India has not given up on its big power dream

 The spate of humiliation that India went through recently did not in anyway affect India's big power dream. India is still calling itself the leader of the Global South, that it is speaking for and defending the interests of the Global South when it could not even protect its own interests. Defeated by Pakistan, got humiliated by Trump and kicked out of the failed Indo Pacific containment strategy of China, other countries would have curled up in some corner to nurse its wounds...but not India.

Modi and Jaishanker have stepped their diplomatic tours and appearance to court for supporters to join the Indian big power dream, to be the leader of the Global South. Modi knows that its game to ride on the Americans to counter China's influence is now in tatters. Maybe the next American president could want him back. Modi also knows that China will never trust India until the border issues are settled. Even his relation with Putin is questionable. Does Putin still has any fate in believing in the India game of playing both sides to serve its own interests above everyone's else.

India must raise its game, come up with some big plans, big strategies to attract the attention of the Global South and to show to the Americans that India is still a valuable partner. India's relations with the Arab and Muslim world have been compromised with his defence pact with Israel, meaning anti Arab and Muslims. What can India think of when China has taken the initiatives in several strategic and multi national projects like the BRI, BRICS and SCO? For the moment India has lost its magic to spin out something worthy of mentioning. The Indians have run out of ideas. India tried to be the leader in AI but fell hopelessly as it is not in the same league as China and America. No need to bother about high end chips. If India dares to crow about competing in chip manufacturing, it will be a laughing stock.

Finally India found a straw to grab on and hoping to push it as India's initiative to seek some recognition in the Global South. It was an idea or a red herring that desperate Biden threw up in the air as a great idea to counter China's BRI. Even the Americans could not come up with something better as China has made the first move and the BRI has covered every corner of the earth with more than 140 countries participating. But nevermind, anything will do for the the moment, better than nothing. Anyone remember what was dementia Biden's great and novel idea to challenge China's BRI? In short it is called IMEC, India Middle East Economic Corridor. This is supposed to link India through the Middle East, ie Saudi Arabia and Israel to Europe. The geography does not make sense, the road or sea route do not make sense. The pipeline through Saudi Arabia and Israel does not make sense. What goods are going to flow through this two patches of water and desert? Europe may have goods to send down to India. What is India going to send to Europe to warrant such a corridor?

Biden may not be serious, just throwing up an idea to please India in the meeting to be forgotten once he turned his back. But India is very serious. India thinks it was a great idea, even without Biden or the Americans. Modi believes India could take the lead with the support of Israel to make this happen, without understanding the politics and economics of this corridor. Modi and Jaishankar are now selling this IMEC as India's grand strategy to compete with China. Modi and Jaishankar did not see this IMEC as a dud from the beginning. India needs to do something worthy to show that it is a leader in the world.

We shall all pray and support India to turn this red herring into something real. Not to worry, India has many supporters and believers in whatever it says. Some rich countries with a lot of money and not knowing what to do with it will be throwing money into the IMEC because India said it is a good idea. And India will have a great project to rival the BRI in IMEC. By the way, where is Biden? Why no one else is talking about this dead horse, IMEC, but India?

India is also preaching to Europe with its great plan for a sort of alliance, with Europe and India as another pole to challenge China and the USA as one of the super powers. India still has high hopes for Europe without knowing that Europe is now a sick man in that corner of the world. The combination of hope, optimism and ambition are very powerful.

Rich Arab states wasting their trillions listening to foolish advice to spend and spend on vanity projects

The Saudi's are making the same fatal mistake as UAE, investing hundreds of billions trying to outdo Dubai, with its massive Noem construction projects and the highest building in the world - the 'Jeddah Tower' caught in limbo.

Dubai's Burj Kalifah is now facing massive problems with maintenance issues, just fifteen years after inauguration. The desert heat is destroying its glass cladding that poses enormous problems with replacements. I do not have to highlight all the other technical issues regarding water, sewage disposal and external cleaning which are well articulated elsewhere.

Saudi Arabia is caught between a rock and a hard place, trying to fund all the construction costs, with many projects now abandoned. When they look at what is happening with Dubai, they knew the kind of problems they are going to face. No longer would filthy rich investors be tempted to take up units in the Jeddah Tower after seeing what the Burj Kalifah is going through.

Both countries face the same problem - desert heat that destroys infrastructures. Nature is taking back what Dubai took from it by dredging sand loaded with salt as foundations for its Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Jumeirah beach homes. Another such project had been scrapped, leaving sand dunes basking in the hot sun and the sea claiming back its sand. Nature has all the time in the world to do its job or reclaiming what belongs to it.

