China should not rebuild Ukraine. Ukraine has no money to pay for it

 The USA managed to prosper after WW2 largely because it was untouched by destruction during that war, except in Hawaii.

Destruction in Europe in particular was a windfall for USA to reap the rewards with funding for rebuilding in great demand. The USA was able to laugh all the way to the bank and grew enormously prosperous over the course of the next several decades. Actually, the Jews in USA benefitted the most, with their control of the largest banks.

WW3 is going to be different story, and I think the USA knows it. North America will not be spared destruction, the same as everywhere else.

In passing, China must not step in to undertake any rebuilding job in Ukraine. China will lose its pants if it does so. Ukraine is in no position to afford reconstruction. Let the USA and the EU do it and rip off the Ukrainians. With Ukraine highly indebted to the USA and EU countries after all the weapons and aid sent, repaying the debt is already near impossible, not to talk about funding for reconstruction.

As John Mearsheimer predicted, Russia will totally destroy Ukraine in this war, and it is coming true. Who is going to rebuild Ukraine? No, no it is not going to be Russia who is responsible. Someone else with iron chains must step forward.

Anonymous

Japan and South Korea are not friends but colonies of the USA

 The Japanese and South Koreans love jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The fact that they fell for the USA's trap of luring them to Arizona to invest billions in chip manufacturing, to be able to sell only in the USA, is already testament to their short-sighted thinking. They should know that being friends with the USA means having to follow their dictates, no escaping the iron chains around their necks.

Morris Chang, the TSMC founder clearly mentioned that investing in Arizona was a very big mistake for TSMC. Chip foundries main requirements are many, and among that are lots of perfectly clean water, which Arizona clearly lacks. The water in that region is shared by many competing states and allotted by agreements. Which is more important when residential use is on the line and competing with factories over scarce resources? Let us wait for the residents to decide among themselves when the shit hits the fan.

The second problem is such expansion of the chip manufacturing sector clearly lacks the skilled engineers in the USA to run the plants and engineers have to be imported from Taiwan, resulting in many other problems such as wages differential and working conditions. The projects are failing even before they are in full production.

Another problem is the Chinese market, that will be closed to them in terms of price competitiveness and China's plan to migrate to domestic chips. Such expansion of chip production in the USA needs a market like China. The stark reality is clearly not good for TSMC, Samsung and others, and even for domestic USA chip manufacturers. They killed the goose that laid the golden eggs themselves. Now it is only what the Chinese use to say 'chee tang' left or chicken eggs which means zero or nothing.

For Japanese and South Korean shipbuilders going to set up shipyards in USA just to cater to the USA's military requirements is a stretch too far. They cannot survive on that alone, and cannot compete on the global market against Chinese shipbuilders. Will they take the bait? 

Anonymous

Why F15 and F16 are obsolete fighter aircraft?

 

There is this narrative that the F15s and F16s are now obsolete warplanes, not good enough, and thus billions of dollars must be spent on the latest military toys, the F35s. Where did this narrative originate from and what is the basis to say that these two, once best warplanes of the USA, are now not able to perform their roles to keep Singapore safe?

It is understandable that the Americans would want to retire these ageing warplanes and go for new warplanes. The Americans must always have warplanes that are the most advanced vis a vis China or Russia. And it is true that the F15 and F16 are not in the same league as the newest warplanes from Russia and China. When air superiority is concerned, these two planes were no match for the Russians and the Chinese. If they are, there will be no need to replace them, to pull them out of service.

Another key reason peculiar to the Americans is the interests of the Military Industrial Complex. They need the American military to purchase newer and more expensive warplanes to keep the war industry in the pink of health. One can imagine how many billions or trillions would be spent to replace the F15s and F16s when the number needed would be in the thousands. The Americans are so desperate that they even stop producing their supposedly most advanced F22s. This is simply a very good business strategy.

Why are the F15 and F16 also not good enough for Singapore's defence? In this area, actually it is a case of relativity. It is what a country has vis a vis its presumed enemies. Who are Singapore's potential enemies and what kind of warplanes are they having that can overrun Singapore with air superiority? If the enemies did not have an air force, actually a few pieces of WW2 Mustangs or Spitfires, or the Japanese Zeros would be good enough, superior enough. 

