Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
June 21, 2022

This New Import Law Will Hurt U.S. Consumers

Today the the U.S., suffering from high inflation caused by a lack of supplies, is launching the dumbest sanction regime ever:

A new law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, goes into effect in the United States on Tuesday and will bar products that were made in Xinjiang or have ties to the work programs there from entering the country. It requires importers with any ties to Xinjiang to produce documentation showing that their products, and every raw material they are made with, are free of forced labor — a tricky undertaking given the complexity and opacity of Chinese supply chains.
...
In theory, the new U.S. law should block all goods made with any raw materials that are associated with Xinjiang until they are proven to be free of slavery or coercive labor practices. But it remains to be seen if the U.S. government is willing or able to turn away such an array of foreign goods.

The 12 million Uighurs live predominantly in the south of China's Xinjiang province. The area is arid and there is not enough water for the growing population. Over the years this had led to poverty, social unrest and, with the help of some Saudi educated Wahhabi preachers, to terrorism against non-Wahhabis.

The Chinese government had launched a large scale program to solve the problem once and for all. It subsidized companies to move production facilities to Xinjiang. For geographic reasons these are now mostly in the northern part of Xinjiang. The government also organized large camps for vocational and language training. After people went through those they were offered jobs in the new factories where they work in exchange for normal wages.

The U.S. anti-China propaganda campaign claims that these Uighur people were forced to take up their new jobs and calls that 'forced labor'. It is not.

Working in some industry far from home is normal in China. It is the reason why each year during the Spring Festival season 300 million  people in China travel to reunite with their families.

Real forced labor is what one sees in the U.S. prison industry where prisoner have no choice but to work for a few pennies which the prison will in the end regain due to absurd prices for small necessities prisoners have to pay for.

It is doubtful that the Biden administration will not apply the new law to many more products.

Domestic producers competing with Chinese products can complain to the commerce department which would then have to detain imports at the border, launch an investigation and could eventually seize the products.

Auxin, a small U.S. producer of solar panels, did exactly that in a tariff case causing chaos in the industry:

The investigation will cut expected solar installations by 46 percent for 2022 and 2023 and could cost more than 100,000 solar jobs should the department impose the tariffs, according to an analysis released yesterday by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which organized the congressional meetings.

The probe is “already having a pretty devastating impact,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper told The Climate 202.

The new law will replace a Withhold Release Order (WRO) which the U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) issued under the Trump administration in January 2021. The WRO applied to cotton products sourced from Xinjiang and has led to some chaos in the apparels industry.

The new UFLPA law is much wider and will hit many more products. Many commodities like lithium and nickel are produced in Xinjiang and flow into many downstream products:

Xinjiang Nonferrous and its subsidiaries have partnered with the Chinese authorities to take in hundreds of such [Uyghur] workers in recent years, according to articles displayed proudly in Chinese on the company’s social media account. These workers were eventually sent to work in the conglomerate’s mines, a smelter and factories that produce some of the most highly sought minerals on earth, including lithium, nickel, manganese, beryllium, copper and gold.

It is difficult to trace precisely where the metals produced by Xinjiang Nonferrous go. But some have been exported to the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and India, according to company statements and customs records. And some have gone to large Chinese battery makers, who in turn, directly or indirectly, supply major American entities, including automakers, energy companies and the U.S. military, according to Chinese news reports.

The bureaucratic effort importers in the solar and other industry will have to make to avoid getting punished under the new law is extensive:

CBP released UFLPA guidelines last week that includes a section on polysilicon imports. In order to comply with the UFLPA, CBP said solar companies must:

  • Provide complete supply chain documentation that lists all entities involved in the exported good.
  • Provide a flow chart mapping each step in production and identify the region where each material originated.
  • Provide a list of all entities associated with each step of production, even if the exporting company did not directly work with them.

The CBP guidelines also state that solar companies that source polysilicon both from within Xinjiang and outside the region risk being subject to detention, as it may be more difficult to verify the products did not co-mingle with Xinjiang polysilicon at any point in the manufacturing process.

For small importers it will be impossible to do the above. Only big companies can afford to research and provide all that data and to take the risk of importing products that may get confiscated at the border. They will of course ask their customers to pay for all that.

For the U.S. consumer this does not only mean higher prices but likely less access to products they need or want. The U.S. industry is not in state where it can provide on the scale that China can.

To avoid the scrutiny Chinese producers may eventually move their factories. But they will move to countries in South Asia and not to the United States.

Why the 'green agenda' Biden administration thought that this is a smart move is beyond me.

Posted by b on June 21, 2022 at 17:09 UTC | Permalink

Comments
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Could the plan be to force U.S. companies, at their expense, to obtain detailed information on Chinese supply chains for the U.S. government that is on a fishing expedition for information???

Posted by: William Haught | Jun 21 2022 17:22 utc | 1

P.S., can't China sell to the friendliest countries who then resell? Think of it as a "'Yeet' the Americans Out Of Asia" campaign. (In the 21st century, we apparently no longer "throw" things).

Posted by: William Haught | Jun 21 2022 17:28 utc | 2

President Biden is not only symbolic of America's current governing policy, but he is actually having said government policy focused on expressing his wishes. America's actions are those of a degenerating, loud, bellicose, old man screaming at everyone and only interested in 'settling scores' with those damn new kids on the block.
It feels and looks like America is that old man waving a cane and chasing China, India, and Russia (the young kids) screaming 'get of my damn lawn!'

Posted by: Mario Furtado | Jun 21 2022 17:30 utc | 3

This law makes a precedent and easier to implement BDS of Israel. Although, nothing will phase these hypocrites in congress. And they will keep shooting US economy in the foot at the expense of ordinary citizens.

But i think their shenanigans is about to come to an end. People will only take so much of abuse in the hands of these corrupt stooges.

Hard times ahead.

Posted by: Alpi | Jun 21 2022 17:32 utc | 4

If Demented Joe wants to punish his American sheeple consumers, then more power to him!

Chinese manufacturers in Xinjiang are NOT going to move their factories to southeast Asia. Just as with the stupid boycott of Xinjiang cotton which failed miserably, boycotted goods will be absorbed by internal Chinese consumption.

Posted by: Sam Smith | Jun 21 2022 17:36 utc | 5

More utter insanity from the Outlaw US Empire's Congress believing its own BigLies as I commented upon in the previous thread. As b mentioned, this will have zero effect on China's industry and has already caused bigtime damage to the Empire's economy. I'm exasperated at the manic level of incompetence exhibited, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 17:39 utc | 6

you know, the Western narrative on Xinjiang never made much sense to me. Xinjiang is basically the gateway for the Belt and Road and all these central Asian countries near it are Muslim. It's in China's interest to develop and promote the region to appeal to other central Asian nations on the benefits of joining the initiative. It's even weirder when you see in the UN that basically every Muslim country has voted in support of China's training centres for Uyghurs and that the source of all the Uyghur genocide stuff comes from the nutcase Adrian Zenz

Posted by: kalton | Jun 21 2022 17:43 utc | 7

Auxin, a small U.S. producer of solar panels, did exactly that in a tariff case causing chaos in the industry:

The investigation will cut expected solar installations by 46 percent for 2022 and 2023 and could cost more than 100,000 solar jobs should the department impose the tariffs, according to an analysis released yesterday by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which organized the congressional meetings.

