walmart.

With its growing economy China is also starting to amp up its military spending and its nuclear arsenal. So with its growing economy China's military is growing as well.

China's rise has been directly fueled by Western corporate greed. Corporations went into China thinking they would get a cheap source of labour and that they would be able to control China to their liking. This directly led to a increasingly tightening noose around the West's neck. And i do not see one Western nation or leader who is seriously trying to do anything to reverse or combat this trend. And arguably it is already to late.

There's are more factors involved in this than simple corporate greed.

Dial the clock back to the 1950s. At that time, the US was the one and only manufacturer of all things useful. Japan was still rebuilding. South Korea was fighting for its life. All of Europe was still sorting through the rubble.

The people, via the government they elected, decided they could do anything they wanted WRT taxes and regulations. At that time, it didn't matter. If somebody in France wanted a radio, their choices were pretty much all American made. By the 1980s, Japan and Europe had tooled back up and were giving us all we could handle competition-wise. By the 1990s, S Korea had also decided it was time to play with the big boys.

By the '90s, while the tax situation wasn't quite as bad as in the 1950s, the regulatory environment was infinitely worse. Economically, all a regulation is is a mandate for a business to spend resources on something it otherwise would not have. Simply put, all regulation increases production costs, and those costs are always passed to the consumer to the extent the market will bear it. When the market begins to look like it won't bear it much longer, the c-suites can decide to shutter operations, or move them. Some of the c-suites didn't recognize what was happening, and simply closed their doors.

Corporate greed? Do you think the people in the chinese communist party aren't also greedy? That Winnie the Pooh isn't greedy?

Suppose, just for grins, we ended corporate taxation and adopted unilateral free trade (the way Singapore did, and the way Hong Kong had done prior to 1997) in the US, the way trade has been between the several states since 1789. What do you suppose would happen to unemployment numbers here, to mean annual income? Every business in the world with the capitalization to do it would domicile themselves in the US.

I agree with you (I think) on what Nixon and Kissinger did WRT China, and the ongoing fall-out from that.

"Corporate greed" is the scapegoat used by the (mostly) leftist political class and the ignorant sheep who follow them. It's impossible to overlook that the same greed American executives are accused of isn't producing spectacular results for the Chicoms. So why is it bad here, but good for prosperity there?

This is far more complex than mere greed could explain.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Not on it and haven't a clue about it...but I see he is taking it private....should get them bitching even more.....

Same.

I generally view Twitter as a cultural blight and whether he opens it up or shuts it down I will consider it a net positive.

 

[Newboomer]

China is trying to ride two horses in their position on Ukraine. They vocalizing support for Russia while cutting back on financial dealings with Russia. I think that is partly because China relies on world markets and is sensitive to the relationships. If it thinks it's own aggressions will cause significant damage to that then I belive it will be restrained. China's ruling elite is more rational than Putin in that sense.

Kind of an interesting situation with empire builders on both sides of the world. China on the one side and Russia on the other. They are somewhat working together in one sense but opposing each other on the in the other. Which way will the empire(s) spread and what will be the outcome? And with the free world, (N America and Europe), caught in the middle, will there be another two front war some day?
Hmmm.

 

[sgt_zim]

Kind of an interesting situation with empire builders on both sides of the world. China on the one side and Russia on the other. They are somewhat working together in one sense but opposing each other on the in the other. Which way will the empire(s) spread and what will be the outcome? And with the free world, (N America and Europe), caught in the middle, will there be another two front war some day?
Hmmm.

Unlikely. Russia has been exposed. Having a nuke arsenal is the only thing keeping them in the game, and the oligarchs have gotten much too fat and happy to see it all come to ruin like that. They want to be able to keep up the grift.

If India ever figures out a way over the Himalayas and across Tibet, China will have its hands full if it comes to that. They hate each other.

 

[Sabattiboy]

View attachment 463769View attachment 463771

The main problem being that generations later on don't believe it can happen again or would never happen to them.
When/if it does happen somewhere else it doesn't matter because it is to someone else and isn't the same thing.
Human beings can rationalize nearly anything.

 

[sgt_zim]

The main problem being that generations later on don't believe it can happen again or would never happen to them.
When/if it does happen somewhere else it doesn't matter because it is to someone else and isn't the same thing.
Human beings can rationalize nearly anything.

I call it "the magic dirt" rationalization.

"We're special, it can't happen here."

 

[PARA45]

 

[PARA45]

 

[Pheroze]

People are amazing

The man who evacuated 200 people from Mariupol in a battered red van

As Russian forces tightened their siege of Mariupol and missiles rained down, Mykhailo Puryshev drove into the city six times last month to evacuate its citizens, somehow surviving despite his red van being all but destroyed.

www.reuters.com

 

[cpr0312]

 

[Sabattiboy]

View attachment 464031

His son is waiting for the right time at the dinner table to show he has manors by saying "Pardon me!"

 

[Ray B]

His son is waiting for the right time at the dinner table to show he has manors by saying "Pardon me!"

I doubt that Joe Bidet knows it, but "Pardon Me" is not correct etiquette. I Beg Your Pardon is the correct use of Pardon, but my impression of Hunter is that he considers himself above having to beg anything from anyone.

 

[Big5]

 

[spike.t]

BBC News - War in Ukraine: Ukrainians deported to Russia beaten and mistreated

War in Ukraine: Ukrainians deported to Russia beaten and mistreated

One man says he was captured and taken over the border, where he was blindfolded and beaten.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[dobber]

I doubt that Joe Bidet knows it, but "Pardon Me" is not correct etiquette.

it is once you are charged and convicted of many crimes and daddy is still the POTUS

 

[CAustin]

so true. You took out the loan. Now pay it back. I did and I had hard times doing so BUT it was my responsibility to pay it back. I was working part time while going to school and did not waste my money

Exactly how it should be sir. My elder sister had over $50k worth of student loans back in the early 1990s. However, she got a PhD in Biology, not a worthless basket weaving degree, and taught at VA Tech then worked for the US State Department and the EPA for 30 years. She paid every penny of it back along with the associated interest. She worked as a graduate assistant the whole time she was getting the PhD and lived on little to nothing for years. All the people crying about paying back there loans should be asked what they thought a “LOAN” was.

 

[Hogpatrol]

When I worked in a large industrial plant south of Philadelphia, PA., there were guys who would lend you money. The interest rates were a lot higher than student loans. You borrowed the money, you paid it back. Loan forgiveness? Fuggeddaboutit.

 

[wesheltonj]

Exactly how it should be sir. My elder sister had over $50k worth of student loans back in the early 1990s. However, she got a PhD in Biology, not a worthless basket weaving degree, and taught at VA Tech then worked for the US State Department and the EPA for 30 years. She paid every penny of it back along with the associated interest. She worked as a graduate assistant the whole time she was getting the PhD and lived on little to nothing for years. All the people crying about paying back there loans should be asked what they thought a “LOAN” was.

Back in the day, pre-Obama Care, student loans were straight forward. You filled out an application, it went to a lender and the government guaranteed the loan. When you started to pay to back the lender, the lender sold the loan to Sally Mae and you paid Sally Mae with a fix rate of interest and investors purchased Sally Mae securities.

Now, Obama Care nationalized Student loans and the government is the lender. (Which has nothing to do with health care, other than Medical School student loans. [Which Hillary said could force more Medical Students into family practice and away from Specialties]) Now, no one wants to pay back the government what they freely borrowed. I have paid for myself three College degrees and paying now one for my daughter. But now I also have to pay for other kids loans too according the the Socialists. We are about to run out of income producers for all the free riders.