Welcome to Saturday's Potluck - 8-6-2022

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

July 17, 1975 is one of those days etched in my permanent memory, significant events of the day easily recalled by simply closing my eyes. Great Grandma was 84 and visiting with us for the day to watch TV. Canning five boxes of over ripe pears took priority over spending a day in casual chatter until it was time to watch the Russian and United States astronauts shake hands in space.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb-BWmOSjwY]

She offered to help peel pears. Her arthritic hands deftly handled the paring knife and she joined the challenge of who could create the longest pear peeling. She commented how wonderful if felt to be doing something useful.

She marveled at the changes during her lifetime. Her parents traveled to Oregon when she was less than a year old, part of the journey was by train and the final segment by wagon. She raised her children during the roaring 20's and depression in the 30's. Experienced 2 world wars and now experienced the handshake of cooperation in space.

Life is a series of changes, many age related milestones, career changes and constant adjustments to societal changes. The east coast's first permanent settlement Jamestown was established in 1607 for company profit and land claims for England. 1620 the first religious colonists arrived to carve out new homes and communities. Western part of the county has a shorter history of United States and English settlements in Oregon Territory. Patterns are similar. I am sure if you looked at your local area there would be examples to share.

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Every few years someone decides the rest of the citizens need to make changes and go about trying to force a change. At least at the moment there are no missiles.

2021-2022 Greater Idaho
This falls under any publicity is good publicity.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyyxeqMithk]

2020-2022 Portland Black Lives Matter and assorted Protests
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAXfhfwlEQ]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2IoyzMes0U]

2016 41 day stand off as Malheur Refuge

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktr9MYFdadc]

1941 Jefferson State
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBTKF8_tTh4&t=1163s]

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Taiwan - I am currently watching these two sites for the most current information and opinions.

Taiwan News


Taipei Times

two different opinions
Pelosi acted, now its Biden’s move

Pelosi acted, now its Biden’s move

By Joseph Bosco

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has done her part to honor democratic Taiwan. US President Joe Biden must now do his part to defend it.

Having failed to deter Pelosi from visiting Taiwan, despite its crude threats to her safety, Communist China is now asserting forceful measures directed at Taiwan. It has encircled it with naval forces armed with guns and missiles that could strike the nation from multiple directions, and it has conducted live-fire “exercises” from those locations.

The US Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979 states: “It is the policy of the United States ... to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”

The Chinese naval encirclement of Taiwan — including its major commercial ports in Kaohsiung and Keelung, and the firing of weapons and missiles — would prevent the movement of goods to and from Taiwan, the very definition of a boycott or embargo, and a clear contravention of the TRA.

When China launched missiles toward Taiwan in 1995 and 1996, it sent insurance rates soaring and effectively closed the Taiwan Strait to international commerce — precisely what China’s current expanded military operations intend to accomplish.

When the first missiles were fired in 1995 to protest then-president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) reunion visit to Cornell University, then-US president Bill Clinton sent the USS Nimitz through the Taiwan Strait. It was the first time a US aircraft carrier had made the transit since former US president Richard Nixon withdrew the Seventh Fleet to assuage Mao Zedong (毛澤東) and pave the way for Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972.

However, Washington diluted the message after Beijing’s complaint, saying it was a mere weather diversion.

Further weakening US deterrence, when Chinese military officials asked Clinton’s highest official in charge of China affairs what Washington would do if China attacked Taiwan, then-US assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs Joseph Nye said: “We don’t know, it would depend on the circumstances,” without making mention of the TRA.

In March 1996, just before Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, China fired missiles again. This time, Clinton sent two carriers, the Nimitz and the Independence. As they approached the Strait, Beijing said they would face “a sea of fire.” The ships turned away, and only one carrier has made the passage in the 27 years since, while Chinese carriers routinely pass through the Strait, although smaller US and allied combatants make monthly transits.

It is time for Biden to invoke the TRA and the UN Law of the Sea Convention by breaking the Chinese blockade of Taiwan. It can be accomplished by peaceful passages through the Strait, which is an international waterway under the convention, contrary to Beijing’s absurd recent claim, and through other international waters around Taiwan, enabling world commerce to come and go unimpeded.

