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.
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]
Taiwan - I am currently watching these two sites for the most current information and opinions.
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?
Comments
Good morning ~
Thanks once again for the Saturday Potluck! This quote from Taiwan caught my eye ..
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
"Brandied" is an excellent Freudian slip
since in my opinion they are all a bunch of drunken clowns.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Good morning...
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Brian Berletic - China's Taiwan Military Option
Good morning soe.
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.
A demonetized youtube blogger talks to the RF's UN
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
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
Funny -
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 (Democrat
icParty, GOP, House, Senate, State Department and CIA) want the US to join that group for the usual shit- headed reasons.Domestic:
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
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 --
A bit of an update. Not sure if there are others.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/01/china-opens-embassy-in-nic...
Thanks, I read about that, back when it was
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
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 --
US attempts to limit China's semiconductor advancement failed
The American exceptionalism "hubris" of the authors of this report make two of the greatest errors when it comes to China:
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:
Might want to ask the Sri Lankans
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...
This is getting complicated. Once I started following links
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
Zerohedge also had an article on Sri Lanka debt and politics yesterday.
How Sri Lanka Is Being Dragged Into US-China Conflict
This is hopeful thought for the citizens of Sri Lanka from The Diplomat article in your reference.
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
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
China forgave debt of the Hambantota port
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.
The US has been engineering another "Colour Revolution" in Sri Lanka:
Sri Lankan's understand what the US is up to in their country:
The EU remains living in a alternate reality.
The situation in Europe is peachy keen according to the elites.
I woke up in the middle of the night
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 “
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Texas was populated
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!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
1847 was the day that Mormons declared
“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.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Another example of how CNN carries water for Israel.
Israel can do no wrong.
They get no criticism, at all, from Western governments, or their msm.
Apartheid is not happening.
Squirrel!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Ok. Sittin' on the porch, enjoying a beer.
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...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Caitlin Johnstone has a way with words!
As I've said before
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.
Andrei Martyanov - Weekend Improv
Martyanov's analysis
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.
語必忠信 行必正直
A small child is savagely mauled by a pack of vicious dogs
Zelinsky's desire to retake Kherson seems to have a problem.
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters to CNN:
"[China] is not encircling Taiwan, Taiwan is part of China!"
Thanks for the contributions of stories of your localities and
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.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
State of Jefferson
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:
soj51.org
Individuals have the freedom to move to areas around the
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.
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.
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
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.