The MoA Week In Review - Open Thread 2020-63
Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:
- August 3 - Trump Presses Microsoft, TikTok Into A Deal That Neither Wants - Who Profits From It?
Related:
Announcing the Expansion of the Clean Network to Safeguard America’s Assets - State Department
Statement on the Administration's Executive Order - Tik Toc
CIA Finds ‘No Evidence’ Chinese Government Has Accessed TikTok Data, Report Says - Forbes
TikTok: Logs, Logs, Logs - Elliot Alderson> As far as we can see, in its current state, TikTok doesn’t have a suspicious behavior and is not exfiltrating unusual data. Getting data about the user device is quite common in the mobile world and we would obtain similar results with Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and others. <
- August 4 - Beirut Explosion
- August 5 - Beirut Blast Wrap-up
Related:
The Tragic Physics of the Deadly Explosion in Beirut - Rachel Lance / Wired
The Beirut Explosion: Who is responsible? - Elijah Magnier> The many “conspiracy theories” fail to line up with the facts of this accident. Ignorance, incompetence, favouritism and bureaucracy are the reasons for the loss of so many lives and the destruction of Beirut, a capital where people have not learned to stand together. This is a huge national tragedy. The Lebanese hold property in many foreign countries, west and east. This expresses the lack of a sense of belonging- because this is a country where elected politicians have amassed and stolen all the country’s wealth, where they hoard power, and where they pass it on to their sons. <
Sharmine Narwani @snarwani - 22:24 UTC · Aug 8, 2020
Lebanese protestors today hung cardboard cutouts of Saad Hariri and his allies, but you won't see this because media is only showing pics of Nasrallah, Berri and Aoun being hung. All political leaders were derided equally today. Don't fall for the propaganda, #Lebanon
Amal Saad @amalsaad_lb - 22:46 UTC · 8 Aug 2020
The US and Saudi have once again sought to capitalize on politically engineered tragedies in Lebanon using their local proxies. Legitimate fury about the Beirut blast has been channeled into a sectarian campaign to disarm Hizbullah by interventionists with neo-colonial fantasies
- August 6 - Addicted To Nuclear Weapons - Why U.S. Policies Never Change
Related:
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper: "[NATO countries must share] the burden so we can all deter Russia and AVOID PEACE in Europe."
- August 7 - The 'Russian Coup' Plot In Belarus Was Faked By Ukraine
Related: Full English translations of the original kp.ru report:
The Arrest of 33 Russians in Minsk Turned Out to Be a Provocation of the Ukrainian Security Services - Stalkerzone
SBU involvement in the incident in Belarus – Putin offers a way out for Lukashenko - Donbass Insider
Putin, Lukashenko discuss detention of Russian nationals in Belarus - TASS
---
Other issues:
Civil War of 2020:
America Is About To Feel Like A 3rd World Nation - Ian Welsh
How white radicals hijacked Portland’s protests - Michael Tracey / Unherd
The white liberal is the worst enemy to America, and the worst enemy to the black man. - Malcolm X
Covid-19 research:
SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality risk in a nationwide seroepidemiological study
We used data from a nation-wide seroepidemiological study and two sources of mortality information -deaths among laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and excess deaths- to estimate the range of IFR, both overall and by age and sex, in Spain. The overall IFR ranged between 1.1% and 1.4% in men and 0.58% to 0.77% in women. The IFR increased sharply after age 50, ranging between 11.6% and 16.4% in men ≥80 years and between 4.6% and 6.5% in women ≥80 years. Our IFR estimates for SARS-CoV-2 are substantially greater than IFR estimators for seasonal influenza, justifying the implementation of special public health measures.
Findings In this cohort study that included 303 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection isolated in a community treatment center in the Republic of Korea, 110 (36.3%) were asymptomatic at the time of isolation and 21 of these (19.1%) developed symptoms during isolation. The cycle threshold values of reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic patients were similar to those in symptomatic patients.
A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 - NEJM
Results We enrolled 821 asymptomatic participants. Overall, 87.6% of the participants (719 of 821) reported a high-risk exposure to a confirmed Covid-19 contact. The incidence of new illness compatible with Covid-19 did not differ significantly between participants receiving hydroxychloroquine (49 of 414 [11.8%]) and those receiving placebo (58 of 407 [14.3%]); the absolute difference was −2.4 percentage points (95% confidence interval, −7.0 to 2.2; P=0.35). Side effects were more common with hydroxychloroquine than with placebo (40.1% vs. 16.8%), but no serious adverse reactions were reported.
Statement from Yale Faculty on Hydroxychloroquine and its Use in COVID-19
While minority opinions, anecdotal evidence, novel interpretations and challenges to orthodoxies in a field can be important, at some point, the application of the scientific method generating evidence from multiple, well-designed clinical trials and observational studies does matter and should be heard over the noise of conspiracy theories, purported hoaxes, and the views of zealots.
Scientists May Be Using the Wrong Cells to Study Covid-19 - Wired
Dr. Angela Rasmussen @angie_rasmussen - 15:18 UTC · Aug 6, 2020
...
Vero cells don't express TMPRSS2, but do express cathepsin L. These are proteins that can both enable #SARSCoV2 entry. CQ/HCQ blocks cathepsin L, but not TMPRSS2. Human lung cells, which do have TMPRSS2, are still susceptible to infection because CQ has no effect on that pathway.
Now I know this because I'm a virologist and I know all about Vero cells. But as both @profvrr and @paimadhu point out, when non-virologists start working on #COVID19 treatments using only Vero cells because they're convenient, the results can be misleading.
...
Covid-19 economics:
Minimizing Economic Costs for COVID-19 - Yaneer Bar-Yam / NECSI
Coming Next: The Greater Recession - Paul Krugman / NYT
Put it all together and the expiration of emergency aid could produce a 4 percent to 5 percent fall in G.D.P. But wait, there’s more. States and cities are in dire straits and are already planning harsh spending cuts; ...
Bear in mind that the coronavirus itself — a shock that came out of the blue, though the United States mishandled it terribly — reduced G.D.P. by “only” around 10 percent. What we’re looking at now may be another shock, a sort of economic second wave, almost as severe in monetary terms as the first.
Boeing 737:
Air India Express plane skids off runway, breaks into two pieces, police say; at least 16 people are dead, dozens injured - AP
This was a Boeing 737-800 NG. To learn why this type is prone to break apart after a hard landing watch the Al-Jazeerah documentation On a wing and a prayer.
Use as open thread ...
Posted by b on August 9, 2020 at 13:11 UTC | Permalink
next page »https://twitter.com/les_politiques/status/1292194228714561536
Good thread
"The inertia in #Lebanon is not Hezbollah's fault, however, #Hezbollah tolerated this for a long time because it wanted to be part of the system to protect its status. It was a Faustian bargain that is coming to haunt them now, and here is where Hezbollah's sins lie."
Drone footage of the damage
https://twitter.com/Michokh/status/1292030484629913600
Posted by: Mina | Aug 9 2020 13:38 utc | 2
SPECIAL FRIENDS
I wish her well
like to the max
she will not tell
so just relax
her cube is black
she sees one star
not Peter’s rock
she sees quite far
who has the tech?
who casts the lead?
once Grandpa Cain
put gods to bed?
a slow design
measured release
first make waves
then smooth the seas
Terra Mar?
going green?
she sees one star
know what I mean?
if you do
you cannot say
so wish her well
then walk away
The thing that annoyed me about that Twitter thread cited by Mina was the word "wanted" - i.e. "however, #Hezbollah tolerated this for a long time because it wanted to be part of the system to protect its status." A more correct description would have been "was obliged" or "forced". That shows that the author, one Sophia, really detests Hizbullah, and is wanting to do them down, even at the price of exposing Lebanon, undefended, to Israel's daily aggressions. Although otherwise it seems a good analysis, suppressing Hizbullah, as Macron and the rest of Israel's minions seem to be demanding, is a quite unrealistic solution, as it will never be agreed to.
Posted by: Laguerre | Aug 9 2020 14:07 utc | 4
That new study of COVID-19 IFR uses not just serological tests but also the figure for sexcess mortality, which completely distorts the results. The excess mortality could be due to other factors or by the huge disruption caused by the response to COVID-19.
A purely serological test on randomly selected people is needed for an objective overall measurement. That's what was done in a number of separate studies, including those in Gangelt in Germany and in Santa Clara in California. They produced an IFR figure of about 0.2% which is quite close to that of the normal flu.
Posted by: Brendan | Aug 9 2020 14:28 utc | 5
re: tiktok/huawei/etc 'clean network' ... they're attempting to convince the world to disconnect china from the internet, which won't happen (but respect for dreaming big). IMO What will happen is US will build great firewall.
Posted by: ptb | Aug 9 2020 14:37 utc | 6
Opinion: China Turned Crisis Into Opportunity in 1998. Can It Do So Again?
The answer is yes.
Little known fact: it was China - not the IMF - which saved the world from the 1997 crisis. And it saved the world from catastrophe in 2008, too. And it will save the world again in 2020.
--//--
Diplomat [Zakharova] says detention of 33 Russians in Minsk was third country’s provocation
It's now the official version of the Kremlin.
Looks like Lukashenko is quickly coming back to his senses. I hope (and think) Belarus' absorption by Russia will accelerate from now on.