The US ships would have no reason to fire their weapons unless fired upon or otherwise physically attacked by Chinese vessels — extreme measures by China that would constitute acts of war and require an appropriate US response. Bringing an action before the UN Tribunal for the Law of the Sea would also expose the legal, historical and moral bankruptcy of Beijing’s assertions, just as the Philippines did regarding its South China Sea claims.

Beijing has been testing the US’ will for many years, and believes that Biden’s presidency provides them their most propitious opportunity to force the US to back down without triggering a shooting war. Biden must disabuse them of that perception of American weakness, just as Pelosi did in her own way.

EDITORIAL: Taiwan invasion would ruin China

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) chairman Mark Liu (劉德音) said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would render the company’s plants inoperable, and that such a war would produce “no winners.”

Not only would Taiwan’s economy be destroyed in a cross-strait conflict, but the impact “would go well beyond semiconductors, and would bring about the destruction of the world’s rules-based order and totally change the geopolitical landscape,” Liu said in the interview, according to the Central News Agency.

Bloomberg columnist Hal Brands wrote on June 24: “A major war over Taiwan could create global economic chaos that would make the mess produced by Russia’s war in Ukraine look minor by comparison, for reasons going far beyond the nation’s crucial position in semiconductor supply chains.”

________

What is on your mind today?

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Comments

Thanks once again for the Saturday Potluck! This quote from Taiwan caught my eye ..

the destruction of the world’s rules-based order

it sounds like another reiteration of that loose concept brandied about by western
powers. Whose rules are the world's? There is international law, which is selectively
adhered to. There are treaties that are ignored when it is convenient. But rules are only made by rulers to further their individual economic and military agendas.

Swimming again today in 100% humidity. See y'all in the sweat lodge Wink

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TheOtherMaven's picture

@QMS

since in my opinion they are all a bunch of drunken clowns.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Lookout's picture

Not much of a Trade day today due to the yard sale on the mountain.
The collective west is out of touch. All agreed Taiwan is part of China, but now new bills proposed to recognize Taiwan and support them militarily. We are absolutely insane. Ukraine 2.0 and guaranteed to fail even more miserably. The US has lost its mind and the government is corrupt, inept, and arrogant. Our chicken hawks will come home to roost, and the people will pay the price.

Loved the story of your Grand. We too are experiencing major changes in our lives.
Thanks for the OT!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

CB's picture

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I know very little about Taiwan and lately have been reading what I can to try and understand what is what. Last week I watched a two plus hour discussion that included the subject of Taiwan and the interference from our political leaders. The situation is very discouraging. I do appreciate your links (as well as everybody else's here) since the corporate media is basically unreliable with regard to supplying honest information.

I enjoyed the story of your great grandmother, my g. grandmother seemed to have been a bit like yours, she would help us do things like peel pears (or potatoes) and she enjoyed helping. I miss her.

I've been reading history as well but about natural history. I started with some botany and am deep in the woods now. I started with the botany in central Texas but have wandered far afield and am nowhere near Texas at the moment. I found out about this woman :[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBOVet8Ki4g]

Thank you soe for all your Saturday morning contributions.

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ggersh's picture

talks to the RF's UN Ambassador for a half hour. Yet the
neoshitlibs/cons won't talk to Russia at all

This is well worth a half hour of your time. The interview is done
on Rumble

https://rumble.com/v1ewum7-un-ambassador-dmitry-polyanskiy-interview-fro...

UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy Interview From The Russian Federation

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

Patterns are similar. I am sure if you looked at your local area there would be examples to share.

Lessee, really short version; Spaniards invaded and colonized but were eventually driven out of Mexico leaving CA largely Mexican. Rooskies meandered down the coast, setting up enclaves as far south as Sonoma County. Then Californios and gringos, in various areas, rebelled and established assorted local autonomous regions including at least one nation state, but at almost the same time the US invaded and conquered various of these regions (Battle of San Pascual, etc.) At some point Mexico officially, at gunpoint, ceded the place to the invaders (Guadalupe-Hidalgo, iirc). Indigenous populations, exploited, enslaved, massacred and forceably relocated by all groups, in ever increasing degrees of severity but even the mighty US couldn't completely exterminate all members of every group. That's about it.

In other news, 15 countries recognize Taiwan as the government of China (Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland and Tuvalu.) The conservatives: neocons, neoliberals, other warhawks and their backers (Democratic Party, GOP, House, Senate, State Department and CIA) want the US to join that group for the usual shit- headed reasons.

