Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
January 14, 2024
The MoA Week In Review – OT 2024-013

Last week's post on Moon of Alabama:

Palestine:

Ukraine:

Yemen:


Other issues:

China:

Boeing:

Empire:

India:

Miscellaneous:

Use as open (not Palestine or Ukraine related) thread …

Comments

What a dream it would be to be able to become a Chinese province simply from eating Chinese food!
I would do nothing else! And soon if it was in any way possible —and yes it is not— I would also be of the correct size to be a recognizable landmass. I could volunteer as a new island! 😀
Now I can’t stop thinking about delicious Chinese food XD

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 15 2024 4:48 utc | 101

Oh, I have just remembered I have some YumYum’s in the kitchenette, yes it is Thai not Chinese. I’m not big on Thai food in general but YumYum are my favorite instant noodles since from when I lived in Singapore, it will do 🙂 (Wish I had an egg but I do have a sausage…).
Prepare the tugboats!

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 15 2024 5:00 utc | 102

I see, Sunny, that you really “got” their culture! 🙂

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 5:02 utc | 103

(This will look really strange if/when b cleans up the thread but that’s okay lol).

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 15 2024 5:15 utc | 104

Persiflo: haha maybe not, I’ve never been to China itself, not even Hong Kong, only around SEA (South East Asia) and it’s so long ago now and my traveling days are in the past 🙂

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 15 2024 5:20 utc | 105

> Lenin said
Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 2:54 utc | 89
281. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: Perception by the eyes is not real observation because the eyes sometimes deceive people; but wisdom does not deceive whomsoever it counsels.
281. وقال عليه السلام : لَيْسَتِ الرَّوِيَّةُ كَالْـمُعَايَنَةِ مَعَ الاْبْصَارِ، فَقَدْ تَكْذِبُ الْعُيُونُ أَهْلَهَا، وَلاَ يَغُشُّ الْعَقْلُ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَحَهُ.
409. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: The heart is the book of the eye.
409. وقال عليه السلام : الْقَلْبُ مُصْحَفُ الْبَصَرِ.
“How wonderful is that man sees with fat …”
https://sayingsofimamali.com/y3eka12/how-wonderful-is-man-that-sees-with-fat-talks/
You’re almost there but you can’t get there from here without Allah. So first comes Bismillah and that is begging a question as to which. Lucky for you and U God is Lord of Generosity, Graciously Merciful and Mercifully Gracious. Which is why Allah Sent us a Messenger and a Prophet (SAWS) to explain these matters to us. Otherwise let’s be clear it is hopeless. Info has to come to us…
This amazing Prophet came complete with a Book. Ever take a “look see”? It is called at times a Recitation but also can be read as “lecture”.
wa Salaam
“I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali is it’s gate”, said Lord Mohammad (SAWS)
Get to know these fine outstanding servants of Allah sent for our edification and guidance by “My Lord and your Lord, the Lord of the created realms”
א לְדָוִד, מִזְמוֹר:
נְאֻם יְהוָה, לַאדֹנִי–שֵׁב לִימִינִי; עַד-אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ, הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ.
https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26b0.htm

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 5:39 utc | 106

@ Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 14 2024 22:26 utc | 70
maria z was talking about this a few days ago.. she asked that others use the proper term for this – it is called theft, no matter how to describe it.. 300 billion assets – they are contemplating theft.. there is no other word that describes it any better.. they may be using lies to get their, but regardless it is 100% theft… does the west support a modern form of piracy? it appears they might.. i guess this is part of the ”rules based order” they want to continue to push forward..

Posted by: james | Jan 15 2024 5:46 utc | 107

“Neoliberalism, Debt & The System” looks at Hudson & Desai’s Latest program and several points it makes.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 15 2024 5:54 utc | 108

Late, but I have a comment that describes better the alternative to the ‘think like a Bayesian’ final week-in-review link b has provided than did my previous one. It goes with the crashing waves/tiny surfers of Aleph Null’s video — the enormity of natural experiences once in a lifetime, but is also the opposite of those. And it begins with belief, a child’s belief.
https://glory2godforallthings.com/2024/01/12/around-the-corner-3/
Think like a Bayesian? Ah, how very dull! But thank you, b, and all who commented on this thread today, the first day of Old Calendar new year. As we will be saying in February and whenever new replaces old — Happy new week; Happy new year!

Posted by: juliania | Jan 15 2024 6:12 utc | 109

Re: $300 billion of Russian Central Bank assets to be looted by War Party.
Israeli Central Bank has around $200 billion of assets. (Just stating a possible 3rd order effect)

Posted by: Exile | Jan 15 2024 6:41 utc | 110

Dado | Jan 14 2024 23:38 utc | 78
I appreciate the description of your experience with covid but not sur of why you addressed it to me.
Also I don’t understand this – what you mean by it “Give the fucking off this falsity: so many time wasted for nothing?”

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 15 2024 7:08 utc | 111

(Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 2:54 utc | 89)
You may enjoy this paper – related. Given the baseline of imaginal space of perception of no-outside (that we seem to agree on) the next questions are precisely that of transposition of minds (shared world and all that) and the side effects of mapping the ‘un-formed un-namable Unity’ into the metric spaces of cognition and naturally this projection is incomplete (‘seen’ and ‘unseen’) and we should see ‘traces’ of the mapping of the unbounded into bounded space (think mapping R into say 64bits) and that is the speculation that informs ‘meaningful yet inexplicable numbers’”
Number Archetypes and “Background” Control Theory Concerning the Fine Structure Constant1
http://acta.uni-obuda.hu/Varlaki_Nadai_Bokor_14.pdf

Abstract: In this paper we analyze in detail the central role of number ‘137’, the so-called Fine Structure Constant in the collaboration of Pauli and Jung. First, we present the fascination or the obsession of Pauli for the interpretation of number ‘137’. Second, we treat the spontaneous messages originating from unconscious concerning number ‘137’ in the well- known dreams of Pauli. We restrict our investigations to the dreams containing the especially important formulae of Fine Structure Constant (4π3 + π2 + π), and also that contain- ing the so-called background models of mathematical control systems. Third, we shortly mention four of the numerous synchronicities arising during the Pauli–Jung collaboration.

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 7:28 utc | 112

@ james | Jan 15 2024 5:46 utc | 107
Theft is what it is. There’s is much of this ‘lunacy’ (?) going on now, it hard to stay on an even keel, and take it all in. While so many (the majority public) either have no idea what is happening, or of they hear about such matters as this $300 bln swallow what they’re told “it’s justifiable and reasonable” and don;t miss a beat.
It’s like what John Lennon said one time in the early 70s “I’m like a sane person in an insane world” (I have clip of it)
I cant imagine what he say about today! It’s frightening what is happening … it far worse now than even 2 years ago when the Ukraine war started. It’s off the scale, I lack words to express it. I read others, who get it, and they can’t either.
I’m kind of in “shock” even though I known about these matters for such a long time, I still can’t grasp it of late. eg the Double Speak about the ICJ court case from zionists is really creepy / scary stuff today.
I’ll shut up. I just cant find the words to describe what I see and how it feels. How did we get here?

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 15 2024 7:39 utc | 113

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 14 2024 23:33 utc | 77

Why do Chinese-speaking people allow gweilo (?) to influence them so much?

Most people aren’t political, so they won’t look to political history for their reasoning.
Doing a bit of speculation here on mainland Chinese diaspora in the US: The problem is that in Chinese culture, there is a propensity to look at the rich and powerful and think they are rich and powerful for a good reason, especially during Deng/Jiang-era cynicism. The US, being so rich, easily looks like paradise where they must have figured out life. When these mainland Chinese come to the US, they are invariably disappointed, but the process requires multiple decades and a lot of self-reinforcing beliefs uttered to the folks back home, before finally they wake up but can’t shift careers anymore. Either way the damage is done and that is a lot of the influence in the past, though a lot of adherence to the words of Westerners died down due to 2008 and Trump/Biden being absolute embarrassments.
When you sit down and think about it, all forms of modern China are heavily influenced by Europeans. Sure the West doesn’t like to own communism today, but that absolutely is an ideology passed down by Europeans. Absolutely none of the contenders are particularly good preservers of Chinese culture or political thought. This is because Chinese political thought was in serious crisis come the turn of the 20th century, and it simply did not survive meaningfully past that without adopting ideas from foreigners. So it should not be that strange that politically-oriented Chinese people take a lot of cues from “gweilo” (remember, few people use this Cantonese term).
I don’t have much else as an explanation for the Taiwanese Chinese. Pacifica Advocate has been nailing it with my own observations of their situation so I defer to them.

