Politics

[WAB]

This is so true. You have described my thoughts exactly. I have also been to several parts of China. It is a juggernaut of cities, people, infrastructure and manufacturing. With 1.4 billion people, there would be no way to defeat China in any type of ground war in their country. Now, they are building up their navy. Nuclear deterrence is our only option with China. A direct conventional war with China with the way things sit now would be a disaster.

We were fools to help them along and give up our manufacturing base to them in the name of cheap goods. The modern unions in the USA also had a hand in pushing manufacturing to China. Does snapping parts together really necessitate a $100k wage plus full benefits? I remember hearing about a strike many years ago at a General Motors plant where the average worker already made $54 per hour plus benefits. Give me a break. No wonder a new full-size crew cab pickup is $100k! That was the price of my first house! Ridiculous.

In a war, all they would have to do is stop exports to us and we would be done. We need to revitalize our manufacturing base and the unions need a reality check as to the worth of unskilled labor.

With the right policies, China can be defeated economically. They can be made to collapse from within if we have the intestinal fortitude to make it happen.

 

[wesheltonj]

With the right policies, China can be defeated economically. They can be made to collapse from within if we have the intestinal fortitude to make it happen.

I am not so sure about that. China has diversified with investment (plants) all over Southeast Asia. Even if we cut off all import from Mainland China, we still be buying their goods, from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia.

 

[CJW]

It was the average at that plant. As for the service industry, does checking out customers at Safeway necessitate a wage that was unsustainable for the company? That’s why we see self-checkout. I use to be a forced union member at Safeway when I was young. Saw it first-hand. It’s this whole “living wage” movement for menial jobs that people should not aspire to as a career. These should be entry level jobs, not careers.

Of course some of these unions seem like a joke and they probably are, but you sort of went from one extreme to another. My only point was that with all of the anti-union sentiment we have nowadays, a good percentage of folks think that everyone in a manufacturing, pipe fitter, steel worker, iron worker, public or whatever union makes that sort of bank. It just isn't true. The UAW has done extreme damage to the image and legitimacy of unions. It has seemed to shape the image of unions.

Also, some of those who do complain wouldn't or couldn't do a lot of union jobs, especially if the union went bye bye.

 

[PARA45]

This is so true. You have described my thoughts exactly. I have also been to several parts of China. It is a juggernaut of cities, people, infrastructure and manufacturing. With 1.4 billion people, there would be no way to defeat China in any type of ground war in their country. Now, they are building up their navy. Nuclear deterrence is our only option with China. A direct conventional war with China with the way things sit now would be a disaster.

We were fools to help them along and give up our manufacturing base to them in the name of cheap goods. The modern unions in the USA also had a hand in pushing manufacturing to China. Does snapping parts together really necessitate a $100k wage plus full benefits? I remember hearing about a strike many years ago at a General Motors plant where the average worker already made $54 per hour plus benefits. Give me a break. No wonder a new full-size crew cab pickup is $100k! That was the price of my first house! Ridiculous.

In a war, all they would have to do is stop exports to us and we would be done. We need to revitalize our manufacturing base and the unions need a reality check as to the worth of unskilled labor.

I've always wonder why we continue to promote the economy of our enemy. The Chinese government doesn't care what their population think or say about their armament spending. Meanwhile here in the US some do, until the sh*t hits the fan, and then we are playing catch up.

 

[Red Leg]

I should preface this by saying that I am not a huge fan of Lex Fridman. He is a very intelligent Russian-American commentator on world affairs, but his views on American European interests tend to follow those of Russian "news" programs, Tucker Carlson, Douglas Macgregor, and the neo-isolationists on the American right. To his and Volodymer Zelensky's credit, they sat down for an extended interview two days ago. It provides a lot of insights into Zelensky that are not apparent in the caricature perpetuated in places like Citizen Free Press, Breitbart, and the Ingram Angle.

Most Americans have no idea that Russia is not a nation in the same way that France or Germany are. Russia truly is the last 17th century empire. The 140 million people who make up Russia are a checkerboard of formerly independent cultures, ethnic groups, and sovereign entities now held in a form of modern servitude by the dominant traditional Rus ethnic group that composes the historic Dutchy of Moscow. This empire is run by a modern Tsar who is dictator for life, however many fake elections in which he may choose to be a candidate. Rather than a structure of subordinate royalty, he rules through a network of loyalists bound to him by chains of wealth and prestige leavened with a healthy dose of fear. Many students of modern Russia describe, rightly I think, a regime that more closely resembles a Mafia Don directing his empire through a cadre of made Capos rather than a government as we understand it in the West.