Domestic:

The US Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979 states: “It is the policy of the United States ... to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”

The US continues to enact laws and declare policies concerning the internal and international behavior of foreign nations as if it ruled the world. Barring actual attacks on the US or its direct colonies and possessions we have no right or justification for so doing. Monroe doctrine, for example, is horseshit, as have been all of our other decrees about the behaviors not involving armed attacks on the US of foreign nation states, let alone all of our attacks on said foreign states, including economic warfare such as sanctions and supplying arms and war materials to combatants in armed disputes with respect to which we claim to be neutral, such as in Ukraine. (The rights of neutrals do not include the supplying war materials to a party to a conflict.)

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/01/china-opens-embassy-in-nic...

China has opened an embassy in Nicaragua for the first time since 1990, less than a month after the central American country cut ties with Taiwan.

The Nicaraguan foreign minister, Denis Moncada, said there was an “ideological affinity” between the two countries and thanked China for donating 1m doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine.

Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, established relations with China in 1985, but after he lost the election in 1990, Nicaragua recognised Taiwan.

Ortega returned to power in 2007 and in won re-election in November. In December, Nicaragua broke off relations with Taiwan and last week it seized the island’s former embassy and diplomatic offices, saying they belong to China. However, China’s new embassy is located elsewhere, and it is unclear what China will do with the Taiwan building.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@humphrey

in the news, but somehow forgot it all. Too damn much going on every damn day anymore, none of those nice long "boring: lulls in things,

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

CB's picture

China Has Leapfrogged the U.S. in Key Technologies. Can a New Law Help?

While Congress argued over whether and how to support American chip makers and research in other technologies, China was surging ahead.

In the weeks before the House and the Senate ended 13 months of arguments and passed the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, China’s main, state-supported chip maker cleared a major technological hurdle that delivered a bit of a shock to the world.

Experts are still assessing how China apparently leapfrogged ahead in its effort to manufacture a semiconductor whose circuits are of such tiny dimensions — about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair — that they rival those made in Taiwan, which supplies both China and the West. The Biden administration has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the highly specialized equipment to make those chips out of Chinese hands, because progress in chip manufacturing is now scrutinized as a way to define national power — much the same way nuclear tests or precision-guided missiles were during a previous cold war.
...
“Our Congress is working at political speed,” said Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive who went on to lead the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which warned last year of the huge dangers of falling far behind in a “foundational” technology like advanced semiconductor manufacturing in a world of vulnerable supply chains. “The Chinese government is working at commercial speed.”

In China, the drive to catch up and manufacture the most advanced chips is part of the “Made in China 2025” program. That effort began in 2015. While few in Congress want to concede the point, the technologies that the United States will be funding when President Biden signs the bill, as he promised to do on Thursday, largely replicate the Chinese list.
...
The bill’s authors say that while they are late to the task of rebuilding the industry, starting today is better than continuing to watch the American lead erode. Senator Todd Young said that while China’s recent advance was “sobering,” he didn’t think there was “anyone that can out-innovate the United States of America if we mobilize our many resources.”

America’s other advantage is “our relationships, economic and geopolitical, with other countries,” said Mr. Young, an Indiana Republican. “China has no friends; they have vassal states.”
...

The American exceptionalism "hubris" of the authors of this report make two of the greatest errors when it comes to China:

  1. no one can out-innovate the US
  2. China has no friends

Both are inherently false. China produces well over 10 times the number of highly motivated graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) than the US.

China has more 'friends' if you look at membership in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative which comprises well over 3/4 of the world's population:

The countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are spread across all continents:

In March 2022, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 147*.

  • 43 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 35 BRI countries are in Europe & Central Asia (including 18 countries of the European Union (EU) that are part of the BRI)
  • 25 BRI countries are in East Asia & pacific
  • 20 BRI countries are in Latin America & Caribbean
  • 18 BRI countries in Middle East & North Africa
  • 6 countries are in South East Asia

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@CB

How that Belt and Road Initiative is working out for them:

https://biznakenya.com/how-china-took-over-sri-lanka-port/

https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/china-in-sri-lanka-the-colombo-port-conu...

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studentofearth's picture

@Blue Republic from the comment and doing a little research. Did not realize India was protesting certain ships from using a Sri Lanka port this month.