Posted by: Run | Jan 15 2024 7:57 utc | 114

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 15 2024 7:08 utc | 111
I think it’s a bot. AI gibberish.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 15 2024 10:16 utc | 115

Posted by: Run | Jan 15 2024 7:57 utc | 114
Doing a bit of speculation here on mainland Chinese diaspora in the US: The problem is that in Chinese culture, there is a propensity to look at the rich and powerful and think they are rich and powerful for a good reason, especially during Deng/Jiang-era cynicism
somehow that propensity didn’t stop Mao. the fact is communism is better suited to China than Capitalism.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 15 2024 10:17 utc | 116

In Finland, one of the reactors in the main nuclear power plant broke on Sunday. The government “Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority” immediately responded by turning off all radiation measurements in the country.
Just like they did during the Chernobyl incident. Back then some innocent journalist happened to have a radiation meter of some sort, and wrote a little article in some local newspaper about the radiation of the rainwater off his roof going slightly up. Police quickly showed up to confiscate his meter and give him a reprimand.
Stupid shithole. Likely no worse than any other western country though.

Posted by: Michael A | Jan 15 2024 11:31 utc | 117

From Pepe:
THIS IS HOW BRICS 10 / OPEC+ WORKS
The Saudis are issuing US-denominated bonds – that is, they are borrowing dollars – to finance their oil price cuts to Asian clients.
Translation: the key target in this price war is to lock US oil exports OUT of Asia.
To the benefit, of course, of Saudis and Russians.
That is: Opec+.
WTI oil prices and US shale production will suffer – badly.
THIS is how BRICS 10 in tandem with Opec+ works.
As a bonus, they open the way to future, massive petroyuan deals.
A thing of beauty: an oil price war to destroy US shale financed by US dollars.

Posted by: financial matters | Jan 15 2024 13:58 utc | 118

Posted by: Run | Jan 15 2024 7:57 utc | 114
Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 14 2024 23:33 utc | 77
Why do Chinese-speaking people allow gweilo (?) to influence them so much?

Most people aren’t political, so they won’t look to political history for their reasoning.
Doing a bit of speculation here on mainland Chinese diaspora in the US: The problem is that in Chinese culture, there is a propensity to look at the rich and powerful and think they are rich and powerful for a good reason…

I’d say it is not just a Chinese but a widespread propensity. I often notice how Asian leaders and Iranian youth all today dress like Westerners. Dominant influence imprints on the mind as leadership others follow. The times are always changing and the old and once good withers and fades and something new arises to replace it. The emergence of a world civilization from the European industrial revolution was like a force of nature. For a while.
But that is very general. I still find it hard to fathom how the CIA or whatever can penetrate into a Chinese domestic quarrel. To me it indicates that you are right about the weakness of Chinese culture generally around the turn of the century. A lot of bad things happen when countries go ‘wobbly’. Strength is connected to the Latin vir from which we get virtue.
Speaking of which, from an article about some of the ‘founding fathers’ whose influence spread to places like Japan and China more than a century ago:
https://thenewamerican.com/us/politics/foreign-policy/did-biden-have-authority-to-order-bombing-of-yemen/

In the first letter, Madison wrote that the power to declare war is “of a legislative and not an executive nature.” He continued that subject:
Those who are to conduct a war [the Executive Branch] cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be commenced, continued, or concluded. They are barred from the latter functions by a great principle in free government, analogous to that which separates the sword from the purse, or the power of executing from the power of enacting laws.
Madison was so strident in his insistence that the power to make war not be placed in the hands of the president, that his next letter (Helvidius No. 2) began with the bold pronouncement that if any president were to presume the war-making power, “No ramparts in the constitution could defend the public liberty or scarcely the forms of republican government.”

How far from those early, principled reasonings has that nation strayed! A course correction is long overdue. I agree with you that communism, a Western import, is not necessarily the best – or Asian – way, but it filled a void at the time and now they have moved through it into crafting something more attuned to their culture, though I fear it over-emphasizes modern materialism and will end up fostering an overmuch totalitarian-style polity. Time will tell.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 15 2024 14:30 utc | 119

14-3-2008
Massive riots in Lhasa
[five liars] bullhorn squawked…

‘Brutal crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protestors’

[Hey TW, THIS’d be your fate… after unification !]
22-3-2008
TW prez election
Ma Ying Jiu won inspite of CIA/MI6 machinatiOn in Tibet.
Well, for now.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2008/03/taiwan-election.html

Posted by: denk | Jan 15 2024 14:45 utc | 120

> THIS IS HOW BRICS 10 / OPEC+ WORKS
> The Saudis are issuing US-denominated bonds – that is, they are borrowing dollars – to finance their oil price cuts to Asian clients.
> massive petroyuan deals.
> A thing of beauty: an oil price war to destroy US shale financed by US dollars.
Posted by: financial matters | Jan 15 2024 13:58 utc | 118
A “clownish” move by this tyrant prince. Even a clown I suppose can be helped if saint spooky is helping out.
Funny thing about Petro-x whenever X != Dinar and last checked Chin Gua does not produce energy, so this Petro-Dollar-cum-Yuan is like those games they play in the street. Here is how it goes: 3 cups and a pebble, and a fast talking and fast moving ‘operator’. I don’t think you really understand what exactly made the Dollar a Petrodollar and what are the parameters of the deal struck with KSA by USA.
Psychology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_goat # or is that G.O.A.T.
Your average “WOG” (both intellectuals and peasant) will be happy and filled with a sense of pride (and that is something given peasants and intellectuals are both involved) knowing we have defeated uncle sam and taken away his petro-dollar. But alas, not a single lousy Petro-Dinar nor Pegtro-Rial is in sight. Where is this Petro-Rial? Can’t the “superpower of ‘the’ Gulf” cut a mafia protection racket with KSA? All those fabled missiles. I mean it was Petro-Dollar since USN provided guarantees to Cabal. “Who do you think runs barter town?” Queenie or Master-Blaster? Looks like Queenie got herself a champion like spooky Max — a former police officer lol — to help aunti or was it queeni to ‘get back’ her ‘barter town’ from Master-Blaster.
Why was Nixon removed and Faisal killed and Shah dethroned? What changes occurred after the starting gun of “1979” to reflect this coming ‘new order’? What was the role of CPC in the Nixon-Faisal-Shah matter? Why was the US Navy mega unhappy about Nixon Doctrine in tandem with opening of China?
How come no one ever asks “Who lost Iran?” Did Cabal actually “lose” Iran? I say they did not so no one asks. In fact, NYTimes+CIA officially “apologized” for ever “taking” Iran. Yes, memory serves right. They have been apologizing for 45 years now. Our fabulous democracy was smashed you see by CIA and MI6.
Will cabal go boo hoo in their clubhouses when there is Petro-Yuan? Or will there be popping of corks as “partners” celebrate getting humanity over the hump of massive available information, education, and history to guide them out of Bankster’s Slaughterhouses via simple theatrics and pretenses to stolen ‘identities’ knowing it is not the -X that marks the spot but rather the Petro-?
Thankfully peasants are always easy to deal with. Stories work well. We call these ‘narratives’ these days.

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 15:50 utc | 121

@ Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 15 2024 7:39 utc | 113
i agree that those events you highlight are all essentially insane.. john lennon was right to say that and it is especially appropriate now..

Posted by: james | Jan 15 2024 15:53 utc | 122

Why did Tsai Ingwen’s parents choose that name for her? I’m reasonably sure “Ingwen” means “English language” in Mandarin.
By the way, Taiwan’s separate status is not unexampled in Chinese history. For decades after Ming rule was superseded by Manchu Ching rule in mainland China, Ming holdouts still ruled Taiwan/Formosa.

Posted by: Lysias | Jan 15 2024 16:09 utc | 123

Why did Tsai Ingwen’s parents choose that name for her? I’m reasonably sure “Ingwen” means “English language” in Mandarin.
Posted by: Lysias | Jan 15 2024 16:09 utc | 123
——————
That’s right.
She once boasted to her gringo boss..
‘My Chinese sucks’

Posted by: denk | Jan 15 2024 16:24 utc | 124

Killed in 1975 by a family member. “He was mad.” Bandar-Bush was a family member too. Which family you say? Ah.
I always liked King Faisal. A dignified man of character. A true King of the Arabs. Naturally, he had to go.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/King_Faisal_in_England%2C_1919.jpg

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 16:42 utc | 125

Scorpion | Jan 15 2024 14:30 utc | 119
Marxism is certainly a ‘western import’, part of the intellectual tradition of Europe. But Communism is very much a native Chinese product. Communism appears to have been, and remains, the default position to which nations return in periods of crisis. They rarely get all the way there- the crises are generally solved, thanks in part to the solidification of society as it reacts against outside threats, before the long journey back from classes and hierarchies based on wealth is completed- but that is the tendency.
It is what happened in wartime Britain as it became undeniable that it was the long abused, neglected and despised working class that manned the trenches, built the ‘planes and crewed the ships.
Edmund Wilson, in Greece in 1945, noted that he never ran across a British soldier who had voted for Churchill or an officer who hadn’t. Field Marshal Slim, famously asked by Churchill how he thought the vote was going (the counting was long delayed to allow ballots from the troops to get home) replied “I have no idea but none of my chaps voted for you!”
As Britain and the EU both face crises, of their own making, socialists anticipate something similar: not communism but a coming together of the embattled people in self defence which will lead in that direction.
After all Communism in China arose out of the desperate circumstances of a vicious and ruthless foreign invasion together with elite treachery-the icing on the cake of centuries in which Beijing had ruled with increasing disregard to the interests of the masses. The basic and simple ideas, justice and equality for all and the fair sharing of scarce necessities, are dreams of mankind from the earliest days. Do they not inform all the philosophy that you study?
As Mao said power comes out of the barrel of a gun. But first comes the determination that guns are the only resort left, after looking the other way, taking opium, selling out, converting to Christianity.

