Generational Dynamics World View News

Discussion of Web Log and Analysis topics from the Generational Dynamics web site.
DaKardii
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:17 am

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by DaKardii »

In the post-Trump era, this is where I am on the political compass.

Image

Relative to both the DNC and the GOP, if they were on Earth I would be on the moon.

DaKardii
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:17 am

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by DaKardii »

China ends economic dialogue with Australia after latter withdraws from two BRI projects

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacifi ... -australia

Cool Breeze
Posts: 2935
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:19 pm

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by Cool Breeze »

He's obsessed with the "petrodollar" a topic made to sell books that's only a small part of the overall Bretton Woods system that was later jettisoned ... the truth is that, and I've told DaKaardi this, it's only 7% of world GDP. Big whoop

The larger issue is what happens demographically and how reckless does the US get with the USD

Deflation, then inflation, remember.

John
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Location: Cambridge, MA USA
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Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by John »

** 06-May-2021 World View: Khashoggi
DaKardii wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 1:58 pm
> Nope. My current opinions are rooted in me listening to the Ron
> Paul wing of the GOP. I used to think those people were nuts, but
> after seeing Trump's bizarre reaction to the Khashoggi killing I
> began reconsidering that position.
The Democrats, led by shithead Adam Schiff, manufactured one lie after
another about Donald Trump. As each one was proven to be a lie, they
were never embarrassed, but just went on to the next one. That's what
was really sickening. So there are hundreds of these floating around
out there, and I know that you can resuscitate them faster than I have
the time or motivation to bat them down, so I'm probably just going to
give up with you.

However, let's consider Khashoggi. I was never impressed by the
Khashoggi killing, because it was really just a typical horrific
extrajudicial killing of a kind that I read about every day, that I
write about occasionally, and that are portrayed in the TV drama
series Criminal Minds.

The only thing special about the Khashoggi killing is that the details
were particularly gruesome, that the details were leaked, that
Khashoggi's fiancee was outside the embassy while it was going on, and
that Erdogan and the Washington Post were able to exploit the murder
for their poltical ends.

The Khashoggi murder may have been gruesome, but similarly gruesome
extrajudicial murders occur and have occurred in every country,
including America. A century ago, Democrats in the KKK performed
similarly gruesome extrajudicial murders on a regular basis. Here are
the lyrics to Billie Holliday's 1939 song, Strange Fruit:
> "[Verse 1]
> Southern trees bear a strange fruit
> Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
> Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
> Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

> [Verse 2]
> Pastoral scene of the gallant south
> The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
> Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
> Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

> [Verse 3]
> Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
> For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
> For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
> Here is a strange and bitter crop"
So I'm not impressed by the Khashoggi murder. It's just a typical,
every day, horrific extrajudicial murder. Ho-hum.

With regard to Saudi policy, I consider it much more important to
maintain our commitment to stability in the Mideast, and particularly
the agreement we've had with the Saudis since the 1930s. As bad as
the Khashoggi murder is (though no worse than the murders depicted in
Strange Fruit), the continuity of foreign policy is more important
than one fairly typical extrajudicial murder.

But you have a very particular view of such things. You say this:
DaKardii wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 10:16 am
> I'm an absolutist when it comes to belief in rule of law. I'm
> opposed to selective enforcement in all cases, be it when
> it benefits the left or when it benefits the right.
Being such an absolutist means, of course, that you're unable to
distinguish between a parking violation and a murder. It's also
politically convenient for you, because you can festoon your
"absolutist" view with whatever ideological or emotional enhancement
that you like. So you might say that that the parking violation is a
horrific crime because it blocks your car, but the murder is perfectly
ok, because you dislike the guy who was murdered. That's the
advantage of taking an absolutist view. You can adapt to anything you
want. It's the kind of trickery that the Democrats use.

Let's make a comparison. For me, Bashar al-Assad's genocide and
ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Arab Sunnis is infinitely
worse than the murder of just one individual, Khashoggi.

But not for you. Your "absolutist" view of the law means that Bashar
al-Assad's genocide and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of
Arab Sunnis is legally equivalent to the murder of just one
individual, Khashoggi. In fact, I believe that in the past you've
defended al-Assad. He's just a poor, misunderstood opthamologist,
trying to make the world a better place. In fact, to you he's a
victim, because people like me accuse him of awful things, like being
the worst genocidal monster so far this century.