Sri Lanka blocks visit by Chinese vessel after protest by India MSN 8-6-2022

NEW DELHI: Following a strong protest by India, Sri Lanka has blocked the proposed visit by a Chinese "spy vessel’’ to the Hambantota port in southern Sri Lanka. In an official communication, the Lankan foreign ministry asked the Chinese embassy in Colombo to defer the arrival of the ship "until further consultations."

India had earlier raised the issue with Lankan authorities in Colombo and sought to know the purpose of the visit. The research vessel Yuan Wang 5 was scheduled to arrive in Hambantota, a port built by the Chinese, on August 11 and conduct ``space tracking, satellite control and research tracking in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region’’. The issue had been raised in India’s Parliament and concerns expressed about the likely activities of the ship.

Zerohedge also had an article on Sri Lanka debt and politics yesterday.

How Sri Lanka Is Being Dragged Into US-China Conflict

The country’s 2022 budget allocates a substantial 12.3 percent to the military. If you look at the number of military personnel relative to the population, Sri Lanka (1.46 percent) follows Israel, the world’s highest (2 percent), and there is one soldier for every six civilians in the island’s northern and eastern provinces, where a sizeable Tamil community resides. This kind of spending, an enormous drag on public expenditure and social life, enables the militarisation of Sri Lankan society.

Authors of the sizeable national debt are many, but the bulk of responsibility must surely lie with the ruling class and the International Monetary Fund. Since 1965, Sri Lanka has sought assistance from the IMF 16 times. During the depth of the current crisis, in March 2022, the IMF’s executive board proposed that Sri Lanka raise the income tax, sell off public enterprises and cut energy subsidies.

Three months later, after the resulting economic convulsions had created a serious political crisis, the IMF staff visit to Colombo concluded with calls for more "reforms," mainly along the same grain of privatization. U.S. Ambassador Julie Chang met with both President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to assist with "negotiations with the IMF." There was not even a whiff of concern for the state of emergency and political crackdown.

These meetings show the extent to which Sri Lanka has been dragged into the U.S.-imposed hybrid war against China, whose investments have been exaggerated to shift the blame for the country’s debt crisis away from Sri Lanka’s leaders and the IMF.
...
Official data indicates that only 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s external debt is owed to Chinese entities, whereas 47 percent is held by Western banks and investment companies such as BlackRock, JP Morgan Chase, and Prudential (United States), as well as Ashmore Group and HSBC (Britain) and UBS (Switzerland).

This is hopeful thought for the citizens of Sri Lanka from The Diplomat article in your reference.

In a telephone call a few weeks ago, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the importance of their bilateral partnership. While Rajapaksa thanked Xi for the Chinese government’s support at the UNHRC session, he also said that for poverty alleviation, Sri Lanka can follow the Chinese model. Xi is reported to have specifically highlighted the Sino-Sri Lankan cooperation on the Port City of Colombo and the Port of Hambantota. Similar sentiments were echoed by the two foreign ministers where the Sri Lankan foreign minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, said it considered “China as its closest friend.”

The other article from 2018 will not allow cut & paste to share content. I will add this from another article at The Diplomat from 2020. The Hambantota Port Deal: Myths and Realities

For starters, the Hambantota port deal cannot be interpreted as a debt-equity swap or the Chinese cancelling debt in exchange for control of the port — although that seems to be a well-established narrative. The Sri Lankan government is still obliged to pay off five loans obtained from the Exim Bank of China to construct the Hambantota port and the agreements pertaining to those loans have not been amended. The loans were not defaulted and the loan agreements remain unchanged. In that sense, the port lease cannot be interpreted as a debt-equity swap, which refers to a cancellation of debt in exchange for the equity of an asset. In this case there was no cancellation of the debt.

Instead, a 70 percent stake of the port was leased to China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (CM Port) for 99 years for $1.12 billion. This $1.12 billion, however, was not used to pay off the debt obtained to construct the port. This significant dollar inflow was used to strengthen the country’s foreign reserves and make some short-term foreign debt repayments.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

CB's picture

@Blue Republic @Blue Republic
in exchange for a 99 year lease.

Edit: See https://caucus99percent.com/comment/574171#comment-574171. The debt was not forgiven - just restructured. The port was leased out to a Chinese company for 99 years for $1.12 billion.