Zelensky touches on that in an interesting exchange during the interview.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1hvdzhp/volodymyr_zelenskyy_answers_lexs_question_about

 

[CJW]

Now that the Cuban sandwich has resigned and is set to be humanely euthanized, it seems a good time to listen to Pierre Poilievre about his plans as PM. I just got done listrning to his most recent interview with Jordan Peterson.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Now that the Cuban sandwich has resigned and is set to be humanely euthanized, it seems a good time to listen to Pierre Poilievre about his plans as PM. I just got done listrning to his most recent interview with Jordan Peterson.

I can’t wait to get a Conservative Prime Minister and government. Turdeau has positioned things to get a new party leader before an election. He knew that the Liberal Party would cease to exist if he was the party leader going into an election. My hope is for an election in the spring to get us back on track.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Denzel is a wonderful choice. Some of his interviews in the last 5-6 years prove he is a true American. The others are garbage. Comey openly admitted that Hillary broke the law, yet she would never be charged with a crime. Soros, well, Soros does Soros things.

Denzel Washington is a great choice. I am sorry though that he is now forever linked with these other two who are not deserving of such an honor.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

It's a few years since I travelled through China and much has changed since then. Back then, most of the locals I spoke to weren't too fussed about the CCP. They regarded them a bit like a modern dynasty which would be overthrown if they went to far out of line. I believe they were quite naive and XI has changed everything. An old school authoritarian dictator.

From what I saw, I would be very careful second guessing China's approach to nuclear war. Unlike most Western countries, simply taking out a few major cities would have little effect on them. The country is covered in mega cities from one end to the other. With a population of 1.4 billion, and widley distributed manufacturing, they could lose major cities and a hundred million people with little or no disruption to the country as a whole.

I think it’s unrealistic to believe that any nuclear exchange would be limited to taking out “a few” major cities.

A Chinese nuclear strike against the US would probably attempt to knock out as many US nuclear sites and military bases as possible, that’s a lot of missiles. The US would detect the launches and respond in kind since US policy has been retaliation. I imagine that of our 1,770 deployed warheads, every major city, military installation, port, and agricultural center would be targeted. Those who survive will have lost their energy, medical, and food infrastructure devastated.

There is no way that Xi wakes up on the day after and exits his bunker to a functioning nation. It’s called mutually assured destruction for a reason. It’s why no nuke has been used in anger since 1945. Everybody loses. There’s brinksmanship but once the missiles get sent everyone is all in.

 

[Foxi]

Trump wants to take over Greenland.


Just imagine: if necessary in a military action if Denmark and GL do not agree to the sale (the Red Indians in the USA can tell you a thing or two about this kind of purchase).
Wouldn't that trigger the alliance case - an attack on a NATO state? And then what?
Denmark had the highest per capita losses in Afghanistan and Iraq among the troops who fought with US soldiers.
What contempt for a loyal ally, and not only for them.
He allegedly demands 5% for the armaments of NATO partners, he knows that this cannot be achieved and so he could ignore a number of countries.
Would the US generals go along with this if he gave the order???
I would be interested in your opinion on this.

Can you believe what you read?

Foxi

 

[rigbymauser]

Trump wants to take over Greenland.


Just imagine: if necessary in a military action if Denmark and GL do not agree to the sale (the Red Indians in the USA can tell you a thing or two about this kind of purchase).
Wouldn't that trigger the alliance case - an attack on a NATO state? And then what?
Denmark had the highest per capita losses in Afghanistan and Iraq among the troops who fought with US soldiers.
What contempt for a loyal ally, and not only for them.
He allegedly demands 5% for the armaments of NATO partners, he knows that this cannot be achieved and so he could ignore a number of countries.
Would the US generals go along with this if he gave the order???
I would be interested in your opinion on this.

Can you believe what you read?

Foxi

Trump is merely expressing what he wants in a not-so-intelligent way. He do stirre up the political pond. So far Greenland can not be bought according to the "Greenies". They want to be independed of Denmark and USA, but doesn`t mind to collaborate. US already have a fairly strong representation in the northern bases but may want more. Greenland is not owned by Denmark so its the Greenies the US have to bomb or nuke to get what they want if all diplomatic attemps fails. With Trump I can imagine just about everything like buying Ka-Nay-Da....:LOL

 

[Scott CWO]

With the right policies, China can be defeated economically. They can be made to collapse from within if we have the intestinal fortitude to make it happen.