The probe is “already having a pretty devastating impact,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper told The Climate 202.

Talk about "stupid is as stupid does"! Little American company kills off 100,000+ American jobs!!!

Posted by: Sam Smith | Jun 21 2022 17:43 utc | 8

"Why the 'green agenda' Biden administration thought that this is a smart move is beyond me."

Because hurting China is much more important than protecting ordinary Americans. Republicans will of course call it out for its stupidity, and then when when they get voted in will do absolutely nothing to change it.

Rinse and repeat, Western democracy: where every few years we get to chose between missionary or some other position, but the result is always the same.

Posted by: Et Tu | Jun 21 2022 17:45 utc | 9

These types of punitive policies directed at China have been in the works for a long time. They rely on the support of politicians, media workers, NGOs, etc who either do not know at all what they are talking about, or whose livelihoods are dependent on this sort of geopolitical gamesmanship. In light of the well-documented coercive labor practices in the US carceral complex. the hypocrisy at work here is absolutely mind-numbing. The US prison industry and the social control measures meted by its justice system is itself one of the most cynical and widespread human rights disasters on the planet, and one might expect this particular script to be flipped soon enough.

Posted by: jayc | Jun 21 2022 17:59 utc | 10

Sanctioning the produce of the people you are claiming to protect so they might become poorer? Some next level logic there.

Of course the real gig is to make those people jobless and angry to hopefully foment discontent...

Doesn't matter, soon enough the west will have enough trouble affording utilities and daily necessities to worry about buying grade-A cotton garments.

Sanctions only work for bullies against the little guys with few alternatives. It is a habit that's hard to shake and a lesson the west are paying dearly to learn.

Remember those bullies in school? What happened to them when you left school? They became nobody once in the bigger world. The world is not just the west and they too, shall pass.

Posted by: A.L. | Jun 21 2022 18:10 utc | 11

Or some very powerful people with an agenda are deliberately wrecking Western economies.

Posted by: NoOneYouKnow | Jun 21 2022 18:16 utc | 12

A little background on Uyghur integration into China culture. There are differences due to the Muslim faith which can cause some cultural conflicts on a personal basis. The same could be said about Muslims in the US. Russia seems to integrate Muslims better than the US based on the Chechen Muslim forces in the Russian Army.

https://www.quora.com/Who-are-the-most-famous-celebrities-of-Uighur-descent-in-mainland-China?share=1

Posted by: krollchem | Jun 21 2022 18:18 utc | 13

Does US still use forced labour in its prison system ?

Major corporations profiting from the slave labor of prisoners include Motorola, Compaq, Honeywell, Microsoft, Boeing, Revlon, Chevron, TWA, Victoria’s Secret and Eddie Bauer.

IBM, Texas Instruments and Dell get circuit boards made by Texas prisoners. Tennessee inmates sew jeans for Kmart and JCPenney. Tens of thousands of youth flipping hamburgers for minimum wages at McDonald’s wear uniforms sewn by prison workers, who are forced to work for much less.

In California, as in many states, prisoners who refuse to work are moved to disciplinary housing and lose canteen privileges, as well as “good time” credit, which slices hard time off their sentences.

Systematic abuse, beatings, prolonged isolation, sensory deprivation and lack of medical care make U.S. prison conditions among the worst in the world. Ironically, working under grueling conditions for pennies an hour is treated as a “perk” for good behavior.

In December [2010], Georgia inmates went on strike and refused to leave their cells at six prisons for more than a week. In one of the largest prison protests in U.S. history, prisoners spoke of being forced to work seven days a week for no pay. Prisoners were beaten if they refused to work.

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jun 21 2022 18:25 utc | 14

"The CBP guidelines also state that solar companies that source polysilicon both from within Xinjiang and outside the region risk being subject to detention"

CBP = C0ck & Balls Punishment 😂

Posted by: Arganthonios | Jun 21 2022 18:25 utc | 15

As I see it, it is fully in line with the idea that only the Big Tech will be able to handle this, as stated in the article. I.e. that small and medium size companies will starve to death and the big usual suspect companies will have monopol. Fully in line with the NWO and Great reset etc.

Posted by: BL | Jun 21 2022 18:29 utc | 16

they don't care that the sanctions don't work, or that they are based on lies, they only want to shout "LOOK WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE EVIL CHINESE AND RUSSIANS"

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jun 21 2022 18:35 utc | 17

"The controlled demolition of the economy" is what we are asssisting at here...

Posted by: Ghost of Mozgovoy | Jun 21 2022 18:46 utc | 18

Posted by: krollchem | Jun 21 2022 18:18 utc | 13

OTOH uyghurs are quite a bit more moderate in their religious customs than Chechens, as far as I can tell.

Moderate muslims in a process of integration within an at-least-nominally-socialist country are a big NO NO NO FUCK NO for Washington and other NATO scum - according to them muslims are meant to be backwards headchopping puppets.

Let's not forget that the "world uyghur congress" straddles the US of A and Germany, two countries with a vanishing trace of Uyghur population.

Posted by: Arganthonios | Jun 21 2022 18:49 utc | 19

How can the US recruit terrorists if the young men they target are gainfully employed?

Posted by: wagelaborer | Jun 21 2022 18:57 utc | 20

@Posted by: wagelaborer | Jun 21 2022 18:57 utc | 20

Good question, and one of the reasons of the "reset", sent such ammount of people to misery that they have not but to join the military as canon fodder for the remaining imperial wars, as has happened to some Ukrainians who told the Russians of this once captured or surrendered....

Posted by: Ghost of Mozgovoy | Jun 21 2022 19:15 utc | 21

Sanctions are now more powerful than treaties! So Russia needs to sanction LNG imports to the Baltics. As per the new Rules, that is the way it should be done!!

Posted by: First of India | Jun 21 2022 19:22 utc | 22

As many sanctions, this legislation may fit some noble cause, but eventually will only bring bad actual outcome to the targeted population.
But who cares about actual outcome in the woke metavers ?

Posted by: Daniel | Jun 21 2022 19:25 utc | 23

I wonder if China will impose counter-sanctions...
I suggest such for instance on US wine. China should demand the US prove no Latinos were employed wine production. Latinos have always been used as slave and cheap labor in Californian wine making.
Let the Latinos, a considerable voter group by now, get angry at the US government...

Posted by: Nico | Jun 21 2022 19:27 utc | 24

The US markets are up over 2.5% today so where is the hurt? ( I should write, where are the fundamentals?)

/snark

The shit show continues until it doesn't

This posting subject is a good example of the Plato's Cave Display management of public reality. Think of the money that has gone and continues to go into creating this meritless propaganda...what good is it to humanity except to keep the elite in control?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 21 2022 19:29 utc | 25

@ Paul Greenwood | Jun 21 2022 18:25 utc | 14

I can find several sources via duckduckgo, but they all seem quite "shaky". Do you have one that might be "Authoritative"?