--//--
Saudi Aramco profits crash 73% as coronavirus sinks oil market
Always one inch short, on step behind - this is Saudi Arabia's story.
--//--
Jobs Market Faces ‘Bloodbath’ as Coronavirus-Pummeled UK Economy Flounders
Remember that BoE report from some weeks ago I called out here (in a post about the pandemic) as being unrealistic? Yeah, looks like the British government agrees with me.
On a side note, the BoE also gave up said optimistic report from some days ago. It now is not predicting a V-shaped recovery.
Looks like one century of humiliation wasn't enough for the UK - it will need another one.
--//--
Joke of the week:
The Americanization of Israel’s Iron Dome
By - who else? - Stephen Bryen.
@anonymouse 4: Yes they are indeed dangerous, in that they can be highly contageous. Let's take a look at the common usage of the term 'conspiracy theorist' in today's USA and the orgins therof. Evidenced by declasified documents, the term was part of a list of tactics to be used against citizens that questioned the narrative delivered by the Warren Commission Report (JFK assassination). So we find that it was brought into common usage in order to marginalize dissenting narratives and opinions.
Similar tactics occurred in the Soviet Union when dealing with dissidents.
In todays USA the expression is simply trotted out when a thought or an idea does not conform to the accepted narrative. I experience this on a regular basis on the interwebs and in person. I find this oddly amusing due to the fact that we really do live in a "post truth world". Although the expression was coined in the mass media by Rudy "911" Giulianni, it has a certain validity given that any information complete with flimsy evidence provided by anonymous sources can be disseminated and marketed as truth. Which makes the challenge "what are you sources?!" all the more amusing. My response: In a post Mockingbird world where there is a revolving door between intelligence and media, this question is laughable.
When dealing with dissenting views, it can be handy to throw a few whacky provocateurs into the mix just to turn some heads in the desired direction. I call it 'The Turd in the PunchBowl'. Just add a crazy sounding commenter or two and everyone else will be regarded as a tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorist. I'm sure that my here can thing of a few examples of such false gatekeepers. Thus it becomes a challenge to deliver any kind of expression with integrity that challenges the dominant narrative. Recently I expressed an view in regard to SARS Covid-19 where I depicted the controlled economic demolition as well the constant campaign of fear. Later I was told that the audience took it that I thought the whole thing is a hoax, which is not the case. So one must be careful and precise with expression, or simply not bother.
Posted by: Chevrus | Aug 9 2020 14:48 utc | 8
@Laguerre | Aug 9 2020 14:07 utc | 6
I agree, Hezbollah had to walk tiptoes as any false move would trigger a violent reaction from the USA.
They had to deal with a totally corrupted political class inherited from the Hariri clan. As they had the support of a significant part of the population they moved into the political sphere to disloge Hariri cronies. This has been a slow but effective process that triggered the USA and its poodles, the UK and others, to slash Hezballah and Lebanon with more sanctions.
The explosion is the result of some wishy-washy deal between officials and the judiciary in 2014 when the Hariri clan was in full power. The Lebanese should point at the Hariri corrupted cronies.
Instead, as usual the USA, its agents in Lebanon such a Geagea and Jumblatt are trying to put the blame on ... Hezbollah again.
The USA thought that the end of Syria would mean the end of Hezbollah and a new security for their beloved evil baby, Israel. After 10 years on hitting on Syria in every way, they failed. Now they want Lebanon to become a failed state so that Hezbollah ca desintegrate. All opportunity is good, color revolution, violence, financial sanctions etc...
Hezbollah and its allies must make careful moves to stop the US Israeli campaign to put the blame of the explosion on them. I am holding my breath
Posted by: Virgile | Aug 9 2020 14:54 utc | 9
Beirut safety practice Trump'd by Ukraine.
Ukraine proves that it is the end-boss of failed states:
https://mobile.twitter.com/COUPSURE/status/1291653265390796800
Posted by: Lurk | Aug 9 2020 15:11 utc | 11
Concerning Huawei's Kirin chips: They outsource production of those chips to TSMC in Taiwan.
The western capitalist mass media likes to crow about how cutting China off from these chips is a win for the US and won't really hurt Taiwan by claiming that nearly 70% of TSMC's revenue comes from US corporations like Apple, Qualcomm, Intel, etc. Presumably Chinese companies like Huawei only account for 20% of TSMC's revenue.
Uncomfortable fact: Though US based corporations place orders for chips from TSMC, very few of those chips are actually shipped to the United States. Instead they are shipped to production facilities in mainland China for assembly into cell phones, TVs, and computers.
There are none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in the United States manufacturing key electronics components like motherboards and video cards. The vast majority of those used in the United States are outsourced to production facilities in China.
So, while US based corporations place lots of orders with chip foundry TSMC, most of those chips are heading to China anyway. If those chips are blocked from being exported to China, then TSMC is dead. If TSMC dies, then Taiwan follows soon after.
It always astonishes how stupid people are who are supposedly smart. They think all that is important is that they have corporate headquarters in the US with legal and marketing departments, largely because that is the only useless crap that they can do or understand. The actual manufacturing of the products that the corporation depends upon for its profits is just some vague abstraction that takes place who-knows-where, and who cares anyway?
When people pretending to be business analysts cite that "...more than 60% of TSMC's revenue!" figure as a defense of the policy of trying to shut out China, then we can safely assume that our political "leaders" are even more clueless. All of these efforts to harm China will do (are already doing) far more damage to the US than to China, and America's supposed "allies" are going to be hurt even more.
This nonsense about trying to isolate China is delusion on par with "The covid will go on vacation for the summer!" crap that broke new death records in the US. The real tragedy here is that it is not just Trump who is making these stupid mistakes but the overwhelming majority of the US population, including most of the never-Trump crowd. Americans' understanding of economics is infantile at best. They are like the rich guy who finds himself stranded on a deserted island: "Good thing I remembered to bring my credit card! It has no limit!"
Sorry, Bub, but that's not how economics works.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 16:03 utc | 12
thanks b... a full week with no covid articles has lowered the number of trolls.. kudos!!
@ 17 william gruff... you would probably enjoy reading the link that b shared above - America Is About To Feel Like A 3rd World Nation - Ian Welsh .. it is depressing but probably fairly accurate...
short AI - is this the new type of names AI will use when they are capable of typing random posts? would be great if they attached the AI insignia on all of their posts, lol... i'm not holding my breath... after seeing elon musk embrace the overthrow of south american democracies, it only goes to show how these so called smart people can be as fucking dumb as bricks...
Posted by: james | Aug 9 2020 16:19 utc | 14
[sigh]
Annual world production of ammonium nitrate: 22,000,000 tons.
Amount of ammonium nitrate in Beirut: 2,750 tons.
There are piles of ammonium nitrate like the one in Beirut all over the world. They don't usually blow up. The stuff is cheap and radically boosts plant growth in places where the soil is nitrogen depleted. Lots of farmers buy it by the tons and leave the leftovers sitting in their barns for next year.
Yes, ammonium nitrate is used in mining operations where it is packed in boreholes along with high explosives as a cheap way to amplify the effect of the HE, but it is never used as an explosive by itself. That's because it doesn't work very good by itself as an explosive.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 16:28 utc | 15
james @19
From the essay: "Expect that America will be different after this."
America already is different. People's perceptions always lag behind changes in material conditions. Many people cling to memories of how it used to be, but it will never go back.
You know how people get concerned about deforestation in rain forests like the Amazon? The concern is that since most of the water in an area is recycled within the forest itself that if the forest is removed for agricultural purposes then the land will dry out and turn to desert.
Like the water in a rain forest is contained by the forest itself, the value in a service economy is only in the weekly labor of service workers themselves. The service economy only exists so long as the workers are paid and spend, like the rain in a rain forest exists only so long as the forest is there to capture and recycle it. In the same way that the rain forest cannot come back from a desert, the service economy cannot come back after it is halted.
The changes that America is going through right now are so enormous that few people can imagine where this is going. It sure is interesting!
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 16:53 utc | 16
@ Laguerre | Aug 9 2020 14:07 utc | 6 You said the use of "wanted" annoyed you, "...A more correct description would have been "was obliged" or "forced". That shows that the author, one Sophia, really detests Hizbullah, and is wanting to do them down, even at the price of exposing Lebanon, undefended, to Israel's daily aggressions..." I disagree, HA are not obliged or forced to take part in the system. Sophia is correct, HA actively sort representation in parliament. The only "sin" Sophia attributes to HA is the folly of making a pact with the devil, I don't think Sophia detests HA. In a previous tweet she comments, "Geagea, a civil war era warlord who fomented war among Lebanese Christian militia in order to take over,... is now feted by protesters. This does not smell good to me." IMO Sophia is correct again
Posted by: boon | Aug 9 2020 17:04 utc | 17
There are none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in the United States manufacturing key electronics components like motherboards and video cards. The vast majority of those used in the United States are outsourced to production facilities in China.
There were "none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in China" before the West decided to help China. The capitalist class may well rebuild these facilities elsewhere.
The only sticking points (besides the presumed NWO goal of "integrating China" in "G") were environmental regulation and labor costs in the industrialized world. China did not present these issues.
In the "new normal" currently being unveiled, it is quite possible that the labor aspect will be a non-issue (as desperate people who want to eat will accept lower wages over none). And the finalization of corporate takeover of 'governance' will likely address "environmental" or simply "regulatory" obstacles.
