@oldhipper #78
Sadly, your attempt to cherry pick fails miserably since it is 100% clear you didn’t read anything of what I wrote.
Asia, in general, has exceeded the US and Western Europe performance against COVID by orders of magnitude. It has done so with and without lockdowns. With and without mask mandates. With and without democracy.
If you like to cherry pick, then you should choose Germany: they have the best Western democracy performance against COVID at 114 deaths per million. Which is “orders of magnitude” worse than Vietnam, according to your calculations.
But your entire “analysis” is flawed because
1) We can’t trust the Vietnam numbers. Vietnam is really, really dirt poor. Are they really tabulating, testing, etc to the degree Belgium has?
2) Has any nation of any size, with any amount of international air traffic, approached Vietnam’s performance? A few small countries like Taiwan have, but no one else. It is possible Vietnam’s performance is genuine; it is also possible it isn’t.
But the key point is: ALL of Asia is outperforming the US, France, Italy, UK, Spain, Germany, etc regardless of what policies they do or do not enact.
Even Norway – that paragon of COVID response with its huge oil fund and enormous socialist infrastructure – has more deaths per million than any Asian nation except India.
So meh. Your point is bad (cherry picked) and you don’t actually understand what I am saying – likely because you didn’t actually read it all.

Posted by: c1ue | Sep 29 2020 18:12 utc | 103

This somewhat recent Stalker Zone blog entry from 12 September regarding Merkel, Navalny and Russia I was just made aware of, its tone and purpose ascertained here:
“And here, suddenly, the always extremely cautious Moscow is putting the fruits of many years of work at stake, presenting to Berlin nothing more than an ultimatum: either evidence in the Navalny case, or a diplomatic conflict with serious consequences for economic and political partnership [will ensue].”
The writer asks the same question as me: “Why would that be?” The answer involves an explanation of the current web of intrigues within EU politics and Russian relations. As of now, it appears the Nalvany incident will slowly fade into the sunset. But the intra-EU relations must still be resolved.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 29 2020 20:08 utc | 105

Re: Breonna Taylor killing
Charges have been dismissed against Kenneth Walker. Prosecution agrees that he didn’t do anything wrong, and certainly nothing prosecutable. In most of America it is expected that people breaking into homes will be shot at.
Hopefully this incident will shine the spotlight of public attention on these late night home invasions by cops and get the practice stopped.

Posted by: William Gruff | Sep 29 2020 21:32 utc | 107

Here you can listen to Wall Street and the Fed compared to the Mafia and then learn euro banks are no better. Then we’re told the Bank of England can’t print money like the Fed, so the Fed will be sending money to people in the UK. All in a days work of our insanely fraudulent financial system managers. I say, close them all down; arrest all the top dogs; write down all the debt; and turn all of those formerly private equity firms into public utilities–all so we can bring a halt to financial fraud and make the banking system work for genuine little people and their real economy.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 29 2020 23:25 utc | 109

