Miscellaneous News

FriedButter

Major
Registered Member
LMAO - the copium from the New York Times is mind-boggling:

Biden now claiming Russia lost 100k casualties in Bakhmut. Also I can’t remember where but didn’t someone say that the Ukrainians were losing 7 for every 1 casualties on the Russian side in Bakhmut. Anyway, the NATO copium is going to be they only lost 10 casualties with minor injuries and 24 pizza vans in a parking lot during the last 8 months.

Russia suffered ‘over 100,000 casualties’ in battle for Artyomovsk — Biden​

The Russian forces have allegedly suffered heavy casualties in the months-long battle for the strategic Donbass city of Artyomovsk, US President Joe Biden told journalists at the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Sunday.

“The truth of the matter is that Russians have suffered over 100,000 casualties in Bakhmut [Artyomovsk in Russia]. That is hard to make up,” the US president claimed, without revealing the source of this information. He then downplayed Russia’s capture of the city by saying that “there are not many buildings left standing in Bakhmut” and calling it a “pretty devastated city.”
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supersnoop

Major
Registered Member
Chinese never ruled the Philippines. That's the problem. People respect those who rule them.

Contrast with Vietnam which China did rule:

Many ordinary citizens hate Chinese but their government itself clamps down on it and silences them. Their culture is so tightly bound to China's that they're copying China in every way from gaming to military to government, listen to Chinese music, etc.
The guy who owns Jollibee is ethnically Chinese, does that count?
 

Bellum_Romanum

Brigadier
Registered Member
I find this polling as bias as you can get. Firstly, it is done solely online and with more people with college degrees which makes the demographics much more liberal and pro peaceful unification. However, one interesting finding is that older people tend to favor a military response. Presumably, it is due to the fact that older people want the reunification resolved and still living to witness it so that they can be part of that history. As for younger more nationalistic population, they might have more patience as they feel China is growing stronger everyday and the longer China waits the stronger China gets.

Although, this poll/article is intended to showcase and sow doubt that absolute majority of mainland Chinese is willing to get back Taiwan at any cost. Which corresponds with the Weibo post that some Western educated Chinese have advocated four ways to tackle Taiwan issue and sow doubt of the central government legitimacy from unification isn't in the interest of the general public, unification is against international law, the US isn't an enemy of China, US is a friend of mainland Chinese, and Chinese leaders are the ones responsible for inciting conflicts between the US and China.


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Although earlier studies have concluded that younger Chinese tend to be more nationalistic and hawkish, this poll found that in fact older respondents tended to favour more aggressive policy choices such as full-scale war or military coercion.

"Perhaps the older Chinese have now become more impatient and are more willing to see the Taiwan issue resolved, presumably during their lifetime, one way or the other, rather than wait indefinitely," the authors explained.

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There's nothing wrong with being a Liberal. But the Chinese "Liberal" hide behind that veneer of intellectual mask, when what they truly are traitors, western boot lockers, self-haters, neo-liberalist "ideologues" who would rather sell out the motherland in exchange for a seat at the American led west crumbs -- not even the table will be given to these types of people.
 

baykalov

Senior Member
Registered Member
Even "The New York Times" jokes about the current G7 meeting, calling this boring event "the lonely hearts club".

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This Year’s G7 Summit Doubles as a Club for Unloved Leaders

The relatively weak approval ratings for President Biden and his Group of 7 partners highlight the fragility of free societies facing deep political divides.

They come from far corners of the globe, speak different languages, span the ideological spectrum and range in age from 43 to 80. But one thing President Biden and the other leaders of the Group of 7 meeting in Japan this weekend have in common? They’re not all that popular at home.

For Mr. Biden and his counterparts from the world’s leading industrial powers, it is an age of democratic discontent when electorates seem perpetually dissatisfied with the presidents and prime ministers they have chosen. Each leader is in hot water for different reasons, but their shared struggles highlight the fragility of free societies in a time of deep political and cultural divisions.

That has made this year’s summit meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, something of a “lonely hearts club,” in the phrase of one specialist, where unloved leaders can commiserate over their domestic troubles and trade ideas for how to get back into the good graces of their voters. A few days away from home to engage peers on the world stage can be a welcome relief for battered leaders, a chance to strut and posture and play the role of statesman shaping the forces of history.