I hope you’re right but I fear that it’s too late for that and too many companies have moved manufacturing to China. I took the Hewlett-Packard liaison to the Chinese government sheep hunting several years ago. He told me that US consumers wouldn’t pay $2500 for a computer made in the USA back then so they were forced to make everything in China to compete with their competitors. This could have been handled with a better trade deal and tariffs back then but nobody had the guts to do it and now that the manufacturing is gone and consumers are used to cheap prices, it’s too late.

 

[Brent in Az]

 

[Scott CWO]

Of course some of these unions seem like a joke and they probably are, but you sort of went from one extreme to another. My only point was that with all of the anti-union sentiment we have nowadays, a good percentage of folks think that everyone in a manufacturing, pipe fitter, steel worker, iron worker, public or whatever union makes that sort of bank. It just isn't true. The UAW has done extreme damage to the image and legitimacy of unions. It has seemed to shape the image of unions.

Also, some of those who do complain wouldn't or couldn't do a lot of union jobs, especially if the union went bye bye.

No extremes. Just facts. I lived it as an employee and have also been an employer in two different industries. Unions came about because of the robber baron days. Those days are over.

 

[Red Leg]

Trump wants to take over Greenland.


Just imagine: if necessary in a military action if Denmark and GL do not agree to the sale (the Red Indians in the USA can tell you a thing or two about this kind of purchase).
Wouldn't that trigger the alliance case - an attack on a NATO state? And then what?
Denmark had the highest per capita losses in Afghanistan and Iraq among the troops who fought with US soldiers.
What contempt for a loyal ally, and not only for them.
He allegedly demands 5% for the armaments of NATO partners, he knows that this cannot be achieved and so he could ignore a number of countries.
Would the US generals go along with this if he gave the order???
I would be interested in your opinion on this.

Can you believe what you read?

Foxi

I do not think anyone takes him seriously and many think he sounds like he has lost his mind. I am not sure that is a particularly useful look for an incoming president.

I wonder id buying Greenland might even upset the few people left in Trump World who think the national debt is a serious issue.

Apparently we are also committed to changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. He is apparently suggesting the Gulf of America, but I personally like "Mable" - that female nautical thing.

I assume these are all critical issues for which his supporters were totally committed.

Look, I assume this is a lot of thinly disguised international trolling, but he has a lot of real work to do. Many of us skeptics would feel better if he seemed more serious about that challenge.

 

[Doubleplay]

I do not think anyone takes him seriously and many think he sounds like he has lost his mind. I am not sure that is a particularly useful look for an incoming president.

I wonder id buying Greenland might even upset the few people left in Trump World who think the national debt is a serious issue.

Apparently we are also committed to changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. He is apparently suggesting the Gulf of America, but I personally like "Mable" - that female nautical thing.

I assume these are all critical issues for which his supporters were totally committed.

Look, I assume this is a lot of thinly disguised international trolling, but he has a lot of real work to do. Many of us skeptics would feel better if he seemed more serious about that challenge.

Don't forget about annexing Canada and taking back Panama Canal.
This will be fun!

 

[Datchew]

The total disregard for life is appalling.

This.

I'm no naive peacenik. Most things in life truly do come down to use of force, implied or literal.

Politics and economics are our mechanisms to sort out conflict in a medium not requiring bloodshed.

But this current situation really is heinous.

 

[Datchew]

Apparently by invoking the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Trump can't simply reverse it with a counter presidential order. It will take either congressional or perhaps judicial action. Neither likely will be quick.

Biden alone obviously didn't decide this was a good idea. It truly is stunning how much damage to the economy and the American people the climate zealots in this administration are willing to inflict.

Wokeism and climatism. 2 of the most insidious religious zealot flavors of Marxism to date.

Agree with your statement. It's stunning.

The damage to the minds of the youth is palpable and disgusting. They should have a gleam in their eyes of a hopeful future but instead they despair and self sterilize.

 

[Datchew]

I wonder id buying Greenland might even upset the few people left in Trump World who think the national debt is a serious issue.

Interesting statement.

Penny for your thoughts on the national debt and your position on the spectrum between modern monetary theory and Austrian monetary theory.

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting statement.

Penny for your thoughts on the national debt and your position on the spectrum between modern monetary theory and Austrian monetary theory.

Feel free to expound, but I think we are all somewhat Austrian when the standard of our issued currencies and credit are a subjective perception of national wealth, prestige, etc rather than tangible assets. The debt curve, however, can be remorseless under either theory.