”
Rubio Ask EU to Not Observe Venezuela Elections”
cover your eyes

Posted by: arby | Sep 30 2020 12:45 utc | 111

LuRenJia @113–
Thanks for your reply! As I’ve written before, the fundamental difference between Anglo/American & Asian societies and resulting social thought/behavior is an individualist versus collectivist nature primarily because solidarity by the poor masses has for centuries been viewed as a threat to the elite that control the Anglo/American Empires and their basic method of maintaining control–Divide & Rule. Thus anything with a collectivist ethos is anathema to the West, particularly the Outlaw US Empire. Since it seeks to have its society divided, it is thus difficult to bring society together for any purpose. What remains as a way to get society to come together is to frame the situation as a war: War on Communism; War on Poverty; War on Terrorism; War on Cancer; War on Drugs; etc. Almost all of which have arisen since the end of WW2. It’s important to note what hasn’t been seen as fit to declare war on–Racism is one, financial fraud is another, political & police corruption are yet another. All of those and more signify very deep societal dysfunction. China has its own set of problems it must overcome as a society but nothing like those besetting the Outlaw US Empire.
Another aspect that differs is the relationship of the citizen to the state. In China, at an early age people are taught the state has a duty to them while they have a duty to the state–very much like the Yin-Yang principle–and that all, the state and citizens, are to act as one fellowship toward the goal of bettering all. For example, today Xi announced the goal of reversing biodiversity losses because such losses affect humans’s ability to better their overall situation in their relationship to Nature upon which it’s recognized we all depend. Bettering the environment within China after decades of abuse is a major part of its announced Development Goals. The state will now do its part and it’s expected the citizenry will step up to do its part. Another outstanding example is the response to COVID-19, particularly when compared to what Trump has done, which was to commit Treason instead of doing all he and his office could to fight the virus–a Treason he tries to excuse by smearing China as the criminal whereas a great mass of evidence says otherwise. IMO, the lack of US citizen awareness that they have a duty to perform in order to make their nation function properly is a huge deficit when trying to compete with a society that understands its duties and works in harmony to attain their goals.
If you watched the two idiots debate last night, you’ll have noted neither put forth any sort of plan to better their society’s condition. Essentially, they are both deaf and blind when it comes to the genuine problems society faces. Within China’s governing system, such a situation would be impossible because of the manner in which feedback at the local level is transmitted to the center via Democratic Centralism. As I’ve written before, China has the better example; and all it needs to do to overcome the West is to continue to perfect its example and merely offer its fruits–Win-Win–to others. There’s more than enough evidence that the West’s Zero-sum method is very unhealthy for societies, which will make China’s example even more attractive as the West has nothing positive to offer unless you’re corrupt.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 30 2020 16:39 utc | 113

LuRenJia @115–
Thanks for your reply. Yes, there’s a reason why the term is Anglo-American. The concept of Divide & Rule is Machiavellian but was first put into practice best by the British as they created their Union–the seat of their initial Empire–and adopted the concept of Exceptionalism thanks to the “Protestant Wind” that allowed them to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. They also took to heart the message within the three Papal Bulls aimed at dividing the world between Spain and Portugal. Most important is the fact that the attitudes of elites are shaped by events that occurred long ago that get passed down through the generations. A book that helps understand that important issue is the Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic. It’s important to note the difficulty the UK has in dealing with the loss of its Empire since WW2 as well as the many atrocities it committed–the “settlement” of Australia as told by Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore is very instructive. The actual story of the Western Hemisphere’s “settlement” differs little. And elites with those same outlooks are still attempting to direct humanity’s direction.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 30 2020 19:19 utc | 115

Today I came across an instructional video conference dealing with global events filmed almost two months ago featuring Alastair Crooke, Pepe Escobar, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, and hosted by Zeinab Ghasemi Tari–“The US, Iran, China and Perspectives on the Global Crisis.” I first viewed the 20 minute segment with Crooke where he raises some points about Trump and what he thinks are his aims that we rarely discuss here, one of the points mentioned by Escobar who is next in the video–Yeats, “The Center cannot hold,” seems to be critical observation. COVID-19 has accelerated the Outlaw US Empire’s decline to the point where a significant percentage of the public is facing “financial desperation,” which as Pepe points out won’t really emerge until after the election. What’s predictable is the domestic financial crisis; but what remains unpredictable is how that crisis will affect the Empire’s foreign policy.
After an hour, we get to the final 40 minutes consisting of student questions for the three panelists. I felt watching was a good use of my lunch hour. I do suggest using the close captioning despite its mistakes.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 30 2020 20:22 utc | 117