I see the Original was in Workers.org from 2011. Is this "good enough"?

It isn't that I am doubting that this happens, but who am I going to convince with this?

Posted by: Kauai John | Jun 21 2022 19:30 utc | 26

Salami slicing towards China invading Taiwan. Eventually, they conclude that there's little to be lost from any further sanctions, so why not?

Posted by: Eighthman | Jun 21 2022 19:33 utc | 27

I cannot believe that American Oligarchs are this stupid, so I've postulated that they must be doing this on purpose.

As extremely weak evidence in support of this idea, I point to the first entry in the Georgia Guidestones.

Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature

But maybe the Oligarchy is that stupid. Is the "plan" to eliminate 7.5B people?
Talk me out of it.

Posted by: Kauai John | Jun 21 2022 19:34 utc | 28

Michael Hudson has written and published another essay, "The Fed’s Austerity Program to Reduce Wages". He opens thusly:

"To Wall Street and its backers, the solution to any price inflation is to reduce wages and public social spending. The orthodox way to do this is to push the economy into recession in order to reduce hiring. Rising unemployment will oblige labor to compete for jobs that pay less and less as the economy slows.

"This class-war doctrine is the prime directive of neoliberal economics. It is the tunnel vision of corporate managers and the One Percent. The Federal Reserve and IMF are its most prestigious lobbyists. Along with Janet Yellen at the Treasury, public discussion of today’s inflation is framed in a way that avoids blaming the 8.2 percent rise in consumer prices on the Biden Administration’s New Cold War sanctions on Russian oil, gas and agriculture, or on oil companies and other sectors using these sanctions as an excuse to charge monopoly prices as if America has not continued to buy Russian diesel oil, as if fracking has picked up and corn is not being turned into biofuel. There has been no disruption in supply. We are simply dealing with monopoly rent by the oil companies using the anti-Russian sanctions as an excuse that an oil shortage will soon develop for the United States and indeed for the entire world economy." [My Emphasis]

I must agree with the relationship of gasoline and diesel price rises relative to oil price and conclusion that monopoly rent pricing is occurring nationally, yet there's utterly no discussion that such is what's actually occurring. Big Oil's Quarterly Reports ought to reveal the truth with excess profits galore. I'll not comment on the Class War nature of what's happening as I've done so already. I'll admit it's a somewhat gloomy read, but then reality is gloomy for all too many. I'll leave it to other barflies to provide further excerpts of what they think important.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 19:37 utc | 29

in prison or otherwise, there a lot of people in the states whose labor is "forced". having to work multiple garbage jobs or face eviction and starvation is an effective "force"; especially when the finance sector is enabled by the fed to suppress jobs and wages. but i digress.

funny how when it comes to china, the blob is just fine with "BDS".

Posted by: the pair | Jun 21 2022 19:40 utc | 30

I'll not comment on the Class War nature of what's happening as I've done so already.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 19:37 utc | 29

Every rich influential fück feels oh so very smart until they find themselves hanging off a wire, running into exile or digging potatoes :)

Problem is, forecasting exactly when such things happen is quite difficult.

Posted by: Arganthonios | Jun 21 2022 19:43 utc | 31

I guess I don't have any real problem with this. Combined with tariffs, it could make domestic production in the U.S. to be competitive. If you remember the fiasco with personal protective gear for medical professionals - the Chinese actually shipped some stocks from the U.S. back to China - this is a desperately needed thing.

Posted by: Ken | Jun 21 2022 19:44 utc | 32

“Why the 'green agenda' Biden administration thought that this is a smart move is beyond me.”

This is economic warfare by the United States. It may or may not accelerate to full-scale war. The U.S. is a hegemonic power who sees China as a threat to its ability to dominate the world. Under such circumstances, the so-called ‘green agenda’ is meaningless to Biden, Trumpists, and basically most wings of the American political elite.

Posted by: Jeffrey Kaye | Jun 21 2022 19:46 utc | 33

I think this will have little effect on China's economy.
Xinjiang will keep booming because China has its giant domestic market and also because Beijing is opening agencies and businesses in Xinjiang that don't export, anyway. So, locals will find jobs and be happy and Xinjiang will not become a problem for China.

Posted by: Nico | Jun 21 2022 19:47 utc | 34

Posted by: William Haught | Jun 21 2022 17:28 utc | 2

Somewhere I read that USA largely switched from Chinese solar panels to those produced in Malaysia, where Chinese components are assembled. Chinese invested a lot to develop core materials and components for solar panel and it is hard to compete with them on price. At that time, American trade officials were pondering what to do with it, with the ambitions to expand solar power in USA at stake.

The whole issue stinks. China embarked on "cultural genocide" by provide industrial jobs to hitherto poor farmers which tends to alter their culture, family roles (employed women), fertility, mosque attendance etc. I am not sure about mosque attendance, but roughly the same happened in Bangladesh, millions of women have jobs and the birth rate drift to -- gasp of horror -- Western patterns. Expect that working condition, at my guess, are worse in Bangladesh (they used to have a factory or two burned to the ground each year, complete with workers, which is a sensible cost saving measure with a minor risk -- many thousands of factories, but anti-free-market forces demanded a change, so at least the stories vanished. I guess that they stopped locking the doors during working shifts.)

On the other side of the Pacific, cultural genocide had a form of closing factories in regions like central Appalachia, leaving besides sad semi-ruined small towns. It used to be called "creative destruction", forcing yokels into "mobility of labour".

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jun 21 2022 20:06 utc | 35

I'll not comment on the Class War nature of what's happening as I've done so already. I'll admit it's a somewhat gloomy read, but then reality is gloomy for all too many. I'll leave it to other barflies to provide further excerpts of what they think important.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 19:37 utc | 29

Vocabulary niggle: you say the oil barons raising prices is a form of 'Class War.' I don't know if a few quasi-monopoly corporations really constitute a class per se (as in upper, middle and lower) rather than a glitch (by design) in the system set up to maximize profits for major providers of goods and services. Amazon comes to mind, also Musk the world's richest man apparently. Are such businesses really 'classes?' and part of the contemporary 'class system?'

Maybe I'm stuck in 1960's England and Europe and am not able to translate that sort of ubiquitous in-your-face class system (with both good and bad aspects) with this sort of corporate exploitation. It feels to me like the West has been taken over by what some call the Money Power. That's as good a label as any. Maybe that is a class. If so, we have a tiny upper class, almost as many middle as working (who are no longer lower), and then an underclass (the new lower, consisting of the worst jobs, unemployed, illegal and drugged). Not a very good class system. I liked the one I grew up with much better!