China's leadership knows this full well, which is why they are being to timid and cautious responding to the latest barrage of Western Capitalists forcing the Chinese Capitalists to give them their 'cut' of the 'loot'.
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 18
While it will take some time to understand the Beirut Port blast, the Wired article writer linked above, a bioengineer who studies injury and trauma after explosions, compared the Beirut Port blast with a 1921 fertilizer explosion in Oppau, Germany.
The author writes that the Beirut pier blast hole is 120 to 140 meters in diameter while the 1921 blast hole in Oppau was 120 meters in diameter. The Oppau explosion involved 4.1 million kilograms of ammonium nitrate. The Beirut explosion allegedly involved 2.75 million kilograms of ammonium nitrate, NH4NO3.
I find it interesting that so many 'authorities' immediately dismiss, based on old thinking, the possibility of any new weapons having been used.
Posted by: suzan | Aug 9 2020 17:19 utc | 19
Posted by: james | Aug 9 2020 16:19 utc | 19
after seeing elon musk embrace the overthrow of south american democracies, it only goes to show how these so called smart people can be as fucking dumb as bricks
Exactly! Big Data Industry calls it "garbage in, garbage out", very suiting!
I do think that a forum like this one won't be the main target of these text generation technologies, those employing critical thinking are relatively immune, and if it is true that they may have a hard time distinguishing a SOTA text generation from human written text, text generation camouflages itself as the most statistically occurring text which will be at odds with the type of running arguments critical thinkers are after on a certain matter. If this happens to cease to be true... as xkcd would say... "Mission. Fucking. Accomplished."
Of interest: 'GLTR', A Yet Another AI-Powered Tool To Fight AI Text Generators
Posted by: Vasco da Gama | Aug 9 2020 17:41 utc | 20
@ Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 23
Your argumentation would only be correct in the scenario where there was a capitalism that wasn't global. This is obviously not the case (capitalism is a universal system by definition), so your argument is entirely invalid.
Capital didn't move to China because of environmental concerns. The Green movement was at its infancy (and then, only in Germany) when Nixon closed the deal with Mao. There were two motives the USA made the move: 1) to crack the Soviet sphere open (partition of the Heartland) and 2) reverse the falling profit rates of American capital.
Besides, it doesn't connect with reality that Nixon or the American elite in general, had some kind of environmental concerns. That is because the Green movement was born from the socialist left, not from the center-right or the center-left (establishment). It is very unlikely Nixon had any socialists in his administration, or that there was a socialist opposition in Congress or the Senate.
It is impossible for one single country to be both an industrial and consumer (financial) superpower at the same time in capitalism. Capitalism is a worldwide economic system, so enclosing itself in one single country is suicide of capital - the profit rates would simply plummet too fast and too suddenly, without any hope of recovery. The only way capitalism can keep itself from collapsing is by expanding itself in space-time until the corners of the universe.
We used data from a nation-wide seroepidemiological study and two sources of mortality information -deaths among laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and excess deaths- to estimate the range of IFR, both overall and by age and sex, in Spain. The overall IFR ranged between 1.1% and 1.4% in men and 0.58% to 0.77% in women.
I think even b knows how deliberately misleading this piece is.
1. Spain is an absurdly unbalanced sample with an ageing population and almost no youth.
https://www.populationpyramid.net/spain/2019/
6.2% of Spain's population is 80+, whereas only 3.9% of the US pop is 80+.
So these figures should be expected to be 50% higher that comparable US numbers.
2.Anti-body tests are well known to under-estimate actual infections by 50%. For example some tests found T-Cell testing showed 50% higher infection rates than anti-body testing.
This in itself would bring IFR down to (taking mid-points) to 0.55% for Men and 0.3% for women (or 0.42 average)
63% of the high risk over 80s in US are female so an age and sex weighted IFR is probably just below 0.4%
3. On top of there is a significant part of the population that appears to be not affected at all. Including most children and many under 30. It would be rather incredible that schools would not spread the virus so the assumption must be either these are extemely asymptomatic and not showing up as infected (implying much higher infection rates to date than assumed and so even lower IFR) or that "Immunity" is a thing (implying that the worst case scenario is much lighter than the scaremongers suggest and that herd immunity is much much easier to attain).
The CDC estimate of IFR being 0.26% is not challenged by this study.
Posted by: Michael Droy | Aug 9 2020 18:33 utc | 22
Your argumentation would only be correct in the scenario where there was a capitalism that wasn't global. This is obviously not the case (capitalism is a universal system by definition), so your argument is entirely invalid.
You have a facile but unconvincing manner of dismissing raised points. Let's start with 'all systems have parts'. At this point I can pull a VK and say this fact invalidates your non-reply and be done with it.
Capital didn't move to China because of environmental concerns.
I specifically said: "besides the presumed NWO goal of "integrating China" in "G""
That was obviously the primary goal. Besides ...
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 18:38 utc | 23
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 23
"China's leadership knows this full well, which is why they are being to timid and cautious responding to the latest barrage of Western Capitalists forcing the Chinese Capitalists to give them their 'cut' of the 'loot'."
You're full of shit with your twisted mind. Everything is China Fault. Just like my freaking racist god loving neighbor Jehovah's Witnesses. The "loots" you're talking still remain in your Oligarchy hands widely spread in their overseas tax free haven account. The trouble is they still wanna more and China is cautious and NOT timid as you believe. Soon the Americans will run out of options and start bashing their allies or coalition of the willing. Just like Trumps going back to the previous agreements with Canada and raise the tax on aluminum..
"There were "none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in China"" Chinese people are hard-working people willing to work under extreme conditions and they still do. If you look at China massive flooding and almost daily the prophets of doom, FOX News, Epoch Times. fucking bitch Jennifer, Zeng, Epoch Times, Gordon G. Chang - the 3 Gorge dam crumpling and may flood the whole Yangtze basin. The dam is China marvelous pieces of engineering and national pride no one can denies...
Shall we all close our eyes and pray..
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 18:59 utc | 24
conspiracy-theorist @21: "There were "none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in China" before the West decided to help China. The capitalist class may well rebuild these facilities elsewhere."
Wow! Talk about delusion, the poster is off in the land of fairies and unicorns. "I can't get off the gurney in ICU? I'll never walk again? Well, that's OK! I'll invent anti-gravity bed sheets and just fly!"
First of all, the West never "helped" China. Not even a little bit. In the 1970s western capitalists' profits were in universal decline and Asian labor markets offered a temporary reprieve from systemic failure. Japan, Taiwan, and Korea were looted in succession, but that was not enough. The US capitalists HAD to move production to China or the economic wedgie we find ourselves in today would have struck back around 1990 instead.
There is really nowhere for capital to go now. A little will go to Vietnam, and some low value-added stuff will end up in India and Bangladesh, but this is just chump change. Moreover, China was already trying to incentivize moving the lower rungs of the value added ladder out to nodes of its "Belt & Road Initiative" to help bootstrap consumer markets in those places.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the West isn't controlling this process. It is impossible for the West to control it because economic decisions in the West are made by Markets, not human intellect. The capitalist class doesn't have a choice. They are obligated by their system to make their investments where profits will be maximized. That, by the way, will not be the United States for the foreseeable future.
In a sense, China set up the ultimate economic monkey trap for the capitalists. They can only let go if even bigger profits catch their eye somewhere else. That is an inescapable imperative of capitalism.
It continues to astonish how people who consider themselves smart and cheerlead for capitalism have no idea how that system works.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 19:04 utc | 25
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 18
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 23
Treads # changed b removed 5 comments
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 19:09 utc | 26
@ 16 william gruff.. that reminds me of the saying from heraclitus - the river you step into today, is not the same one you stepped into yesterday.. apparently on a search for the quote it comes out this way although my book from the 70s comes out differently - "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." regarding that article, my brother happened to read the comments to the article and singled out one comment he thought was especially good.. i think you'll like it...
"Bruno Ruhland
August 8, 2020
I think many people here ( including Ian) are forgetting that old basic Marxist concept that the ruling ideas of an era are those of the ruling class. And so we got the dog eat dog social Darwinist be-the-biggest-self-interested asshole-that-you-can-be (and, oh, utter ruthlessness is a natural part of it ) world. That is how we got where we are with the neoliberal free market religion/ all of life organized by money ideology. So it is a disaster and that world must self destruct.
But, funny thing about money. There are oceans of it. Our lives have been dedicated to keeping it circulating in the most idiotic wasteful uncapitalistic inefficient ways possible. The military industrial complex, the \”health care\” system, endless encouragement of consuming shit as the key to happiness, armies of people doing bullshit jobs, ridiculous predatory finance which is just a wealth sucking and magic money creating racket that produces nothing useful, all of our institutions thoroughly crapified – government above all- because they are just about money.
The iron law of money is that if it is all about money it will turn to shit.
So we have to uncapture money. Those oceans must be drained.Let there be inequality and rich people for a little while – let people have a net worth of say 25 million dollars – but no more since it will just be used to buy power and poison everything.It only really works anyway if you give it to people who actually need it for essential things. So we need to do that. And modern monetary theory is right. There is more than enough for doing good stuff. Poverty is bullshit – it is just the feel-the-fear way the ruling class rules as Ian explained. And then we need to have governments that actually serve the public good. Oh yeah, and kindness and solidarity are actually both more functional and more pleasurable than capitalistic assholism.
