Trump's clever solution to USA's economic problem - 100% tariffs

 Now Donald Trump's trump card and one stop solution to the USA's economic problem is tariff. Lots of it. 100% cannot work, 200% and so on. This is economic theory 101 that only Trump alone learnt throughout his life. Everyone thinks it is a no brainer, except Trump the Great American revolutionary leader. I think even Professor Richard Wolff did not learn that and thought of that.

Trump probably thinks every suggestion of his will work like his nuclear option of sending a nuclear missile into a hurricane to stop it. Or drinking horse de-wormer, Ivermectin, to stop COVID, since it worked on horses and COVID is caused by a worm in his head. Or his theory of injecting insecticide to cure COVID, like killing insects inside his head. Or go sunbathing to prevent COVID infection as sunlight kills germs. During COVID, Trump was the expert on all the cures. Yet the USA ended up the champion of all deaths from COVID.

Sanctions are not working, so tariffs are going to be the cure all for the USA's problem. The whole world joining de-dollarization are urinating in their pants over Trump's tariff threat. And that I understand is the reason for the US$ rising. Investors are jumping the gun without realizing the folly of Trump's idea. 

Anonymous

Iron Dome hype turning into Iron Doom, as good as useless

 When the Arabs and Muslims did not try to test the 'Iron Dome' myth, they were ironically held hostage by it for decades.

It just took the Lebanese using cheap rockets and then everything about the 'Iron Dome' fell apart. Hezbollah probably formulated the idea first. Iran had the formula for overcoming it now. The Houthis, supported by Iran are not left out of sharing the useful secret.

The USA is now providing Israel with THAAD (Thermal High-Altitude Area Defence) system. So, now it literally confirms that the Patriot System is useless. This is not to say nobody ever doubted the Patriots ability, but its failure in Saudi Arabia blew a big hole in its reputation earlier already. And Hezbollah had an inkling of the Patriot's Archilles Heel.

Suffice to ask, what can the THAAD system do with multiple rockets, drones and missiles raining down that the Patriot System is unable to do? Business-wise probably it makes sense, as more weapon sales means more money for the Military Industrial Complex. 

Anonymous

PS.  American weapon superiority are all claims and hypes made by the Americans. They are the best, world best, top of the world, like the clowns running for Presidents, the smartest clowns, world best clowns. When put to test, in real actions, they failed miserably. They are only good when there are no competitors, like the one eyed Jack.

Only brain dead investors are rushing to India to earn rupees

 India cannot trade in its own currency, the rupee, as it is not acceptable to others. BRICS system is for the purpose of allowing members to conduct bilateral trade outside the US$ and in their own currencies in a much cheaper and faster way instead of roundabout conversion to US$ and back, not to talk about the loss on exchange in conversion. Moreover, such trade will be outside the control of the USA, if done outside the purview of the US$. De-dollarization is the prime motive of creating BRICS.

India can only trade with other countries using the US$, as the rupee is not widely accepted, and this is I think the stumbling block that cannot be resolved. Even Russia does not want to accept the Indian rupee for energy and weapon sales. India's export to Russia is not large and Russia does not want to accumulate too many rupees lying idle without being able to recycle them. Moreover, the Indian rupee has devalued much over the years.

China is different, as its trade with Russia is much bigger, with China's payments for energy and food in Yuan that could be utilized by Russia to pay back for consumer products like construction equipment, computers, EVs and smartphones, as two-way trade is expanding.

It was a big mistake for BRICS to get caught by overlooking this important issue when bringing India into the bloc.

Anonymous 

PS. I need to push this out earlier as I have a similar piece that I would be putting out soon. Holding it back for too long already.

BRICS intrigue and India's role as the stumbling block in the organisation

 

BRICS 2024 has been touted as a success with a joint declaration and the announcement of BRICS Pay, BEICS currency and a BRICS banking system. Dedollarisation was quietly swept under the table. Expansion of BRICS with more new members was also quietly forgotten, not to be spoken, and substituted with a partnership scheme with 13 new countries that have applied to be full members, Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The big quarrel and opposition by India against dedollarisation and membership expansion cannot go unnoticed. Modi came, strutted around for two days and prematurely left before the closing ceremony, to report to Biden that he had done his job, no expansion of new members. In a way Modi won against China and Russia. Putin and Xi could not do anything about it, were held at ransom by Modi and have to settle for a partnership scheme, not full membership. 