Chinese debt to Sri Lanka is only 10% of their total outstanding debt.

China and India in Sri Lanka: friendship and 'friendship'
By Sri Lanka Guardian • August 05, 2022
...
India is worried about the Chinese footprint in the island, especially the Hambantota Port which has been leased to China for 99 years (in a dodgy, ill-advised and carelessly worded document) for ‘commercial activity.’ Well, Sri Lanka should worry about the Chinese footprint too, one could argue. On the other hand, we’ve known that the Indian footprint was made among other ways by the jackboot of the Indian army. We know that Rajiv Gandhi, when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed, bragged that it was the beginning of the Bhutanization of Sri Lanka. We know that top military persons considered it a victory that Sri Lanka had agreed to name Trincomalee as the capital of the merged Northern and Eastern Province.

And we know other things about China. China’s friendship is long and staunch on many counts, going back to the Rubber-Rice Pact and even before that. China did not fund, arm and train terrorists, create a problem and offer to sort it out and fail miserably. China did not undertake to disarm terrorists and fail to do so or despite not keeping to its side of the bargain insist that Sri Lanka implement to the last letter a constitutional amendment thrust down Sri Lanka’s throat at gun-point, almost. China has consistently and solidly defended Sri Lanka at the UN, especially the UNHRC and the UN Security Council. India, on the other hand, never stood up for her neighbour, choosing at best to abstain during key votes, sponsored by the USA or her allies. China has been a veritable guarantor of Sri Lanka’s security; India has actively subverted Sri Lanka’s security.

Ideally, geopolitics would evolve into an Asian Compact (as opposed to the QUAD) where India and China stand together against the world’s biggest bully, the US-led bloc which includes NATO members. Ideally, those who talk of friendship would not impose conditions on support. Ideally, Sri Lanka would excavate herself from the current predicament by placing greater faith on her resources and people, living within means, setting up development banks, banking on cooperatives and cooperation, and thereby fixing the balance of payment crisis, weaning herself from dollar dependency, and stumping the import mafia that has brought Sri Lanka to where it is now.
...

The US has been engineering another "Colour Revolution" in Sri Lanka:

Sri Lanka: US Backed Colour Revolution in Colombo

Above: The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka (middle) meets with a select group of journalists in her residence on July 8, one day before protestors stormed the Presidential residence in Colombo.

20-07-2022: Appearances can be deceptive in nature, society, science, religion – and especially in times of political upheaval. On the surface, the events in Sri Lanka over the last several months seem to indicate a bona fide uprising of suffering people against an administration which caused and presided over the worst economic crisis since the nation gained its independence in 1948[1], after a century and a half of colonial British rule. In reality, Sri Lanka is currently enduring yet another colour revolution orchestrated and covertly funded and directed by the US state department, as part of its now hidden now open multi-pronged war against Red China. “Colour revolutions”, of course, are not genuine revolutions at all, and benefit only the corporate elite behind them. US imperialism is not in the habit of backing any variety of genuinely progressive politics but is well practiced in clandestine regime change operations under a façade of “good governance”. Colombo is only the latest target.

“Civil Society” false front for subversion

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the “public relations” arm of the notorious CIA, has been funding “civil society” organisations (CSO) in Sri Lanka for years. In 2021 alone, the NED admits to spending almost $1 million on a string of legal, human rights, environmental, journalism and “youth leadership and political engagement” organisations throughout the country.[2] The notion that the US government is aiding and assisting young Sri Lankans to gain knowledge and practical experience in political, legal and journalistic endeavours with no ulterior motive is absurd. The barely veiled reality is that Washington is politically interfering in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka to bring about a political class which will be 100% loyal to the geopolitical interests of Wall Street, as part of its ongoing hybrid war against the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Even though the Rajapaksa political dynasty has not at all been anti-US, and has often collaborated openly with it, both former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and now resigned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa were perceived by the US state as being too pro-China for opting for PRC based infrastructure development and loan agreements.