So we have to get life uncaptured by money. Then we can get on with the burning urgent save the planet/eliminate unnecessary suffering project. Money applied rationally to using science and the wonders of technology. That might be cool. We don\’t even have a choice.
An undercooked idea or two in here but I am not buying any people are just too fucked up arguments cuz that is just parroting the official ruling ideology."
@ Vasco da Gama | Aug 9 2020 17:41 utc | 21... thanks vasco! i liked the comic strip and the article on GLTR.. i suppose it is only a matter of time before comment sections will be employing GLTR to moderate comment sections!!! but first you have to pay big bucks to use the software.... some open source dudes will come up with a free program... we just have to wait for it!
Posted by: james | Aug 9 2020 19:10 utc | 27
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 19:04 utc | 26
Excellent comment thanks, I feel the same but took different approach. I'm still drafting my comments on Huawei, sorrie tidy up to make it a readable piece - what I know and researched earlier on Huawei future..
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 19:16 utc | 28
William Gruff 15
Many countries use urea as fertilizer rather than AN and AN is purely for mining. And rather than amplify an effect, it is the primary explosive.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 19:24 utc | 29
@ William Gruff 12
Thank you for cheering me up!
I try not to be perturbed by the small minded, utter meaness of the U.S. but the announcement by Huawei that their top line smart phone peoduction would cease in September 2020 because of Taiwan sticking it’s tongue in places it shouldn’t, but does so because it would seem it has no real understanding of self respect, did irritate me.
The fact that you explain in your discourse how the U.S. is only kicking itself in the balls again, a very difficult act of self molestation, brings a genuine smile of contentment to my visage.
Posted by: Beibdnn | Aug 9 2020 19:27 utc | 30
james @28: "the river you step into today, is not the same one you stepped into yesterday"
That is so very true that it is one of the fundamental features of existence itself.
But you know, sometimes the changes are small. Sometimes the chief difference between today and yesterday is that today a butterfly blessed me by landing on my windowsill and shared a quiet moment with me while no such thing happened yesterday. Sometimes the changes are even smaller such that we have to carefully look for them.
Other times, though, the changes are so enormous that we cannot accept them. Perhaps the entire character of our neighborhood changes and our mind superimposes ghost images from yesterday over those changes so that we don't have to acknowledge them yet. While I doubt many in Beirut have the luxury of this degree of self delusion, you know that there are many millions in the US holding their breaths and waiting for everything to snap back to they way things were. That, in fact, is part of the psychology behind refusing to wear masks, since wearing the mask is admission that the changes are real.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 19:31 utc | 31
Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 23
There were "none, zero, zilch, nada, production facilities in China" before the West decided to help China. The capitalist class may well rebuild these facilities elsewhere.
You can't pack up and move to another country overnight. Logistics, infrastructure, political climate, local employee base, etc ... all have to be addressed, which takes time and money.
Sure you can do it for low tech manufacturing, such as clothing and shoes. However most of the high tech products have mature supply chains that would be almost impossible to recreate outside of the region. There are entire cities built in China for this specific purpose. Until complete automation is achieved the majority of companies are not leaving China any time soon.
Posted by: One Too Many | Aug 9 2020 19:34 utc | 32
@james Follow the link to GLTR's paper, their tool is already open source and is accessible already. This is based on relatively small language models (ie. free/cheap to deploy as opposed to systems requiring $4.5M in AWS servers to use). I don't think we have reached a point to really need a system such as these.
Posted by: Vasco da Gama | Aug 9 2020 19:37 utc | 33
Excellent poem, Lizard. I very much liked your Black Rock is a crack rock too. I don't get a few things tho in Special Friends. Is the black cube her cell? Is the star JE? And Grandpa Cain, I didn’t get either. I got the Terra Mar and oceans bit tho. Please explain a bit.
Posted by: Absurdio | Aug 9 2020 19:48 utc | 34
Thx for pointing out Malcom X's thoughts on the white liberal, b.
Indeed, at least the white conservative will stab blacks in the front.
Birds of a feather, well, they shouldn't feel bad for wanting to flock together. And we sure as hell shouldn't work towards any anational, boundary-less movement in the world, including nation-destroying socialist movements. That will breed infinitely more resentment amongst different-looking and different-sounding and different-thinking groups, regardless of how much good intention is present at inception.
Should we give blacks a state or two in the union to set-up and run-them the way they see fit? To me, this would finally end the white's responsibility towards the floundering of blacks in the white, liberal system. And at the rate of the fed's printing, a government program could be established to pay those whites evicted in these states handsomely to leave.
What says the commentariat?
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 19:53 utc | 35
@26 gruff
You are playing semamtics with the term, "help", Gruff.
China would not be in the place it is today as a technologically-soaring country without a) access to the U.S. consumer and investment from U.S. capitalists, b) offering itself as a bargaining chip btw the Americans and Soviets by giving leverage to the U.S., and 3) the hard work and suffering of its peasants whose future generations are now enjoying the fruits of such selfless toil.
America is indeed going down as China is indeed going up. We may have been a little dumb in accepting this arrangement from Nixon, but it most certainly did "help" China in the longrun. Can't see how this can be refuted and you no doubt are aware of this..
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:06 utc | 36
@ 34 vasco... i see that now.. thanks.. i was going to use the AI post from earlier to do a test, but i see b erased it...
Posted by: james | Aug 9 2020 20:09 utc | 37
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 16:03 utc | 12
Concerning Huawei's Kirin chips: They outsource production of those chips to TSMC in Taiwan.
"Huawei to stop making flagship chipsets due to U.S. sanctions" 22:06, 08-Aug-2020.
Will Huawei survives? That's what in my mind. From my recent recollections, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Unit said their in house developed chipsets flagship Kirin chipsets will no longer made by their contractor TSMC and stockpile of Kirin chipsets runout in September. Instead a Harmony OS ecosystem released in 2019 with an update Harmony 2.0 Huawei had already planned with SMIC to produced 7nm chipsets next year, a trial run later this year with what it dubs a “1 + 8 + N” strategy. It's not a new OS but an Andriod. HarmonyOS will be release in 22 Sept. "HUAWEI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE 2020"
"U.S. pressure on Huawei's suppliers has made it impossible for the company's HiSilicon chip division to keep making the chipsets, key components for mobile phone, Yu said."
Earlier Huawei had overcome the problems stockpiles chips, memory and switching 14nm chips to SMIC in Shenzhen. Only two foundries TSMC and Samsung able to produce 7nm and lower chipsets. Intel seem to have problems with their 14nm chips production and delay at least 1-2-yr. Huawei’s vision for the Within this setup,“1 + 8 + N” strategy the “1” is the device: the phone. Smartphones are our constant companions and connect us to friends, family, and beyond anytime and (almost) anywhere in the world, so it makes sense to use it as a starting point.
"HUAWEI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE 2020 (Together) is here as promised. We are thrilled to offer an exciting slate of Keynotes and Tech. Sessions, with in-depth discussion and exchange between Huawei experts and partner developers, starting from September 10 at Songshan Lake"
Bit and pieces from Internet...
- Huawei Developer Conference 2020. The event will be held from 10 to 12 September 2020.
- HARMONY OS 2.0 WILL OFFICIALLY COME AT HDC TOGETHER CONFERENCE (SEP. 10 – 12)
- Recently, SMIC said that N + 1 process chips will be mass-produced by the end of the year.
- Earlier, there were media reports that SMIC Integrated Circuit Manufacturing (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. successfully imported a large lithography machine from the Netherlands.
- However, this lithography machine is not a rumored 7nm lithography machine, and the manufacturing process is only a medium level. Of course, as the most critical equipment in integrated circuit manufacturing, lithography machines have a decisive influence on the chip manufacturing process.
- Compared with 14nm, the N + 1 process reduces power consumption by 57%, reduces the logic area by 63%, and reduces the SOC area by 55%. This translates to a 7nm chip that can be compared to TSMC. In other words, we can make 7nm chips without ASML's EUV lithography machine.
- This means that SMIC has become the third chip company in the world to master processes below 10 nanometers.
- For a long time, TSMC has dominated this market and has the absolute right to speak. The competition between SMIC and TSMC has been repeatedly frustrated.
- But unexpectedly, SMIC did not give up. Today, SMIC is a 7nm DUV process. Although the cost is higher than EUV, at least it solves the problem from scratch.
- If SMIC successfully mass-produces 7nm process chips, it will undoubtedly allow Chinese-made chips to have more and more right to speak.
- HUAWEI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE 2020 (Together) is here as promised. We are thrilled to offer an exciting slate of Keynotes and Tech. Sessions, with in-depth discussion and exchange between Huawei experts and partner developers, starting from September 10 at Songshan Lake
- Huawei's potential Android replacement is called HarmonyOS
- Huawei has revealed its own in-house operating system will be called HarmonyOS. Previous names mooted for the operating system have been HongMeng OS and Ark OS. We've known about those names through various trademark filings spotted in Europe and the US.
- The headline use for the new software is likely to be in some Huawei phones but as the threat from the US trade ban is abating, it's questionable if the OS will be a straight-up replacement for Android on flagship devices. Could it launch on a toe-in-the-water version of the upcoming Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro?