In another way, Putin and Xi could be having a high 5, we done it, 13 new members despite India's opposition. One can wonder whether Putin and Xi played out Modi, or Modi was with them, and played out Biden. It is unbelieveable that BRICS could be held at ransom by a third rate power without the financial clout, without the military clout, and boldly stood in the way of its expansion and to play a bigger role in international politics and the dedollarisation process.

Not all is lost. Putin and Xi managed to squeeze in 13 new members, though called partners, but are de facto members with almost every right as a member, and only waiting for the next opportunity to be embraced as full members. BRICS internal division would have come to the open with a yes or no membership expansion crisis. BRICS cannot move ahead without admitting new members if it were to be seen as an effective organisation for the Global South. But India is strongly in full opposition to admit new members for fear of its influence in the block being diminished. India is the odd man out, the only country that is not just a friend of the Americans, but also steeply anti Muslim countries and also anti China, opposing everything that China wants to do.

To push aside India's opposition to new membership would be effectively telling the Indians to quit the bloc. For the time being, India is still needed and to tell India to go at this early stage of the game may be a big blow to BRICS unity and survival. So the compromise, no new members, but new partners, and not just a handful, but 13 in one go. Putin and Xi would like to bring in all the applicants for full membership disguised as partners, but India would not allow it.

There is now a temporary truce within BRICS, with partial admission of 13 new countries that would eventually be made full members. It is better to have them one step in than to be left outside the club. India scored a big victory, the sole objector to BRICS expansion, but had to concede to let in 13 new partners and to accept that 7 more Muslim states are among them.

The next step would be how to get rid of India, the stumbling block, from BRICS in the next summit. India is totally out of sync with BRICS and its aspiration. India is also striding on two ships, whispering to the Americans and taking orders from the Americans that are hostile to BRICS' objectives and existence.

India must go. It is a matter of when. With India inside BRICS, BRICS would be a non starter. India should find its place in G7, if the whites would want to accept a pseudo white like India to be their full member. BRICS should wish India well in joining G7 and play a more active role in the Quad to oppose China, oppose the Islamic world instead of undermining BRICS from inside.

BRICS has no other option but to evict India in the next Summit. It is a matter of when to do it. India is like a sore thumb in BRICS, with nothing of value to contribute except 1.4b poor people to add to the numbers.

Salient thoughts, truths and facts in brief. ( 2 )

Dear fellow netizens: It is good to notice so many worthwhile comments by so many netizens. But the setback is that most of these netizens do not put down their names. There is nothing to fear in putting down our names so long as we do not touch on controversial local politics. By not putting down our names to our comments we are playing into the hands of the evil West headed by the terrorist rogue state - the United States. The West will play on our fear and work on our fear through seamless demonic propaganda in the mass media, the main newspapers, television, fliers, pamphlets, magazines and podcasts. When we put down our names to our articles or comments we are not only showing pride of our ideas, our relevant contribution to knowledge and current affairs but also telling the world especially the evil West not to mess with the affairs of all countries of the South for we know the truth about the evil and wicked ways of the West especially the Anglo-Saxons 5 headed by US and UK. We don't want appear to be ghost writers for that seems to be so if we don't append our names. At least append your initial or your pen name. My name is Southernglory which is the direct translation of my Chinese name Yang Rong Nan. 

The United States begging China for Moon Soil and Moon Rock Samples. Bill Nelson, the head of US space agency - NASA, asking China for 'moon soil and moon rock' samples under the guise of wanting to join the world scientists in analysing these moon elements. China should not only not entertain any of US shameless approach for moon rock samples but also must forever rebuff their shameless approach to China to let their scientists to work with China's space craft and space technology. China should not allow the space 'Helen of Troy' to happen. 