Posted by: bevin | Jan 15 2024 16:44 utc | 126

Re: 737 Max door panel blowout.
Apparently 10 Max jetliners with improperly fitted door panels have been found in the fleets of Alaska & American Airlines.
The most likely reason for these multiple oversights lies in the probability that ‘someone’ forgot to include the instructions for correctly fitting the infil panel.
So when the panel turns up at the assembly line, any competent worker can figure out where it belongs on the plane and put enough bolts in it to keep it in place. But NO competent worker would sign it off as complete unless he knew the bolts had been installed with the correct torque.
So no torque list = no torquing.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 15 2024 17:51 utc | 127

British Labour Party running scared of the usual mythical shadows
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=61506
” How are we going to pay for it ? ”
Seeping back into framing and narratives. Voters are stupid as dumb as a bag of spanners. They’ll fall for it. Labour will continue to serve the elite.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 15 2024 18:04 utc | 128

Why did Tsai Ingwen’s parents choose that name for her? I’m reasonably sure “Ingwen” means “English language” in Mandarin.
Posted by: Lysias | Jan 15 2024 16:09 utc | 123

“Ying” means “Brave” and “Wen” means, literally, “script/writing”, and by extension “culture/cultured/refined”, as well as “language”. Wen rarely occurs by itself, but is used in the words “literature”, “articles”, “civilization”, “culture”, etc.
Significantly, “Wen” is associated with “the heavens” (contrast this to “culture”, which is clearly associated with the earth), so no: they didn’t ame her “English”, they named her “Bravely Cultured / Bravely Refined”. The fact that it matches “English” probably caused her a lot of embarrassment and mockery as a child.

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jan 15 2024 18:09 utc | 129

Marxism has a fictitious, mythical story regarding modern money.
They are entrapped by gold standard, fixed exchange rate thinking just like ALL the rest of the ideologues.
They simply refuse to break free from it and continue with bed time stories from a very different period.
As if ” money scarcity ” ever fixed anything and as if ” money scarcity ” nevrr represented and helped the elites.
” Money Scarcity ” was invented by the Upper class. Money Scarcity for thee but not for me, has always been their narrative.
Ideologues have been taken in by it, which is the most ironic trait of any libertarian.

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 15 2024 18:12 utc | 130

@ bevin | Jan 15 2024 16:44 utc | 126
Excellent observations, but one should also point out that the US has been beholden to multiple foreign influencers going back to WWI (Britain, up to today), Taiwan (The China Lobby, which begat the 2nd Red Scare), and Israel. These three countries have wielded enormous influence over US policies, both domestic and foreign.

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jan 15 2024 18:18 utc | 131

Pope of the Catholics: “my children: don’t say ‘deliver us from evil’ in the Lord’s paryer lest you offend the “lord”. Also, ‘war bad!!!’”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis#Argentine_government_relations
(This guy ^^^ . one of these days he’ll tweet “Do as thou wills is all of the Law”.)
Vali of Shia of Ali: “my children: Jesus was fighting imperialism! Also the other day “God spoke through me!””
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/6oy48s/ayatollah_khomeini_smoking_opium_back_in_the_day/
Greatest.Of.All.Tovarich
Dalai Lama: “I love the Bush family. Also China bad CIA good! Also did you hear about the wife of that Chinese official who comes over the boarder to this city to have an affair? haha, I love to share vain gossip, just like Buddha …”
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/10/images/20071017-3_p101707cg-0540-515h.html
Random “Judeo-Christian” Pastor: “Pharisees were the BEST thing to happen to ISRAELITES in 5000 years! Also, if you don’t worship Jews you will burn in hell”

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 18:21 utc | 132

For those who have studied the history of colonial Africa through its fiscal and monetary dimensions, the similarities between colonial macroeconomics and neoliberal/ right wing/ libertarian macroeconomics are striking.
Here:
https://moneyontheleft.org/2021/06/14/neoliberalisms-colonial-origins/
Well who did ” money scarcity ” help ?
Africa or the colonial enterprise ?
American settlers or the British ?

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jan 15 2024 18:22 utc | 133

Tibet caper 2008 failed to stop the popular Ma Ying Jiu due to his massive fan base, also the one week riot and smear campaign wasnt long enuff to leave sufficient impact on the TW.
Came 2004
CIA/MI6 staged its umbrella rev 2 months before the TW election.
It worked.
HK umbrella revolution
28 September – 15 December 2014 (79 days)
[Hey TW, is this what u want ?]
Gloated the FUKUS bullhorn,,,.

The KMT’s landslide defeat in Taiwan’s nine-in-one local elections on November 29, 2014 is a political earthquake.

Posted by: denk | Jan 15 2024 18:35 utc | 134

Came 2014 !
I shall close with another gem …
China’s state-sponsored crime stretches across Pacific
Sydney Morning Herald
20 May 2023 —

Australia’s key law enforcement partners have launched a blistering attack on the Chinese government, saying the state actor poses the gravest …

The rest is behind a pay wall.

Israel’s culture of deceit.

You aint seen nuthin yet,. !
heheheheh

Posted by: denk | Jan 15 2024 18:43 utc | 135

Posted by: bevin | Jan 15 2024 16:44 utc | 126
After all Communism in China arose out of the desperate circumstances of a vicious and ruthless foreign invasion together with elite treachery-the icing on the cake of centuries in which Beijing had ruled with increasing disregard to the interests of the masses. The basic and simple ideas, justice and equality for all and the fair sharing of scarce necessities, are dreams of mankind from the earliest days. Do they not inform all the philosophy that you study?

Good dig!! (And polite! Bravo!)
Am only lately come to philosophy, if at all. My background is contemplative disciplines wherein studying the nature of experience overlaps with ‘philosophy’. I’ve put probably about 10,000 hours into meditation, 1,000 hours into formal study and teaching but only 50 hours into Western philosophy, so am not even a beginner in the latter.
My current interest is noting the interface between traditional contemplative, or ‘esoteric’. principles and both direct personal experience and the societal/geopolitical realms in a vain attempt to make sense of things. It’s an idle pursuit, but there you are.
I think class is a seminal, but largely overlooked, topic. (Thanks to you folks!) Suffice to say that:
a) all societies have classes – without exception
b) decadence/corruption manifests as injustice in the class system – without exception
c) reforms or revolutions which attempt to eradicate class to restore justice as you imply cannot do so except ‘philosophically’ – because of the Truth of a). If they try to enforce their ideology to ‘make it work’ they become more tyrannical than the original elites they replaced.
d) tangentially: violence is NEVER a good foundation for a better society.
The Art is to create good societies with good class systems. This requires sensitivity to ethics, morals and Nature – how things work well and how to remedy them when they don’t. Eradicating class is an intellectually appealing idea but impossible to realize in practice; therefore, Dear Sir, always bad philosophy.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 15 2024 18:44 utc | 136

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 15 2024 17:51 utc | 127
So no torque list = no torquing.
+ + + + + + + + + + +
I saw a docu about the Airbus production line for the A320 in Hamburg, and found it none too spectacular. Dry and abstract wide angles of the workshops, mostly. But one scene really stuck with me – it portrayed the work of installing the doors and door frames into the fuselage. It was explained that they are a natural weak point of the structure, and great care has to be taken to fasten the bolts with the precise torque. A worker was shown who used an electric tool connected to a computer for the task, for the torque list I guess. The scene went on for several minutes in a calm shot to little narration and no music. You could see a certain unease in the man, but as the narrator explained, not because he was being filmed but because it was highly preferable to get the job done without having to transfer any of it to the next shift; which still apparently happens ever so often, as sometimes it might take a couple of days for them to properly install the door. Not exactly a trivial routine, and likely the Boeing’s plugs are not either.

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 18:47 utc | 137

@persiflo: I didn’t understand your dislike of the dashboard analogy. Care to explain?