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 20:19 utc | 38
For the disgrace of the whole army of "5 eyes" operatives coming from the Unz Review trying to hijack and command the narrative here on anti-Hezbollah ( and curiously also anti-surfer...)stances, astounding analyst Alastair Crook, who, if I am not wrong, lives in Beirut, coincides with me and the other few here in considering all possibilities open, mentioning concretely the reasonable similarity of the shape of Beirut Port explosion with that other which happened in Syria, and thus, in waiting for the forensic, considers the issue far from being "wrapped up"...
Points, as some of us clearly saw at first moments, at Israel as main benefficiary of the "blast" by what geopolitical reprercusions the event could have and how in the aftermath MSM and Israeli media are trying to shape the public opinion against Hezbollah pointing at it as main culprit.
Thus, it is already two astounding analysts in geopolitics ( Pepe Escobar and Alastair Crook )who hold main points held along with all possibilities open as those here who were grossly insulted by the army of operatives coming from "5 eyes" and associated nazi brethren in South America who usually do the same at the Unz Review, in this case well reinforced by a tiny army of hashbara trolls clearly ineffective.....
https://media.tenor.com/images/8b166baded94bc6a3f9f610c5dc259fd/tenor.gif
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 20:26 utc | 39
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:06 utc | 37
You forget that China made a bargain to western companies by allowing access to their labor and consumer markets in exchange for capital and technology. Not that canard of "forced technology transfer" victim-hood spewed by the administration and their sycophants, but a mutually voluntary exchange that benefited both. So in effect the "help" was bilateral.
Posted by: One Too Many | Aug 9 2020 20:30 utc | 40
Question re: smartphone tech
Does China restrict the free-market sales of American-based technology along the same lines as restricting Huawei to Chinese consumers?
Or is it just that American-products are inferior, with the exception of Apple, of course?
I guess I am not seeing the big deal with Trump imposing some protectionist policy. I think vk has tried to show that somehow Americans are being hypocritical wrt to these actions in light of the fact that the last thirty years we have been neoliberal to the core. Does this poster think that it is a bad thing that Americans finally wake up to the reality that we can not compete fairly at the level of the Chinese and the like with our standards of living and production wrt to environmental and safety protection.
If Huawei is indeed superior, as it probably is on a technological level, I still have no problem restricting its sales in the U.S. and in the west if this path, as has shown, continually erodes the power of the American economy and increases disparity of wealth allocated increasingly upward through a neoliberal paradigm.
IOW, WhoTF cares about Huawei, anyway, unless you are of an Asian-mind, constantly absorbed by man's ability to make flashier and neater gadgets? Protect your workers, you big dummies!
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:37 utc | 41
JC @39: "Although the cost is higher..."
Well, yes the cost is higher because their volume is lower. Also, since their volume is lower they will have less development capital to try and bring costs down. Poor SMIC would always have to play catch-up unless their market share could somehow be boosted for long enough to pull even with TSMC.
Thanks to American sanctions, SMIC has more market share than they can service now.
It is circumstances like this that give companies like SMIC the opportunity to leapfrog into the lead.
Thank you, Trump!
I can't wait to see what Harmony OS will be like. The poor NSA will hate it because it won't come with a backdoor for them preinstalled from the factory like Android and iOS have.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 20:38 utc | 42
@41 one-too-many
Yes, I absolutely believe that to be the casse.
For better or worse, our wagons are hitched.
I view our relationship with China very similarily to the war in Afghanistan: as quagmire.
The good news is that both countries seem to be realizing this and making inroads on decoupling. The pain will abound in both spheres, though no doubt America is in for a ruder awakening.
Buckle up, but remember: just like the surgeon says, "You must wound in order to heal."
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:40 utc | 43
@ vk | Aug 9 2020 17:52 utc | 22
"The only way capitalism can keep itself from collapsing is by expanding itself in space-time until the corners of the universe."
Anyone wanting an easily-understood explanation of your statement can read the 9th chapter of Jack London's "The Iron Heel," titled "The Mathematics of a Dream."
Read it here:
https://london.thefreelibrary.com/The-Iron-Heel/9-1
Posted by: AntiSpin | Aug 9 2020 20:48 utc | 44
Those affirming Hezbollah is to blame because for first times in decades hold some positions in Lebanese government, although not significant enough to be responsible for any economic misdeed, less any strategic unplanning,unveil themselves as part of the effort in trnasforming this event into anti-Hezbollah campaign.
It was not an error for Hezbollah to hold positions in the government of Lebanon, as was mandated by the people through their votes, since governing, eventhough when from not so determinant ministries, gave them the official legitimation they already held amongst a majority of people in Lebanon, who wanted to have them inside the government taking a look, a place well earned by their unpayable effort during the 2006 war, when they literally saved Lebanon´s sovereginty, while their current critics pepetrated horrible massacres against the Lebanese people allied with the Israeli invasors.
Governing is always an unestimable experience, and gives you access to heads of government of other nations who, after seeing your way of procceding, could well change, if they are independent, their view on events and political actors in Lebanon and their relation with the geopolitical landscape...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 20:49 utc | 45
H.Schmatz 40
I had thought perhaps the waves had dumped you on your head too many times, but it really is doubtful if there is anything in there to damage.
Crooke seems to lean more toward accident due to negligence, but leaves open the possibility of it being deliberately set of due to what Israel and others have been saying.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 20:50 utc | 46
So America will gnaw its own paw off to escape the economic monkey trap? I fail to see how that will help America as it will still be short a paw (industrialization). Poor China will be left with a monkey-less paw that they cannot do anything with, but other than that they will be fine.
As for "technology transfer", it takes a critical mass of infrastructure and education before a society can embark on independent innovation. China passed that critical mass many years ago.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 20:53 utc | 47
Marwa Osman setting the record straight from RT...Definitely, although in Lebanon there are plenty of reasons to protest, this is not the time to destroy what remains of Beirut, the people need to be found, their relatives allowed to close their grief, the homeless allocated, and what still is available to reparation repared before the winter comes...in the meantime we are waiting for the forensics...
https://twitter.com/Marwa__Osman/status/1292477846309539840
Asked what is her opinion of those protestors who hang cardboard figures of Hezbollah leader along with other members of government, she responds that this detail show clearly these are not protest for the problems Lebanon suffers, since Nasrallah does not hold, nor have held, any position in the Lebanese government, thus seems quite out of place hanging them along with those who yes have been governing through decades...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 20:58 utc | 48
AntiSpin @45 recommends reading a chapter from London's "Iron Heel". That chapter does explain what the poster says, but I recommend reading the whole book. That is an amazingly prescient book.
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 20:59 utc | 49
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 20:19 utc | 39
Huawei can survive even if it just has the Chinese market. They're the top selling brand in China plus they recently overtook Apple in tablets. Once WeChat is banned Apple will not be able to carry the app in their store. Few users will jailbreak to install the client, so Apple's market share in China will be reduced to zero. Huawei will take up the slack since they are the premium phone provider with Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi picking up the rest.
In the 5G realm China has 60% of worldwide 5G installations with Huawei being the number one vendor. Everything else outside of China is just gravy. They have the majority of essential 5G patents and a complete stack available for deployment versus the competition. No Huawei, no 5G highway. You have to "pay to play" if your want 5G, there's no way around this.
Posted by: One Too Many | Aug 9 2020 21:02 utc | 50
@Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 20:50 utc | 47
Well, if you want to twist what he says that way to fit your official "5 eyes" narrative...it is not that what he says..,beware of not reading too much "alt-media", so as to be result confused...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:04 utc | 51
@ Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:37 utc | 42; Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:40 utc | 44
Decoupling won't work. Protectionism - as envisioned by Alexander Hamilton ("infant industry" theory) - only works when your country literally doesn't have the technology.
That is clearly not the case of the USA. It's not that the American (or, for that matter, European) engineers don't know how to design a smartphone as good as or better than Huawei - they do. It's that it is not profitable for American engineers to do so. And this is the problem with capitalism: it is a vivified but dehumanized wealth. It is wealth with a life of its own (abstract wealth). And what would a wealth with a will of its own do? It would seek no other thing than to replicate itself until the end of times.
For capitalism, it is just an accident of History that it is China, and not Moldova, that has 1.4 billion inhabitants. It is just an accident that China happens to be a socialist country. It is just an accident that China is not Christian and white. It is just an accident that it was born in England and not in India. Capitalism, as wealth that seeks its own expansion of wealth's sake, doesn't care about human needs - we could as well be Martians, or a species of reptiles, that it would work the same way. The only thing that would change is who would be farmed for food.
--//--
@ Posted by: conspiracy-theorist | Aug 9 2020 17:13 utc | 23
It's a myth pre-Nixon China was a wasteland. During Mao's entire government, China grew at an average +4.5% per year in GDP terms. Not great - but definitely not a disaster.
Yes, the Cultural Revolution failed - but it failed because it was too ahead of its time, not because it was a failed idea per se.
And the Chinese know Mao's era was necessary and, overall, positive. They know what was good and what was bad. The most important, though, they know: the revolution was the necessary difference. They have India to compare.
--//--
@ Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 20:06 utc | 37
But, by that logic, the USA only rose at the cost of the British Empire.
Using the same logic, we will end up blaming the meteor that extinguished the non-Avian dinosaurs. That's why we have History: to know what the people of the time really thought.