But their troubles have a way of following them and can limit their options and influence. Mr. Biden started his morning on the opening day of the three-day meeting on Friday not with an elevated discussion of affairs of state but with a half-hour phone call back to Washington to check on negotiations with Republicans over the more prosaic yet profoundly consequential issues of spending and debt. He ended the day by skipping out about 90 minutes early from the leaders’ gala dinner on Miyajima island to take another call from home on the spending talks.

“The upshot,” said Suzanne Maloney, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, “is an environment in which the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies have to engage with an ever more challenging world, even as they’re on shaky ground at home. This can fuel doubts among our allies and overconfidence among our adversaries, and leave us all more vulnerable as a result.”

Survey data compiled by Morning Consult in recent days indicated that the leaders of only four out of 22 major countries studied had approval ratings above 50 percent: Narendra Modi of India, Alain Berset of Switzerland, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico and Anthony Albanese of Australia. Mr. Modi, who is in Hiroshima as an observer, is the envy of the town with a 78 percent approval score, though this is in a country where religious divisions are exploited for political gain and the prime minister’s top political opponent was kicked out of Parliament for defamation.

No G7 leader, by contrast, could muster the support of a majority. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, elected just last fall, fared best with a 49 percent approval rating, according to Morning Consult, followed by Mr. Biden with 42 percent, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada with 39 percent, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany with 34 percent, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain with 33 percent and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan with 31 percent. President Emmanuel Macron of France trailed the pack with a dismal 25 percent.

Mr. Kishida managed to do better with the approval rating of his cabinet, which hit 52 percent in a recent poll. That was the first time it surpassed 50 percent in eight months, fueling speculation that he may call a snap election to take advantage while he’s ahead. But it was unclear whether the new poll was the beginning of a period of more sustained support, or just an aberration before he slides again.


Amid the general sourness, each leader is confronting distinct problems. Mr. Macron, who won re-election just last year with 58.5 percent of the vote, saw his support plummet when he pushed through an increase in the retirement age to 64 from 62, touching off violent street protests. A poll released this month found that Mr. Macron would lose a rematch to Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader he defeated last year.

Likewise, if elections were held now, recent surveys show that Mr. Sunak’s Conservative Party would lose to the Labour Party in Britain, Mr. Trudeau’s Liberal Party would lose to the Conservative Party in Canada, and Mr. Scholz’s Social Democratic Party would lose to the Christian Democratic Union in Germany.

Some political veterans attribute the weakness of the G7 leaders to economic anxiety following the Covid-19 pandemic. “There seems to be a wave of dissatisfaction sweeping our democracies,” said Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden. “I think the return of inflation, long gone, might have something to do with this.”

Inflation has certainly sapped support for Mr. Biden, along with the crisis at the southwestern border, fear of urban crime, anger over government spending and concerns over the president’s age as he asks voters to give him a second term keeping him in power until he is 86.

The best thing Mr. Biden has going for him politically at the moment is the likelihood that he might face Mr. Trump again next year, a rematch that his strategists assume would galvanize Democrats and independents who are not enthusiastic about the president but are inexorably opposed to the former president. Even so, according to polls, it is not a given that the president can beat his predecessor a second time, and Mr. Biden’s peers in Japan are deeply worried about a Trump return to power, remembering him as a disruptive, even dangerous, force.

This is not the first time the Group of 7 has gathered with its leaders underwater politically at home. But John J. Kirton, director of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto and a longtime student of the bloc, said such fallow periods typically happen when the leaders’ home countries are afflicted by severe recessions or stagflation, which is not the case now.

“At such low-in-the-polls times, the G7 summit becomes the ultimate lonely hearts club, when the leaders share their political pain, bond with one another because of it, and discuss what is working in each country to get it and perhaps them back on track,” Mr. Kirton said. “This is one way that the summit serves as the committee to re-elect the existing leaders back home.”
 