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 15 2024 18:52 utc | 138

That’s Khamenei btw, not Khomeini.
So the other day I learned about this Judas Goat business. Turns out they train the sheep (or whatever victim quadruped) by raising them with the GOAT which pretends to be a sheep. Later the goat gets his own room and apparently the goats are hooked on nicotine. So they give him his fix and the bastards leads the sheep up the ramp to slaughter.
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/siouxcityjournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/8d/68df754d-ff4b-54a7-b6a0-2d69c084f696/5abd6bf955067.image.jpg
Now the sheep are guilty of not being careful here. I mean did any sheep ever see a fellow sheep with horns and a beard like that? They should be paying attention instead of following the leader up the ramp to slaughter. Spoiler alert: the goat gets to live…
When Zachariah (RA) who used to go the holy of holies (“Mihrab”) in the temple in Jerusalem Angels appeared all the time. One day an angel comes and gives him Good News. Now Zacharia (RA) who is imho one of the best teachers to the faithful who “fear God” and thus posses “wisdom” didn’t just take the angel’s word. Hard core.
The best teacher. Read up on what he said and did, in the Good News of the Kingdom of God and The Glorious Recitation. You will not go wrong if you learn from Zacharia (RA) and “the story” of the birth of Yahya (AS).
https://wp.en.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/web3-zechariah-angel-gabriel-father-elizabeth-pregnancy-pd.jpg

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 18:58 utc | 139

The class struggle in Marxist thought is quite literally framed on a materialist view. And yes, I too think this very premise of Marx is a huge problem of the whole body of ideas. He addresses very important issues, and where his framing does work out well, in economics, Marxist analysis is often strikingly powerful. But for reasons I still wonder about (and suspect might be psychological in nature, as with Heidegger) he overplayed his hand, so to speak.
His reference to Hegel is crude at best. (While Hegel himself is notoriously conflated to begin with, as his Weltgeist finally arrives at immediate omniscience, thus breaking the essential structure of awareness as noesis+noema). I keep hearing less than flattening anecdotes of Marx vengefully attacking other socialist thinkers, finally overcoming with an idea that prides itself of being the only (“scientific”) truth. I wonder if this kind of interest in life is that of a person who is not in it for truth and virtue; and I fear that if Marxen’s heritage does not get a metaphysical update and overhaul, it might become actually detrimental to leftist issues. In countries like Germany, the process is already apparent, as the LINKE Partei stubbornly refuses to bother themselves with actual grief of the voters, entirely self-absorbed focusing on virtue-signalling to other adherents of the dogma (and identity politics) instead, righteously ridiculing their dangerous opponents from the right and half the populace with them. They lost Sahra Wagenknecht over this, whom even the conservative CDU heads consider a most gifted politician.

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 19:15 utc | 140

@various requests for answers, ranged on a dashboard from alpha to Allah – I will certainly not forget! But the nature of some topics is so complicated that it takes the right moment to approach them, especially on a fast-paced forum running OT such as this. It is very enjoyable, though, and I’d like to thank y’all for the experience.

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 19:58 utc | 141

@Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 19:15 utc | 140
This is the classic “economistic” misrepresentation of Marx, which is utterly misleading. For a proper understanding of Marx read Gramsci’s prison notebooks and his many quotes from Marx about subjective factors. Marx was extremely cognizant of factors outside of pure economism and much of his writing was about that. His writing is informed by his own background as a writer of poetry. “The 18th Brumiare” is a very good example of the complexity of Marx’s thought.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/
The ad hominem attacks on Marx are also not befitting of you, or of a blog that is focused on the discussion of events, political economy and ideology. Die Linke is a bunch of faux left-wingers who are really the usual bourgeois progressive post-modernist identitarian wankers, certainly not reflective of Marx’s body of work. Like so many other faux left-winger, such as the US “squad”. That’s why Sahra Wagenknecht left Die Linke to start a true left-wing party.
Same shit happened to the NDP in Canada as well, all identity and support of the Empire, no political economy and understanding of the working class. Same with the German Greens that used to be eco-socialist.

Posted by: Roger | Jan 15 2024 21:36 utc | 142

“Entertaining the possibility that republicanism has peaked” Gregory Copley at JBS – 16 minutes – Audioboom.com

Posted by: Pundita | Jan 16 2024 0:06 utc | 143

In his latest article, N.S. Lyons introduces us to a manifesto expressing where a major power network wishes to take the world. This is Peter Myers 4th major conspiracy, this one being what he calls ‘Trotskyoid’ – they are into high tech, sociopolitical engineering, depopulation, transgenderism etc, climate change / global remediation, man over nature, anti-nationalism. I believe this network is the one most responsible for all the ‘woke’ business in nearly all major Western corporations whom you wouldn’t usually expect to be into such stuff but here Lyons argues they are ‘progressive right’. (A substack author with original, insightful material.) I have pasted in a long quote because it is worth reading the words of the Enemy directly. The article is quite long and covers much more than just this.
Also, in a way this is a pinnacle expression of the dangers of excessive reductive materialism (that only the physical is real). What is truly scary is that people fervently believe that much of what they say below represents goodness and a way forward. The ignorance is truly stunning – but many of these views are shared by many of the world’s movers and shakers. Materialism of this sort is indistinguishable from fundamentalist faith-based fanaticism. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-the-right-wing-progressives
[Intro:]
A few months ago the prominent tech investor Marc Andreessen released a lengthy “Techno-Optimist Manifesto” that caused a big stir on certain segments of the internet. It’s a full-throated hymn glorifying technology, progress, and boundless growth, while castigating what it portrays as the demoralization, enervation, and stagnation of our society. This means it is deeply confused (about which more in a moment). But more interesting to me was that the outraged reactions which the manifesto provoked from the world’s overwhelmingly left-wing tech journalists routinely described it and Andreessen as not only right-wing but as conservative or even reactionary. This was particularly incoherent, because, as the manifesto makes clear, Andreessen is not a conservative, let alone a reactionary, but a progressive – just a right-wing one.
[Some of the Manifesto:]
A Progressive Confusion
Andreessen’s manifesto is a statement of faith in Progress. Its basic argument can be summarized as follows:
Growth is the ultimate Good, and the purpose of life is to pursue growth: “Techno-Optimists believe that societies, like sharks, grow or die… We believe everything good is downstream of growth.”
Growth = progress: “We believe growth is progress – leading to vitality, expansion of life, increasing knowledge, higher well being…”
The potential for growth is infinite: “We believe that since human wants and needs are infinite, economic demand is infinite, and job growth can continue forever.”
Technology is the ultimate source of growth, and therefore of the Good: “[T]he only perpetual source of growth is technology.”… “Combine technology and markets and you get what [neo-reactionary writer] Nick Land has termed the techno-capital machine, the engine of perpetual material creation, growth, and abundance.”…  “Technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential. For hundreds of years, we properly glorified this – until recently. I am here to bring the good news.”
Technology’s power is infinite: “We believe that there is no material problem – whether created by nature or by technology – that cannot be solved with more technology.”
With enough technological magic we can achieve utopia: “We believe that technology ultimately drives the world to what Buckminster Fuller called ‘ephemeralization’ – what economists call ‘dematerialization’. Fuller: ‘Technology lets you do more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing.’” … “We believe in making everyone rich, everything cheap, and everything abundant.”
Technology is a reflection of our intelligence, which is humanity’s highest virtue: “We believe intelligence is the ultimate engine of progress. Intelligence makes everything better… Intelligence is the birthright of humanity; we should expand it as fully and broadly as we possibly can.”
If our intellect can build technological machines that can in turn expand our intelligence this will be the infinity key that transfigures us into the equivalent of gods: “We believe we are poised for an intelligence takeoff that will expand our capabilities to unimagined heights. We believe Artificial Intelligence is our alchemy, our Philosopher’s Stone – we are literally making sand think. We believe Artificial Intelligence is best thought of as a universal problem solver.”
Because progress is the source of everything good, opposing technological progress is a moral crime: “We believe in accelerationism – the conscious and deliberate propulsion of technological development… To ensure the techno-capital upward spiral continues forever.” … “We believe any deceleration of AI will cost lives. Deaths that were preventable by the AI that was prevented from existing is a form of murder.”
Technology and progress are sources of human vitality, greatness, and virtue: “We believe in ambition, aggression, persistence, relentlessness – strength… We believe in what the Greeks called eudaimonia through arete – flourishing through excellence. We believe technology makes greatness more possible and more likely.”
Technology liberates us by expanding the power of our will over the world: “We believe technology is liberatory. Liberatory of human potential. Liberatory of the human soul, the human spirit. Expanding what it can mean to be free, to be fulfilled, to be alive. We believe technology opens the space of what it can mean to be human.”
Technological progress is a form of struggle, and struggle (to grow and expand) is the essence of life: “We believe in nature, but we also believe in overcoming nature… We believe in greatness.” … “To paraphrase a manifesto of a different time and place [by Italian fascist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, in 1909]: ‘Beauty exists only in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Technology must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.’”

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 16 2024 2:56 utc | 144

Posted by: Roger | Jan 15 2024 21:36 utc | 142
@Posted by: persiflo | Jan 15 2024 19:15 utc | 140
This is the classic “economistic” misrepresentation of Marx, which is utterly misleading. For a proper understanding of Marx read Gramsci’s prison notebooks and his many quotes from Marx about subjective factors.