My best friend from a local playground a few hundred yards away under an overpass bridge and so into a different class neighbourhood in Chiswick was a working class boy. He and I went in and out of each other's houses frequently. No issues at all. And yet we knew we lived in different worlds and often joked about it. An open class system is actually very interesting thing becoming a kind of terrain for people to navigate through. Something else to both wrestle and play with.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 21 2022 20:07 utc | 36

@ karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 1 with the latest link of Michael Hudson postings...thanks

I read the piece and encourage others to as well. I laughed at the ending

"
The Party’s identity politics address almost every identity except that of wage-earners and debtors. That does not look like a platform that can succeed. But as the ghost of Margaret Thatcher no doubt is telling them: “There Is No Alternative.”
"

The shop worn argument over at Almost nakedcapitalism when I was connected was TINA about global private finance....I was call Crazypants by Susan I guess over a decade ago, came over to MoA and been here since. I said back then that we were in a civilization war about public/private finance and that in 10 years things would change and I don't think I will be too far off in that guess but I claim no insight into anything else...grin

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 21 2022 20:08 utc | 37

So basically, at a moment when the west is desperate for clean energy sources, the Biden regime is making more expensive to buy solar panels and related technology!

Of course this won't make any difference for China: they are also the biggest users of solar technology, so everything that the region produces will be installed in China itself. They may even decide to produce a few more expensive products that will be sold at a higher price to the stupid in the West.

Posted by: Carl | Jun 21 2022 20:08 utc | 38

Well, doesn't Apple for example using "slave" labour, as it doesn't pay American salaries to its Chinese work force, hiding behind all kinds laws, regulations and conditions etc?

Posted by: ostro | Jun 21 2022 20:09 utc | 39

This is a comprehensive take down of Blinkens blunders about China and the US in general.
http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zmgx/zxxx/202206/t20220619_10706097.htm

It is long, very long, as any list of US problems, and dishonesty must be.

Point eight is about the Uighurs. 14 paragraphs.
Falsehood 8: The United States stands with countries and people around the world against the genocide and crimes against humanity happening in the Xinjiang region, where more than a million people have been placed in detention camps because of their ethnic and religious identity.

Sample reply.

◆ “Genocide” in Xinjiang is a complete “lie of the century”. Over the past 60 years and more, the Uyghur population has increased from 2.2 million to about 12 million, and their average life expectancy has grown from 30 to 75 years

***
To keep as a reference. The Chinese sound peeved, very very peeved.

Posted by: Stonebird | Jun 21 2022 20:13 utc | 40

Posted by: Ken | Jun 21 2022 19:44 utc | 32

The use of tariffs and quota is antithesis to competition. It's a subsidy for domestic producers.

Posted by: One Too Many | Jun 21 2022 20:16 utc | 41

@Paul Greenwood | 14

«Does US still use forced labour in its prison system ?»

In the US it is the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that provides the legal basis for forced prison labor:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

The fact that this forced labor is admitted by the Constitution does not mean that it exists in all North American states.

The same is true in Europe. Forced labor of prisoners is permitted under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Prohibition of slavery and forced labour:

1. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude.

2. No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

For the purpose of this article the term "forced or compulsory labour" shall not include any work required to be done in the ordinary course of detention imposed according to the provisions of Article 5 of this Convention or during conditional release from such detention (...)

Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2022 20:16 utc | 42

You know, once you substitute the phrase "the West" for the phrase Euro-American Christian culture, or something like it -- e.g., The Latin Church -- you've already adopted your enemy's (atheists') definition of yourself, you've already plunged his weapons into your heart. You've lost contact with your spiritual identity, the one which defines and controls the rest.

How do you expect to defend yourself, much less prevail after you have already jettisoned your own armaments, those of spiritual discipline and long-proven effectiveness, in favor of chimeras dressed in shiny sheaths and cooing seductively in tones of aggressive messianic collectivism?

You think an election is going to help? An economic event? A few [imaginary] hangings here and there? A known or unknown man or woman of leadership ability who suddenly appears ready to go to work on those [name your favorite anti-heroes]? No one is going to save "the West." Someone might save The Latin Church. Her Owner. That would be you.

Posted by: The Rev. David R. Gr | Jun 21 2022 20:25 utc | 43

It is doubtful that the Biden administration will not apply the new law to many more products.

Domestic producers competing with Chinese products can complain to the commerce department which would then have to detain imports at the border, launch an investigation and could eventually seize the products.

I speculate that the Chinese, will simply refuse to comply....

Which leaves....

No domestic producers at all...

Because....

Each, and every one....

Is dependent upon components, raw materials, subject to this law...

AND....

The Chinese will sell to the global south, instead....

INDY

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Jun 21 2022 20:34 utc | 44

“Why the 'green agenda' Biden administration thought that this is a smart move is beyond me.” -B

Remember the early Obama days, when all his cronies were pre-invested in the hand-picked green energy deals his regime went about propping up with boatloads of cash? This is that on steroids, cutting out the Big-G middleman.

Cue Jay-Z: It’s an oligarch life.

Posted by: Cato the Uncensored | Jun 21 2022 20:36 utc | 45

I encourage everyone to conduct a few minutes of informal research into Auxin. The company has quite an "interesting" background, manufacturing footprint, and operational tempo, considering its purported claim to be a legitimate solar panel producer. Everything is not as it seems.

Posted by: Greg | Jun 21 2022 20:56 utc | 46

In case it is at all unclear to any readers, slavery is enshrined in the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as additional punishment for a crime, punishment above and beyond any prison sentence imposed and all of it’s attendant misery.

Posted by: nwwoods | Jun 21 2022 20:58 utc | 47

Notwithstanding the reasoning behind the boycott, shouldn't we all agree as anti-globalists that America and China should decouple?

I get it that this isn't really what the passing of this bill is about per se, but it does seem to me to open up the possibility of debate around our offshoring of labor to China and how this is an untenable situation and which has led to this impasse.

In other words, all this shooting ourselves in the foot here in the collective west might be the opening to something much more important, much like the crypto-forced covid vaccine mandate led to a greater questioning about all vaccines and their accompanying mandates overall.

In the end, it could be a good thing.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 21 2022 21:16 utc | 48

Scorpion @36--

The term Money Power was coined by the Prairie Populists during their @25-year campaign to describe their antagonists, which at the time was very close to what we'd term today as Class War. Hudson has described the Outlaw US Empire's Neoliberal Class structure to consist of the FIRE sector, Big Oil, MIC, Big Media, and now Big Tech, only one of which--Big Tech--has any relation to the real economy, and that's tenuous at best given its move to exploitation and collusion with the other massively corrupt sectors. In the 19th Century, a French lawyer named Frederic Bastiat coined many apt phrases describing the nature of things, one of his most famous all but forgotten today:

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it."

It's exactly that which must be undone, its creation going back to the Greko-Roman Era when the Creditor Class was able to gain control of government and thus society, which enabled it to write laws favoring itself at the expense of all and is what torments the world today.

psychohistorian @37--

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I thought of adding that ending too, although I also see grimness residing within Hudson's wry humor.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 21:21 utc | 49

"Domestic producers competing with Chinese products can complain to the commerce department which would then have to detain imports at the border, launch an investigation and could eventually seize the products."