The United States have no space station of its own. In the past they only worked with Russian scientists in the Russian space station with the generosity of Russia. Even this Russian space station will soon be dysfunctional. And that leaves China's space station as the only space station in the world. For umpteen years the US had previously took strong positions to foil and stop China's ability in space technology and space craft. That is the result of US arrogance in world hegemony. Consequentially US has put itself in a tight spot and now has to shamelessly appealing to China for cooperation under the guise of joint effort to analyse moon soils and rocks. Surely China does not need US for that. China must be mindful of native Americans warning, 'White men speak with fork tongues and can never be trusted.' 

Below is the revelation by Global Times about US shameless and undignified approach to cooperation with China on space programmes. OPINION / OBSERVER US' predicament in seeking lunar soil samples from China a self-inflicted problem By Global Times Published: Oct 24, 2024 09:55 PM Illustration: Liu Rui/GT Illustration: Liu Rui/GT The lunar soil samples collected by China's Chang'e-5 spacecraft have drawn significant attention from the US. 

According to Reuters on Wednesday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that NASA and Chinese officials are engaged in talks to let American scientists analyze the samples, expressing that the talks will end "positively." However, the report also reveals that some US officials are hesitant about a potential agreement thinking it could weaken the US posture of toughness toward China. This highlights the distorted mind-set underlying the desire for US involvement in studying the Chinese samples while not giving up its zero-sum approach in its relationship with China. 

NASA has been eagerly eyeing the lunar soil samples brought back by Chang'e-5 for quite some time. Since October of last year, when China announced that the Chang'e-5 lunar samples would soon be open to international applications, NASA has shown great interest in the samples. Reports have even revealed that an internal NASA email stated the application for access was necessary because of the "unique value" of the Chinese samples, which had been "made available recently to the international scientific community for research purposes." However, a US domestic law known as the Wolf Amendment has significantly hindered a range of China-US space collaborations, including joint research on lunar soil. 

The Wolf Amendment prohibits the use of government funding by NASA, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, or the National Space Council for any collaboration, hosting, or bilateral coordination with China or Chinese-owned companies without certification from the FBI. This strict, bigoted ban has become a self-imposed constraint for the US in the area of space cooperation with China. 

Amid the continuous exaggeration by US politicians of the "China space threat" theory, NASA has consistently viewed China as a rival, attempting to suppress and block its space development. However, the US doesn't hesitate to seek China's lunar soil samples and share the fruits of China's space exploration when it suits its own needs. The US has apparently displayed a double standard. Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University, told the Global Times that the reason for this hypocrisy is the US' persistent belief that it remains the most advanced country in space exploration. 

Moreover, the Wolf Amendment, intended to limit China's space development, has utterly failed. On one hand, China's space industry continues to advance rapidly. On the other hand, many in the US aerospace sector have come to realize that the law has effectively backfired, restricting American technological progress. Keeping the Wolf Amendment is in "every sense a bad idea" for the US. Shen believes the US' self-imposed restriction is the inevitable outcome of American hegemony. The Wolf Amendment has caused the US to lose its ability to progress while also preventing potential collaborations with China. Ultimately, this predicament is one that the US has brought upon itself. 

China's stance on space exploration cooperation has always been clear: The country's collaboration with international partners is based on equality and mutual benefit, leveraging their respective scientific resources, facilities, and expertise. China has also consistently been open to exchanges and cooperation with the US in this field. Yet, the primary obstacle to current China-US space cooperation lies in irrational legislation in the US, such as the Wolf Amendment, as well as the US Cold War mind-set that treats China as a rival. 

Bian Zhigang, deputy head of the China National Space Administration, once emphasized: "If the US side sincerely hopes to promote cooperation between the two countries, it must take practical measures to remove these obstacles." By insisting on a hardline stance toward China, the US is allowing its space sector to be further poisoned by anti-China politics and containment strategies, thereby weakening and hindering beneficial cooperation between the two nations while closing the door to broader exploration opportunities. 

 Southernglory1 Friday, 25th October, 2024