The subversion often takes place in broad daylight. Prior to the storming of the Presidential residence in early July, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka – Julie Chung – met with opposition leaders and various organisations involved in the protests. She tweeted that it was “great to chat with Sri Lankan digital creators about fighting disinformation (!) & promoting truthful reporting (!!)”. On June 29, Chung met with the opposition Samaji Jana Balawegaya to “hear their perspectives…on promoting transparency and good governance.” On July 5, Chung met with representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Sri Lanka. On July 7, Chung met with journalists to express “US support for Sri Lanka’s efforts to address the economic crisis” and the alleged US “unwavering commitment to free speech” (!). Later that day the US Ambassador met graduates from the US funded International Military Education and Training Programme, where she expressed support for “efforts to ensure the military remains accountable to the people and upholds the country’s democratic ideas.” (!!!)[3] It is not difficult to see what is going on.
...

Sri Lankan's understand what the US is up to in their country:

Lessons for Sri Lanka: What US means when it delivers “Democracy” via NED to China
Posted by admin On August 06, 2022

US Govt delivers democracy through National Endowment for Democracy NED. Foreign aid & programs associated with the aid were to determine the manner of “democracy” to be delivered. That “democracy” meant helping friendly regimes, toppling unfriendly regimes, propping puppets, assisting dictators – all in the name of ‘democracy’. Democracy became intertwined with political and economic assistance that soon became insisted. The task was outsourced to USAID and US Peace Corps who initially targeted Latin America, Africa, Middle East & Asia.
...
NED is active in Sri Lanka. NED has funded Sri Lankan NGOs to the tune of $1m in 2021 alone. If NED has funded street movements, paid demonstrators, funded riots, paid NGOs to train youth elsewhere to overthrow elected leaders, destabilize countries — do you think NED will not be replicating the same programs in Sri Lanka? Now merge that with the NGOs – youth – women & other players active in the recent “protests” and begin asking yourself questions and seeking answers for yourself.

Shenali D Waduge

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snoopydawg's picture

and for some reason started thinking about how the parasite class worked to hollow out America’s manufacturing base. Detroit used to be the state where cars were made and now it’s a ghost town of itself because factories moved overseas. Soon almost every major industry followed and now the only things this country creates are weapons and debt for the working class. The FIRE sector is a parasite of America offshoring everything not nailed down to countries where CEOs can pay low wages whilst themselves getting ever bigger paychecks.

Our government needs to be held accountable for betraying the American workers, but instead it’s been appointing people to the federal reserve to raise interest rates on the working class in order to push down wages and increase unemployment. Instead of congress clamping down on the fight against the workers it’s still giving tax breaks and subsidies to the most successful businesses ever. They have abdicated their duty to we the people and instead of holding them accountable for it we just keep voting them back in office to continue the fight against us. What’s that definition of insanity? Americans should buy a mirror and stop doing this stupid thing.

And for gawd’s sake when are people going to bitch about the obscene money going to the military and especially to Ukraine while so many Americans are hurting?

As for the anti war movement take a look at the POS kos wrote today about Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the people who don’t think that was a smart move. I think they are way smarter than this CIA puppy.

“THOU SHALT NOT CRITICIZE THE PELOSI “

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

by nomadic indigenous tribes. My 12 acres is in the general area where they met annually to trade, hunt for wives, play games. It is not uncommon to find flint stones and arrow heads her. My brother once found a spear head. Then comes Spain. Then, France. Then Mexico. Then Republic of Texas. Then, US. Then Confederate States. 6 flags over Texas. With a 7th flip to return to the US, although we do have some clause in our last iteration that allows for secession. I have heard Texas politicians espouse seceding from the Union all my life, but never more than now.
We shall see.
My Dd was born in 1920 in a covered wagon. The family followed logging camps. Logging is still the main industry in East Texas.
Decades ago, I bought an old cedar trunk at an antique store in Louisiana. When I showed it to my Dad, he said it is the type used by families in covered wagons. It is plain, completely undecorated.
No telling how old it is.
Interesting OT!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

“This is the place!” and put down roots. July 24th is what I call Saint Brigham’s day but it’s just another chance for people to shoot fireworks. Especially the ones that are illegal here, but people go to Evanston and buy them there. Cops don’t seem to give a rat’s ass about them.

But by the end of July they had to see how dry the area got so I think they should have kept moving into Nevada.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

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@humphrey They get no criticism, at all, from Western governments, or their msm.
Apartheid is not happening.
Squirrel!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

I felt something on my toe. It was a tiny lizard on top of my toe, chasing a bee that was trying to crawl under my toe.
That's a new one.
I learned some new history on Hiroshima, learned some new historical facts, learned more about the murderous intent of my country from Truman to Obama, with Hillary's evil tossed in. It is a short read.
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/08/06/hiroshima-at-77-john-pilger-anothe...