Hm, this might be good for BDS, if some activist companies exist to do it. Find an Israeli product, in or out of settlements, that is connected to that Chinese supply chain, then complain to the commerce department. They might refuse to investigate, but if they do at least it's something as long as bullshit like this exists.

Posted by: Mackin | Jun 21 2022 21:22 utc | 50

47

I don't think so.

Sure, leveling trade balances a bit, fine. But getting rid of superior competition by such criminal means contradicts everything the West keeps claiming it is about. What about may the better one win? As long as the West was winning, unfairness was fine, now all of a sudden no longer because China is winning?

Also, this is not about decoupling because of trade fairness or whatever, there will be no decoupling from India and other factory countries. It is purely a racist, ideological anti-Chinese measure.

At the end of the day, the West will only hurt itself because Asia accounts for 60% of the world population. When China is boycotted, it will boycott the West in turn. And China will increasingly set the technical standards for Asia because it is leading in more and more areas. That will bind Asia to China.

Since such measures will alienate the Chinese people, the West will lose out on a lot of Chinese tourism.

For China getting rid of toxic Western influence could be a good thing, though, just like it is for Russia now.

Posted by: Nico | Jun 21 2022 21:26 utc | 51

@ nwwoods | 46:

« In case it is at all unclear to any readers, slavery is enshrined in the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as additional punishment for a crime ».

Sorry, you go too far, slavery and forced labor are not the same thing.

The 26 September 1926 Slavery Convention, article 1(1), defines slavery as « the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised ».

Things are clearer when you don't force the meaning of words. Accuracy is about the only force that allows us to fight against the powers of the world.

Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2022 21:39 utc | 52

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Jun 21 2022 20:34 utc | 43

The CPC already enacted an anti-sanctions law some time ago anticipating this:

Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China

Posted by: One Too Many | Jun 21 2022 21:40 utc | 53

@b

Great report. Always impressed by your range and a welcome shift of focus back to other important geopolitical questions. Many thanks for a fascinating summary.

Posted by: Patroklos | Jun 21 2022 21:44 utc | 54

Slave labor? Well, slavery was never abolished in the USA.

Posted by: Olivier | Jun 21 2022 22:05 utc | 55

Posted by: krollchem | Jun 21 2022 18:18 utc | 13

That's because Russia is the only place that still does Empire properly, by which I mean the creation of a pan-regional supra citizenship (compare how Roman citizenship began working after the Social War of 90-88 BC). The way the Russians are using citizenship as a strategy in Ukraine is also effective. The US once applied it correctly to the only imperial venture they ever undertook successfully, namely the creation of the continental USA in the 19th-early 20th century. For empire to be effective you have to be able to say to the provinces "eventually there will be a reciprocity between centre and periphery when you will all get to share in the benefits of empire". The benefits of empire... the USA denied it to Latin America, the Chinese are extending it to their Western parts.

I advise close study of the Social War in Italy (90-88 BC). The Romans denied their Italian allies citizen benefits (so-called ius Latii as well as civitas of the Roman city) for a half century even though the Italians provided the muscle for all Rome's Mediterranean tough conflicts (Spain especially mid-2nd century). As you can imagine the Roman senatorial elite were not great at sharing the spoils of empire with them. Eventually they said enough we'll fight you to get equal partnership. It was a terrible war which Rome eventually won, but only to turn around and give them citizenship!. Typical of Rome to beat you up for asking and then agree to what you asked for... In the end though the crisis simmered away for years and was only resolved when Augustus founded his power on the idea of tota Italia, the idea that Italy was Rome and vice versa.

History has some wonderful echoes...

Posted by: Patroklos | Jun 21 2022 22:10 utc | 56

NoOneYouKnow #12


Or some very powerful people with an agenda are deliberately wrecking Western economies.

Only the western working people's economy. The powerful people 'economy' is safe as far as they care.

The moronic mendacity of the USA ruling class and ruling political parties has no time for or care for the people of the USA.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 21 2022 22:17 utc | 57

Michael Hudson has written and published another essay, "The Fed’s Austerity Program to Reduce Wages".
karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 19:37 | 29

Oh, Michael! My Micheal! Thanks for the link.

Hmm, lets experiment, see if I can add a link... Wait for the chorus.

Posted by: Ironic | Jun 21 2022 22:18 utc | 58

China owns not only solar panel producers but the entire supply chain needed to produced
the panels. American critics said all well and good to produce cheap solar,but hurt
innovation as the Chinese supply chain would ossify and would not change.

But there is another reason that will undercut solar panel installs and usage. American utility companies.


Utilities push back against growth of rooftop solar panels


Solar pushback: how US power firms try to make people pay for going green

But here is the thing. Big projects are no longer possible in America. USA cannot even build bullet trains in CA for relatively short distances. They tried but consultants and corporate interests stole the monies for the trains blind. Also, look at how the Pentagon has failed with large weapons projects.

Posted by: Erelis | Jun 21 2022 22:38 utc | 59

> To avoid the scrutiny Chinese producers may eventually move their factories.

Too complex. China would just arrange laundry enterprises, reselling their goods with made-up USA-specific paperwork added, for some added extra.

BTW, such an extensive documentation about full flow charts from raw material to end Co sumer package sounds pretty much a commercial espionage to me

Posted by: Arioch | Jun 21 2022 23:01 utc | 60

psychohistorian #37

The shop worn argument over at Almost nakedcapitalism when I was connected was TINA about global private finance....I was call Crazypants by Susan I guess over a decade ago, came over to MoA and been here since. I said back then that we were in a civilization war about public/private finance and that in 10 years things would change and I don't think I will be too far off in that guess but I claim no insight into anything else...grin

Thank you :))

Same trajectory here.... I recall the MoA was mentioned there once and I was so tired of the perpetual apology for capitalism plus trite 'news' that I jumped ship to find a broader culture and sincere inquiry here.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 21 2022 23:10 utc | 61

"Solar pushback: how US power firms try to make people pay for going green"

I so love it.
Pushback == make people pay for what they purchase.

“It’s such a low-hanging fruit, such an easy thing to do, to put panels on people’s roofs,” Jacobson said. “We are really shooting ourselves in the foot by not doing it.”

The question is who pays for it.

...

In January, the Mississippi Public Service Commission proposed new rules that would add $3,000 cash rebates for low- and middle-income customers who install rooftop solar systems.

Low hanging fruit == something no one would bother to do, until paid $3K for it.

Wow, American MSM are the best.

Posted by: Arioch | Jun 21 2022 23:13 utc | 62

Biden's "Putin's Inflation" bullshit a failure as only 11% in poll agree. Here's the breakdown:

All voters: Biden (52%)
Republicans: Biden (80%)
Democrats: Oil Companies (46%)
Independents: Biden (54%)

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 23:37 utc | 63

Uighur labor/US prison labor
Tomato/Tomahto

I’m not down with “the Chinese are forcing Uyghurs “ script,
But I also don’t think that US prison labor is making a damn thing worth buying.
This might be a poor comparison.

I.e. Equating the two isn’t a thing, and of course the US prison system labor isn’t producing like the Uyghur Chinese. If I want crappy furniture or plastic nicknacks, I’m fine with Chinese made
and I could give a fuck about American prison labor produced items.