Roger & bevin (and anyone): I wonder if you would care to briefly summarize Marx’s views on class and Class Systems. I think this is an important topic but that the Marxist perspective of society in what I regard as a pseudo-scientific, albeit often deeply insightful way, and which has become widely adopted as a foundational view of society and humanity, have made it very hard for us nowadays to contemplate class as anything other than a vector of unjust oppression. IMHO This view makes any sort of positive reform almost impossible to achieve. But perhaps my view is shallow and/or inaccurate.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 16 2024 3:05 utc | 145

Repost:Copy
Dear B,
Every single on of these comments are Off-Topic on the Palestine Open Thread!
RLTW | Jan 15 2024 22:22 utc | 48
robinthehood | Jan 15 2024 23:53 utc | 81
NemesisCalling | Jan 16 2024 0:04 utc | 85
Lathe Biosas | Jan 16 2024 0:09 utc | 90
NemesisCalling | Jan 16 2024 0:59 utc | 103
RLTW | Jan 16 2024 2:25 utc | 115
I personally find such Religious orientated comments delusional and completely out of order on a site like this one. Even on the MoA Review/Open discussion thread.
These kinds of comments by these posters and others, imo, are disruptive to a healthy dialogue of the subject matter this site was created for, and they always generate unnecessary conflict between otherwise “rational” and evidence based Participants.
MoA is NOT a Church nor a Mosque, or a Temple, nor MoA amounts to a Religious Faith of any kind.
Would you lease consider universally banning these kinds comments across your MoA Forum please?
Thank you,
LD

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 3:25 utc | 146

While ‘robinthehood’ and several others have already been confined to the ‘naughty step’, I have added all the above posters to Ignore in my Anti-Troll No Spamming App.

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 3:30 utc | 147

denk | Jan 15 2024 18:43 utc | 135
I bypassed the paywall and skimmed it. This is the key paragraph.
“The damning critique of Beijing by Australia’s key police allies came as Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw refused to be drawn on the Chinese government’s activities — or even name China — in an interview on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group in Melbourne.”
Allies is the key word. The five eyes mighty Wurlitzer pushing us to war. Letting the labor government know they will be Whitlamed if they don’t play ball.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 16 2024 3:40 utc | 148

pretzelattack | Jan 15 2024 10:16 utc | 115
As there was no reply to my questions, that is very likely the case.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 16 2024 3:46 utc | 149

Below is a Bloomberg quote from a Davos posting

BlackRock’s Hildebrand says Trump 2.0 would be a great concern.

I have never given Trump credit for being anything but a Liberace clad grifter but maybe a vote fro Trump will bring private finance demise quicker that the Genocide Joe route.
I do believe that if Trump manages to get (s)elected, it will force the Blue folks to be even more stupid and civil war between the Blue/Red teams break out while the top of our top/bottom reality laughs at the deluded bottom folk

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 16 2024 4:48 utc | 150

@ Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 3:25 utc | 146
commentary are religious matters are allowed on the moon of alabama week in review – the thread we are presently on.. and although they are a distraction on the other threads, that are tangentially related to those threads.. the problem is when they become the sole focus of those threads… if it happened here, it would be fine.. i don’t think bernard at moa is going to ban any of that in the way that you imagine.
notice also how here on the week in review thread, there are ongoing conversations on marxism.. it is allowed, even if one doesn’t want to hear about it… cheers james
@ Peter AU1 | Jan 16 2024 3:46 utc | 149
hey peter.. i think prezelattack is right about that..

Posted by: james | Jan 16 2024 4:49 utc | 151

Taiwan loses diplomatic ally to Beijing
Nauru has announced that it will cut ties with Taipei and recognize Beijing’s rule of the self-governing island

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 4:59 utc | 152

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 3:25 utc | 146
I am probably one of those whose posts you object to, Lavrov’s Dog. I will apologize to you now if you have found my point of view offensive at times. Indeed my enthusiasm sometimes does get the best of me. But for the most part I try only to correct misapprehensions or to add understanding of how belief affects action. In particular, I think it was important as we looked at Netanyahu’s claims for Zionist beliefs as opposed to how the Bible actually presents them.
I love Russia and Russians very much for their churches, and have been concerned for a long time that not enough notice was given back when Bush was invading Iraq to what that did to religious communities there, to what it does to religious communities now in Israel, in Ukraine. You cannot just ban such concerns; indeed the issues are rarely raised even by the religious. Remember Pussy Riot? That would have been a deeply offensive act but forgiveness is pretty high on the list for the Orthodox, so most were quiet, would not even have prosecuted those ladies. Now, in Ukraine, it has become much worse.
As Putin said that he would not want to live in a world without Russia (and nor would I), those of different faiths contribute to this world in our own way, and too often that way is currently being trampled on, so let this be my apology against that. And also, if we don’t speak out here, where important world issues are discussed, important to us as well, we might have left the impression that we don’t think like you on most of these important issues; that would be wrong.
Finally, this is Martin Luther King Day in the US. He was very religious, and his faith helped him have the courage to address the war in Vietnam. It was important that he did that, and it was possible for him to address the issue in his church because that was a place for speaking out. He was heard. But mine isn’t; it is a place for addressing my relationship with God; my priest rarely even gave sermons.
There ought to be a place for everyone to speak out; it’s getting hard to do that these days. Mine has been here; and I will try not to abuse the privilege. Thanks for letting me rant. Scroll down or block us, that you can do and we won’t even be offended. I do that sometimes myself.

Posted by: juliania | Jan 16 2024 5:06 utc | 153

@ james | Jan 16 2024 4:49 utc | 151
Thanks for the comment james. I have no expectations nor getting ahead of myself, it was only a request: “Would you lease consider ………” Whatever Bernhard wants is fine by me, it’s his site.
To me, ymmv, Marxism discussions seems very appropriate on a secular site dedicated to political ideology and geopolitics etc.
This site’s purpose is to discuss politics, economics, philosophy and blogger Billmon’s Whiskey Bar writings. https://www.moonofalabama.org/about.html
LD

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 5:16 utc | 154

Sands keep shifting … lines are being redrawn RT
North Korea has followed through on leader Kim Jong-un’s conclusion that peaceful reunification with Seoul is impossible, scrapping the government agencies that were involved in such efforts and preparing to constitutionally brand South Korea as Pyongyang’s archenemy.
Kim reiterated his conclusion that reunification of the two Koreas is no longer possible, citing claims that Seoul seeks to force the collapse of Pyongyang to gobble up North Korea. His comments followed a statement in late December that Pyongyang’s approach to reunification based on “one state with two systems” was diametrically opposed to Seoul’s goal of “unification by absorption.”
Korean unification ‘impossible’ – Kim READ MORE: Korean unification ‘impossible’ – Kim
The North Korean leader has claimed that the US is seeking a military confrontation on the peninsula and has essentially turned South Korea into a military base and “colonial subordinate state.” He warned on Monday that military conflict may be inevitable.
“We don’t want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying. “We will never unilaterally unleash a war if the enemies do not provoke us,” he added, warning that the “enemies should never misjudge this as our weakness.”

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 5:25 utc | 155

@ Roger | Jan 15 2024 21:36 utc | 142
I liked your comment but loved your recent article “The US University System vs. China” even more.
fwiw this might be right up the same ally, and highlight these kinds of decisions of China are wise, and what the west has been doing progressively since about the 1980s (neoliberalism etc hijacking the entire culture) is so dumb, and what all this is really all about.

Daniel Schmachtenberger
1:04:02 – The Difference Between Wisdom and Intelligence
1:12:41 – Chesterton’s fence
1:13:03 – Progressive and Traditionalist as Dialectics
1:18:07 – Genetics and Intelligence vs Wisdom
https://youtu.be/_P8PLHvZygo?si=yizSm0-bU-odf55D&t=3822

piece together the biophysical history that has led humans to this point, heading towards (and beyond) numerous planetary boundaries and facing geopolitical risks all with existential consequences.

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 5:41 utc | 156

The attacks on people with religion is a relatively new phenomena here and seems to have arrived with the great influx of SMO refugees.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 16 2024 5:50 utc | 157

@Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 16 2024 5:41 utc | 156
I got into biophysical economics at the end of the 00’s, which is mostly a bunch of natural science people attempting to construct an economics that matches actual geophysical and ecological reality. A few excellent reads on the subject:
“Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships” by Richard W. Bulliet, a great read on our changing relationship with animals over time. He also has “Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History” as well as a very good book on Islamic Social History, “Conversion to Islam in the Medieval Period: An Essay in Quantitative History”, as well as arguing for a reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, “The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization”
Hall & Klitgaard published the excellent book “Energy & The Wealth of Nations: Understanding the Biophysical Economy” shame that its still so bloody expensive.
Then of course there is the classic but still very much apropos “Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change” by the visionary William Catton. Only $10 as an ebook.
And of course Tainter “The Collapse of Complex Societies”, which tells us a lot about how our societal complexity is just as dependent upon the available energy flows as the complexity of an organism is.
I think that Greer was right when he typified a Long Descent, but some places may very well do better than others – especially if they have distance and/or water between them and other collapsing societies and good governance. Cuba, for example may turn out to be a relative winner! The future is Degrowth but at least in the West it will be degrowth by collapse rather than any planned route. Some other places may manage a somewhat more controlled collapse.
In the meantime, probably another decade or more of growth before ecology starts delivering some painful realities. The crisis of ideology that results may be just as much a threat to civilizational survival as the ecological crises themselves. First, we will have to eliminate all the mediocre elite overhead and their goons which may take a little while.