Some years from now, the Europeans will begin to blame Arminius for the fall of Rome (and, by extension, the failure of the ultimate unification of the European Peninsula)...
Heard in public tv news prime time, the online conference of donors ended by lifting some 250 million euro in donations to Lebanon which will be supervised by the UN, aminly directed to reparations and building of homes and schools, as well as reinforcing the health facilities, although it was said that Lebanese health system needs, it alone, much more to be reinforced according to necessities...
President Sanchez of Spain asked for unity and stated prior to the meeting that what Lebanon needs now is stability...
Thus, one would guess plans for regime change, at least at EU level, there are not...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:12 utc | 53
Belarus Election. Not Official. Not Final.
F24 reported an hour ago that ~78% of voters turned out to vote and the female opposition candidate is attracting 6% of the vote.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 9 2020 21:18 utc | 54
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 9 2020 20:38 utc | 43
"I can't wait to see what Harmony OS will be like"
DuckDuckGo search for detail original Harmony OS released last year.
The coming - Huawei Developer Conference 2020. The event 10 to 12 September 2020. Harmony 2.0 will be released, can't wait to see if a similar version release Honor handset. Promised myself this will be my last handset. Jan 2020 bought a Honor View V20, I29 Global unlock from Ebay Shenzhen US400 actual US$355 plus tax $40. Free shipping 10days. I'm hopping for a wireless charging, over 400Mah battery, global BeiDou navigation system. I really dun mind Xi Jinping tracking me rather than Trump or Biden tracking me.
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 21:20 utc | 55
People who does this obviously does not pay taxes in Lebanon...nor have any thought of doing it in the future..
https://twitter.com/Ruptly/status/1292521024488169473
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:20 utc | 56
@Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 9 2020 21:18 utc | 55
Thanks, was going to ask what was all going for ole Lukashenko...
Related to the totally unknown female, candidate only because his husband was one, to be expected, the people of the former Soviet space, at least of Russian ethnicity, are conservatives, although not liberal...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:23 utc | 57
H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:12 utc | 54
A quite a number of idiot trolls like yourself popped up for the Beirut explosion. Hard to know if you lot have an agenda or are just simpletons.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 21:28 utc | 58
Posted by: One Too Many | Aug 9 2020 21:02 utc | 51
Agreed Huawei can survive without markets outside China. Can't wait for "HUAWEI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE 2020"
Find out more, if Huawei benefit from SMIC new processes "14nm, the N + 1 process reduces power consumption by 57%, reduces the logic area by 63%, and reduces the SOC area by 55%. This translates to a 7nm chip that can be compared to TSMC. In other words, we can make 7nm chips without ASML's EUV lithography machine"
Let us close our eyes and pray, China ban all Americans News media from HK and include 5eyes too. Amen.
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 21:34 utc | 59
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 21:28 utc | 59
Do you know which trolls b deleted? Thanks
Posted by: JC | Aug 9 2020 21:36 utc | 60
@Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 21:28 utc | 59
I fear I popped up quite time before the Beirut explosion, as anyone reading here for a while knows, what is new is the sudden animosity by some of you against those who do not pledge to the promoted narrative.
I hold a myriad of opinions to the most varied issues, always tending to the classical left, but not for that always agreeing with the official left, especially not the new left..as anyone well intentioned here knows time ago...
Leave it at that, mate, at least from my part this is my last word to you on this issue... I know of this maneuvers to expel people from forums..have witnessed a lot...insulting people grossly so that they engage in a interchange of insults, until the host expel the whole lot, the provocators and the victim, without even asking who started the fight...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 21:40 utc | 61
H.Schmatz @ 40
nicely stated there my freand ! And I concur with all you say. Don’t let people close down your ‘inquiring mind’ that is unscientific of them.
Much negativity has been cast toward the concept, that Israel is responsible for the Lebanon explosion siting lack of evedence despite ——
Israel’s track record.
Israel’s threatening a major attack against Lebanon only 2 days earlier.
Israel’s clear gain and incentives.
Some here seek to ‘reinforce their mistake — ‘bias confirmation’.
Some here bandying about ‘lack of evedence’ just 3 or 4 days after the incedent ! Unscientific unforensic.
On that note where is the evedence the photo of the welders was taken on that day ? A small but very very significant point, if that falls through the whole conspiracy theory of this being an accident falls through !!
So let’s see that evedence. Crickets.
Don’t talk to us about evedence, there is zero evedence this was an accident.
Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 9 2020 21:46 utc | 62
@ JC | Aug 9 2020 21:20 utc | 56
"I really dun mind Xi Jinping tracking me rather than Trump or Biden tracking me.:
I fully agree -- and thanks for the chuckle!
I do feel sorry for poor President Jinping, though, as he's going to be bored out of his mind from watching my eventless daily routine.
Posted by: AntiSpin | Aug 9 2020 21:52 utc | 63
Posted by: donkeytale | Aug 9 2020 21:47 utc | 64
Even if Biden wins China got a boot-full of the "Age of Humiliation" all over again. There's no way to walk that back, the damage is done.
Posted by: One Too Many | Aug 9 2020 21:53 utc | 64
@53 vk
You are not an honest-broker when it comes to my country.
Your bias is clearly with China and its material Hegelianism.
Therefore, it should come as no shock that you have a very large dog in the fight. What you prescribe for the west and the U.S. is just more self-defeating negativity, which is a clear hallmark of agents seeking the continuation of the status quo, of which I mean letting China get to the point of dissolving the eastern/western boundary entirely. Unfortunately, this is a deluded vision and you are a deluded agent.
America, China, and, yes, even the world will be far better off when they relegate to their respective spheres.
But do I need to be so insistent on this subject of trying without China on our backs? It sure has done wonders for us in the interim, huh?
I don't see what is so fucking hard about relinquishing the dream of unipolarity. It is not that I do not wish China should have it because America can not. It is that in God's world, no one should have it.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 21:57 utc | 65
H.Schmatz
You've only been around a few months. Then in the other thread you put in that idiotic comment on me being naughty while you are away.
I don't know why the fuck you bother commenting. On the Beirut drama, my thinking is pretty much the same as our host, so whatever your saying about me also applies to b.
On how the fire started, accident or deliberate, I leave that a little open, but as I said to Jackrabbit, setting a fire like that is no guarantee of success as the fire could easily be put out before it reached the fireworks and AN.
What you are doing with your bullshit is protecting the oligarchs of Lebanon that have shafted their people.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 22:01 utc | 66
Well, announced by Daniel Estulin some minutes ago, it seems that riotts have started in Blearus on the prespective of ole Luka victory...
Riotts were called in case this, way expected, would happen, as reported by Stalker Zone
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 22:01 utc | 67
Chevrus # 8
Just add a crazy sounding commenter or two and everyone else will be regarded as a tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorist. I'm sure that my here can thing of a few examples of such false gatekeepers. Thus it becomes a challenge to deliver any kind of expression with integrity that challenges the dominant narrative. Recently I expressed an view in regard to SARS Covid-19 where I depicted the controlled economic demolition as well the constant campaign of fear. Later I was told that the audience took it that I thought the whole thing is a hoax, which is not the case. So one must be careful and precise with expression, or simply not bother.
Precise expression !! - read the bold again Chevrus. Either your voice - text translator is poor quality or you just churn text for a nickel.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Aug 9 2020 22:28 utc | 68
To calm aims...and on the grounds of most needed support for the Lebanese people, and especially for those unfairly blamed, an encouraging song...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14_XW6unoQE
As late Rafik Hariri is present at this concert in the first row, wondering why he would asist along his wife to a concert performed Julia Bouthros who was for sure to interpret several of her songs dedicated to Hezbollah, if they were sworn enemies to the extend of killing each other...Late Rafik Hariri at 4:34´footage wit hwhat i would describe a face of circumstances but acceptation of reality...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 22:28 utc | 69
H.Schmatz #40
MSM and Israeli media are trying to shape the public opinion against Hezbollah pointing at it as main culprit.Thus, it is already two astounding analysts in geopolitics ( Pepe Escobar and Alastair Crook )who hold main points held along with all possibilities open as those here who were grossly insulted by the army of operatives coming from "5 eyes" and associated nazi brethren in South America who usually do the same at the Unz Review, in this case well reinforced by a tiny army of hashbara trolls clearly ineffective.....
https://media.tenor.com/images/8b166baded94bc6a3f9f610c5dc259fd/tenor.gif
Thank you for the link. I guess if you cant take the Hezbollah out of Lebanon you can always take the Lebanon out. There are a few precedents.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Aug 9 2020 22:39 utc | 70
Well, now powerful blasts have been heard in Minsk during the riotts...do not tell me now this is also a coincidence...this is another admnistration, and there is no port...
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 22:54 utc | 71
ABC headlines .. "The foreign ministries of five nations, including Australia, have urged the Hong Kong Government to hold elections as soon as possible."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-10/australia-joins-nations-calling-for-hong-kong-to-hold-elections/12540086
"The foreign ministries of five nations, including Australia, have urged the Hong Kong Government to hold elections as soon as possible.
Key points:
The joint letter says the five nations have "deep concern" for Hong Kong
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam postponed September's elections for 12 months
Ms Lam's Government also suspended 12 pro-democracy candidates
In a joint letter, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have called for the Legislative Council elections, which were to be held in September, to go ahead and for disqualified candidates to be reinstated."