Posted by: Cadence calls | Jun 21 2022 23:43 utc | 64

For the first time is quite awhile, a very useful article published by CommonDreams, "Study Shows Excess Corporate Profits in the US Have Become 'Widespread': A new research paper finds that corporate price markups and profits jumped to their highest levels in seven decades last year."

Authored by Mike Konczal and Niko Lusiani of the Roosevelt Institute, the analysis finds that markups—the difference between the actual cost of a good or service and the selling price—"were both the highest level on record and the largest one-year increase" in 2021....

In their new brief, Konczal and Lusiani note that higher markups don't always mean larger profits.

"But they did in 2021," the researchers write, showing that the net profit margins of U.S. firms jumped from an annual average of 5.5% between 1960 and 1980 to 9.5% in 2021 as companies pushed up prices, citing inflationary pressures across the global economy as their justification.

"How high companies can increase their sales up and above their costs... matters for the economy more generally because these markups distribute economic gains from workers and consumers to firms and shareholders," said Lusiani. "This is especially the case when almost 100% of these firms' earnings derived from markups are distributed upward to shareholders rather than retained and reinvested."

"Making corporations once again price-takers rather than price-makers," Lusiani added, "will help bring down prices, and in time lead to a more equitable, innovative economy."

No, that in itself isn't nearly sufficient as the entire Neoliberal artifice remains intact. It's removal and massive reform of the federal government and financial system is required to "lead to a more equitable, innovative economy." But at least some pushback is occurring.

In all its existence, I've never seen CommonDreams publish anything connected to Michael Hudson.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2022 23:55 utc | 65

karlof1 #29

Thank you for the Michael Hudson report.

I guess there could come a day when the China manufacturers find trading with the USA to be so fraught with difficulty and losses that they will take no further orders from the USA. So the USA will have to find its goods from other traders elsewhere. There will be consequences for all but mostly the consumer in the USA.

If China lists USA as an undesirable trading partner, will the US oligarchy be capable of finding a way to remedy its situation AND keep the riots and public disruption to a safe level? I doubt it.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 21 2022 23:59 utc | 66

A weird coincidence. Last week one of my lady friends told me there was a shortage of tampons. She was somewhat upset. Not quite sure what tampons were, I just said "oh no".

But I later I did a net search. I learned what tampons were, yes. But I also learned what was mostly inside one. Right, a tampon's mostly cotton.

Isn't that great. A ban on Xinjiang's cotton (for fake reasons) just when tampons are in short supply. I'm sure the women are delighted.

Posted by: Cyril | Jun 22 2022 0:00 utc | 67

I'm hoping WikiLeaks to show us Prison Labor to Biden Connections soon.

Posted by: IronForge | Jun 22 2022 0:01 utc | 68

Typical of Rome to beat you up for asking and then agree to what you asked for...

Posted by: Patroklos | Jun 21 2022 22:10 utc | 55

Had a GOOD laugh with that one!

**************************************

Are such businesses really 'classes?' and part of the contemporary 'class system?'

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 21 2022 20:07 utc | 36

I'm trying to give you an actual answer, I'm not trying to rile you up or browbeat you

Institutions are not 'classes", a class is the collection of people within an economy that participate in a defining relationship of production, distribution, and ownership)

The institutions codify and organize the relationships and serve as vehicles for the interests of the classes that participate in them, skewed towards the interests of the dominant classes. They are the framework in which most class activities are carried out (but not all).

Businesses are a type of institutions, private enterprise a more specific subtype.

rather than a glitch (by design) in the system set up to maximize profits for major providers of goods and services. Amazon comes to mind, also Musk the world's richest man apparently. Are such businesses really 'classes?' and part of the contemporary 'class system?'

You can't escape class society unless you're literally a hermit. And maybe not even.

Such business are part of the class system - class society, any state. They're institutions that the bourgeoisie (business owners, capitalists) uses to further their own material and spiritual interests, both individually and as a class.

But the private enterprises (big or small) are not part of the classes themselves, because classes are not composed of institutions, but of people.

The institutions, businesses and others, change over time and can degenerate or be further perfected. But the underlying relationships remain mostly the same. Any private enterprise requires people fulfilling the roles of "owners" (or there's no point to do business) and "workers" (or no business gets done).

This can get minced, mixed, rolled, breaded, flambéed, and a sprinkle of chocolate if you want; the ingredients are the same.

Landlording can do away with the "workers", but then it's not so much a business as a collection of rent contracts. On this account it can be considered a different but adjoining class.

If I had to point out a bourgeois class that strikes me as separate or at least definitely above the rest of the bourgeoisie, I would point at bankers because of the money creation privilege, which would align with Psychohistorian's line, I think.

It feels to me like the West has been taken over by what some call the Money Power. That's as good a label as any. Maybe that is a class. If so, we have a tiny upper class, almost as many middle as working (who are no longer lower), and then an underclass (the new lower, consisting of the worst jobs, unemployed, illegal and drugged). Not a very good class system. I liked the one I grew up with much better!

That's a decent description, but it hasn't been "taken over"; it was always under its control at least since kings started getting french shaves.

It's just that it gets worse over time unless it crumbles down, for any reason ("the shitshow continues until it doesn't", who said that all the time?), and over the last quarter of the 20th century and beyond it has gotten MUCH worse, but I want to stop here.

Posted by: Arganthonios | Jun 22 2022 0:03 utc | 69

Followup to Cyril | Jun 22 2022 0:00 utc | 66:

Isn't that great. A ban on Xinjiang's cotton (for fake reasons) just when tampons are in short supply. I'm sure the women are delighted.

I'm sure the women will be delighted ... and will give their votes to Biden (not).

Posted by: Cyril | Jun 22 2022 0:09 utc | 70

The Yankee pirates of the ailing evil empire are playing a dangerous game of bluff.

The USSA evil empire is playing a full hand of deuces with a joker card.

Peak oil was two decades ago. The opponents currency is gold backed. If the opponents no longer purchase newly issued USSA government bonds . The end result is for a country mired in debt is...................... .

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jun 22 2022 0:14 utc | 71

Without reading the comments and because it is not a lot yet, let me just add a bit of western history regarding the xinjang province.

1. In 2018, Lawrence Wilkerson, the second in command to Colin Powell on utube tube stated: " one of the main reasons the USA went into Afghanistan was to get the uighur terrorists armed by them to go back to xingjang province and cause unrest and destabilization", and I quote.

It was only the impending China Olympics that xiguhrs were re-introduced, for USA is extremely jealous of China. It took off like a flame in all bought, controlled MSM.

It died down again but resurrected with obviously losing in Ukraine (just another deflection from the reality setting in in western living).

The USA started saying, to keep up/justify the lies said that there needs to be independent first hand research into that province.

But when Blanchet( UN human rights director) declared that she was going to the xingjang province, Blinken promptly paid her a visit to dissuade her from visiting.