karlof1 – A quoted passage from Arundhati Roy’s “My Seditious Heart” you might find interesting. A small treasure among a trove of gems. The importance of knowledge in social systems and who possesses it.
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, an Indian dalit (Marathi word for oppressed, broken – a Hindu untouchable) a contemporary and adversary of of Mahatma Gandhi wrote speaking of Hindu caste system:
“Why have the mass of people tolerated the social evils to which they have been subjected? There have been social revolutions in other countries of the world. Why have there not been social revolutions in India, is a question that has incessantly troubled me. There is only one answer which I can give and it is that the lower classes of Hindu have been completely disabled for direct action on account of this wretched caste system. They could not bear arms, and without arms could not rebel. They are all plowmen, or rather condemned to be plowmen – and they were never allowed to convert their ploughshares into swords. They had no bayonets, and therefore everyone who chose, could and did sit upon them. On account of the caste system, they could receive no education. They could not think out or know the way to their salvation. They were condemned to be lowly; and not knowing the way of escape, and not having the means of escape, they became reconciled to eternal servitude, which they accepted as their inescapable fate.”

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Sep 30 2020 22:31 utc | 119

@karlof1 121
“India remains mired in its Caste System” is fake and a meme endlessly repeated by all its enemies. The leader of the Dalits Dr.Ambedkar in 1947 even said that governmental favoritism to his caste should not extent after 20 years: they are still here in 2020.
How do you like this meme: “WASP US remains mired in its color racism.”

Posted by: Antonym | Oct 1 2020 3:33 utc | 121

@ karlof1 | Sep 30 2020 23:34 utc | 121
Thank you for your considered reply. Was embraced by Morpheus shortly after posting comment last night (UTC +2). My reading speed is slowing and becoming more a task, a hand glass has become increasingly useful with the result of not keeping up with the flow and falling off of comments – so goes this vintage ’43.
The other reading companion this spring and summer has been Gareth Stedman Jones Karl Marx, Greatness and Illusion which like all good books concerning economics has a direct relationship between quality and speed of eye closure. It has been the siesta read companion this year throughout the coronavirus infestation and summer reprieve and is about to be concluded this autumn. It illuminates the political world of the middle half of the 19th century (1830’s – 80’s) that informed his ideas. The background provided by this book fleshes out the considerable social and political contemporaneous changes some of which Marx was aware and others he missed, both still have echoes reverberating to this day. A truly complex philosopher and philosophy that should be appreciated regardless of political outlook of the reader. Highly commended.

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Oct 1 2020 15:51 utc | 123

@ karlof1 | Oct 1 2020 16:46 utc | 125
Thanks also for your reply and suggestion. I will look into the Archive website. I am not sure about audio books, listening to readings isn’t quite the same as the labour needed to read or the ability to pause and consider the material but when the time comes, maybe adjustment can be made – crossing bridges beforehand sounds risky and may prove unneeded.
Another source of 19th century information I’ve found is the works of a Dominic Lieven starting with “Russia Against Napoleon, The Battle for Europe, 1807 to 1814” and his research from Russian archives giving “The End of Tsarist Russia, The march to World War I & Revolution”, “Russia’s Rulers Under the Old Regime”. Both books paint a picture of an administration steeped in status quo failing to self correct and the failure caused through inappropriate response to events that overwhelm. The second book takes an analytical look at the Russian ruling elite, their strengths and weaknesses which should mirror all ruling elites in advanced political states, e.g. British, French, Spanish, German, Austrian, U.S., Italy and others. Of importance is the reporting from Russian perspective the diplomatic relations with other European powers through the period. Lievin contributed to Historical Inevitable? Turning Points of the Russian Revolution, (edited by Tony Brenton) that covers some of early USSR’s history that is likely thinly covered in the west if at all. I have not read yet Lieven’s Empire, The Russian Empire and Its Rivals but it should be brilliant given the works already perused.
Would recommend reading John Maynard Keynes’ biographies – Vol. X, “Essays on Biography” for a scholarly review of 18th and 19th century academics and their works for another vista of the lead up to and the events/developments of the 19th century as well from a renowned economist about economists.

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Oct 1 2020 19:27 utc | 125