Posted by: Roger | Jan 16 2024 8:22 utc | 158

@Scorpion | Jan 16 2024 2:56 utc | 144
I would not call Filippo Tommaso Marinetti simply a fascist, but, yes, Italian fascists were progressives.

Posted by: SG | Jan 16 2024 11:38 utc | 159

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 14 2024 23:24 utc | 76
Thanks for posting that. It was a good escape from the global mayhem going on.
I’m a bit of a land-lubber and got into the whole skateboarding thing in the 80’s, but I knew many who were surf-mad here in Sydney, Australia. There’s a really brutal slab just across Botany Bay from where I live known as “Ours” at Cape Solander which can leave you crunched between the swell and the rock platform when you wipe out…if you are lucky…otherwise you can get caught between the break and the cliffs.
It sends me wobbly in the knees just watching it. There’s some good footage of crazy cats riding the break there on the interwebs, if interested.
Cheers.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jan 16 2024 13:18 utc | 160

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 16 2024 3:40 utc | 148
——————
hello Peter,
Howzat for Culture of deceit !
China poses threat to UK way of life, says Rishi Sunak
14 September 2023
China is an “increasingly disruptive power” to peace in the region, Anita Anand, Canada’s defense minister said, told CNBC
Why China is a national security threat to Australia
The Strategist | ASPI’s analysis and commentary site
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au › why-china-is-a-nat…
1 Jun 2023 — From this analytical starting point, it is hard to view China as anything other than an enduring national security threat to Australia.
Americans Feel More Threat from China Now Than in past …
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
https://globalaffairs.org › public-opinion-survey › a…
12 Nov 2023 — Threat of China’s Development as a World Power … Threat of China’s Development as a World Power. Below is a list of possible threats to the
Survey: Americans View China as Biggest Threat to US
Association of the United States Army
https://www.ausa.org › news › survey-americans-vie…
19 Dec 2023 — Most Americans said they believe China poses the greatest threat to the U.S., but they are “overconfident” about the U.S. military’s …
How foreign wars are distracting the US from its biggest …threat.
The Hill
https://thehill.com › policy › defense › 4333687-ho…
30 Nov 2023 — U.S. defense officials often refer to China as America’s “pacing threat” — the foreign power most likely to challenge our military might.
New Zealand warns of ‘assertive’ China in 1st national …
Nikkei Asia
https://asia.nikkei.com › Politics › Indo-Pacific › Ne…
5 Aug 2023 — “Threats are reaching New Zealanders more directly.” New Zealand is … Still, China is New Zealand’s largest trade partner. Hipkins visited ..
Japan OKs record defense budget amid threats from China …
YouTube · DW News
152.7K+ views · 3 weeks ago
4:49
Japan OKs record defense budget amid threats from China, North Korea | DW News. 152K views · 3 weeks ago #NorthKorea #Japan #China …more. DW …

Posted by: denk | Jan 16 2024 14:00 utc | 161

Beware of pale face bearing ‘gift ‘!
http://tinyurl.com/5xmuvx7j

Posted by: denk | Jan 16 2024 14:08 utc | 162

“Next Japan, the Philippines or Singapore magically become Chinese provinces.”
Posted by: Antonym | Jan 15 2024 4:04 utc | 98
I’m starting to get concerned about your patently obvious delusions. Magical Chinese taking over the world? Whaaa?
You’re really starting to come across as being as paranoid and delusional as a US evangelical armageddon-obsessed Christian…or Lindsay Graham.
Even if your fears came true, as unlikely as that is, the Chinese could hardly do a worse job of being the major global geopolitical power than the UK (Europeans) or US have done over the past centuries.
Relax.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jan 16 2024 22:05 utc | 163

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 14 2024 23:24 utc | 76
I really enjoyed it too, Aleph. You will have me heading down under (I know that was off California shores, but still) if I don’t watch out! (Mountains and ocean and cricket against the Pakistanis right now — what’s not to love?)

Posted by: juliania | Jan 17 2024 0:55 utc | 164

Jon_in_AU | Jan 16 2024 22:05 utc | 163
Hindutva is an extremist ideology. No different to Nazism, Zionism or CIA Islamic extremism.
Chinese, communists and muslims are hindutva’s sub humans.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 17 2024 1:01 utc | 165

I will add to that last one. China is Chinese, communist and has 30,000 mosques.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 17 2024 1:04 utc | 166

Radikhai Desai’s husband Alan Freeman edits the New Cold War Digest. Among its many articles this eeek is an excellent study of the development of China under 75 years of Communist rule. Written by Michael Dunford, it is well worth reading.
“..In the first 30 years, China’s growth had been characterised by a very great deal of turbulence (see Figures 2 and 3), yet the average real GDP growth rate in 1952–78 was 6.2 per cent. China had established a core strategic industrial system, and, in the 1970s, the ‘green revolution’, resulting from the earlier establishment of agricultural research and agricultural extension services, which saw the development of new high-yielding seed varieties, along with the use of chemical fertilisers and improved irrigation facilities, solved the food problem that had bedevilled a country with 20 per cent of the world’s population but just 8 per cent of its cultivated land, 5 per cent of its water resources and 3 per cent of its forest stock for centuries.
“The new China saw life expectancy increase from 35 in 1949 to 57 in 1957 and 68 in 1981, while its population increased from 554.4 million to 1,014 million. According to The World Bank (1981: 101): the 1979 life expectancy of 64 was higher than the average of 51 for low-income countries and 61 for middle-income countries; adult literacy stood at 66 per cent compared with 39 per cent in low-income and 72 per cent in middle-income countries; while net primary school enrolment (93 per cent) was just short of that for industrialised countries (94 per cent)….
“…The new China that emerged from a semi-colonial state and civil war in 1949 was one of the poorest countries in the world. As of today, it is an upper-middle-income country that has lifted all of its 1.4 billion people out of extreme poverty. In terms of material production, it is the largest economy in the world, and as a global actor, it envisages a new international order centred on the equality and sovereignty of all nations, and their right to choose their own development paths…”
https://newcoldwar.org/chinas-development-path-1949-2022/

Posted by: bevin | Jan 17 2024 3:13 utc | 167

2009 bloodbath in Xinjiang,
During G12 meeting, HU Jintao’s aide whispered into his ear, the prez excused himself and immediately flied back to China , gardenists in the room smirked knowingly , wink , wink.
CIA’s mighty wurlitzer went bersek…

Ethnic crash in Xinjiang left thousands dead.
[What clash ?
CIA/MI6 supported militants chopping up Han, Hui civies !]
Brutal crack down on Uighurs protestors
Genocide in Xinjiang

csmonitor demanded,

Where’s the Muslim’s outrage ???

Posted by: denk | Jan 17 2024 3:19 utc | 168

“China Threat Forces Philippines To Sign ‘Military Pact’ With Japan; Expected To Be Signed By 1st Quarter Of 2024”
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/newww-to-sign-military-pact-with-japan/

Posted by: Antonym | Jan 17 2024 3:49 utc | 169

This year’s World Economic Forum annual meeting kicked off in Davos, Switzerland yesterday and will be running until the 19th. The guest list is as star-powered as ever, including the Chinese Premier, the President of the European Commission, a dozen or more heads of state, the UN Secretary-General, the Chief of the World Health Organization and the US Secretary of State.”
https://off-guardian.org/2024/01/16/discuss-davos-2024-gets-underway/
Will be fun to watch how CPC groupies like Denk, Peter_AUOOW & co blabber themselves out of this one.

Posted by: Antonym | Jan 17 2024 4:00 utc | 170

“The impact of 2024 Taiwan elections on China, the U.S. and the world”: Lessons for US elections and a future for Mainland China.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwH1J5f4jo

Posted by: Antonym | Jan 17 2024 4:27 utc | 171

I am an old techie and have been passing jokes around via email for almost 40 years now and just got one with the following introduction

How Is The Baby?
Man in Germany works from home.
His wife leaves their baby girl with him each day as she
goes off to work. A few months ago, he got tired of her
texting to check on how he was doing with the baby.
So, he started photo-shopping responses back to her,
& they’ve become a worldwide Instagram sensation.

The pictures are a hoot
I challenge barflies to find the Instagram link and share, thanks

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 17 2024 5:24 utc | 172

How is the B in Germany??