She had every access to what she had requested, found nothing except some lip service for the west. The west strongly condemned her, to which she will not run again for the post. Such is this farce we live in.

I hope this nonsense passes, because Biden now wants to talk to China, as he stated. He probably thinks he is carrying some carrots, like lifting some tariffs.

Xi jingping will probably tell him to go f.ck himself. Such is the insane stupidity and arrogance.

Posted by: Karl luck | Jun 22 2022 0:19 utc | 72

Merica at peak idiocy. Mindset of street kid juveniles.

https://twitter.com/AZmilitary1/status/1539257752257699842?cxt=HHwWhICx0aaxxdwqAAAA
In one gesture, we see the true attitude of American diplomats (and indeed the entire Western world) to Russia.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 22 2022 0:27 utc | 73

@50 nico

You didn't read my comment very well.

I agreed that the reasoning behind the boycott was bogus and would likely lead to short term harm on U.S. imports.

However, and this was the crux of my comment, I find it very suspicious that many here applaud China garnering all of the west's manufacturing jobs and then saying it is a bad idea to question why China has been able to do this.

It strikes me that there are many non-Americans here and non-Europeans that we in the west should be skeptical of wrt their contributions here. It would be asinine to reject the question as to the importance of manufacturing in the west as it portends to reclaiming our sovereignty from the globalists.

Just like debs comment yesterday about those that would level absolutely no criticism against China or Russia, I think there is always an element of bad faith here at the bar. Non-western interlopers, iow. After all, how could you be against your own people after differentiating between wanting your country to fail yet simultaneously wanting mercy for your own people?

In the future, I hope China sells us a 1/10th of what we would need for consumer goods and that the west has picked up the slack to reinvigorate its manufacturing. We should not turn to another SE Asia country for these goods, either.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 22 2022 0:29 utc | 74

"That's a decent description, but it hasn't been "taken over"; it was always under its control at least since kings started getting french shaves."

Posted by: Arganthonios | Jun 22 2022 0:03 utc | 68

I like the sound of those 'French shaves!'

Thank you for your reply. Sometimes I might be fussing about words too much but mainly it's that I find in some of the arguments voiced here am at sea with many of the terms and it also seems that often others are struggling to arrive at mutually compatible meanings as well. Perhaps there has been so much rapid change the past century that words haven't been able to keep up with ever changing contexts.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 22 2022 0:31 utc | 75

I've said this before, but anyone who goes to Xinjiang will see plenty of Uighur police and armed guards carrying heavy machine guns at various checkpoints or just walking around to keep the peace.

Do the Israelis trust Palestinians to be policemen in Israeli territories (or what they claim to be Israeli territories) and carry heavy machine guns? Who's carrying out the real genocide here?

Posted by: HandsomeMan | Jun 22 2022 0:33 utc | 76

Arioch | Jun 21 2022 23:01 utc | 59

Chinese business, from my experience works on the assumption that the customer is always correct. Just a matter of saying what is required on the paperwork to clear customs and all is good.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 22 2022 0:43 utc | 77

Posted by: HandsomeMan | Jun 22 2022 0:33 utc | 75

Xinjiang had seen several riots and stabbings carried out by radicalised Muslims alluded to by previous posters, hence the heightened security measures. Plenty of my friends have gone to Xinjiang and had a great time. I haven’t been myself as my area of specialty is Tibet.

To associate a policing measure with Israel’s occupation and crimes against Palestine sounds pretty Hasbara troll-ish.

Posted by: bonks | Jun 22 2022 1:01 utc | 78

To enable full penetration of renewable energies in the Chinese economy beginning in 2025, China will construct 250Gwe of pumped storage facilities.....

Each of the above will constitute a battery.

Not to mention...

China put online 2- 200 Mwe pebble bed high temperature gas cooled nuclear reactors.

AND...

For the first time ever, is operating ThoriumFueledLiquidSaltReactors -- TMSR(s)

INDY

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Jun 22 2022 2:51 utc | 79

Cui Bono,

Maybe the folks taking out 90+ food industry infrastructures in the US? Inflation to an abrupt hiking cycle followed by hyper-Weimar?

If it is too stupid, it is probably nefarious.

Blocked up ports looking for obscure cargo? Downstream effects?

Pass the bottle....

Peace,

Old Coot

Posted by: Old Coot | Jun 22 2022 3:08 utc | 80

Nemisis calling, what a boatload of racism you pack into your lies and dreams.

China did not take your manufacturing, you gave it over to them. That is your corporations that run your governments. There is no short term for it is all downhill from here and coming very soon.

Bring back manufacturing as is you cry, for to be a fool is a fool. Nothing is coming back, just pain and suffering.

How can you be against your own people? The answer is you are not a white racist, with illusions of white superiority. You are not white trailer trash on pick up trucks killing coloured Americans that you hate, but would be crucified in any real war.

To handsome man, your Jewish racism is soon to end. What a ridiculous argument to make, when Jews are systematically killing not just Palestinians but many others. The hatred people feal all over the world for your evil, you will feel soon.

You ran from Europe in past centuries and found sanctuary in Russia and Moslem lands. You will soon run to west again, which you control and slowly be irrelevant. 15%, and you a mere fraction but wield all the power. Nowhere else to run anymore.

Posted by: Karl luck | Jun 22 2022 3:29 utc | 81

Americans remain misinformed. They think China will collapse when the Empire stops buying their products. In truth, only 3% of China's GDP is derived from exports to the USA. Exports worldwide only make up 18.5% of China's GDP.

In this light, it seems to me that Xi JP has the patience of a saint. If I were in his shoes, would just label all my products as having origins in Xinjiang. Then sit back and watch the riots happen when Americans can't afford not just their gasoline in their cars, but also that toaster in Walmart when they finally manage to walk there.

It would be a Russian and Chinese one-two punch for the obnoxious teenage bully.

Posted by: littlereddot | Jun 22 2022 3:31 utc | 82

@ Ironic | Jun 21 2022 22:18 utc | 57

interesting track from the tablagirl....

on another note, i see the mexican president is going to biden to free assange.. mexico will take him... mexico and this president have my upmost respect... the problem is uk pimping for the usa, and biden pimping for the intel agencies, i can't see it happening... asking a pimp to change track is asking a lot...

Posted by: james | Jun 22 2022 4:28 utc | 83

ask - missing word above.. i keep forgetting to use the preview option and my brain goes slightly faster then my fingers.. i took typing in school in the late 60's early 70's

Posted by: james | Jun 22 2022 4:29 utc | 84

@ The Rev. David R Gr

No kids to molest here, Moses, go fly back to the Sugar Candy Mountain with your delusions. Your Latin church is nothing but an international pedophile ring. Ask your leaders why Cardinal Bernard Law was kept in the Vatican until he died. It’s because they are all child molesters and had Law testified in Boston, John Paul II would be slave laboring away in Walpole State Prison where he belongs. Seriously fuck your religion.

Posted by: Caveman | Jun 22 2022 4:34 utc | 85

@80 Karl Luck

Could make very little of your near-unintelligible comment.