.........
As though five-eyes are sovereign independent nations. Must be getting difficult to drum up a coalition of the killing
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 23:00 utc | 72
@64 donkey
Yes, Biden will reverse the gains made by Trump and once again allow the Chinese to eat our lunch.
Russia will revert to the necessary boogerman. It may even get to be a hot war.
Beyond the above obvious, I also predict that with a Biden win, the tenor of the coronavirus panic in the msm will recede. You will hear from the outlets that the worst of the pandemic is over, the virus is no longer a continual threat, there will be an air of self-congratulations that we survived EVEN WITH TRUMP AT THE HELM! Students and teachers will be told to suck it up and endure a full-return, regardless whether the virus is surging or not. This will all be swallowed because ithe worst is over in that Trump is no longer POTUS.
The flip side of Trump winning again would b that the coronavirus situation is continually politically-harnessed to extort POTUS and keep public pressure on. It will not work just as it has not worked up to this point.
If Trump wins again, I will indeed fear for his life.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 9 2020 23:08 utc | 73
The blasts...in Minsk...
https://twitter.com/descifraguerra/status/1292581866336325632
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 23:10 utc | 74
From Nasrallah speach:
He further went on to debunk the accusation of Hezb weapons in the port. He stressed that they have nothing to do with the port, that they do not know what goes on in the port, that they have no agency nor business there – nothing.He said that the Hezb “knows more about what goes on in the port of Haifa than in Beirut Port”.
He explained that the Hezb is a resistance movement with a specific task directed towards the enemy and that Beirut Port is not enemy territory for them to be concerned with, but “the Haifa port concerns us”.
This was about the only mention or reference he made about israel.
From the comments at platosguns dot com
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Aug 9 2020 23:14 utc | 75
Quite a bit of Nasrallah's speech here
http://english.almanar.com.lb/1109066
"Hezbollah leader underlined the importance of holding just and serious investigations that can reveal the truth as called for by the President and the Prime Minister in order to try and punish all culprits regardless of their religious and political affiliations.
Truth and justice must prevail, according to Sayyed Nasrallah who proposed tasking the Lebanese Army to conduct the investigations and identify the culprits “as all the people and political parties trust it”.
Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that the investigations must be up to the exceptional catastrophe and culprits must be tried and punished regardless of their affiliations, adding that this would be a main test which indicates whether the Lebanese parties can establish the state or not.
“If the competent authorities fail in this duty, it would never be possible to establish and maintain the state in Lebanon.”
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 23:27 utc | 76
I find it interesting that so many 'authorities' immediately dismiss, based on old thinking, the possibility of any new weapons having been used. by: suzan 19
The socialist movement Corbyn led was a real threat to the ruling class. It could have redistributed wealth, ended the privatisation and outsourcing gravy train and challenged corporate power ..
Any movement for fundamental change will meet vicious Establishment resistance.by: vk @ 13
<=thanks for the link to the report.. Fundamental change is in progress. its leadership is not to be found, because it is hidden in individual effort.
The changes that America is going through right now are so enormous that few people can imagine where this is going. It sure is interesting! by: William Gruff @ 16
I disagree with Vk @ 22 he says "Capitalism is a worldwide economic system, so enclosing itself in one single country is suicide of capital - the profit rates would simply plummet too fast and too suddenly, without any hope of recovery. The only way capitalism can keep itself from collapsing is by expanding itself in space-time until the corners of the universe."
I agree with Willaim Gruff @ 26, he says .. "it is astonishing how people who consider themselves smart and cheerlead for capitalsim has no idea how that system work. but I disagree that capitalism is not the best system ever devised to support democracy, independent action, and freedom from political influence. "
I agree with James @ 28 he says "Our lives have been dedicated to keeping it[money] circulating in the most idiotic wasteful uncapitalistic inefficient ways possible. The military industrial complex, the \”health care\” system, endless encouragement of consuming shit as the key to happiness, armies of people doing bullshit jobs, ridiculous predatory finance which is just a wealth sucking and magic money creating racket that produces nothing useful, all of our institutions thoroughly crapified – government above all- because they are just about money.
The iron law of money is that if it is all about money it will turn to shit."
<= I observe that no book learned economic expert has yet to understand Capitalism. Capitalism is the people's system, globalism is not necessary to support capitalism, that idea applies only to monopoly powered ripoffs. When people say capitalism needs continuous expansion they are talking about monopolism, not capitalism... many people, especially book learned economist believe profit is the game. Its not, productive output is the goal of the game, profit is just a measure of the failure of the system to maintain a fair, just competitive balance.
Capitalism really does not need a profit, in fact investment input should equal productive output in a true capitalist society. Everyone shares in the capital. When competition is allowed to rise it denies profit, it puts the real investor at risk, and it ends up that everyone wins, because capitalism allowed to operate in a competitive environment in a zero sum game meant to support the highest quality of life to everyone equally.
The fat cat at the top tumbles to the bottom, as the new rising star becomes the next fat cat to tumble to the next new rising star. The bastards got together and employed the awesome powers of the nation state system to make the bastards into mylords.. and to paste into the wallets and bank accounts of the Bastards profits earned by monopoly powers. But profits are not necessary in capitalism.. it is the job of the competition to deny the fat cat his profit, by inventing a new object, process, method or idea, and to use it to submarine the fat cat. That submarine adds value to the quality of life of everyone.
Posted by: snake | Aug 9 2020 23:31 utc | 77
Saker has a lot of Nasrallah's speech.
http://thesaker.is/translation-of-key-points-nasrallahs-speech-on-beirut-disaster/
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 9 2020 23:32 utc | 78
@HC 39
"machines have a decisive influence on the chip manufacturing process.
- Compared with 14nm, the N + 1 process reduces power consumption by 57%, reduces the logic area by 63%, and reduces the SOC area by 55%. This translates to a 7nm chip that can be compared to TSMC. In other words, we can make 7nm chips without ASML's EUV lithography machine.
- This means that SMIC has become the third chip company in the world to master processes below 10 nanometers.
- For a long time, TSMC has dominated this market and has the absolute right to speak. The competition between SMIC and TSMC has been repeatedly frustrated.
- But unexpectedly, SMIC did not give up. Today, SMIC is a 7nm DUV process. Although the cost is higher than EUV, at least it solves the problem from scratch.
- If SMIC successfully mass-produces 7nm process chips, it will undoubtedly allow Chinese-made chips to have more and more right to speak."
I hope the comments above about being able to get functionally equivalent to 7nm is correct, but most of the articles I have read on this subject are skeptical. This article addresses some of the concerns:
https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-kirin-us-ban-1145899/
The link above also notes that SMIC uses US made equipment so runs the risk of a sanctions violation if Trump decides to go that far (which I view as a given).
Posted by: schm | Aug 9 2020 23:50 utc | 79
I hit return and mistakenly posted above too soon as I wanted to include the article below. To the surprise of nobody, Trump might up the stakes and target all Chinese domicile phone manufacturers and app developers:
"The next step in the US-China trade war is near. The US government has confirmed plans this week to take action against so-called “untrusted” Chinese apps and manufacturers. The Trump administration didn’t indicate the exact actions to be taken beyond saying it would stop these unnamed manufacturers from making US-made apps available for download or pre-installing them.
The term “untrusted” is extremely broad, but it should serve as a warning to all Chinese smartphone manufacturers to implement contingency measures right now."
https://www.androidauthority.com/us-china-trade-war-android-1145744/
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I thought the war on Huawei will eventually turn into a sanctions war, and it looks like it will instead be an attack on China's entire tech industry. It seems like Trump/Pompeo have decided that if China's tech industry is not stopped in its tracks NOW (which I assume means US sanction of every Chinese tech company), it will be too late. I think we are careening towards 5 scenarios. China can either: i) muddle along until it can build out its semiconductor equipment industry (best case scenario and IMO very possible); or ii) lose its tech industry but still survive economically as a low-end manufacturer once again, iii) be unable overcome the attack and their economy collapses; I think that will be war and personally think a North Korean attack on South Korea more likely than invading Taiwan, although neither seems likely; iv) Trump loses and there is a return to sanity as least with respect to US policy towards China; or v) cannot survive a sanctions attack and rather than war eventually effectively surrenders via becoming a US vassal (least likely outcome IMO).
Note also that Qualcom submitted a letter to the Trump administration pleading for it to be allowed to sell chips to Hauawei.
One big risk for the US with a sanctions attack is China would then directly flout US sanctions on Iran.
Posted by: Schmoe | Aug 10 2020 0:15 utc | 80
So how long now before we see "mysterious snipers" in Minsk shooting both police and protesters?
Everyone here knows that what is coming next, right?
Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 10 2020 0:27 utc | 81
Posted by: Brendan | Aug 9 2020 14:28 utc | 5 The excess mortality could be due to other factors or by the huge disruption caused by the response to COVID-19.
This is called "explaining the unknown by the still more unknown."
The problem is that the "other factors" are the same as they were previously without the pandemic - if you know different, than point to the figures - and the "huge disruption" is caused by the *fact* that the pandemic had to be handled as it was *because* of the failure to prepare.
There is *zero* actual *evidence* that the enormous number of deaths in this country and elsewhere are "just the flu". The only way to suggest otherwise is to simply say "they miscounted the deaths" or "they attributed normal deaths from gunshots to COVID-19" - which is simply bullshit.