Saudi Arabia needs desperate money trying to export its oil. The Strait of Hormuz already dampened its hope of generating more revenue to fund its development, thinking that the Red Sea gives it a alternative lifeline. Now, that possibility is being given a rude awakening by the Houthis. So, now the Saudis are claiming they have control of the Bab Al-Mandab. The question is how are ships going to avoid being accosted by the Houthis? Will shipowners and insurers just ignore the risks? We have gone through the Strait of Hormuz issues, and it is clear that gloating does not necessarily mean the problem is solved.


Anonymous

America already lost the AI war by making it so expensive and closed system

Actually, the USA knows its AI apps are too expensive to compete with Chinese AI apps, not just in China, but across the world and even within the USA itself.

As usual, the USA Government has to ban others from operating in the country in order to safeguard its own AI companies or rather its sectorial lobbies. We have seen what had been done to 5G, to EVs and soon to AI.

Many people are under the misconception that USA entities like Google, Facebook and Youtube are banned from operating in the Chinese market. What I understand is that they are not banned, but because they have to operate under certain conditions on national security issues which they do not agree with. That is unlike the total banning of 5G, EVs and fabricated connections to the CPC.


Anonymous

Good News, bankrupt America opening two more military bases in Greenland

  US to open two new military bases in Greenland: Sources

Washington on Monday also stressed the need for military and economic investment in the Arctic to safeguard the region. Reuters

Bankrupt America still believes it can remain the world hegemon, to control and dictate to the world by force, by having more military bases around the world. 2 more bases in Greenland and a few more in the Philippines. What about the bombed out bases in the Middle East? The American terrorists should waste no time to rebuild these multi billion bases in the Middle East or be chased out from the region.

America has nothing to worry about having no money. Just keep printing. There is no need for the Americans to build anything to compete in the world market. Just control the world by military force, by controlling the banking and finance system, the greenback, data centres and chips, and threaten any country that dares to go against the American hegemony by shutting them out of the SWIFT system. The Americans can than feed on the rest of the world without producing anything, just print more money to exchange for all the goods and services from the rest of the world...or just take whatever they want.

Just by being the number one terrorist state, the whole world will belong to the Americans. Oops, oops, just by being the policeman of the world, carrying a big dick and whack anyone they like.

America has nothing to worry about the manufacturing powers of China and the rest of the world. The American terrorists can just take them for free. Who is there to stop the American terrorists? The world belongs to the American terrorist Empire, Pax Americana, American Peace, and will live happily forever.

Have gun will travel. Build more American bases, manufacture more weapons, especially nuclear weapons. Greenland has been taken over and the Danes can do nothing about it. Neither can the Greenlanders. Venezuela is already taken over, and Cuba is next, and Mexico and Canada also on the card.

The excuse to take over these countries is simple and accepted by the world. Just declared a country is vital to America's security, meaning America needs to take over the country to be safe. Safe from who? Marco Rubio has just said that about Iceland. So Iceland is next. 

When would the American terrorists declare the Strait of Malacca as vital to their security, of Singapore for that matter and take them over, like taking over Greenland? Can the world do anything to stop this?

There is another precedent being set in the Middle East. Iran and the Houthis have made it happen, that with their missiles and drones and fighting will, the Americans will not be allowed to take over the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Bab El Mandeb. Iran and the Houthis have proven to be stronger than Denmark and NATO to resist the American terrorists.

PS. The Philippines has been taken over. But this is a different case as the Pinoys are very willing to be taken over by the Americans, even as a colony or vassal state, not the 52nd state they hope so. The Americans will not grant them the right of citizenship of America, as another state.

Saudi Arabia claimed control of Bab El Mandeb that USA failed to do so

Saudi Arabia and its allies now claim that they have wrestled control of the Bab Al-Mandab from the Houthis. How great is that going to be for navigation or just hype? Who is going to be the permanent resident there and who are to be the hotel guests?

We know very well that the Houthis can target ships in the Gulf of Aden as well which is its front yard, not just ships passing through the Bab Al-Mandab waterway. So, what is going to change regarding the Saudis now controlling the Bab Al-Mandab? That stretch of water is not going to be navigation free from now onwards, whether under the Houthi's control or Saudi Arabia. The same as the Strait of Hormuz. If you believe in the gloating, no proof is necessary. The proof lies with shipowners and insurers.

Saudi Arabia had fought a long, drawn-out war against the Houthis before, supported by the USA. Did the Saudi's win that conflict? Now that the peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia are fracturing, it is going to be back to the bad-old-days. One side needs the Bab Al-Mandab staying open for its oil exports, the other side cares two hoots about closing the Bab Al-Mandab. Who is more desperate is not difficult to see. The Houthis will just sit around and wait, nothing to lose and no oil exports to care about.


Anonymous