If you had read any of my posts over the years here, you would know that I don't blame China. Not one bit.

But to assume that Americans have unlimited suffering to come is not only wishful thinking on your part, but belies a great hatred that burns in you borne of misunderstanding about what is really happening and what you feel about us Americans. Too bad, friend.

America is a land of plenty. We will be just fine after the collapse. It is getting there that is proving very, very dangerous.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 22 2022 4:34 utc | 86

Cyril #69

I'm sure the women will be delighted ... and will give their votes to Biden (not).

Equally none of the women in the #fraudsquad are likely to raise the issue in any forum to find a remedy. And even if they did they will likely blame Putin.

Apart from the above, cotton is widely cultivated across the planet so I am somewhat mystified as to why there is any shortage because of sanctions on China. Drought in other places perhaps?

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 22 2022 4:46 utc | 87

Karl luck #71


I hope this nonsense passes, because Biden now wants to talk to China, as he stated. He probably thinks he is carrying some carrots, like lifting some tariffs.

Xi jingping will probably tell him to go f.ck himself. Such is the insane stupidity and arrogance.

I can see it now: Biden approaches Xi with carrots in his trouser pockets. Xi notices and says "I can see you are excited to see me. How did you know I was bi?" Biden has heart attack and the immediate fool is dispatched.

Seriously, do you really think Xi is in any mood to meet this warmongering arsehat? I just cannot imagine anyone in Xi's position dignifying such a request with a response.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 22 2022 4:58 utc | 88

"...Just like debs comment yesterday about those that would level absolutely no criticism against China or Russia, I think there is always an element of bad faith here at the bar. Non-western interlopers, iow..."

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 22 2022 0:29 utc | 73

I'm disappointed, NemisisCalling. I've valued posts from you in the past, but lately your tone is becoming extreme. Please take into consideration the varied comments from those who have a different experience than one's own and refrain from casting suspicion on other posters. I love it that persons not obviously familiar with the English language take time and make the effort to bring their thoughts to this forum. These days this is one of the most helpful places for me; the other one is my garden.

There are no 'foreign interlopers' here. I was just thinking to post that as far as China and Russia are concerned, I have children part Russian, and grandchildren part Chinese, my own background being a mixture of maori and british settlers in New Zealand, both of which travelled many miles to get there. I've crossed the Pacific Ocean myself seven times by much easier transportation than they had, touched bases with wonderful people from all over the globe. As have many who post here.

We are a mixture. This forum welcomes all. We only know one another through our words here, and words can hurt. But they can also inspire; please go back to inspiring. Please.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 22 2022 5:34 utc | 89

America is a land of plenty. We will be just fine after the collapse. It is getting there that is proving very, very dangerous.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 22 2022 4:34 utc | 85

You said it !!! The big question however is, of what. There definitely isn't an oversupply of common sense or unity of purpose. That ship sailed away many decades ago, for which China is very grateful. The posterchild for that one is Detroit.

What made US great were the immigrants, they had the "right stuff". No more today. Good luck expecting the same results from the wall jumpers on the southern boarder. Same goes for those Russian/Chinese PhD's and Post-docks, they are not staying in the Land of Plenty.

Posted by: Tom_12 | Jun 22 2022 7:08 utc | 90

Re: Policing measures in Xinjiang based on Israeli occupation of Palestinians in open air prison Gaza.

How China's 'Xinjiang Mode' draws from US, British, and Israeli counterinsurgency strategy

China's Han settler colonial model has turned Uyghur and Kazakh communities into open-air prisons

https://xinjiangdocumentation.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2020/11/浅析以色列反恐战略及对中国新疆反_省略_启示_以_国安委_决策机制为视角_芦鹏.pdf

Posted by: Oui | Jun 22 2022 7:27 utc | 91

Google translation of report headline:

Analysis of Israel's Anti-Terrorism Strategy and Countermeasures
China's Xinjiang Anti-Terrorism Enlightenment
——From the perspective of the decision-making mechanism of the "National Security Commission" Lu Peng Cao Xuefei

Posted by: Oui | Jun 22 2022 7:47 utc | 92

America is a land of plenty.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 22 2022 4:34 utc | 85

---

America's bounty is perfectly illustrated by Lake Mead.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 22 2022 7:56 utc | 93

I've not seen this problem with my own eyes. The worst that I've seen personally were the homeless living under bridges. These images from Portland are not encouraging for where the country is going. The women with a fairly good looking suitcase seems to suggest that she is a new arrival in this new reality.

"Change We Can Believe In"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10934571/Oregon-Citys-mayoral-candidate-says-homeless-Japanese-style-pods-overdoses-rise.html

Posted by: Tom_12 | Jun 22 2022 7:58 utc | 94

@ William Haught | Jun 21 2022 17:22 utc

Could the plan be to force U.S. companies, at their expense, to obtain detailed information on Chinese supply chains for the U.S. government that is on a fishing expedition for information???

There is no "plan." This is nothing less than yet another blind, racialst Evangelical attempt at beating down "The Yellow Peril" by "proving" that "The Communists" are murderous scum who eat their own children by forcing innocent women (also "Yellow", but that's to be pitied) to engage in the murder of unborn babies.

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jun 22 2022 8:01 utc | 95

@ juliania | Jun 22 2022 5:34 utc | 88

NemesisCalling is an open White Supremacist/Neo-Nazi.

Be careful.

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jun 22 2022 8:04 utc | 96

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jun 22 2022 8:04 utc | 95

I have to confess I'm not sure when he was inspiring.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jun 22 2022 8:06 utc | 97

Thanks b, and yes, this is all by design to decouple the west from the rest. A new iron curtain will be installed and Russia, China etc will be cancelled. They will be fought in a kind of bipolar world where Europe will replace China in terms of cheap labor.

Posted by: Zet | Jun 22 2022 9:32 utc | 98

Holy hell, the Uyghurs are back! Remember how they were being Hitler-genocided for a few months, and then we all forgot about them? Is the Hitler-genociding happening again? No doubt our PMC perception-Engineers will tell us the rightthink!

Posted by: dermotmoconnor | Jun 22 2022 10:02 utc | 99

Sorry for the incorrect spelling of some words in my response to nemesis and the other. Enough said by others in response.

The Chinese have responded to this latest sanction by the sanction guru by laying out exactly how this will cripple American business.

The details have not been published but it is expected that certain things needed will be quietly exempt. It is the same with solar panels, in which the Chinese ones are sanctions. USA buys them from other Asian countries,but they all have parts from China.

Russian oil is sanctioned, but is allowed to get to USA by diluting it with crude from other countries. Such goes this circus.

The Russian sanctions have a much greater significance than the Ukraine war. China can more than survive away from USA, but make money everyday trading, until USA pushes too far. They make considerably more around the world and all the agriculture, fuel and minerals needed for their country is guaranteed from other countries.

I have no idea where this insanity takes us. Is it just the Democrats hoping that their constant threats will help them win in November?

They were going to lose even before Ukraine and any half wit could see that coming.

Posted by: Karl luck | Jun 22 2022 10:02 utc | 100

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