manqiangrexue

Brigadier
you really clinching straws.
You're clinching shit in your skull pretending it's a brain.
you earlies claimed that Mexico tourism is cheap but in 2023. things already expensive in Mexico. you really need to provide current data not make statements.
You are stupid. It's cheap.
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Also, Mexican per capita PPP (if you even know what that is) is about $23K, while it is about $80K in America. And if you answer with that the cost of living is lower in Mexico, this it shows that you don't know what PPP is or that it was made to already consider cost of living.
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It just show how strong is Mexico soft power that American have confidence on there medical services.
You article specifically states that Americans going to Mexico for dentistry do it because it's cheap, not because it's better or the same. I do have confidence that they can do routine procedures well, since they do them all day long and would be killed by angry customers if they messed up. But that's the same for all countries with a functioning government. Dentistry skill is the hard power of the dentist.
first there is no evidence that that those are really Mexican. or those have arrived recently.
First, I already showed that about 600K in 1.6M are Mexican. Secondly it doesn't matter. I didn't pick Mexico to shit on Mexico. I chose Mexico as just an example of people being attracted to American hard economic power. No matter who they were, from Colombia, Ecquador, Costa Rica, Honduras, my point is still proven that people come for economic reasons, not soft power.
they can be people fled from law enforcement in Mexico.
No, they answered "Economic reasons," not fleeing from the law. Literacy is a requirement for debate.
but the point is the FDI in Mexico has consistently increased. so international investors have confidence on Mexico work ethic and skill set and are assured of demographic strength. Those who have skills that are not fleeing to Northern part of America.
No, FDI increase is not the point at all. FDI increases can be for any country with good prospects, but still far away from having the economy and quality of life of a developed advanced economy.
yes. it is not job that every one like it and even if they like it they are going to be fit for this job.
Paying money to hire air traffic controllers is not soft power. Your main problem is that you don't know what soft power is at all, and you obviously have no idea what qualifications a country needs to be considered powerful or competent.

An air traffic controller costs 37K MXN or $2,100 USD per month in Mexico. Any Walmart costs more to run.
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it can be Mexican government putting pressure on US for other concessions. there is no way to create such Carvan without Mexican authorities behind it. have you read Mexican president statements that he makes time to time.
You ask me for data when I say something but you make up random nonsense like this?
where you get this idea they want to come. Mexico wages are consistently going up. Work is moving there.
I got the idea from the fact that Mexicans max out the US quota every year and the ones that don't get a spot try to enter illegally against American armed border patrol.
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Vacation =/= work/immigration.
Mexican debt is relevant metric. It shows strength of society and its Soft Power without putting burden on government. You still need healthy worker and infrastructure to build this scale of Export and Import operations.
Economic strength is hard power. Lower debt does not indicate strength if comparing to a much larger economy by nominal and PPP measures.
5% over more than decade to the mightiest power next door
Ahhhh, that's right. The mightiest power next door. That's the point. The hard economic power disparity is what's causing Mexicans to go to America.
but still Mexico population has grown faster than US. have you tried putting any other developing country next to US and see how what ever agriculture and manufacturing they have is decimated. think before make a comparison. Even Wealthy Canada what is left of what they had as independent brands and that country has imported alot more immigrants.
No, you think before you speak, if you're capable. Because I already said that Mexico is not the point. I just picked a situation where hard power disparity causes immigration and that's all there is to it. I don't hate Mexico and I don't think it is a shitty country in the world. Because you lost track of the conversation, you thought my point was to shit on Mexico when it is to demonstrate hard power over soft power in immigration.
provide data that Mexico is losing skill people.
Again?
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""The number of Mexican immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher grew from 269,000 in 2000 to 678,000 in 2017""
Mexico is technically strong country as it hardly sent any one to US top universities but still can work with US business.
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That's a very unique definition of "strong" used by nobody except you.
This data upto 2017 for Mexico and not showing what they major in.
Tripled the numbers. Whatever they majored in, bachelor's degree is generally skill labor. Here's for tech:
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and if we take the numbers its drop in bucket for such a period.
You ask for numbers increasing, and I show you they almost tripled. Then you say it's a drop in the bucket... at 5%. You're just making up what that means. As long as more than 50% of Mexicans are in Mexico, you can claim some bullshit about drop in the bucket.
Money is hard power but spending money not to create more money but to create soft image through sports is creating Soft Power. that part you consistently missing it or not understanding it. Unless you think Qatar earned $200B from FIFA. Countries are after Soft Power.
I understand it's theory but it has no results. You can say anybody has or doesn't have soft power because you have no definition of it, neither can you show what the "soft power" brought them. They have nothing to show for their imaginary "soft power" except more imaginary "soft power."
and than Biden got elected. do you think all those European heritage not influenced.
European heritage? Biden vs Trump? Trump is the one with German heritage.
Its very difficult to consistently goes against Germany. one term you can do it but than the consensus decisions of Nato/EU and all the organizations that Germany is driving force overpower every thing.
So in your deranged imagination, what actions/how did Germany influence the US election? How are they controlling NATO/EU? Cus I see them having absolutely no influence, mostly being forced to give up their own things/interests.
Yup Try give to Japan/Korea/French on same scale.
They got out-competed by hard cash/subsidies. End of story, no soft power.
where is official data and what is included?
Data that Russians died? Go the the Ukraine thread and see how many Russians died. Everybody has a number, but unless that person is a mentally challenged one like you, that number is not 0.
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Yeah, cus too many Russians died.
they withdrew to more sustainable posture.
That is true, but it wouldn't have to be if they were strong enough to hold and take more. Lack of hard power is the issue.
It is integration of Arab world and India into West through prolong Ukraine conflict.
No, that's actually done. The useful part, proving that Western banks can't be trusted, is done and the USD is falling in usage. Russia can just finish up and win now if they're capable.
you can take this statement to the bank for the rest of your time.
Everything you say is retarded. If I gave that statement to my bank, they would ask what resource management/long term investment plan I'd like during the years I'm institutionalized and require my legal caretaker to sign for me.
 

