Shangri La Dialogue - lighter moments when comedians and clowns speak

 The world's richest comedian, Zelensky, is expected to speak at the Shangri La Dialogue, an event where defence ministers and top military brass are meeting to discuss serious international issues and a chance to meet each other in person. In such a serious environment it is good to have a comic in attendance to loosen up the tense emotion. Never mind if after the performance the comic would be begging for alms.

Zelensky is not the only comic invited to entertain the dignified audience. His counter part, or double in Asean, had already been given the honour to deliver a piece written by a sophomore on International Relations 101. And some in the audience were awed by the 'great and powerful' speech. Good work and credit goes to the comic.

In a more serious note, the spokesman for the American Empire laid down the rules for an Indo Pacific region under America's rules of law, not UN or International Rules of Law. Austin made it clear that the American Empire is here to stay as the top dog, ruling the region under American terms, and backed up by America's military power. On this, he said the Americans would build more military bases, stock up more weapons, including sending in soldiers and the military industrial complex to produce more weapons of war in this otherwise peaceful region.

Austin also sang praises to its colonies and assured them that America would reinforce its military presence in the colonies to ensure that they would always be safe as colonies of the American Empire. He also welcomed two new colonies in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea for inviting the Americans to set up military bases in their lands. Austin proudly boasted about how big the American colonies have expanded and how America would turn them into another NATO in the region. Oops, so far, the many colonies actually added up to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, PNG and Australia in a region with more than 20 countries. What happened to the rest of the countries in the region? What happened to the rest of Asean countries? If you are not with us you are against us?

The American Empire is here to stay as the sole hegemon. Convergence of interest and countries? Only if they come under the American Empire, as colonies of the Empire. They would then be free and safe from terrorists, gangsters, NGOs and the CIA tasked to conduct assassination, regime change, destabilise and incite civil unrest in their countries. The colonies are safe, as all political opposition would be assassinated or removed.

Americans are renewing and re erecting themselves in a new Pax Americana, with willing colonies sharing the same values, and happily living ever after under the American masters. What a nice formula! What a sweet dream!

Who would China want as the next US president, Biden or Trump?

 This is like a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. Or better, between the scoundrel and a demented old man. What kind of choice is this? This is the best of American democracy, when the Americans are supposed to choose two of the most capable men to be their president, to lead their country. Instead, they are forced to choose two of the most unsuitable men that would lead them to history. One would lead by cheating, swearing and sleeping around. Another would lead by being led by whoever is handling him, holding his arm so that he does not fall or what into the wrong place.

Is this a political system that would throw up the best man to lead a country? Who would think this is the ideal political system, the best in the world, the best of a country? In reality, this is fake democracy, a political system that fails miserably for what it intends to do. One man one vote, not for the best man or woman, but a dud chosen for them by the mafia, or a corrupt gang of men and women in Washington, that were paid to do what the paymaster want them to do.

Who would China prefer? It does not matter really. China can live with either of them as they would mean nothing to China. They would in their own way expedite the decline of the dying American Empire by their thoughtless policy made like knee jerk reactions. No need much thinking, just good for the day. After all they only have 4 years to fill their pockets and bank accounts.

China does not need to bother whichever clown becomes the President of a decadent Empire. China only needs to chart its own progress carefully with long term plans for the well being of its people and country.

Good luck to Biden and Trump. Good luck to fake democracy America and the daft American hillbillies.

American dollar is safe haven, drugs and homelessness are lifestyle choice...keep spinning

 And the USA Government is unable to do anything about the drug problem. Honestly, Karma cannot just be stopped from working by brushing it aside and not believing in its mysterious way.

There are honestly many things that is still beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Take the Universe as an example. Who, how and why was the Universe created? They still do not know the answer, just using conjectures to explain. Even recent events disqualifying Pluto as a planet shows the uncertain thinking of the human mind.

There are a thousand and one ways that the USA is seen to be destroying itself. Most imminent is the atrocious debt of US$34 trillion and still the USA is spending like no tomorrow and printing toilet papers like crazy. But the world, allies and non-allies are not buying its latest tranche of Treasury bill offerings. The response was 'ugly' to quote Kevin Walmsley on 'Inside China Business'. It seems the only big buyers left were pension funds.