If Singapore's enemies are like China, Russia or America, with more superior warplanes than the F15 and F16, then it is obvious that Singapore must possess something better. But if the potential enemies did not have anything better than the F15 and F16, is it reasonable to say that the F15 and F16 are not good enough, obsolete? Taiwan needs something better than the second hand F16s they have. But the Americans would not sell them and conned them to believe that F16s are good enough.

When the Brits and the European colonialists were conquering the world, they only need some antique gunboats. The Brits defeated the Qing Dynasty with more powerful cannons on their gunboats as their cannons were more superior to the Qing Dynasty. The superiority of weapons is also a case of relativity.

Are the F15 and F16 warplanes less able and inferior to the warplanes of our potential enemies? Oh, if our potential enemies are China, Russia, or even the USA, then the answer is obvious. The irony is that Ukraine or Zelensky thinks that F16 is a game changer, ie F16 is better than whatever that the Russians have. And the Americans are also telling Zelensky the same story. So a few second hand F16s, not the latest version, are now in Ukraine and Zelensky now has high hopes that he will win the war against the Russians.

How many think this is foolish thinking? How many think the Americans are conning Zelensky? How many think Zelensky knows what F16 is all about? What is the lie? Who is lying about the F16? The F16 is also to win the war against Russia?

New 6th Day War against the US, UK, France and Israel Axis of Evil...in Israel

 The Israelis, USA and UK are the real axis of evil, with France becoming the quartet of evil, should realize that this is not the era of the 1967 Six Day War, where they were able to ride roughshod over the Arab states, primarily Egypt, Syria and Jordan, which were all militarily very weak in every quarter at that juncture.

The Six Day War was actually the Arab States fighting against the might of USA, UK, France and Israel, with all their aerial superiority, not just Israel alone. The USA's axis of evil must not forget that this is the era of missiles and drones, needing no pilots or planes, which Iran, in particular is no pushover.

Trying to annihilate Iran and control a region as wide and diverse as the Middle East is a pipe dream. Like China in the last century, there will be widespread uprising to get rid of Israel for good. This will be like stirring a hornet's nest. Arabs and Islamic states do not forgive or forget so easily. Just look at Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and ISIS. They fight on against all odds and cannot be killed just by taking out their leaders. When death is no deterrent in Islam, the danger is even more difficult to endure.

This will be a multi-front war against Israel, unlike the Six Day War fought mainly over the Sinai Desert. Missiles and drones will land on Israel proper and will overwhelm the 'Iron Dome's' ability to defend. Israel needs the airpower support of the USA and its allies to help its defense as it did in April 2024 against Iranian missiles and drones.

Meanwhile, Russian is now stepping in to support the Arabs as reported. This changes the complexity of the game. Russia has a presence in Syria already since September 2015, a thorn in the side of the USA trying to get at its oil. God knows what will happen if Israel or the USA were to hit Russian Military targets over there in retaliation. This will be further escalation.

Anonymous

The Chinese should learn from USA and Singapore, hire Indian CEOs for their successful companies?

 Better for India to plan to take over China - inheriting the Industrial over-capacity and logistics, the all-conquering EV hub, the most competitive shipyards, the abundant STEM graduates, the well-built HSR, the world-class infrastructures, the world's second largest GDP, and the well-established and efficient CCP Government as well. India should throw out its democratic system stifling its growth and adopt the Chinese model.

After all, China's population is reported to be declining fast, so just should fit in nicely for India's expanding population. That will really be utilizing 'India's Population Dividend' to good effect instead of having headaches to resolve the problem. And there is the huge land mass in China for Indians to build, since they love building so much as displayed in Sinkieland, but strangely not in India. Sinkieland cannot match such a big land mass as China and needing to keep filling up of the surrounding seas.

Moreover, the USA is very friendly with India and may allow India, when it is in control of China, to be in a position to overtake the USA without the USA being jealous and raising all the tariffs and provocations against China. It is a win-win situation for India, with all ready-made goodies by China delivered on a platter, instead of India just drinking too much toddy and having wet dreams to overtake China and become a superpower.

Modi should aim high, not aim to sink. 

Anonymous