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

CB's picture

The US Military Was Just Used To Help A Dementia Patient Try To Start WW3
Going Rogue With Caitlin Johnstone

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after a brief but diplomatically corrosive visit, the aftereffects from which may be felt for years to come.

Toward the end of her speech alongside Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, Pelosi's brain underwent one of its increasingly common software glitches, causing her to begin babbling inarticulately.

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@CB

Just because elements in the US power structure seem to be pushing for conflict with China over Taiwan doesn't mean they are doing so with the intention of preserving Taiwan's independence or with American interests in mind.

They may be doing it with the intention of the US (and, of course, Taiwan) *losing*.

FWIW, and on a positive note, a poll of Japanese released here today showed 70% in favor of supporting Taiwan militarily in the event of Chinese invasion, just 17% opposed.

Maybe they are realizing the extent to which they have skin in the game as, according to this scenario, which I see as likely:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/5935484/china-pearl-harbor-attack-taiwan/

https://www.the-sun.com/news/5672201/us-lose-war-china-week-taiwan/?rec_...

Japanese territory would be attacked at the outset of the conflict.

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CB's picture

Two Major Theater Wars, Taiwan, Pelosi, strategic shift.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgJ8Q9RTmzM]

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soryang's picture

@CB @CB Generally I'm a fan of Martyanov's analysis. Agree with his assessment of the "leadership" of the government in DC. In his presentation, I only take exception to his dismissive analysis of the Chinese military. I think it's somewhat ethnocentric. It's the PLAN which is a bit different from the western concept of navy. That orientation implies the historical context of its role and development. The whole concept of struggle to offset the historical forces of imperialism in CCP doctrine puts this contest over Taiwan in a longer term perspective which frankly Americans don't understand. They dismiss the record of imperial aggression against China as ideological cant. It wouldn't be the first time the US and it allies blundered into another Asian debacle.

I follow others who are experts on the Chinese armed forces, and while they admit there are some weak points in the PLAN relative to the US Navy, it is the US armed forces who are not prepared to fight China over Taiwan. I don't think that either side wants war. Nevertheless, given the humiliating history of gunboat diplomacy in East Asia, China could be easily provoked to war over Taiwan. In that event, Chinese commitment would be higher than that of the US, whose policy views on East Asia are based more on custom and past practice than reality. It's not surprising that Martyanov also has this blind spot. After the Russian revolution, Russia saw itself almost in a big brother role to emerging Chinese military organization.

Other experts who acknowledge certain US advantages also recognize the US disadvantages. The Chinese will quickly compensate for any weaknesses and bring their strengths to bear to overcome them. Any conflict that takes place in the Chinees littoral around Taiwan or elsewhere in close proximity to China allows it to respond in a way that would gravely damage US and allied forces and resources. (for this reason I fear the US would entertain use of nuclear weapons sooner or later to "end the conflict" as it has in the past ).

Former Admiral Bill Owens has said there is no military solution to Taiwan. Other experts say sooner or later the US would likely be defeated in a conflict over Taiwan, or at a minimum sustain serious military losses. Chinese strategic depth, resourcefulness, and organizational skills should not be treated dismissively so close to its shores. Yes, the Chinese PLAN is not yet optimally ready. Yet it has enough resources and military assets to cause widespread damage in the theater which will shock Americans out of their China fantasy. The outcome of any such conflict cannot be easily foretold.

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語必忠信 行必正直

CB's picture

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CB's picture

"[China] is not encircling Taiwan, Taiwan is part of China!"

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studentofearth's picture

current information of shifting world events. I would prefer to respond to each comment individually, other events took over the day.

At 16 my Great Grandmother handed me the book to read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. The next week when I returned her copy of the book, she told me enjoy the life I have, but we are not guaranteed life remains the same or always gets better so begin preparing myself for unknown challenges and opportunities.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Excellent State of Jefferson doc - footage and background info that I - a former SoJ resident and current backer had never seen.

Big contrast with that embarrassingly condescending one on the Greater Idaho movement.

Overall, there should be much simpler procedures to adjust state boundaries and allow secessions or mergers where that is what is clearly what the local people want.