Posted by: Antonym | Jan 17 2024 5:30 utc | 173

Below is the title/sub-title of a posting at The Register
Pentagon using ChatGPT? Oh sure, for cyber-things and veterans, says OpenAI
Just days after ban on ‘military and warfare’ applications goes away, Davos hears the details

the quote

Also during the same interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the biz is taking steps to ensure its generative AI tools aren’t used to spread election-related disinformation.
It also follows a similar push by Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor, which, in November announced a five-step election protection strategy for “the United States and other countries where critical elections will take place in 2024.”
“There’s a lot at stake in this election,” Altman said on Tuesday.
This comes a day after former US president Donald Trump’s big win in the Iowa caucus on Monday.

Can AI create convincing propaganda?
Excuse me,
Can AI create a convincing distraction or be such?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 17 2024 6:24 utc | 174

Hey ChatGPT
Based on the Hollywood Wag The Dog movie create scenarios on how to take focus off (Gaza, Ukraine, Covid, and oh yeah, Trump…/s)
2024 should be a most interesting year….

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 17 2024 6:31 utc | 175

The whole shit box relies on ‘tension ‘ to function …AND , we have not taken the notion , ‘the genius and industry of man ‘ , out of the Capitalist play script addiction. One , myth , that necessitates , the , ‘economics of war stimulus , and it’s profitable perversions to mark our existence ‘ . This is not progress , pilgrims . If that is how the we settle PEACEFAIL ADDICTIONS to the , insider trading ‘, you have evolved , into reason … then accept chaos . Surely the pride of creation is , not , beating someone to his , once , kingdom .Prime Apes are fools .

Posted by: Plethon | Jan 17 2024 11:26 utc | 176

Telflon club CEO

China is getting away with genocide !

Human rights violations in Xinjiang: joint statement at the UN Third Committee

Ambassador James Kariuki gave a joint statement by the UK and 50 other countries at the United Nations Third Committee on human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Redddit…

US regime media lashes out at entire Muslim world for not believing Western narratives about China’s Uyghur minority

Woudnt you just love these indomitable human rights crusaders ?

Posted by: denk | Jan 17 2024 14:57 utc | 177

OK, so not a new thing that some new arrivals to the bar post strangely ill-informed comments, but just to put a finer point on the topic, A bit of DARPA-gnosticism:
Their areas of exploration are eye-opening, to say the least. E.g. “Sustained focus on automated agents” to combat “disinfo” on the internet. And how will they combat it? The key word: counterinfluence.
Via Simplicius

Posted by: Stumpy | Jan 17 2024 15:49 utc | 178

They’r raining cow dung over at anglophone …

June 3 (Reuters) – Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Saturday that the country’s critical infrastructure was increasingly being targeted by cyberattacks, posing a significant threat to the economy of the world’s fourth-largest crude oil producer.
The U.S. State Department warned last month that China was capable of launching cyberattacks against oil and gas pipelines and rail systems, after researchers discovered a Chinese hacking group had been spying on such networks.
China’s cyber army is invading critical U.S. services
A utility in Hawaii, a West Coast port and a pipeline are among the victims in the past year, officials say
Joe McReynolds talked about claims that state-sponsored Chinese hackers are attacking critical U.S. infrastructure.
US believes Chinese hackers have penetrated power grids, water supplies: Report l GMA
China-Affiliated Hackers Hit Critical U.S. Infrastructure
Chinese state-affiliated hackers attack Canada National Research Council
Australian Intelligence Report Identifies China as Major Backer of Cyber Crime
Computer systems for water, power, communications, and transportation bodies have been affected.
Chinese intelligence hacked Microsoft email accounts belonging to U.S. government in ‘significant’ breach
UK condemns Chinese cyber attacks against governments and businesses
The UK has today joined international allies to call out malicious cyber activity carried out by China.
GCHQ warns of fresh threat from Chinese state-sponsored hackers
Chinese government hackers ‘frequently’ targeting MPs, warns new report
MI5 chief warns of Chinese cyber espionage reached an unprecedented scale
,
Alexander Martin
August 11th, 2023
New Zealand intelligence report accuses China of cyber-enabled interference
New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by …
Beehive.govt.nz
https://www.beehive.govt.nz › release › new-zealand-c…
New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious activity undertaken by the Chinese Ministry of State Security …
China hacked Japan’s classified defense cyber networks …
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com › 2023/08/07 › chi…
7 Aug 2023 — In the fall of 2020, the National Security Agency made an alarming discovery: Chinese military hackers had compromised classified defense ..
US, Japan authorities warn of China-linked hacking group …
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › technology › us-japan-autho…
28 Sept 2023 — … Japanese counterpart, urged firms to review the internet routers at their subsidiaries to minimise the risk of potential attack from the group.
blah blah blah…
Five centuries old
Culture of Deceit.
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive,’

Posted by: denk | Jan 17 2024 17:06 utc | 179

I hope it won’t get totally buried here in the Open Thread, but it’s obviously off-topic considering Gaza and Ukraine, so that’s the only place left.
B. will most probably enjoy the latest misadventure of the doomed 737, which happened to Blinken, of all people:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-17/blinken-stranded-after-boeing-plane-breaks-down-on-davos-trip

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jan 17 2024 17:41 utc | 180

ChatGPT creator joins forces with Pentagon
OpenAI has dropped its prohibition on providing its technology to military entities, according to an executive
ChatGPT creator OpenAI is working with the US military on several artificial intelligence projects after dropping a prohibition on the use of its technologies for “military and warfare” purposes, a company executive told Bloomberg on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The AI pioneer is developing “open-source cybersecurity software” and discussing how to prevent suicides among military veterans with the US government, OpenAI vice president of global affairs Anna Makanju said.
While Makanju did not elaborate on either project, she explained that OpenAI’s decision to remove a blanket prohibition on the use of its AI tech for “military and warfare” applications was in line with a broader policy update “to adjust to new uses of ChatGPT and its other tools,” according to Bloomberg.
New York Times sues Microsoft and OpenAI
Read more
New York Times sues Microsoft and OpenAI
“Because we previously had what was essentially a blanket prohibition on military, many people thought that would prohibit many of these use cases, which people think are very much aligned with what we want to see in the world,” she explained.
Despite the ban’s repeal, Makanju insisted OpenAI continues to prohibit the use of its technology to “develop weapons, destroy property, or harm people.”
However, Microsoft, which owns a large part of OpenAI and enjoys the unrestricted use of its advanced AI technologies, has long contracted with the US military and other branches of the government, and lacks any inbuilt prohibition on weapons development, according to Bloomberg.
via RT

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Jan 17 2024 19:12 utc | 181

https://t.me/intelslava/54749

🇩🇪 In Dresden, on the oldest square, the Altmarkt, the inscription that was painted in memory of the victims of the city’s bombing by the US and British Air Forces in February 1945 has disappeared, writes Bild.
The absence of the inscription was noticed by the townspeople. The newspaper asked city authorities for clarification, but they said that “the redesign of the memorial to the victims of the air raids of February 13 and 14, 1945 is proceeding as planned.” They promised to give more detailed comments later.
In the 20th century, it was believed that between 100 and 300 thousand city residents were killed as a result of the bombing. Now in Germany they cite a much lower figure: 25 thousand.
The documented number of completely destroyed residential buildings exceeded 78 thousand.
The Americans explained the ruthlessness of the bombing by the fact that the city was an important center of the military industry. In Germany, many consider the bombing of Dresden a war crime.

Posted by: anon2020 | Jan 17 2024 19:21 utc | 182

I keep smiling about barfly Sunny’s due transition into a chinese province. But what can I say? The truth, I guess: yum yum are an eternal instant classic, of course I eat them too … my favourite being the shrimps variety, which go fine with any vegetables added (and glass noodles for a bigger bowl) – especially ginger and the leek family!

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 17 2024 20:21 utc | 183

On using AI for disinfo – They’ll surely do it, but it will come with a price, as all dishonesty does. People are bound to lose trust in the long run, and we are already at a point where many common words have literally lost their meaning, leaving gaps and gaping holes in our ability to use language to convey information. Come to think of it, the means to tell what’s going on elsewhere, and to proceed with a proper reaction from the community, is absolutely critical to maintain a civilization. I see this at stake, actually, as some others here do as well. I’m not so sure our masters in the west see this, too. They want to believe in the power of their lies

Posted by: persiflo | Jan 17 2024 21:06 utc | 184

“BREAKING: MIDDLE EAST EXPLODES; IRAN BOMBS PAKISTAN; NETANYAHU DECLARES WAR ‘UNTIL 2025′”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7envTgLMk

Posted by: WMG | Jan 17 2024 22:23 utc | 185

ZH has a posting up with the title
Ugly, Tailing 20Y Auction Whimpers Out Amid Bond Market Rout
the quote

In short: after a brief hiatus, the long-end has remember that it is staring at a staggering $1.8 trillion in coupon supply this year, almost double from the $1 trillion in 2023, and that – absent a recession – yields will continue shooting up for the foreseeable future.

