Miscellaneous News

Heard the following opinion in a podcast that gave me new insight into current situation with US. Recall earlier this year Putin said to Biden:

But the number of problems is growing. There comes a time when they can no longer be dealt with. And the United States, with a confident gait, a firm step, is going straight along the path of the Soviet Union.

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We know the famous one this year, the retreat from Afghanistan, but in fact there are many more:
Chauvinism - unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people
Gerontocracy - rule by old people
Unable to enact reforms to respond to changing times

And most hauntingly, it was pointed out that the recent issues of inflation and lack of consumer goods are in fact just an American version of this:

Only difference is when there's scarcity soviet citizens would queue up, in the US people would just start looting.

Just jack up the rmb by 5% per year, and they will get super inflation. Imagine empty shelves at costco and walmart.

antiterror13 said:

NZ has been doing it for long time with Pharmac and it has been so successful, it seems US is the only few countries not doing it

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That's why unlike in other countries there's no corruption with the public officials and politicians in the United States.

If you tweak every public policy and decision within the law while makes the law more flexible, more expansive, and legalize those on gray zone boundary (eg. the lobbying business), then there will be no law violation, and corruption also disappears! That's the beauty of the US system!

As the key officers of the national public healthcare system, you don't negotiate a reasonable, justified prices by asking a tough price reduction with the Big Pharma... therefore there's lots of extra meat for the Big Pharma... surely somehow they can channel back the extra gains to the many stakeholders, Congressmen, public officers, etc... that's why there are legion of lobbying armies in Washington along with their political donations, campaign contributions, generous speaking fees, contribution to particular affiliated foundation, etc... even Revolving Door system. Legalwise I think I never read any news on corruption done by high ranking public officers and politicians in the US for decades long. Legally the US should be one of the cleanest country in the world, just have no law breaking, no corruption! This kind of things happen in many sectors, not only in Pharma/Healthcare, but also MIC and so on.... one should be able to see that somehow the public funding is spent generously (elsewhere it's called mark-up) and some portion of that funding will circulate back among the key figures, big or small, every one involved gets a slice thru many indirect ways. That's the real ecosystem.

plawolf said:

I think this is another move towards reunification. That is pretty much the only scenario that would make the RE card worth playing for China.

I think China will gradually reduce supply (but continue to take orders as normal, just be extra slow in delivering) ever so slightly over months while co-ordinating with Chinese tech companies to deplete open market supplies as much as possible without causing a crisis.

Then when China is ready to move on Taiwan, it heaps more pressure on the US because if they dare to fight China over Taiwan, their entire high tech supply chain, including for weapons, grinds to a complete halt almost overnight.

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Don't you think that they have been building up some strategic stock like SPR for oil?

Phead128 said:

This.

Post-Putin will likely be an Westophile and secure US/EU sanction relief in a quasi-alliance to contain China. A reverse Nixon if you will. So China should either secure a formal treaty (marriage) or just maximize the benefits of a Putin handjob before his successor flirts with suitors and you get AIDS/HIV.

Regardless, China will be the most powerful nation on earth by the time Putin dies, so it will be foolhardy for a successor to ally with West against China, since China will have far deeper economic relations with Russia than West...but don't underestimate Westophilia among Russian elites.

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I am not as pessimistic about Russia as some people are.

The Elites are more Western oriented is a given. After all, they grew up, lived, when the West was extremely powerful while China was still nothing in the world stage

That China has now grown doesn't make too much difference because this is a psychological thing. Can these people who lived their entire lives with a powerful West, very weak China, now easily accept that China is powerful? The answer is, no. And even if it was yes, they would still subconsciously think that the West is still superior

With growing trade between China-Russia, more technological dependence of Russia from Chinese suppliers, more Russians learnign Chinese language (and vice-versa), and more cultural exchanges, it is natural that the two countries will keep getting closer. And after some time, even when Putin is gone, there would be sufficient benefits and linkages that the Elites wouldn't want to change course

IMO if Putin persists until 2030, then after that even if he is gone, the relations between Russia-China would still grow or at the very least become stable

How come they make it seem like Xi is omnipotent and losing control at the same time

Crang said:

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How come they make it seem like Xi is omnipotent and losing control at the same time

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"China is powerful enough that it is breaking the laws of physics and will destroy America, BUT
China is weak enough that little Lithuania and America can crush it with just a little effort"

Its the usual propaganda tricks that the West is using

Crang said:

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How come they make it seem like Xi is omnipotent and losing control at the same time

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Lots of incoherent rambling by the supposed former National Security advisor and obviously focusing on the wrong approach.
Lack of access to Chinese data seems to pain them so much its hilarious.

The Shanghai data is why it looks like China will win the data war not whatever reasons Matt is lamenting about.
I'm not even he's heard of it.

Topazchen said:

Lots of incoherent rambling by the supposed former National Security advisor and obviously focusing on the wrong approach.
Lack of access to Chinese data seems to pain them so much its hilarious.

The Shanghai data is why it looks like China will win the data war not whatever reasons Matt is lamenting about.
I'm not even he's heard of it.

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Let's think of it that way. InI the West, the Stock Exchange for capital, enabled the radical economic growth

These days, the Stock Exchange for data, will enable the radical economic/technological growth