You would forget that he slaughters innocent civilians with Sarin gas,
chlorine gas, phosphorus and other chemical weapons. You would forget
that he pours missiles into children's dormitories, residential
neighborhoods, and marketplaces, in order to kill as many women and
children and possible. You would forget that he particularly targets
hospitals and medical facilities. You would forget that he tortured,
mutilated and killed some 50,000 prisoners in his private prison in
Damascus. Each one of these 50,000 mutilations and murders is
individually worse than the Khashoggi murder.

So you single out Saudi's King Salman as the criminal of the century
because of the Khashoggi murder, while you find Bashar al-Assad just
to be a poor victim of his time. That's taking your "absolutist" view
of the law and festooning it with your emotions. I take the opposite
view. I consider Salman to be an ordinary dictator, while Bashar
al-Assad is the genocidal monster of the century.

As I said, I can't keep up with you. You can find a million things to
blame Trump for -- just look up shithead Adam Schiff's stream of lies
-- and I have neither time more nor motivation to respond to them more
than occasionally.

Every example you've given turns out to have been wrong. Maybe Tulsi
Gabbard will be able to save you.

Image
  • Tulsi Gabbard


She'll probably be the hottest candidate in 2024, which means that she
can be forgiven, even if she's a warmonger.

DaKardii
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:17 am

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by DaKardii »

Cool Breeze wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 9:18 pm
The larger issue is what happens demographically and how reckless does the US get with the USD
"How reckless does the US get with the USD." That and the petrodollar are fundamentally intertwined.

As I've said over and over and over again, the petrodollar is not about exports, imports, or total production numbers. It's about what currency a specific commodity is sold in.

Yes. Oil does represent just 7% of the global economy. So what? If you want to go there, gold represents less than 3% of all the world's wealth. Does that change the role gold plays in the global economy?

Trevor
Posts: 1209
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 7:43 am

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by Trevor »

You're forgetting one thing, John: that was at a single facility in Damascus. I'd bet on there being a lot of others, so we're probably talking hundreds of thousands of victims.

DaKardii
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:17 am

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by DaKardii »

John wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 10:25 pm
The Democrats, led by shithead Adam Schiff, manufactured one lie after
another about Donald Trump. As each one was proven to be a lie, they
were never embarrassed, but just went on to the next one. That's what
was really sickening. So there are hundreds of these floating around
out there, and I know that you can resuscitate them faster than I have
the time or motivation to bat them down, so I'm probably just going to
give up with you.
I already told you that my current opinions are influenced by the Ron Paul wing of the GOP. That faction can't be any more different than the Adam Schiff wing of the DNC. When they attack Trump, they always do it for completely different reasons. And the Ron Paul wing's reasons for attacking Trump are almost never invoked by the mainstream media because the mainstream media can't stomach to make arguments that are not rooted in left-wing thought.
John wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 10:25 pm
The only thing special about the Khashoggi killing is that the details
were particularly gruesome, that the details were leaked, that
Khashoggi's fiancee was outside the embassy while it was going on, and
that Erdogan and the Washington Post were able to exploit the murder
for their poltical ends.
There's far more to the Khashoggi killing than just that. Have you had a chance to look at the Lee Stranahan podcast I linked to earlier? If not, I highly suggest you do. Here's the link again:

https://twitter.com/stranahan/status/11 ... 6305286145
John wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 10:25 pm
But you have a very particular view of such things. You say this:
DaKardii wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 10:16 am
> I'm an absolutist when it comes to belief in rule of law. I'm
> opposed to selective enforcement in all cases, be it when
> it benefits the left or when it benefits the right.
Being such an absolutist means, of course, that you're unable to
distinguish between a parking violation and a murder. It's also
politically convenient for you, because you can festoon your
"absolutist" view with whatever ideological or emotional enhancement
that you like. So you might say that that the parking violation is a
horrific crime because it blocks your car, but the murder is perfectly
ok, because you dislike the guy who was murdered. That's the
advantage of taking an absolutist view. You can adapt to anything you
want. It's the kind of trickery that the Democrats use.

Let's make a comparison. For me, Bashar al-Assad's genocide and
ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Arab Sunnis is infinitely
worse than the murder of just one individual, Khashoggi.

But not for you. Your "absolutist" view of the law means that Bashar
al-Assad's genocide and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of
Arab Sunnis is legally equivalent to the murder of just one
individual, Khashoggi. In fact, I believe that in the past you've
defended al-Assad. He's just a poor, misunderstood opthamologist,
trying to make the world a better place. In fact, to you he's a
victim, because people like me accuse him of awful things, like being
the worst genocidal monster so far this century.