Since 1971, when the US dollar went off the gold standard, and in spite of the pseudo linkage to oil, the bond market has become a market of numbers rather than fundamentals underlying the numbers…..the world lost its intrinsic pricing mechanism and control when the US dollar became fiat and the world of fiat debt has grown since then with smart money buying property and such instead of holding worthless fiat dollars.
Humanity is approaching a crisis of faith in the US dollar money system but many are clueless of how money runs our world and who owns/controls it which will add to the crisis. I have posited here before that the war of public/private finance is the ring that binds all the proxy wars we are seeing around the world. Given the genocide of Occupied Palestine supported by the US does not increase faith in the US dollar as continued Reserve Currency and it will be interesting to see how the financial component of our civilization war evolves.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 17 2024 22:58 utc | 186

This OpenAI matter is an interesting case of apparent theatre and OpenQuestions. First that shit show with the board, and now this must be the reason. I say it is interesting because the apparent facts paint a picture of a braindead genius who got suckered by another board member & he even did a mea culpa within a couple of days. Then Altman comes back and takes over and bye bye to all the b.s. about open and responsible and blah. Everyone was ‘relieved’. It must have been ‘cathartic’ for the geeks of OpenAI.
But then comes Davos. Now Davos runs on a schedule and this announcement had to be made so was the whole board matter a psyop on their employees to accept Sam as “leader”? They put those geeks at OpenAI through a serious emotional roller coaster. This perks up my antennas.

Posted by: robinthehood | Jan 17 2024 22:58 utc | 187

When Biden gets done defending Taiwan, will anyone be left alive? I gather the plan is to destroy Taiwan’s factories, first thing, whether Taiwan likes it or not.

Posted by: lester | Jan 18 2024 0:28 utc | 188

Clueless Joe @ 180. If not for Bloomberg in the link I would have thought it was fake news. Thanks for this! Just incredible!

Posted by: Pundita | Jan 18 2024 1:59 utc | 189

Within 5-10 years, China will have just as advanced, if not more advanced, chip technology as Taiwan. They can then squeeze down hard on TSMC and all the other Taiwanese companies dependent on Chinese sales. Together with the ongoing weakening of the US, the Chinese know that they can win just by waiting.
The US is going out of its way to help by getting bogged down in the Ukraine, and now sucked into a Middle East quagmire. Even if Trump gets elected it will take him a while to get extracted from Ukraine, and his Zionist instincts may not allow him to disengage form the Middle East. So, maybe 2026 before he can focus on China and even then he will be fighting the full on traitorous behaviour of the deep state. In addition, if the US gives up on Ukraine, handing a big chunk of that country to Russia, that will not be a positive message to the Taiwanese that the US wont cut and run when the going gets tough.

Posted by: Roger | Jan 18 2024 2:14 utc | 190

@ Roger | Jan 18 2024 2:14 utc | 190 with the scenario of empire demise.
Thanks and I agree with all but demise timing which I think will be much sooner.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 18 2024 3:08 utc | 191

UNlike the troll pop and anton who like to dump crazy vid on us, when I do vid,
it means must see.
Victor Gao vs Ozzie,
What so difficult to understand mate,?
the moment you were part of an armed possie targeting China, you become a target yourself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0xSRh1ya7U
Do read the comments from ws.

Posted by: denk | Jan 18 2024 4:51 utc | 192

psychohistorian@191
I agree. In my view we are at the “…and then all at once” stage. We have been passing through the slow decline into bankruptcy since George W Bush went all out on hubris. The decline is now irreversible. I think that is the message of Presidential politics in the US right now, the candidates are telling us that it really doesn’t matter any more. There is a contest and there is a trophy but nothing else- the power and the money are gone. The idea of Trump or Biden being seen as “Leader of the Free World” is a joke.
As to that money, would you agree with my characterisation of the current position of the dollar as being a classic crisis of confidence? Nobody trusts the US Treasury any more. Nobody believes that the Federal Reserve has a clue what it is doing. The Emperor is naked and the world is beginning to laugh. The only thing preserving the dollar is the realisation, among those holding lots of them, that one false move could lead, in short order, to a panic and all those trillions would just be waste paper. Maybe that is what is behind the attempt to steal Russia’s reserves before it puts them up for sale and sets off the dominoes.

Posted by: bevin | Jan 18 2024 5:02 utc | 193

@ bevin | Jan 18 2024 5:02 utc | 193 who agrees that we are at that “and then all at once” stage.
The stage will be a rush to value over fiat paper and commodity prices of everything will go up….but in relation to what money?
My fear is that empire will crash the finance system before the resistance axis is able to set up an alternative that can’t and then won’t be gamed by the remains of private finance empire…..all the commodity markets are gamed now and new need to be created and such.
Crashing the system at this point gives empire more time to control what is left and build arguments that private finance must always exist for humanity…….like barbaric patriarchy…/s

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 18 2024 5:20 utc | 194

anon2020 | Jan 17 2024 19:21 utc | 182
Evidently one of the curiosities of the publishing history of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five” is that very few Germans have read it. I haven’t either.
Perhaps someone who has can comment on what is going on in Dresden. It has been claimed that one reason for the bombing was that the city had been allocated to the Soviet zone when the war ended.
Of course Dresden was small beer compared with the attack on Tokyo, less than a month after Valentine’s Day, on the night of March 9th.

Posted by: bevin | Jan 18 2024 5:22 utc | 195

To add more fuel to our ceash fire there is the latest from Ellen Brown at link below
Casino Capitalism and the Derivatives Market: Time for Another ‘Lehman Moment’?
the quote

The Depository Trust Company (DTC) was formed in 1973 to alleviate the rising volumes of paperwork. The DTCC was established in 1999 as a holding company to combine the DTC and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC).
The DTCC is a central clearing counterparty (CCP) sitting at the top of a pyramid of banks, brokers and exchanges. All have agreed to hold their customers’ assets in “street name,” collect those assets in a fungible pool, and forward that pool to the DTCC, which then trades pooled blocks of stock and bonds between brokers and banks in the name of its nominee Cede & Co. The DTCC, a private corporation, owns them all. This is not a mere technicality. Courts have upheld its legal ownership, even in a dispute with client purchasers. According to the DTCC website, it provides settlement services for virtually all equity, corporate and municipal debt trades and money market instruments in the U.S., and central safekeeping and asset servicing for securities issues from 131 countries and territories, valued at $37.2 trillion. In 2022 alone, the DTCC processed 2.5 quadrillion dollars in securities.

(my bold)
A powder keg waiting to be blown by the elite at the moment necessary to cause the most fear and ongoing God Of Mammon Rules Based Order capitulation. I don’t think they can pull it off this time but history is on their side so far.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 18 2024 5:31 utc | 196

psychohistorian | Jan 18 2024 5:20 utc | 194
It’s easy for you, on the West Coast, it’s past midnight here.
This is not a subject I know much about, have thought much about or really understand- I’m not a vrery mathematical sort of person. So my views are probably not worth much, but I’m inclined to think that when the world, in the form of the people and the markets in this matter, loses confidence in one currency it is not going to transfer that confidence to another. Not until the alternative currency earns its reputation for being a reliable store of value.
Which leads me to think that the most likely result of a collapse in confidence in the dollar will be a rush to precious metals.

Posted by: bevin | Jan 18 2024 5:46 utc | 197

@ bevin | Jan 18 2024 5:46 utc | 197 about the coming collapse of confidence
Trust continues to break down on the empire side and build on the axis of resistance side. That trust among axis nations is what will be needed to build and manage a non profit version of the BIS with all the associated foreign exchange formulae/processes that let individual nation’s economies ebb and flow as history unfolds…..the only constant is change, so build evolution into the architecture.
I agree that precious metals look like the obvious core that I hope expands as all resources are revalued and globally value managed in a non privately corrupted manner. Having money based on all “things” that are important to life makes sense, even as the pieces change because it lets all parts of our world be represented in the economic breadbasket that exchange money is based on.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 18 2024 6:51 utc | 198

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 17 2024 1:01 utc | 165
“Hindutva is an extremist ideology. No different to Nazism, Zionism or CIA Islamic extremism.
Chinese, communists and muslims are hindutva’s sub humans.”
It does strike me as an odd ideology, and it seems to me somewhat a product/offshoot of three centuries of ‘ol Blighty imperialism.
I did actually meet a proud Hindutva fascist back when at Sydney University in the early 90’s. He was quite adamant (much to my amusement) that we’d all be owned as little more than slaves by India within 25 years. That prediction seems to have missed the mark by a country mile.
The ideology must have been a familial tradition…they had named him Benito.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jan 18 2024 6:54 utc | 199

Persiflo: it makes me happy to read that you still chuckle at it 🙂
I will keep your shrimp flavor YumYum suggestions in mind for the future!

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jan 18 2024 8:16 utc | 200