Same crap we heard about the Soviets in the 70s and early 80s. How efficient their economy was and how they would beat the GNP of the USA any day. Though it was counter intuitive to all the laws of economics that's what the 'experts' said, including the CIA. Didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now.
I sure hope this is true. I don't know what to believe these days. On the one hand, CCP propaganda is relentless and omnipresent especially if you have Tik Tok. US mainstream media is so vested in bringing down Trump above all else they have little credibility. Wall Street is freaked out over downturn in stock market. So I have to factor all that into the equation. Yet Team Trump seems to be all over the place with on again off again tariffs, and I see the same pattern on other issues (e.g. Ukraine/Russia, taking on Iran, etc.). Inconsistencies? Blinking? Art of Deal? Keeping everyone off balance? Lack of a detailed plan and just winging it? Are we playing a bluff hand of poker and China is playing 3D chess? I'm all in re: Trump and America but nervous and uncertain about where things are heading and seems like there are so many adversaries at every turn. China's engineering and manufacturing prowess does make them seem 10 feet tall compared to our crumbling infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and failed elite policies of both parties over past 50 yrs. Does that translate into military on things like shipbuilding and drone warfare? Like so many I'm prepared to ride things out and agree with Trump just worried about how things will turn out.
China blinks now because without ethane they can't manufacture plastics. Their only supplier of ethane is the US.
China's commie-feudalism is crumbling. Once the 15 to 20 million Chinese who've been idled in the last 4 weeks since Liberation Day start to revolt because they know they'll soon starve...all the engineering prowess will melt away in an instant.
It seems the vaunted long-term Chinese thinking will be focused on a lot of unsolvable short-term problems for a while.
To be influential, people have to think you have power (of some sort). Being powerful in fact, not only reputation, requires mobilizing and deploying real resources in a way that executes actions effectively to force compliance with your will. The IRS has a reputation for power that influences most US citizens to pay taxes because we know the IRS does take people's money, throw them in jail, ruin lives when they suspect imperfect compliance - for example.
The CCP has earned its local reputation for power through ruthless oppression and slaughter of its own people, sometimes generally and sometimes against selected "not our kind" enemies of the moment (rural folks, ethnic minorities, Christians/religious, the insufficiently revolutionary, HK capitalists, et al.). Their ability to force compliance to their will outside of China is not well-supported by evidence. Their economic influence absolutely requires others to hold globalism as a higher value, which the current administration attacks directly. China's worse problem is that, economically, everything is elastic in the long run - guns, butter, minerals, batteries, debt, forex. Just consider all that the new administration has already disequilibrated in less than 100 days. Can't see time being on China's side whether the game is chess, poker, boxing, or chicken.
I’ve heard it said that way too, but it looks like it was actually a plan. It’s a couple minutes in this video. And he was quoting an unnamed wise man.
Same crap we heard about the Soviets in the 70s and early 80s. How efficient their economy was and how they would beat the GNP of the USA any day. Though it was counter intuitive to all the laws of economics that's what the 'experts' said, including the CIA. Didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now.
I sure hope this is true. I don't know what to believe these days. On the one hand, CCP propaganda is relentless and omnipresent especially if you have Tik Tok. US mainstream media is so vested in bringing down Trump above all else they have little credibility. Wall Street is freaked out over downturn in stock market. So I have to factor all that into the equation. Yet Team Trump seems to be all over the place with on again off again tariffs, and I see the same pattern on other issues (e.g. Ukraine/Russia, taking on Iran, etc.). Inconsistencies? Blinking? Art of Deal? Keeping everyone off balance? Lack of a detailed plan and just winging it? Are we playing a bluff hand of poker and China is playing 3D chess? I'm all in re: Trump and America but nervous and uncertain about where things are heading and seems like there are so many adversaries at every turn. China's engineering and manufacturing prowess does make them seem 10 feet tall compared to our crumbling infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and failed elite policies of both parties over past 50 yrs. Does that translate into military on things like shipbuilding and drone warfare? Like so many I'm prepared to ride things out and agree with Trump just worried about how things will turn out.
China blinks now because without ethane they can't manufacture plastics. Their only supplier of ethane is the US.
China's commie-feudalism is crumbling. Once the 15 to 20 million Chinese who've been idled in the last 4 weeks since Liberation Day start to revolt because they know they'll soon starve...all the engineering prowess will melt away in an instant.
It seems the vaunted long-term Chinese thinking will be focused on a lot of unsolvable short-term problems for a while.
Go to YouTube and subscribe to @serpentza
China looks great if you only look at the facade.
This too should cheer you up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goEU7C1xmis
China, IMO, is remarkably close to the position the USSR occupied in the 80s, only a bit more competent in their execution of evil.
They are dangerous because they are weak, not because they are strong.
Excellent article and the Mike Tyson quote is spot on. I use that one a lot.
To be influential, people have to think you have power (of some sort). Being powerful in fact, not only reputation, requires mobilizing and deploying real resources in a way that executes actions effectively to force compliance with your will. The IRS has a reputation for power that influences most US citizens to pay taxes because we know the IRS does take people's money, throw them in jail, ruin lives when they suspect imperfect compliance - for example.
The CCP has earned its local reputation for power through ruthless oppression and slaughter of its own people, sometimes generally and sometimes against selected "not our kind" enemies of the moment (rural folks, ethnic minorities, Christians/religious, the insufficiently revolutionary, HK capitalists, et al.). Their ability to force compliance to their will outside of China is not well-supported by evidence. Their economic influence absolutely requires others to hold globalism as a higher value, which the current administration attacks directly. China's worse problem is that, economically, everything is elastic in the long run - guns, butter, minerals, batteries, debt, forex. Just consider all that the new administration has already disequilibrated in less than 100 days. Can't see time being on China's side whether the game is chess, poker, boxing, or chicken.
No. The quote is, "Everybody has a strategy till they get punched in the mouth." There is a big difference.
I’ve heard it said that way too, but it looks like it was actually a plan. It’s a couple minutes in this video. And he was quoting an unnamed wise man.
https://youtu.be/qSuMgOu8QPo?si=IJVJBMLmnihW2Y84