You would forget that he slaughters innocent civilians with Sarin gas,
chlorine gas, phosphorus and other chemical weapons. You would forget
that he pours missiles into children's dormitories, residential
neighborhoods, and marketplaces, in order to kill as many women and
children and possible. You would forget that he particularly targets
hospitals and medical facilities. You would forget that he tortured,
mutilated and killed some 50,000 prisoners in his private prison in
Damascus. Each one of these 50,000 mutilations and murders is
individually worse than the Khashoggi murder.

So you single out Saudi's King Salman as the criminal of the century
because of the Khashoggi murder, while you find Bashar al-Assad just
to be a poor victim of his time. That's taking your "absolutist" view
of the law and festooning it with your emotions. I take the opposite
view. I consider Salman to be an ordinary dictator, while Bashar
al-Assad is the genocidal monster of the century.
Let me clarify. I'm an absolutist when it comes to law and order in America. I would love to see universal law and order everywhere else too, but achieving that is an impossible task that our government shouldn't waste time to undertake. However, universal law and order in one country, our own, is far from an impossible task; but of course our government is too corrupt to undertake that one.

Meanwhile, I've never defended Assad per se. Other people on this forum have, but not me. I know full well that Assad is a bloodthirsty killer who is guilty of genocide. However, he's not the only party in that conflict who has committed genocide, nor is he the party who threatens America the most. And when WWIII finally breaks out, it is very likely that the bigger players involved in the Syrian conflict will end up killing far more people than Assad has.

As for Saudi Arabia, if you watch the Stranahan podcast you'll understand why I'm more concerned about Saudi Arabia than I am about Assad. When I see the big picture regarding Saudi Arabia, I see two things. First, I see a threat to America that rivals the threat posed by China; Saudi Arabia may be weak militarily and have a much smaller economy than China, but it's political and economic clout is still a powerful force to be reckoned with. And second, I see a regime that is preparing for a major war and that likely will end up killing more people than Assad has.
John wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 10:25 pm
As I said, I can't keep up with you. You can find a million things to blame Trump for -- just look up shithead Adam Schiff's stream of lies -- and I have neither time more nor motivation to respond to them more than occasionally.
You may be tired of responding to Adam Schiff arguments, but I'm not making Adam Schiff arguments.

John
Posts: 11478
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:10 pm
Location: Cambridge, MA USA
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Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by John »

** 07-May-2021 World View: Bashar al-Assad's victims
Trevor wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 12:09 am
> You're forgetting one thing, John: that was at a single facility
> in Damascus. I'd bet on there being a lot of others, so we're
> probably talking hundreds of thousands of victims.
You're absolutely right. I had forgotten about the other facilities,
though I mentioned them in my original story;

** 22-Jan-14 World View -- Western leaders sickened by Assad's 'industrial strength' torture in Syria
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ ... tm#e140122

John
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:10 pm
Location: Cambridge, MA USA
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Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by John »

** 07-May-2021 World View: China's greenhouse gas emissions

This isn't surprising, but it's nice to have it confirmed: China's
share of greenhouse emissions exceeds the total of the entire
developed world. I've written many articles over the years
about these climate change agreements being a total farce, and
this really proves it.

Some people say, "Oh, that's because China has a lot of people."
Well, that excuse fails, because China exceeds the rest of the world
on a per capita basis. According to reports, China opens a new
coal-powered electric plant every week, and has no intention of
changing that practice.

The Chinese don't even claim that they'll start reducing emissions
until 2030. In the meantime, they want the US to cut emissions
immediately, in order to cripple the US economy. The airheads in the
Biden administration seem only too willing to comply.

Climate change is just one more weapon in China's arsenal, as it
prepares for war with the United States.

Image
  • 2019 emissions from world's largest emitters -- China 27%,
    US 11%, India 6.6%, EU 6.6%, etc.


Image
  • Total greenhouse gas emissions, 1990-2019 - China and OECD


Image
  • Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, 1990-2019 - China and OECD


---- Sources:

-- China’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Exceeded the Developed World for
the First Time in 2019
https://rhg.com/research/chinas-emissio ... countries/
(Rhodium Group, 5-May-2021)

-- China’s greenhouse gas emissions exceed those of U.S. and developed
countries combined, report says
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/06/chinas- ... eport.html
(CNBC, 6-May-2021)

User avatar
Tom Mazanec
Posts: 4180
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:13 pm

Re: Generational Dynamics World View News

Post by Tom Mazanec »

I take the opposite
view. I consider Salman to be an ordinary dictator, while Bashar
al-Assad is the genocidal monster of the century.
Careful, John...the century ain't over yet :-)
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain

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