In the case of both SoJ and Greater Idaho movements the very issues - underrepresentation and being subject to the dictates of liberal urban elites who ignore and/or despise them - also present the biggest obstacles to achieving their goals within the system.

I got my first slap down on DK for voicing some skepticism about vaccines. The second was for posting this - in the context of some thread or other where there was the usual handwringing, wailing and diatribes about the evil of guns, and open carry in particular.

(Spoiler alert - nothing happens)

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVs5zCUvuGw]

The Blue Guard thought police didn't actually say I violated anything by posting the video - but I had labelled the location "Occupied State of Jefferson" and was sternly warned that *that* was CT (conspiracy theory) and verboten...

I think this exchange - from the Comments to the SoJ documentary pretty well captures the State of Jefferson vibe:

ThatOneGuy
1 year ago
... Around here you can tune into JPR (Jefferson Public Radio). We are NOT Salem. We are NOT Sacramento. And we certainly aren't Portland or San Fran.
We tend to be a libertarian stronghold. We couldn't give two fucks if a same-sex couple were guarding their pot field with full-auto machine guns and paying no taxes on their sales.

2

REPLY

Plen122
1 year ago
@ThatOneGuy libertarians are just Republican lite, aren't they?

REPLY

ThatOneGuy
1 year ago
@Plen122 No. Our values tend to overlap, but our solutions are far different when it comes to the role of government. Libertarians don't like government intervention in the rights of the INDIVIDUAL.
This might make it seem like we are more left because we don't think that the government has the right to restrict what you put into your own body voluntarily (prohibition), but we also don't think that the government should be able to restrict any firearms that you should choose to own. We are pro-FREEDOM.

soj51.org

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studentofearth's picture

@Blue Republic world. The do not have to fundamentally alter the lives of others to minimize their own inconvenience and increase profits. My objection is about local choice. Greater Idaho Project impacts my personal life.

Their site brags about keeping funding sources secret. The primary benefit I see is natural resource extraction will be with less oversite - timber, water and mining. Individuals and communities will still be geographically separated by a governing liberal urban area - Boise.

We can accept funds from out-of-state, from corporations, and from overseas, because we do not engage in federal elections. Business owners are welcome to give directly from their corporation rather than from their pocket.
...
We don’t report on gifts to Citizens for Greater Idaho because it’s not a PAC. To give to Citizens for Greater Idaho, use the information at the top of this page.

Donations are not tax deductible on a federal return. But you probably don’t itemize your income taxes anymore anyway, since the standard deduction was increased so much in 2017. All of our organizations are 501c4, not c3, so that we may engage in politics.

The Daily Show episode is part of a targeted marketing campaign to one of three target groups. Added bonus is national publicity could result in more funding.

To move the Oregon/Idaho border, we need to convince 3 groups. Each group gets its own campaign: rural Oregonians, Idahoans, and Oregon state legislators.

Phase 1: Oregon/Idaho

Step 1: Rural Oregonians collect signatures to get greater idaho on their county ballot, or convince county commissioners to put a question on the ballot.

Step 2: Oregon counties vote (non-binding) to prove to state legislators that eastern Oregon wants to join Idaho.

9 counties have voted in favor so far, and more will vote soon.

Step 3: Idaho Legislature holds hearings.

Step 4: Oregon Legislature holds hearings.

Step 5: Oregon and Idaho Legislatures invite each other to consider the issue by passing a “memorial” or resolution

Step 6: Oregon & Idaho leaders negotiate.

Step 7: State legislatures ratify an interstate compact that sets the terms of the border relocation, such as which assets and liabilities become Idaho’s.

Step 8: Optionally, the compact authorizes a plebiscite (vote) for eastern Oregon voters as a whole to consent to, or veto, the compact.

Step 9: Congress approves the interstate compact and amends acts of admission of both states.

Before we can add California counties to Idaho, we need to complete phase 1: moving the Oregon/Idaho border.

The Washington State counties that Idaho would accept (Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin) don’t have many people, so it will be hard to get the Washington State Legislature’s attention until we have success in Oregon.

P.S. In Oregon if someone does not have concealed permit to stay within the law the gun needs to be visible while transporting.

PSS - When Southern Oregon has a problem of illegal pot growing affecting the quality of life they call on Salem for help.
Overwhelmed by illegal pot, Oregon county declares emergency AP News Oct 2021

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.