And Pension Funds are posing another serious problem and themselves reported to be unable to keep up, by earning enough from its investments, to pay off retirees. Most pension funds are literally bankrupt entities and will not last. This is a problem that is escalating but kept under wraps and seldom touched upon by the MSM.

Of course, the drug infestation problem is beyond control as well, and conveniently the USA is trying to blame China for its drug problems. Did China forced the USA to open up to the drug trade using gunboat diplomacy? China does not need to drug the USA to make it weak. The USA is weakening itself day by day, internally and externally.

Criminal activities also have connections to the drug problem, and the homelessness problem is the result. It is reported that drug addicts prefer living on the streets to avoid the law. But the authorities and MSM are spinning it into a 'song and dance' that living on the streets is a 'lifestyle choice'. Listen to that bullshit coming from the authorities. And with that, they believe they are justified to leave the homelessness problem to fester.

And of course, what will bring down the USA, if those problems above do not work, is the de-dollarization move initiated by BRICS. The effects are rippling silently across the world, though the USA and the G7 are still downplaying the inevitable.

Let them enjoy their warp sense of security and denial. The same way they were denying China's rise as of little consequence to the US$ hegemony. The Chinese can only be cooks and laundrymen and can never pose any threat to the superior Anglo-Saxon Whites and white pretenders like Japan.

Now they are realizing it too late and are fighting tooth and nail to keep China from rising further. And one USA Party is blaming the other for letting this happen. 

Anonymous

Ukraine - What a profitable war for the Americans

 As NATO sends more weapons to Ukraine, obsolete weapons I would say, it benefits the USA's Military Industrial Complex. The USA already said so, claiming that all the aid given to Ukraine is coming back to the USA. That relates to new weapon sales of course, replacing old obsolete weapons in NATO, some of which were weapons left behind in those breakaway satellite states of the former USSR.

The sanctioning of energy from Russia already benefited the USA tremendously. But it is causing misery for the EU. German Industries are moving out because of expensive energy cost. Some are moving to the USA to take advantage of the subsidies trotted out by the USA, but some have chosen to move to China, with all the engineers and STEM graduates ready and available, with the supply chains already built up, and most importantly, the market that is needed.

That is why they need to expand the war in Ukraine, to keep it alive. And also supporting the Middle East war, even trying to escalate it. But that is causing problems that they USA, Israel and the West had not foreseen. The Houthis are disrupting shipping around the Gulf region and targeting ships from Israel in particular. This is not going away any time soon. This is the Houthis front yard, and they will stay around indefinitely.

They USA keeps prodding China to take the bait, using the Philippines as proxy to antagonize China, besides using Taiwan to keep tensions alive around the Taiwan Straits. China just has to keep its patience, knowing the fall of the USA is gaining momentum as de-dollarization and decoupling gathers steam.

The G7 bloc has already fallen behind the BRICS countries in terms of GDP and is falling further behind with new countries joining the BRICS bloc. The USA and other G7 countries can continue to deny the inevitable and brush aside BRICS de-dollarization program as immaterial, thinking that SWIFT and the US$ hegemony will be around forever. It is not working by just denying the reality.

Anonymous

Only in America where a President has to take drugs to stay alert

 Biden is not just half dead. He is already a 'walking dead'. Honestly, I think he is even on drugs. Trump probably knows that and is talking about Biden undertaking a drug test before their coming debate. Never in the history of mankind has this kind of request, verbally thrown up on the spur of the moment, ever been raised as a condition for a debate between aspiring politicians. Only in the USA, LOL!

The USA likes to brag about how high their President's IQ were, yet looking at the two candidates today, it baffles the mind about the USA's bragging rights compared to reality.

OK, we know that in the UK long time ago, Winston Churchill was not as bright and known to suffer mistreatment and criticism while in school for being slow in learning. But he did turn into a brilliant War Prime Minister later. That cannot be taken as a precedent anywhere else, right?

Indeed, Trump is comparing himself favorably to Abraham Lincoln, another assassinated USA President. They laughed at the comparison, which tells us the real mental quality of Trump. OK, if he is not smart, how could he be so rich, one can argue. Well, for a start, he inherited most of his wealth from his father, nothing more nothing less.

And that is why the inheritance tax he avoided paying is causing much consternation within the USA. Trump is well known for circumventing tax laws in the USA, thus his run up with the law over non-payment of tax. He even boasted about his cleverness in avoiding payment of tax, even as President. Only in the USA!

Anonymous