Abominable

Major
Registered Member
I wish I could tell you how, and think that's going to be oh so easy. Anything worth doing in life requires huge commitments, and yes, sacrifices will be made. The CPC as a political organization must change constantly or adapt and be flexible enough to the threats it face, the threats that will emerge both from within and without.

The main argument I made and am going to continue to make is that to many in the world, or at least more acutely within it's own sphere like ASEAN countries like the Philippines. China and by extension Chinese people, culture remains an alien to the local population even though the Chinese people has been living in that country for hundreds of years. They have been able to establish and foster businesses that's become staple in their daily lives from Jollibee, SM malls as few examples. Despite the Chinese people's resilience, adaptability the relationship, understanding of Chinese diaspora with the rest of the population remain largely equidistant. The people looks at their fellow Chinese-Filipinos either with grudging respect, admiration to their business acumen, ability to hold money, envy, derision, and suspicion. The Chinese culture never permeated or extended beyond the diaspora. Even there, the Chinese culture was somewhat weak or more like westernized.

Contrast that experience with the Spaniards and especially with the Americans despite their brutality, literal opression, mass killings, literally discrimination, cultural destruction Filipinos look at these people with an almost blind loyalty, love, affection and a total acceptance of the American culture.

How can the Chinese able to influence others if the confidence and firm belief in itself doesn't even exist, easily penetrated or corrupted? The message and appeal of universality is strong and impossible to deny. At the most basic level every human being desire and want the most basic and fundamental things which is to pursue their dreams, ambitions, ability to raise and support a family, good education. But what set us apart and define us is the philosophical foundations, belief if you like to call it that way that can animate people to take actions that goes against their interest and existence see American relationship with her vassals in EU, Japan, SK, etc..

If China isn't willnig to shape the world or at least recalibrate the world in it's own image for whatever reasons, then China will always be on the defensive, reactive, governance system prone to cracking for this very reason. It's a battle of ideas, and in battle both sides are trying to shape the environment so that it can shape the outcome. Why is this area be any different?
I think with the Phillipines it is because they have been Christianised and think of themselves as "western". It also happened a long time ago, I think the era when it was possible for entire nations to be genocided or converted is over. It did happen to a lesser extent in South Vietnam and South Korea but failed.

About "shaping the world" it is largely a Christian/Islamic phenomenon. Historically empires tended not to impose their culture and beliefs onto other societies even when they conquered them, there was a fusion of beliefs. Christianity and Islam to a lesser extent are inherently evangelical, they believe the need to spread to world to the "uncivilised". Today America isn't a Christian state, but it still retains the need to spread their ideology, "democracy", to uncivilised people.

Unlike you, I tend to see it as a handicap rather than an advantage for America. The values America wants to export are unwelcome pretty much everywhere, especially in Asia and Africa. They have hundreds of military bases and outposts around the world to help impose their ideology. It costs them hundreds of billions every years, all for very little benefit.

If you had to choose to make an alliance with one of two countries, one which wants to change your way of living and one that doesn't which would you pick?
 

KYli

Brigadier
Calling spy balloon incident silly but at the same time saying it carried two freight cars’ worth of spying equipment is truly silly. If it is truly a spy balloon that the pentagon took days to shoot down, then it shows the lack of leadership. If not, then it is all for nothing propaganda that intended to brainwash and distract the general population. Either way, Biden's administration shows weakness.
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