Eventually the death toll will reach a level that even these bullshit excuses can't explain - and you clowns will hopefully shut up. I'm not holding my breath that you will, however, because there is no limit to stupidity and cognitive dissonance and conspiracy theories.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Aug 10 2020 0:29 utc | 82
@ Posted by: snake | Aug 9 2020 23:31 utc | 80
So, is Qualcomm a "fat cat"?
Chip supplier Qualcomm seeks to avert ‘costly’ US ban on exports to Huawei – report
One of the world’s best-known chipmakers, Qualcomm is reportedly lobbying the US government to lift restrictions on dealing with Chinese tech giant Huawei not to lose the lucrative client to foreign rivals.[...]
The chipmaker said that the restrictions could have cost it as much as $8 billion in lost annual revenue. According to Qualcomm, the ban failed to stop Huawei from getting necessary components elsewhere and only gave more market share to other firms to which Huawei turned to in order to beat Washington's pressure.
You can fantasize about Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers however you want, but USD 8 billion is still USD 8 billion.
And your differentiation between capitalism and globalism doesn't make any logical sense, as it would presuppose some kind of parallel universe that converges with the capitalist world every certain period of time (the times of crises). Deep down, all you do is to separate, with two different words, two phases of cycles of capitalism - the valleys being the "globalism" and the peaks being "capitalism". They are really only two instances of the same system (that is, capitalism).
@64 donkeytale
Re: Biden on NPR talking about China and tariffs
He answered that one with some careful wording. Same ultimate end goal as for what the Trump admin is doing -- extract economic concessions from China and protect US industries from losing business to overseas competition. Biden says he will apply pressure in a 'smarter' and more effective way.
Posted by: ptb | Aug 10 2020 0:33 utc | 84
suzan 19
The Oppau explosion occurred on September 21, 1921, when approximately 4,500 tonnes of a mixture of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate fertilizer stored in a tower silo...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppau_explosion
Ammonium sulfate has also been used in flame retardant compositions acting much like diammonium phosphate. As a flame retardant, it increases the combustion temperature of the material, decreases maximum weight loss rates, and causes an increase in the production of residue or char.[14] Its flame retardant efficacy can be enhanced by blending it with ammonium sulfamate.[citation needed] It has been used in aerial firefighting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_sulfate
Oppau was 4500 tons of AN and AS at 50 50 mix. 2250 tons of ammonium nitrate. Slightly less that Beirut.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 0:40 utc | 85
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 20:26 utc | 40 and how in the aftermath MSM and Israeli media are trying to shape the public opinion against Hezbollah pointing at it as main culprit.
This is simply the usual practice of the elites to seize on any catastrophe - such as the pandemic was seized on - to advance their own agendas. It doesn't mean that the elites are responsible for *every* catastrophe.
Occam's Razor prevails.
There remains *zero* actual *evidence* that the blast was anything more than incompetence, possibly acerbated by greed and legal BS. A lot of people here remain incapable of discerning the difference between *speculation* and *evidence*.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Aug 10 2020 0:42 utc | 86
@schmoe 83
yes that is the direction we are moving in, very fast. I very much doubt your more grave scenarios.
Depending on how far trump / pompeo push it, China will retaliate vs both US firms selling in China and selected ones sourcing parts for the US market. AAPL most obviously, Boeing (is toast anyway in the civilian market but will be bailed out), industrial stuff like cat, gm, etc, honeywell is one I personally rely on at work for some sensors that are packaged and QC'ed in China, and that kind of thing will hurt.
as far as cell phone app platforms go, this will result in the emergence of an open architecture for third country customers, which is probably a good development on the whole. (there is already open source unlocked android but too technical). within China my prediction is there will be a parallel app store and they are quite capable to simply jailbreak all the phones capable of it*. (not the users themselves but the guys at the fix-your-phone-screen kiosks at malls etc), and the same service will become a staple for most of the world's population within a couple of years - but obv not the US or western Europe or Japan.
*I've seen this already about 12 years ago at a shopping mall in SE asia. $20 for every app apple had at the time, for all your devices. maybe they have hardware now to stop it on apple, but not the domestic droid phones that dominate the market, you can bet on that.
Posted by: ptb | Aug 10 2020 0:55 utc | 87
According a safety data sheet ammonium sulphate can be explosive if mixed with oxidizer...
https://www.cropscience.bayer.ca
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 1:01 utc | 88
Richard Steven Hack @Aug10 0:42 #90
There remains *zero* actual *evidence* that the blast was anything more than incompetence, possibly acerbated by greed and legal BS. A lot of people here remain incapable of discerning the difference between *speculation* and *evidence*.
Motive and opportunity makes a circumstantial case.
Now add cover-up into the mix as MSM tells us with 100% certainty that it was a accident and the Lebanese government allows only 4 days for investigation.
Should we give "the usual suspects" the benefit of the doubt? They don't deserve any such concession.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Aug 10 2020 1:19 utc | 90
"Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the owner of Apple Daily, and six others were arrested for suspected collusion with foreign...."
Posted by: JC | Aug 10 2020 1:28 utc | 91
@91 ptb
Thanks for the response and "muddle through" is a very possible outcome, although if China cannot master EUV they are going to struggle over the short and long term. China's problem appears to be that they do not have any unique products or processes that cannot be replaced or moved elsewhere (although their 5g tech is certainly better, but Nokia and Ericson are apparently close enough for the Europeans). Granted, the US does not either, other than certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment, but sanctions seems to trump all currently.
At least Huawei has a strong start with their app store and other Chinese manufacturers could piggy back off that if Google is turned off for all Chinese cell phone brands and Huawei is willing to share it (which should be a no-brainer as it will pressure more app developers to make their apps available on it).
Posted by: Schmoe | Aug 10 2020 1:33 utc | 92
#81 Peter AU1
Saker also has the full transcript of Nasrallah's speech:
Sayyed Nasrallah turned aside the entire thrust of all its enemies as neatly as any judo master could have done. And Hezbollah stands on the highest ground, beckoning Lebanon to ascend to that ground. We shall see what evolves, but Hezbollah is, in Nasrallah's words, "too big, too strong, too noble" to be dismissed from this equation. And the very sovereignty of Lebanon - the question of if she is a true state or not - hangs in the balance.
Posted by: Grieved | Aug 10 2020 1:43 utc | 93
‘China sympathisers’: a new Red Scare stalks Australian businesses'
Peter AU1 - Peter read this SCMP, the author Su-Lin Tan is pretty fair and un bias.
As anti-China rhetoric heats up down under, expressing support for one of the region’s most important trade relationships has become a risky business. Right-wing manipulation of social media is fanning deeply ingrained racial prejudices and anti-communist sentiment, experts say
Posted by: JC | Aug 10 2020 1:55 utc | 94
Re: Biden and China
Biden's campaign dudes said to Biden that we must look like we are tough on China, because this stance appeals to Rust Belt Jobless and the Forgotten Men of Globalism. It means nothing.
Democrats are the more apt party to deceive and use and then toss aside. See b's link to the famous Malcom X quote above.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 10 2020 2:28 utc | 95
@ snake | Aug 9 2020 23:31 utc | 80
Both Karl Marx and Jack London would disagree with you. London is much easier to understand than Marx, so as I did up above I urge you to read the ninth chapter of London's book, "The Iron Heel," which explains in easy-to-understand terms, Marx's theory of surplus value, and why capitalism has to expand continually in order to survive. In that respect capitalism is like cancer, and should be treated as such.
https://london.thefreelibrary.com/The-Iron-Heel/9-1
Posted by: AntiSpin | Aug 10 2020 3:14 utc | 96
JC
Ozzies are always worried about being invaded by hordes of Asians from the north. Indonesians, Chinese, whatever - so anti china propaganda is instantly believed.
What is happening though is the field is being narrowed down to anglo five-eyes vs the multinational world. I linked an ABC article back up the thread where Australia had joined 'other countries' to 'condemn' China. The other countries were five-eyes. Not India, Not Japan. Just five-eyes.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 3:27 utc | 97
Grieved
Thanks for the link. I hope what has happened will draw Lebanon together rather than destroy it completely.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 3:30 utc | 98
JC
A bit of uplifting rhetoric our dear leader is pumping out to stiffen our spines for what he sees as the coming war with China.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-10/scott-morrison-teddy-sheean-victoria-cross-recommendation/12540708
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 4:54 utc | 99
"Number of active coronavirus cases among Victorian health workers hits 1,065 as Premier orders more N95 masks"
"But Mr Andrews ruled out mandating issuing P2 and N95 masks to all Victorian hospital and aged care workers treating COVID-19 patients, saying it was a matter for health experts to issue guidelines about proper use of protective equipment."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-10/more-health-workers-contract-coronavirus-calls-for-ppe-intensify/12540564
China understood and publisised that health care workers needed at least the equivalent of N95 masks back in February March.
The Victorian outbreak has spread from some extent due to lax regs on quarantine, but mostly it has spread through 'health care workers'.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 10 2020 5:04 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Evo Morales warns of the gestation of a military coup in Bolivia...
https://twitter.com/evoespueblo/status/1291801660856111104
Posted by: H.Schmatz | Aug 9 2020 13:36 utc | 1